Contemporary Literature [pp. 393-398]

NONTHLr RECORD.
Reformed Church of Paris alone contains more than
3,oo000 names of duly qualified voters, which implies a
population of more than 30,000. The Lutherans
number at least as many more. Then there are
the Wesleyans, Independents, etc. Including these,
the real number of Protestants in Paris is at least
from 60,ooo to 8o,ooo. Both absolutely and relatively
the Protestants of France have increased within the
last sixty years. In further proof of this fact, we
may quote a few statistics given by M. Emilien Frossard, in his "Summary Account of the Religious
State and Progress of Protestantism in France."
He says:
In 1804 we reckoned 250 ministers in the Reformed Churches.
In -804 we reckoned 225 Lutlheran miniisters.
Total................. 475
In x857 we reckoned 6or ministers in the Reformed Chlurches.
In x857 we reckoned 269 Lutlherans.
~".... s 20 union of the Evangelical Churches.
In 1857 we reckoned 30 Independent Baptist and Wesleyan.
Total.................920
It will thus be seen that the number of ministers
alone has more than doubled. Nor must we wholly
omit the testimony, upon the same subject, of the
well-known Secretary of the Foreign Aid Society,
the Rev. Richard Burgess. "Sixty years ago," writes
Mr. Burgess, "it would hardly have been possible to
finid a Protestant congregation in the north of France:
now there are upward of one hundred. The number
of pastors of all the Protestant denominations in
France thirty years ago did not exceed six hundred;
now, taking the Reformed Church of France, the
Confession of Augsburg, and the firee Churches not
recognized by the State, the number of pastors will
not be less than I,ooo. Protestantism, as represented
by the orthodox portion of the Reformed Church of
France, has taken of late years a strong hold on the
mind of the French people, where there is any care
for religion at all. No work of any importance has
for some years proceeded from the Roman Catholic
press in France. The great writers of the age-Guizot, Weiss, St. Hilaire, Bonnechose, E. de Pressenseare all Protestants; and now that the Protestants
have nearly gained religious liberty-in all the great
cities and towns at least-the mass of the French
population is being leavened with such principles of
religion as are in antagonism to those of Rome,
whatever be the name by which they may be called."
WESLEYAN CONFERENCE, ENGLAND.-At the recent Conference the members in society were reported
to be 342,380; an increase of 5,3Io during the year.
The number of probationers is 24,926, and the deaths,
so far as ascertained, were 5,47I. Since the Conference of I867 buildings have been authorized as
follows:
126 Chapels, estimated value......................... —.~I25, Ioo
8 Ministers' Houses.4,705
43 Schools............ —-------------------------------------------------— 31,281
74 Enlargements and Alterations...24,552
22 Organs..................................................................4,341
72 Modificatlions...................-..-'-..-.2I,536
345 cases.... Outlay ~2xx,515
These enlargements give 3,896 additional sittings.
Of the 126 proposed new chapels 48, estimated to
provide accommodation for I6,20i hearers, were to
supersede former erections, the remaining 78, to accommodate 22,137 hearers, were to be built where
there had been hitherto no Wesleyan Methodist
chapels. Since the organization of the Building Fund
1I2,458 have been granted, and /I7,1I75 loaned, to
a total of 363 chapels.
The number of day schools was 67I, an increase
of 40; scholars, I II,004, an increase of II,876; average attendance 73,237, an increase of 7,973. Of
the schools thus returned, 64 had an average attendance of less than 65, and would have been affected by
the provisions for untrained teachers in the late Government Bill. Seventy-five other schools had an average attendance of between 65 and go; so that I39
schools had an average attendance of less than 9go.
The number of Sunday schools was 5,240, an increase
of I03; teachers and officers, 102,7i8, an increase of
2,717; teachers in society, 76,702, an increase of 3,I47; scholars, 582,020, an increase of 25,518; scholars in society, 26,944, an increase of 4,046; scholars
in select classes, I7,675, an increase of 1,243; young
persons in Bible or catechumen classes, conducted by
ministers or others, I5,742, an increase of 5,o72. The
total increase of members, including both teachers
and scholars, was 7, I93. The number of Sunday
school libraries was 2,0oi6; of volumes in the libraries, 500,892, an increase of 24,412; and of readers,
85, I34.
PRESBYTERIANISM AND CONGREGATIONALISM.The following table gives the relative membership
of the Old School and New School Presbyterian and
Congregational denominations in the more Northern
States. New England is omitted, as there are scarce
a dozen Presbyterian Churches in those States connected with these two branches of the order; and
the Southern States are omitted, as Presbyterianism
there is not reconstructed, and Congregationalism is
yet feeble.
~STATESPres. Pros.
STATES. OS4. N.$. 5
New Jerseyork............................................
New Jersey..lvania......................................
Pennsylvania.........................................
Ohio............................................
Michigan............................................
Ilinosa.................................................
Wisconsin..................................................
Wisconsin.............................................
Iowa....................................................
Minnesota.............................................
Kansas........................................
Pacific Coast.........................................
38,547
28, 40
72,567
38,336
690
I13,698
18,249
3,209
9,323
1,694
I,8OI3
Ix,834
73,63x 2T,i52
10,03I 1,420
20,233 4, 14~
I5,3271 13,890
I1,0301 9.600
8,30oI 839
13,528 16,692
I,868 xo,589
3, o08 7,863
I,956 21549
430 1,057
1,323 2,343
MANUFACTURES IN THE WEST.-It is a prevalent
but mistaken idea in the Eastern States, that there
are but few factories in the West. The fact is, that
the cities and villages of the West are teeming with
busy workshops. For instance, of the cities, St.
Louis has over 300 factories, and produces nearly
$50o,ooo,ooo worth of goods annually; and of the
villages, Moline, Ill., among other things, makes
50,00ooo plows of various kinds a year, and has $120,oo invested in shops, where a log enters one end of
the building and emerges from the other in the shape
of tubs, pails, and churns.
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