New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-23
cu,rRcH WORK IN NETWORK.
,.rv or VARIOUS DENOMINATIONS.

-.
M'GIYNN AND MACARTHUR
NJ learn the condition Of the religious oe-
';nat;ons of New-York, as seen through INC
n l"ss If their leading men, and the cnaiacVet
~ VA extent of the work peing uo'i0
~. .s.u respectively, TRIBUNE reporters nave
- tho statements of representative men
ss0 ~ cartons Churches. A first instalment OF
:. statements is given below In so Iar
I, was practicable the attention OF tAe
~ ,,,,en was asked to few points touching
~ e was thought that their explanations OF
y, rssept attitude of their respective Churches
~s,,,a No not only interesting to the puonc ouC
WV" ~:rn;6capt i'm view Of what are looked
"'' 90 tbe social AID religious needs
upy" r.b,ems of the hour. These points,
a. summarized, were as follows Inc
ADVANCE in numbers, wealin anu s'rens."
- the denominations IN proportion W
sba immense progress making oy tne
L.. the advance with relation to other
rs,,eious bodies 10 the city; the extent OF the
asorts if any, making to meet the religious
Ids of the large tenement-house
-,onnlation the progress spiritually
I'D numerically made in the last ten OF
ef,.en years. the growth OF decadence OF
chose features IT, church work which seem
esnecially to indicate real fervor OF re-
Eg;ous feeling; the average attendance III
tbe. sneakers church, in proportion to the
.n,,her If members or the number In the
nonoreration OF parish in comparison with
tsa earlier time the comparative support OF
home and foreign missions; the eifec5 OF the
tendency of the time IN New York 10 denhe
loss rig;diy the lines of difference between the
various denominations; any possible modinca-
t;an in methods of religious work ana the
satisfaction or dissatisfaction felt with the
nosition of the denominations III this com
munity-ther influences for good. comparative
strength. and the devotion of the great mass
of their members.
The statements on these points OF the rev.
DIR. Howard Crosby, Presbyterian the heV'
Dr. Morgan Dix, Episcopaiian; the rev. Eu-
ward Mc(slvnn, Roman Catholic, and the rev
Robert s. Macarthur, Baptist are appended
DR. CROSBY ON PRESBYTERIANlsM
GROW III IN MEMBERsHIP-A TENDENCY TOWARD
MODERATE CALvINIsM NOTED.
The Rev. DE- Howard Crosby has been pastor OF
A.. Fou,tb Aveuue PRESBYTERIAN Church for more
IMAM twenty years. In conversation with re-
,,o,.nr of TIE TRIBUNE last night. DIR. CROSBY
snoke hopefully of the present condition OF the
churches of his in this city ana OF the
outlook before them. He said that the frespy-
terrain Church was certainly advancing IN NUMBERS
wealth and strength in proportion to the progress
which this city is making. and was keeping pace
with the advancement made by the other oenolnl-
nations. EVERYTHING is favorable" ne continued
a.nd we are gaming in a strong, healthy way, not
anita To
spb.tantial growth. We don't lose our members
NOR find them lansing into GOODNESS. There is no
sensational preaching in the Presbyterian churches
IN New-York. Such preaching will always draw
. large number of persons. but 1t is an unhealthy
sion for any church that allows il. AS general
thing our Church has little confidence In reVlyals
as conducted by evangelists. believing that the
ordinary ministers equal TO the task OF preach
ing the Word and that the persons converted under
their preaching become better Christians, better
church members than when converted under mha'
might be called the high pressure OF revival"
"Wbat is the Presbyterian Church doing Tor
tenement-house peopleP asked the reporter
cit is reaching them largely through its missions
These are of two classes-those belonging 10 lhdi-
xiduaI churches, and those conducted by the fres-
bytery of New-York. There are three OF The latter
and nearly twenty of the former class. Ut. HAIRS
church has three four mission chapels' my
church has three. DR.. Parkhursts two. tie UElver-
sity Place Church two. and several other churches
ons sach. all situated in the tenement-house dis
trict. and they are doing an inealculaoie goou'
Each mission has trained visitors who go
from house to house, assisting the people
with moey where necessary. But much
of the work done by PresbyterlaBs. both
by labor and by money, is rot readily seen by the
world as they cooperate with the members of other
churches in union Notwithstanding the Ameri-
cao Tract Society. the American Bible Society aud
the American Sunday-School Union. Presbyterlans
have gwen in many cases fully three fourths OF the
finds used IN these union efforts and in some cases
more than that proportion.
with reference to the progress made by the
denomination IN ten years | would refer 10 the
minutes Of the Ceaeral Assembly for 1873. There
were thirty -nine churches in the city, the same
number as now. but the membership has materially
increased Ten years ago there were ONLY TWO
churches that lad a thousan nd members. while last
Nav Dr. Halls church reported l,o93 members;
Dr. Park hurst's church, 1,6l4 my church i'ao9
DIR Booti,'s 226 4: and the West Church, l'OfH
The additlons for the year reported ten years ag(
were. on examination: 799; ty cernncatc, ~
last year they were 03S on examination ano olo pS
certificate The whole number Of COMMUNICATE
then vas i6 $50: this year il was 1921. There
were then IL 374 sunday scholars; now ther'
are II 3l2. In 1878 the Home MISSION ea n - We
ceiyed $50 q g. and the Foreign Mission YLu.IIo
Last wear the figures respectively 800 aho
S7425S Tie amount accredited to ioreiRn mission
eoresants ebout the true amount. while the amour
accredited to home missions should be lncrease'
FIVE or SIX times, as not moro tban one-sxth OF ln
money expended IN homo mission WORK IS ever re
ported. ~ A..
fervor of religious feeling in his church ana Oh tn
increase in spirituality bit personally can s ga!
for my own church that they are growing IN
church attendance does not vary much from VIVA
ii was tan years ago. At the morning service ID IN!
church the seats are nearly all occupied, and ia tn
evening there are from one-half 10 three-1ourths
many people present. The smaller evening meeting
are rea,iiIy explained: Many mothers remain hom
with their children and that Is proper ln othe
families there are home meetings. which Is ais
proper; while as third reason LOT tne s'nahe
and attend the mornlng preaching service. To <
oul again would ue a sort OF religious dissipation
Th~sr fhree causes do not show any lack OF interss