Northern tribune. [volume] (Cheboygan, Mich.) 1875-1885, 1881-02-26
CHRISTIAN NATION.


The San Francisco Call takes from the
census tables compiled by the govern
ment, statistics showing the increase of
Christianity in this country, and makes
| a comparison between the ministerial
and other professions. The Call says:
''In 1850 the population of the United
States was 23,19l 1896. There were then
| in the land, 38,O6l Christian churches,
worth, according to the census tables,
| 49,, 32S,8OO. In 1860 the population was
81 ,443,321. The number of Christian
churches was $1,000, and they were
worth $171 ,397, 1872. Hence, during this
| decade the increase i'm the number of
people was thirty-six per cent: the in
crease in the number of churches was
| fOrty-twO per cent, and the amount in
vested in sthOse churches was nearly
doubled. These figures show that there
was most gratifying growth of Christ
ian activity and liberality during the ten
years before the war.
The decade from 1850 to 1870 was a
peculiarly trying one. The first half of
it was covered by the civil war, and the
shadow of that war darkened the latter
half. The population in 1870 was $685.,
81. The number of Christian churches
was 72,450. worth $500, 4S3,5S1. Hence,
while the increase of population was 80
per cent, the increase of churches was 80
per cent, and the amount invested was
more than doubled.
Let the reader look again at the figures
for 1870 to determine how far the Christ
ian religion is accepted and patrOnized
by the people. AS just stated, there were
in the United States, in 1870, 38,558,371
y, nj nd hat
72,459 organized Christian churches,
with 63OS2 church edifces, worth 1884,
483,581. In these edifices there were 81
445.O62 sittings. Now how many per-
sons can go to church at any one time?
Take out from the thirty-eight and
half millions the very young, the aged,
the sick, and those who have to take care
of them, would there bs more than
enough to fill the sittings in the churches
if all who can 60 to church should?
Hence we have this fact, that there is in
this land enough Christian enterprise
! and liberality to provide accOmmOda-
lions in Christian churches for the en-
tire population.
Again, let Christianity be compared
with other public interests and institu-
tiOns. What is the proportion of the
ttdCutIS II SuStdluS W tllo uuulUtI I'LL
other professions and pursuits? There
| lawyers, $1,000 physicians and surgeons,
$4,000 printers, and 1000 school teach
ers. More ministers than lawyers or
printers; nearly as many ministers as
doctors. One minister to every 900 in
habitants, old and young. Now, some
body must sustain these ministers. And
\ fo 0f hof foin m
average, by each $50 families i'm the land,
shows that there is widely-diffused in
terest i'm the preaching of the gospel.
There are four times as many school
teachers as clergymen. But this is only
fair proportion on population fully
supplied with both. A Sabbath cOngre-
CATION ought to be at least four times as
large as the school that is taught by a
single teacher. We have in the land
| 125,O00 public schools, and we have r.
459 church organizations. We are then as
well supplied, relatively, with churches
as with schools. The public schools are
the boast and glory of the nation. They
cost us i'm 1870 $64,OO0,000. But did not
the 2,459 churches cost, at least, on an
average, $1,000 each? In the Presbyte-
rian church last year the average cost
was $1,000 to a church. 1t may have
been less in some other churches. But
it is fair to assume that the people of
this land pay freely, at least $73.000,0OO
year to sustain its Christian churches
after investing in them, in the buildings
and grounds, according to the census of
1870, no less than 1891, 4S3,581.
The most important institution in the
land, in the estimation. is the press. But
how do the newspapers compare with
the churches? In 1870 the number of
newspapers of all kinds in the United
was 5,871, with circulation of 2O,S42,-
475. Hence there were more church
sittings (21, 445,0 62) in the land by near
ly a million, than there were copies of
papers. magazines, etc., circulated. For
their twenty odd million of publications,
the people probably pay an average of
So year. This would make the invest
ment in them about $63O00O00, while
we have shown that the cost of preach
ers and preaching was not less than $751;
100000. One other comparison: The num-
Der of public libraries in the the land in
1870 was 56.O15. Of these not less than
| SO 1000 were church and Sabbath school
libraries, and they contained 100000
volumes, while in all the other public