St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-12-22

cere persons entered it,and the result is
that the church conforms to the world.
Glass distinctions creep in, and the
church then caters to the appetite of
the people. These things are now be-
ing done in the New Jerusalem church,
which is broad enough for all minds
that can see spiritual truth. Her forms
of worship and methods will change as.
the people improve. Her fundamental
truths are lastic enough to bear the
growth of ages, without strain"
On the above we say "YeS!" and
"No!" 81
FirSt-To my mind, not all who heard
the above, or read it, would see 1.-The
fine hand' of the speaker, or under
stand what he was driving at! About
the Elastic" ability of the church he
stands connected with, it is abundantly
able TO eater TO the wants and wishes
of any tastes" etc. And he tells us her
methods will change" etc. AS my
friend Mitchell is representing the
New Jerusalem church," and, having
studied her methods considerably, we
think he speaks Truly, that there is
he speaks of his church "catering' and
being Elastic" and ''change as the peo-
pie improve" etc, we add our Yes"
Second-But when he casts discredit
upon the teachings of the orthodox
churches for their teaching the "doc-
trine" OF vicariOuS atOnement, and
charge that the people are growing
away from that doctrine, and declaring
it as misunderstanding God and abusing
men," protest! and challenge him to
the proof
To show the fallacy of this statement
L will briefly state, without argument,
xarlNI hn ba
has the floor. This is the fact: The
Evangelical. or orthodox churches, in
all countries are more vigorous and
prosperous at this time than at any
former period in the history of the
Christian church! Never since the In
PRODUCTION of Christianity was there
such noble, generous Self-Sacrificing eff
forts made for the salvation of the world
as this day we live in. Nay. more; the
only exception there is to this statement
is this other fact: Some organizations
that call themselves churches, and
Christian churches but are not teach
ing Bible Christianity. have not faith in
God nor are they prosperous! This in
cludes the sO-called liberal churches
of America. Now for the proof.
FirSt.-A brief survey OF our own
country is all we can have space for in
secular paper. Briefly we will make
statement of the religious condition of
the United States. The progress of the
churches can only be ascertained by
growth and a comparison for some
period of time. Hence, we will run
over the past eighty years of our his
tory.
In 1900 the population of our country
was 5,305,925. In all this country there
were 5000 churches, and 2651 ministers;
and 364, S12 COMMITMENTS.
Pass over a half century and look
again at the statistics of the country and
the churches, and what do we see? In
1850 the population was %, 1911, SIG; and
we find there were 43.072 churches, and
%, 555 ministers, with 3,529,9SS COM
municantS! Pass over twenty years,
and we find in 1870 the population to
be increased to 3S.55S,371; and tbs.
churches numbered 70,14S, and 1862
ministers, and 6,673. 396 communicates
And in 1880 the population was 80, 1872
S66; and there were $1,000 churches, and
$3.50 ministers, and 10,O65, 1858 COM
, municants! This is onlv general
statement showing the fact that the
churches kept up with the growth of
the population. Here is particular
statement!
The ratio" of communicates at these
several periods. and their increase is as
follows: In 1880 there was only about
one member of the church to every four
teen inhabitants. will not notice
fractions either way.) During the
next half century the churches in.
creased so that in 1850 every seventh
person was number of some church.
In 1870 there was still a greater gain
upon the population so that every sixth
person was a member of some church.
And in 1880 every fifth person was
communicate of some church, or so re-
ported themselves. This does not look
as If Christianity was dying out, does it,
Brother Mitchell? Take another view
Careful estimates show that from 1900
to 1880, this long sweep of eighty years,
while the population increased about
ninefod and half, the communicates
of the churches increased about twenty
SevenfOld and half.
The above facts speak for themselves;
so that no argument is necessary to
show; Mr.. NJ. has Dlundered ineXcus-
ably as public teacher. And his
words need watching. But here is an
important statement we want to be re-
membered. Says the author of 'Relig-
iouS Progress" page 449: ''In 1880
the Liberal societies were only one
third as many in proportion to the
whole population as they were in 1S4O.''
He continues: I'm 1910 the Unitarians
had one society for every 74.215 inhab-
itants; but in 1880 they fell behind SO
that there was only one society for
every 1881 inhabitants" And the
"UniverSaiiStS" had in 1910 one society
for every POOL inhabitants. but fell be.
hind SO that in 1880 they had only one
organization for every $3.50 inhab-
itantS.
1t is appropriate in this connection
to make this extract from the Problem
Of Religious Progress Page 112: I'm
and around Boston, eighty years ago,
the liberal churches $50 called i'm
menseiy preponderated in influence.
wealth and numbers over the evangel-
ical churches. Within radius of ten
miles around Boston there were %
liberal churches to Is evangelical. Now,
within the same limits, there are PSI
churches. The 'evangelicals'' have
gained 239 churches. and the liberals
So churches. Morally and socially, the
evangelicals have gained even greater.
Thus, it is not true that the ''oId creeds
are tumbling down; or that men are
growing away from the old theology; or
that it is weight upon the churches;
or that it miSrepresentS God and abuses
men," This is Mr.. Mitchelrs charge,
OuC aOundantly ulSproVed III the above
incontestable facts arrayed before my
readers!
Lastly, in return, charge the author
of the above aSperfionS with following
the trend Of an unfortunate lunatic,,
who imagined that the Lold appeared
to him personally in 1743, and imagined
that he was to establish the New Jeru-
salem church." because all the other
churches were at an end" and that he
witnessed the last judgment in 1857,
and his was ''the true Christian relig-
ion" and all former churches were
falser' ~.
The writings of this unfortunate man
are eXtant, and those who accept his
visionary notions" must stultify them-l
selves at some points, and this reflection
upon the Christian churches was more
of wish that it was true than that he
believed that orthodoxy was dead, OF