I do not design here to assert the sufficiency of the evangelical ministry in the United States to meet the wants of the population; it will readily be admitted that it is not sufficient. If the evangelical Protestant ministers were twice as numerous as they are; if, in other words, there was on an average one such minister for every 500 souls, instead of one for 1135, it would not be too many, when we consider the sparseness of the population in certain districts, which renders it impossible for one minister to look after more than 500 or 600 souls; the number of denominations, which renders the number of ministers in many places greater than the amount of the population demands; and the fact that a goodly number will always be engaged in our academies, colleges, and theological seminaries as professors, and in our religious and benevolent societies as secretaries and agents. But if the Voluntary Principle has been so efficient as to double the number of evangelical Protestant ministers since the year 1775 (and the greater portion of this success has accrued since 1815, and can in no sense be attributed to the influence of the ancient establishments),* there is every reason to expect that it will, in the course of a far shorter period, again cause the number of the evangelical Protestant ministers to double upon the population. If we may judge from the progress of the last three years, it will not be more than twenty-five or thirty years until this desirable result will have been reached. people. I say voluntary offerings, for, whatever may be the mode of raising the salaries of our ministers, they are, in reality, derived from the spontaneous contributions of the people. No man is compelled to pay a cent for the maintenance of religious worship. Whatever he gives is decidedly by his own will. Every one is free to go to church or stay away; and if he goes, he may, in many of our churches, avoid giving all his life; this is true especially of those churches whose sittings are public, that is, do not belong to particular individuals. Whatever a man engages to pay towards the support of the institutions of the Gospel he is expected to pay, and may be required, according to law, to pay. Seldom indeed, however, is there a resort to legal enforcement of the payment of pew-rents and subscriptions. But let us see what the voluntary principle does accomplish. The total amount of money raised in the United States for the support of the ministry in the evangelical denominations may be calculated as follows: Deduct professors in col- 171 141-312 VI. EFFICIENCY OF THE VOLUNTARY PRIN- in America. It is not pretended that in a * With the exception of Connecticut and Massachusetts, the union of Church and State, which once existed in many of the states, came to an end during or shortly after the Revolution; and in Connecticut it terminated in 1816. In Massachusetts it lasted, as we have elsewhere stated, till 1833. By far the most important of all such foundations, with us, is that of Trinity Church (belonging to the Episcopal denomination) in the city of NewYork, which is said to be as much as fifteen or twenty millions of dollars, and has furnished the means of building many Episcopal churches in that state. Total salaries of 5444 ministers, say the same summary, amount to 4850 133 4720 As a considerable number of the Bap- 118 4752 Supposing their salaries to be on an $577,500 2,177,600 1,100,000 average $300 each,* the result is 1,425,600 * In some parts of the country it is certain that the Methodist ministers do not receive as great a salary as that mentioned in the text; but, on the other hand, the salaries of their ministers in many parts of the country exceed it. In the Conferences of the states of New-England and of that of NewYork, they are probably, as a body, better supported than those of any other denomination. In those parts of the land their salaries, including perquisites of all sorts, exceed, on an average, 500 dollars. The Episcopal ministers, being stationed chiefly in our cities and large towns, receive, as a body, larger This gives us a grand total of 5,280,700 | It is impossible to calculate with exactdollars, as the amount paid for the person-ness to what extent this yearly increase of nel, as the French would call it, of our pub-church edifices meets the demands of a lic worship. It is possible that I have estimated the average of the salaries of the Baptist ministers a little too high. Some may think that 200 dollars would be nearer the truth. I do not think so myself, from what I know of the whole country. As to the other denominations, I am quite sure that I have not placed them too high, especially if, as ought to be done, all the perquisites which may attach to the ministerial and pastoral office among them be taken into the account. We have, then, the sum of 5,280,700 dollars as contributed by the evangelical denominations alone to support the ministry. And I am of opinion that if we were to add the amount contributed by the omitted small Methodist branches, the Orthodox Quakers, and some little German denominations, we might well give the sum of 5,500,000 dollars as a quite moderate estimate of the supported to such congregations, and for the gradgiven to the evangelical ministry of the United States. yearly increase of the population, now amounting to nearly, if not quite, half a million of souls, of whom 400,000, if not 420,000, are of an age to go more or less frequently to church, and for whom church accommodation ought therefore to be provided. The whole population of the country that is supposed to be more or less under the influence of the evangelical denominations, estimated at 15,500,000, being divided into about 49,424 congregations, the average number of souls in a congregation must be about 314; and as the number of church edifices already erected cannot be short of 29,000 in all, the new ones must consist partly of those required for existing evangelical congregations not previously supplied, partly of those required for accessions to the evangelical churches from 300,000 of souls not previously attach ual increase of those congregations from births and immigration. If we suppose VII. EFFICIENCY OF THE VOLUNTARY PRIN- the evangelical proportion of the yearly inCIPLE IN THE UNITED STATES IN THE EREC- crease of the population of an age to go to TION OF CHURCH EDIFICES. The church church (say 420,000) to be as 15,500,000 to edifices which are annually erected in the 3,000,000, or about 338,725 souls, and this United States, according to the best infor- proportion to be divided into congregations mation which I have been able to obtain, of 310 souls each, the result would be an anfrom much personal observation and in-nual increase of about 1093 congregations, quiry, may be stated at about 920, rating requiring the same number of churches. them as follows: 250 250 200 60 30 20 50 10 20 920 Such a result, however, is by no means probable; for many of these would no doubt join and be merged in existing congregations, and many would be found living in remote places, rendering it impossible for them to be gathered into congregations requiring church edifices. Neither is it easy to calculate the cost of these 920 or 950 church edifices, of which we have been speaking. A consid.. erable number, perhaps forty or fifty, are 30 annually built in our large cities, at an expense of from 10,000 to 60,000 dollars, and a few of them cost even more. Many are large buildings which will hold 700, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500, and a few even more; while a great many in the country are small, and cost only a few hundred dollars. But if we include under this head all the expenses of our churches for light, fuel, sexton's wages, choirs, etc., etc.-in a word, what may be called the matériel, if I may so term it, of our public worship, I am quite sure that it will reach two millions and a half of dollars. I speak now of the evangelical churches alone. It may be that the last mentioned but one, and possibly that also, may be too high; but the new churches of the Cumberland Presbyterians, Protestant Metho- | dists, and the Episcopalians, if not all the rest, are, it is probable, understated. I am of opinion that, if we should include the churches annually erected by the omitted small evangelical denominations, a perfectly accurate summary of the meetinghouses or church edifices of every description built by all the orthodox Protestant communion in the United States, every year, would at the present time not fall short of 950. salaries than those of any other Church. I am persuaded that they average considerably more than the amount named in the text. If we were to include the churches or meeting-houses built by the Roman Catholics, Unitarians, Christ-ians, Universalists, and other non-evangelical sects, we should increase the number from 950 to 1100 at least. VIII. THE TOTAL COST OF PUBLIC WOR SHIP IN THE UNITED STATES.-It may be the voluntary principle does in reference to worth while to bring together the various religion. For instance, provision is made estimates which we have made respecting in some denominations, by incorporated the sums raised by the evangelical church-associations or otherwise, for the maines for the sustentation of religion at home, tenance of the widows and children of and its extension abroad, and add to them ministers, and of superannuated preachers. the amounts raised by the non-evangelical The sums thus raised are to be considered denominations : a part of the sustentation which is given to the institutions of the Gospel among us, and they all owe their origin directly or indirectly to the voluntary principle. 1. If we include all that certain omitted local associations do, in addition to the sums raised by the various religious societies mentioned in book iv., whose object is to promote religion at home, we shall have a total amount of about $1,000,000 5,500,000 It is not pretended that the voluntary principle raises as much money in America for the support of religion as do the legal provisions of some countries, where Christianity has created those opulent and time-honoured establishments which overshadow them. In many cases, alas! these 510,424 establishments were founded in the ages of superstition, and owe their origin to the influence of a cunning and overreaching priesthood, exerted over an ignorant and debased people. But it is maintained that it cannot be said with truth that Christianity, left to its own resources in America, is likely to go down, or that it does not lead to efforts for its propagation which correspond in a good measure with the wants of the country. Whatever men may think on the subject of the best means of supporting the Gospel, it cannot be denied that the voluntary principle in America has demonstrated that it is not inefficient: a fact which was well established in the first three centuries of the progress of Christianity in the world. 2. The amount contributed by the various religious societies last year, according to the summary given in chap. xii. of book viii., is 3. The amount annually raised for the support of the evangelical ministry, as we have seen, may be estimated at 4. The amount annually raised for building and keeping in repair the church edifices, and for other expenses connected with the maintenance of public worship, may be given at 2,500,000 Making a total of $9,510,424 From this statement, it appears that the sums raised by the evangelical churches for the promotion of religion, in one way and another, at home and abroad, amount to IX. ALLEGED CHURCH DESTITUTION IN more than nine millions and a half of dollars. If we add to this the sums given annual- THE UNITED STATES. From the year 1837 ly by Christians to build and endow acad- to that of 1840 inclusive, for an annual inemies, colleges, and theological semina-crease of the population to the extent of ries, with a view to promote religion, and also the amount raised among the nonevangelical denominations for the same objects, we shall increase this sum to at least eleven millions of dollars, as the amount raised annually at present in the United States, on the voluntary principle,* for the sustentation and promotion of religion at home and abroad.† Nor have I included in the statements which I have made on this subject all that * I say on the voluntary principle, for the sums raised from permanent endowments (which are themselves the fruit of the voluntary principle, and not of governmental gift or taxation) are not sufficiently great to deserve to be excepted. t If we were to add to the above-mentioned sum of eleven millions of dollars to promote Religion in America, the amount which education costs in all its gradations, we must at least double it. The single state of Massachusetts bestows little short of a million of dollars annually upon the education of her youths in all classes of her literary institutions, though her population falls short of 800,000 souls. So that the sum of at least twenty-two millions of dollars is annually raised in the United States for the promotion of Religion and Education-a sum about equal, at this time, to the whole revenue of the National Government! about 450,000 souls, that of the evangelical ministry of all denominations was not The number of church edifices erected in much, if at all, short of 700 per annum. 1841 was fully 880. The nett annual increase of evangelical ministers of all denominations is about 750; while that of church edifices, of all descriptions, as we have stated elsewhere, is not less than lation is at present about 500,000, the 950. As the annual increase of the popuincrease of evangelical ministers bears the ratio of 1 to 660 of the whole, or of 1 to about 560 of those who are of an age to go to church; and the increase of church edifices is about as 1 to 525 souls. But it must have been seen from the tables in the summary of evangelical churches, ministers, communicants, and population, that partly from the very scattered condition of the inhabitants covering so vast a territory, partly from the presence of several denominations at one spot, often leading to a plurality of churches and ministers where one might suffice, this increase of ministers and churches is not so adequate to the wants of the country as might at first sight appear; still, it is so inconsistent with what many of our readers may have heard of the “moral wastes" in the United States as to require some explanation. two colleges and five theological schools, in which there is a goodly number of pious young men who are training up for the work of preaching Christ, under the instructions of right men. It has been more difficult still for us to provide for the spiritual wants of the French who have come to our shores, or have fallen to us by the purchase of Louisiana. But the increase of evangelical religion in France will, I doubt not, give us the labourers we need to look after their interests. As to the Spaniards, Poles, Norwegians, Italians, etc., who come to us, their number is not great; but the difficulty of preaching the Gospel to them has been almost insurmountable, owing to their not knowing the English tongue. First, then, let it be remembered that, at the Revolution, the number of ministers of every name was only one for 2440 souls, or, at most, one for 2000; and that the war of independence itself, and many other circumstances, concurred to prevent much from being done to overtake this great and accumulating arrear in the religious institutions of the country. This destitution continued to increase rather than diminish, it is believed, from 1775 till 1815; so that, notwithstanding the more recent extension of the churches, and of institu- | tions for training of ministers for assisting In the fourth place, the representations feeble congregations, no wonder that a made on this subject by some of our sogreat deal has yet to be done in recov-cieties are often calculated, though undeering what may be called former moral wastes. signedly, to mislead a stranger. That there is much real destitution to warrant strong appeals is no doubt true; but one is apt to forget that there is much that is hypothetical in what is said of the danger that threatens, if this destitution be not supplied. This danger is imminent; still it is, as yet, but a contingency. If the required efforts be not made, error and irreligion will overspread the country; if the Protestants be not on the alert, Romanism will conquer it for itself. But it is to prevent such results that these appeals are made. Second. Churches and ministers not being provided beforehand for new settlements, and a certain amount of population within a given district being required before means can well be taken for forming a church and obtaining a minister, some time must elapse during which "moral wastes" may be found in newly-settled districts. The same remark applies to the mountainous district embracing the Alleghany range and its skirts. From the interior of Pennsylvania, down through | Virginia, the eastern parts of Kentucky, Lastly, it is not to be denied that the and North Carolina, there is a considera- agents and missionaries of our Domestic ble destitution of the regular ministrations Missionary Societies and Boards have unof the Gospel. The sandy, thinly-settled intentionally and unwittingly promoted erzone of country, covered with pines, stretch-roneous impressions respecting the reliing along the seacoast, from New-Jersey to Louisiana, and embracing the whole peninsula of Florida, may be placed in the same category. From such regions the cry of the man of Macedonia, "Come over and help us," is continually sounded in the ears of the churches in more favoured districts; nor is it. heard in vain. Much has been done for them by the Home Missionary Societies, and Missionary Boards of the different churches, and much, no doubt, will yet be done. gious destitution of the country. When these societies were formed, some fifteen or twenty years ago, the first missionaries and agents sent into the West found many districts, and even whole counties, deplorably destitute; and in their published reports and letters they gave most affecting accounts of the want of shepherds to collect the sheep scattered over these moral wildernesses. Sometimes they thought that, like Elijah of old, they were "left alone;" not being aware, or if aware, not rightly estimating the fact, that men of other denominations were labouring in the same regions, as itinerating, if not as settled ministers. Such misrepresentations led the Methodist and Baptist churches to publish statements, proving that the alleged destitution had been greatly exag In the third place, there has been a large immigration from Germany, Alsace, and Switzerland, for whose spiritual wants it has not been easy to provide. The letters from these people to their friends in the Old World have in some cases given rise to the opinion that the moral destitution of the whole country is almost boundless.gerated. Hence, of late years, it has For a long time after the Revolution, the augmentation of German ministers from an indigenous source was very slow, while but few of a proper stamp came from Europe. Blessed be God, the prospect for our German immigrants is becoming more cheering. There are no less than been usual to give the names of places requiring ministers and churches, of the denomination to which the writer belongs, acknowledging, at the same time, the services of ministers of other denominations, where they are to be found. Exaggerated statements may often be traced, also, to religious character at the age of twelve, the warm feelings of extempore speakers | Smith was born in 1800, of pious parents, at public meetings, leading them to com- and seems to have become decided in his mit themselves to expressions that have not been duly weighed, and to these finding their way, often with additional exaggerations, into newspapers. Within the last fortnight, I have read in one of the best religious newspapers in the United States, the notes of a minister from the East, as he passed through Pennsylvania to the "far West." The writer did not see a single church in any but a few of the numerous towns and villages through which he passed from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh! Yet I, who have been along the same route no fewer than twelve times, and who know every town and village upon it, having travelled it, not only as he did, in stages, but by railroad, in private carriages, on horseback, and even on "In the early part of 1829 he had great foot, hesitate not to say that there is no doubts whether it was not his duty to retown, or even village of any considerable linquish his business, in part at least, that size, that has not at least one church be- he might have more time to do good. At longing to some communion or other. that time he called to converse on this These, however, are not the prominent subject with the writer. He said that he churches, steeple-houses, as our Quaker found his business engrossed too much of friends might call them, to be seen in the his time and attention; he wished to be in Eastern States. Many are plain, humble a situation more favourable for the cultibuildings, standing in some retired street, vation of personal religion and doing good and if visible at all to the writer as he to others; and, as he had acquired properwhirled along, were hardly to be distin- ty enough for himself and family, he felt a guished from a warehouse or respectable desire to retire, that he might enjoy more barn. And if such misstatements are hon- quiet and leisure. In reply, it was said to estly made at times by our own country-him, 'The Lord has plainly indicated how men, how much more apt must foreigners be to form equally hasty and erroneous conclusions? you are to glorify him in the world. He has greatly prospered you in your business; the channels of wealth are open, and X. INDIVIDUAL INSTANCES OF LIBERALITY their streams are flowing in upon you, IN SUPPORTING and extending tHE INSTITU- and it would be wrong for you to obstruct TIONS OF THE GOSPEL.-It is one of the or diminish them. Let them rather flow happy fruits of the voluntary principle that wider and deeper. Only resolve that you it cultivates a spirit of benevolence and will pursue your business from a sense of self-reliance among Christians. It teach- duty, and use all that God may give you es men the true value and utility of wealth, for his glory and the good of your fellowin showing them that there are objects infi- men, and your business, like reading the nitely more worthy of living for than mere Bible, or worship on the Sabbath, will be self-gratification. Pious men of no coun- to you a means of grace; instead of hintry have an adequate conception of the dering, it will help you in the divine life, amount of good which they can do until and greatly increase your means of usethey have made the experiment. We sub-fulness.' The effect of the conversation join a few instances of individual liberality, not because the authors of them were rich* men, but because of the systematic as well as delightful spirit which they displayed. In the course of this work many others have been mentioned, which are well worthy of imitation. One of the most remarkable instances of liberality in the middle walks of life is recorded in the memoirs of the late Normand Smith, of Hartford, Connecticut. Mr. * Had I been disposed to speak of what some (I am sorry to say too few) of our rich men have done, I might mention one man-a merchant-who has in the course of 30 years given to religious and benevolent objects eight hundred thousand dollars, and of one who gives from forty to sixty thousand annually. was not known at the time, but from an entry made in a journal which he began to keep about that period, it appears that the purpose was then formed to continue his business, and to conduct it on the principle recommended. "From that time it was observable by all who knew him that he made rapid progress in religion. One subject seemed to engross his mind, that of doing good; and much good did God enable him to do. Besides many large donations in aid of various objects previous to his death, he bequeathed at his decease nearly 30,000 dol * Written by his pastor, the Rev. Dr. Hawes, of the First Congregational Church, Hartford, Connecticut. |