The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1896-05-12
PRorRsrANT1sM IN NEW YORK.

Rev. IhOmas Dixon, JF., mas WEIGUou
a new book called ''The Failure of
Professionalism in New York and it's
Causes. The authors Introductory
note reads as follows:
This little book says and proves
that Professionalism is a failure in New
York. Three have already
been hurled at my head by the theo-
logical grannies in this neighborhood.
You are an infidel!' You are a sns
tionalistI' You are q failure y~ourselt!
Quite true, dear grannies, from your
point OF view. But the answer are
irrelevant.
II might be an infidel with full grown
horn, hoof, and tail, and still Protest.
anti m be a failure in New York, Or I
might be so supremacy orthodox as to
believe that Pope Leo XIII, is the scar
let woman of the Apocalypse, and that
every man who differs with me in this
view is q liar, a thief, a hypocrite, a
brute, or a Jesuit-and still Protestant
ism might be a fai ure in New York.
4hSA uPPO0O l. gill q SOAO6VAOLdII6OS
What Of it9 Truth is stranger than
fiction, and nature more miraculous
than miracle. The most sensational
discoveries of this city have all been
s~ational, and it's author a prophet or a
clown, a philosopher or a fool, and yet
it may be a fact.
again, it may be true that I am a
failure-all the greater pity since 1 am
a Protestant minister! This is not an
answer. 1t is a confirmation. 1t is a
confession. This is simply piling on
the agony !"
We also quote the following, under
the inquiry, us Professionalism growing
stronger in New York9'
"Some contend that it is. Nothing
could be more absurd. New York City
is one of the most goddess, if not the
most goddess city in America. Toe
growth of churches and the growth of
population shoW WE that the vitality of
Professionalism has declined steadily
during the last forty years.
Toe following table shows the appar-
ent gain in church membership during
the last decade in leading Protestant
churches9
How long will it take these churches
to take the world at this rate? Are
they holding their owns
THE Baptists increased 975 during
the seven years 1885 to 1892 The nor
NAL birth rate of their membership,
13, 500, should have given an increase
by birth of more than 3 500 during this
period; their accessiOns from other
Baptist churches more than balancing
their death-rate. Toe Baptists, there
fore. managed to hold about one fourth
Of the children born into their homes.
Is this holding our ownY'
The Presbyterians increased 4,429
during theses even years. Their nor
NAL birth-rate should have given them
an increase Of 5. 684, So our P~resbyte-
rian friends, with their enormous
wealth and prestige, peculiar to New
York City, maesed in their 81 churches,
managed to hold about two thirds of
the children born in their homes. Is
this holding our owns
The Lutherans, with IA 900 mem
bers in 1885, show an actual decrease in
roll of CPS. Their birth rate should
have given them 3 92O increase. They
have children but have lost 623 of the
older children. Surely this is holding
our own with a vengeance.
But these figures do not tell all the
pitiable story. Every one knows, who
knows anything about the history of
New York churches that the roll are
not kept to day as they we're twenty or
thirty years ago. Then church enroll
ment meant a pretty accurate sum
mary of the members on the field; now
some of u churches keep even the
dead on their rolls, on the ground that
their establishment extends over this
world and the next! One of these
mushroom records collapsed the other
day by a fire, and out of a roll of over
4 600 there could not be found 200
members! This is undoubtedly an ex-
treme case, but it is to the point. There
are actually fewer Baptists in New
York to day than there we're twenty
years ago; there are fewer Methodists
than there yer twenty years ago."
~
A FEW SOUND MONEY MEN.
TLo No. vo-L n:oo A.