The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1885-01-08
DIFFERENT cHuacHss N AMERICA.

piPfEREh1 CHURCHES m AMERICA
Ths Rslativs InsssAss in he Leading DE-
nominaAtsss slses 1850.
[Bslsmcss oos. New York SUM-
The presence in Baltimore In attend
ance ct the pleuary council Of the
Catholic prelatss and dignitaries and
the interchange of opinions resulting
from their several meetings, have served
to direct particular attention to
table which has just made
its appearance. 1t has been customary
heretofore to gauge the growth Of religi-
Gus organizations in this country by
comparative figures at each new reckon
ing. But as tile whole population is al
ways increasing rapidly, the various de-
nominations have thus always been able
to show healthy gain in numbers.
Since the opening of the council an at
tempt has been made by careful students
and statisticians to show these results
relatively for the better guidance Of the
prelates. The table which has been pro-
pared arrives 1t some conclusions little
less than startling.
BY the census Of 1880 tho population
OF the United States was 81, 445, 0S0.
The present population is now estimated
| at So, 000, 900. The gain in twenty five
years has been, therefore, %, 500, 900, or
at the rate Of IS per cent.
In 1860, according to estimates the
accuracy Of which was then universally
acknowledged, there were 5000, 900
lethodists in this country. There were
then, rs they are now, the strongest re-
lgious body, numerically. Since 1860
the total has grown to 10, 600, 900, which
is an increase Of Is per cent; keeping
pace exactly with the increase In popu-
lation. ~ e
The number Of atfiliants Of tho various
Baptist churches was, in 1850, 5000.
600. To-day it is 100000. The in.
crease in twenty-five years is, therefore,
50 per cent, gain in absolute ratio,
but falling of when considered rcla.
lively.
The Presbyterians numbered, in 1860,
5000, 900 Now they number $500,
600, an increase in twenty-five years
Of IS per cent.
The Lutherans, who have been mate
rally benefited by constant and in.
creasing emigration from Germany,
Sweden, Holland and Norway, have
grown from 1880, 900 In 1850, to 1000,
900 in 1884, or at the rate Of 90 pei
cent. ta
The Congregationalists have declined
relatively very much. The old spirit oil
the New England pilgrims seems to be
dying out among them. In twenty-five
! years they have advanced but " pc:
cent.-that is, from l, 4l3,000 in 1850 to
$500, 900 at present. On the Other
hand, tho various Reformed churches
Dutch. German and Evangelical show
an increase Of nearly so per cent. from
$40, 900 in 1860 to 400, 600 to-day.
The Episcopalians show q fair increas,
in numbers, yet one relatively below tn
average. Their percentage of gain i
38s per cent. in twenty-fi years, bring
ing up the total from 100000 t
100000.
The Hebrews counting together
those who arc orthodox and those VIII,
are merely nominal-havo increased
from $50, 1000 in 1860 to 700, in 1884
n q full ~ per cent. of gain. =.
: The Friends, or Quakers, show an alb
J solute as we'll as relative decline. The
have fallen of 60 per cent, from 220,
> 600 in 1860 to $50, 600 in 1884.
The denomination of Christians VIII
1 are numerous in Kentucky, southern
+, Indiana, southern Illinois, and Nilsson,
number 100000, against 100000 il
: 1850, ari'absolute gain of GO per cent.
i. yet a'falling of relatively of Is.
But the most surprising featur
of the calculations Just complete
8 Is the growth OF the Catholics. i
|. 1850 they numbered In the United State
: 8,175,000. Now there are $500, 00t
; This is gain OF 200 per cont. i
: twenty-five years. Should tho sam
> ratio of increase continue to be pr,
!, served, they would number 6ftee
years hence $4,000, 200.
}, The difficulties encountered In ARR,
q ing at even an approximate result
o religious statistics are many. In tt
y United States, as in England and SEQ
Q lane, the doctrinal views of individual
!, form an item in the census enumeration
It The generally accepted plan for arrivin
70 1T result is as follows: The church a,
:. commodations. which are gathered OF
u cially, arc multiplied by a figure repr
IS senting in that denomination the rel'
?, ton of church-goes to the whole numbe
Is of its adherents. Then another table
:, made of the number of enrolled member
IL or communicates. These are multiple
Is usually by Ave, for tho full popul'
~ ton. Finally, q third table is col
II structed from the church records ,
10 baptisms and marriages and the offici
Or record of deaths. Those tables are con
m pared in parallel columns, and an est
m mate is made from the three. The sui
IN stantial accuracy, not alone Of these t.
10 bles, but of the net results deduced fro
their comparison, is not questione'
lg though, of course, the circumstances
IS their compilation do not preclude Il
possibility Of occasional errors.
SO 1t is the opinion of many Of the Cat
ls Ole clergy assembled here that in d
fault of American universities of We
high scholarship, Catholic preache
have to contend in their missionary
N bors with difficulty not met with
"f Europe. This subject is one certain n
an to be neglected by the plenary counc
NJ Bishop Cross, Of Savannah, has soug
n to interest his colleagues in plan I
Nv more efficient pastoral efforts among I
=, colored population of the southern stat,
II wherein (outside Of Louisiana and Texs
the Catholic church has at present. CO