New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-05-22
RELIGIOUS INTELLIGENCE.

Dorchester delivered an address last Monday in
Wesleyan Hall, Boston, on the progress OF
Christianity, Papal and Protestant IN the whole
world, since 1900. Until the present century,
said the lecturer, there were no trustworthy
data of the worlds population. Prior to 1880
IL was variOusly estimated from 642,OO0,OOo 10
737,000,O0O. In 1850 it was reck0ned nj ono
billion. Professor Schem's estimate makes the
present population 1,437, 100000. The prog
ress of Christianity from the fourth or fifth CEN
tury up to 1900 was confined almost entirely 70
Europe. The nominal Christians in the world
in the third century numbered 5000, 1000 up
to the eighth century they had increased
10000, 900; in the tenth century 5O,O00,OO0 /;
in the fifteenth century 10O,OOO,OOO; III the
last three hundred years the increase has been
100000, 900, or as much as in the previous
fifteen centuries. In 1850, there were
41O,9OO,OO0 nominal Christians. In 1900
Greek Christians, and no Pr0testants; in 1880,
11G,O0O.00O Roman Catholics, 7O,OOO,OOO
Greek Christians, and 42,OOO,OOO Protestants !;
in 1850. the respective numbers were
2O9 200 600 SOOO,O 900 and 1l3,7OO,OOO
showing an increase of 50 per cent among the
Papists, 26 per cent in the Greek Church, and
176 per cent among the PrOtestants. The prob
able number of nominal Christians in the world
in the year 1000 was estimated by Dr. DOrches-
ter mt from 200, 600, 900 to 100000, 000
The populations living under Christian Gov
crnmcnts in 1900 numbered 10000 600 IN
100, 1jJ, OOO, 900; ] $50, 3SS 100000; 1876,
$50. 600, 0OO divided as follows: Papal,
10000, 900 in 1900, 9O,00O,0O0 in 100,
13l,0OO,O00 in 1880, sl,OOO,0O0 IN 1916 I;
Greek 2O.000,0O0 in 1900, 33,OOO,OOO IN
100, go, 600, 900 in 1880, 96,OOO,OOO IN - 20;
Protestant none in 1900, -, 900, 600 in 100,
19l.OOO,OOO in 1880, 4OS,OOO,OOO III Is! -.
OF the J2.OOO,OOO square miles OF the earth )
surface 81. 900 900 ARE under the control OF
Christian Governments. and 2O,OOO,OOO under
Pagan and MOhammcdan. OF the area under
Christian domination, li,5O0,OOO square miles
are ruledby Protestant Governments, >, 1OO,OOO
10y Roman Catholic and s,5OO,OOO by the Greck
Church. But France, Italy and Mexico are IN =
transition state, and the next thirty years Will
settle the question rs TO which side 75,OOO,O0O
people are to bc counted upon. In $500 the
Bible was printed IN 0nc-ilth of the languages
of the world II is now printed III nlnt-tcltlls'
Three million Bibles had been printed III lSOO
iGO. OOO, 900 in from 200 10 800 languages ana
dialects have since been circulated. In the
Sunday schools in 1880 there were 2,OOO,OOO
officers teachers and scholars; there are now
over 1000. 900. In the Protestant foreign
missions IN 1880 there were 1O,2S9 cOnmunl-
Giants in 1880. 2lO9j7; in 1880, so, 332.
Adding those at missions not reporting. the az
grrgatc would probably Dc l,OJO,OOO Commu-
ncants and 100000 hearers or adhrrenis
OF the 81 1892 cOnmuncants. 6b3, Slb were
formerly Pagan, and 193,jl9 Papal, Jewish or
RatiOnalstC.
DR. VINrON's PIEACHING.-Thc Rev. Do
Phillips Brook, preached on sunday last IN
Emmanuel Church, Boston, sermon on Inc
life and character of the late Rev. Dr. AlcXan-
der H. Ninton. The preacher spoke OF CONVEX
sion, regeneration, the new birth, aS the nearest
realities 10 the departed servant OF thirst.
When he first preached Boston WAS a small city,
and the Episcopal Church was weak III numbers
and influence in comparison with the Churches
of CongrcgatOnaism and UnitarlaniSm. 1t
WAS however, II period when great changes
were going on in these and other Churches liI-
consciously Ia themselves. lnltarlanlSm was
Just passing into It's second stage. DT' 'hah-
ming had but recently died, and in the year pre-
vious Theodore Parker had preached his
famous sermon NJ South Boston on the pcrmA-
ncnt and transient in Christianity. vi the
clrrgymcn then OilicallnS IN the boston pnIpits
but one remains. the venerable minister oil the
West Church, who speaks from the same pnl,
pit II was just such time of change ana
transition as was then beginning that great
mind in the pulpit can do the most liuliIul
work. Dr. Nint0n's power was cnllnently that
of preacher. In substance his preaching was
dngmatic He held up the Old and New lesta-
mcnts n one mighty uttcrance ot the DIVINE
thought and Will, ccntrng around the cross Oh
Christ The cross lac presented not only as the
symbol and proof of the Divine love, nut rs
having in the sacrifice that was cilrctcti py !,
wrought those changes in the Divine counS'iS
by which forgiveness of sinners irSt became
possible Yet bee presented those great iiIilua-
mental doctrines IN no narrow anu cNCluNNc
way. but in that largcncSS that consists WIN Il
broad survey of the whole world ami oi man
Kind in every generation. The salvation of
the few was not the thought OF his preaching
nor the salvation of classes Of men. lt was
held M a. a matter OF individual cOnccrnmcnt.
He placed before every soul the solcmllliy oi II
personal covenant with tod, and his preaching
derived It's suhlimty i'm that II drew It's mean
ings from eternity and sent IT, message nlck
into eternity again. The impression winch IL
produced upon the nearer was not That oi inc
messenger, but of the message. he sinner
trcmblcd not ~ before him through whom but
n before him from whom the message came.
While knowing the preacher one could not sup
nose him as saving anything different from that
which hc said, yet one could nN suppose clth'r
that the voice of one who had ranged thr"uSh
the entire dictionary for choice OF words 10y
which to speak with authority could have
spoken otherwise.
CARDINAL MANNING ON THE OATH.-Cardlnal
Manning does not approve oil an! ALTERATION ~
the Parliamentary oath. Preaching AT the
opening of new Roman Catholic chuIrh at
Bath, Eng, fortnight ago, he rcmarkcd thht
il was proposed Ia cilac" from the Legislature
the last token of authority resting ~ btlrl III
God and obedience to His moral law In
Christian Legislature of Christian country
even those " hO profcsecd that it Is unlawful Tor
Christian men Ia take OathS were permitted 10
make an affirmation equivalent 10 an oath' rest
iug on the same foundation. But 1t was now
proposed not 10 demand any rrllSlouS pIolcH
Sion from legislators. England was once Il
Catholic monarchy in all the perfect unity of a
CItInlic conlmonwcalth. but the unity of a
C"R"iic PEOPLE was shattered and it descended
to Christian commonwealth, divided in re,
iirion. but united in state law. II drscrnhrd
fIrtLrr still. received into It's Legislature those
,,ho rrirrtrd the faith of Jesus Christ. NeCcr-
t Tr% it profoundly believed in the God of
Israel. in the revelation of the old lazy. aud in
tIn morality of the old law, and in all the bonds
and duties which il enforced IN the authority oi
"nrcnts and rulers and of the priesthood. Even
those who plolcsScd that it was unlawful for u
christian man to take an oath were permitted
in the condcSccnsion 10 conscience to make an
affirmation equivalent to the oath. resting upon
the foundation that God was truthful ANA was