BAPTIST STATISTICS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1360, 10 February 1912, Page 9

BAPTIST STATISTICS.

From the summary of statistics in the Baptist Handbook for 1012 it appears ns if the decline in membership which has been going on for some years has almost come to an end. The reaction from the Welsh revival, which has l.wen chiefly responsible for tile decliiu*, has not yo't spent itself, for the Welsh churches again report a decrease in the total membership of 1175. .In every other part of tho United Kingdom there is an increase. Tho net result is that tho aggregate membership of tho 11093 Baptist churches in the United Kingdom is 418,008, a decrease of 72 as compared with the previous voar. li<ist year the decrease was 3775. There is again a decrease in the number of Sunday Sciiool scholars, who arc returned at 575,830, Ministers (21J.1), teachers (00,011), and seating accommodation .(1,-103,n57) ail show an inceraso.

During the year 31 new chapels were erected, providing accommodation for 12,.'i5S worshippers, at a cost of .£7i,.'l. r i. r ). A fuvther sum of upwards of ,i:7ft,(H)o was expended in renovnting. or improving existing buildings. The debts on cliiirch promisc.-i were at the Mine (imp reduced by about .£70,000. As a considernble part of the cost of now buildings was raised by mortgage, it is jirolialilo that the 'balance of debt remains nearly the same at the end as at the beginning of the year. MARRIAGE IN HEAVEN. A correspondent of the "Guardian" (Fiondon) wrote of the probability of marriage in the future life. Another corresponded, "Patience," followed by saying: "This idea would to some lonely, fi'HslriiUd, incimpleio lives on earth bi> indeed an additional inspiralinn to fight ou bravely to 'he end. J have enough faith to Iμ sure that what God doe? is quite light, (hough I be given, no mate here, and never to doubt that arrangement; for all necessary happiness above cnii safely be trusted to Him : but it would be of untold comfort to believe in martied life in heaven. 1 had a saintly grandfather, vicar of one parish for over forty years, faithful priest, husband, nnd father, who was convinced that the life of husband and wife as understood on enrth —purified and raised, maybe, but essentially the same—would exist in heaven: but until your correspondent's letter 1 have never heard Iho same comforting message," DEATH OF BISHOP •" By the death of T)r. I,nuis Andre Xavarvc, Roman Catholic AreliUishop of New Guinea, which occurred on January 17 at Townsviile, fho Sacred Henri community and ths held of Catholic missions hii (says (he "Freeman's Journal'') lost ono of its most devoted workers. The dc-ce.if-ed was proceeding to Sydney for medical treatment in tho slenmor X'ikko Mam, but. was so ill that he had to be landed at Townsviile. nnd conveyed to the local hospital, where Ik- died. Horn at Auxorre, France, in February, ]S3li. (he deceased prelate was eoii-wniled Hishop in .N'ovemli?r, ISS7. He had been 11 year* in New Guincii, and in eharse'of the whole mission. The average life of a missionary in New Guinea is from ID to lj years, and the fa el of the late Or. Navarre being able to spend 'JS years showed that he was possessed of a remarkably stroiv" constitiilion. A Requiem High Mnss was celebrated in, thu Sacred llenrr Church, Townsviile, I lie funeral taking place a tier wards. AN INTERESTING BOOK. Tho distance which separate , ; the extreme wings of the two great parties in tho Anglican Church, bound as they are within one organisation, and by cik- ami the same set of forimilariV--, r/sJrikiujjly exemplified by a Iwak ivcviilly published by tint Catholic l.iterativir AVsuciutiuii— a Hcwly-foi-iutfd Anglieiin iiick-ty wliivli is vigorously (ioiinj iiroti:iguiid:i work mi advanced High Church lii:;s. Tho full title ul' the book is yiu'ii "Foreign J'ro. li«tiinti.-m within the Church of England: Tin; r-rory ol ! itn and ih I're'ent Outcoiii-j." Th.- author'is Ihe Veil. A. T. Wir-uuin. 0.1.1., D.C.L., Archdi'wcoii of Pur'. j:!iMbi-th I'Soiitli iVfricn). ami chiipKiin t;i tilt late King Kdward. According to tin' table of contents, ArcliJt-acoii Wirgim.h ileal, with l.uilii-i', Zwiiigli. iiv.d Calvin as the found-fi-i of fovi'ign Protfit.'Uiti-m: '.lifii "dooIriiuil errors" on such siil.ijeeU: as t)u> lacranimls and Ihe iifjo-t.ilu , iiiini-.try, ei)ii»id...ird with ivtertnee to "th.. true leaching of the Kngli'li Church"; and t!»> influence uf fiivoisii Vi\)ti"t.viit Ihwlogy in the t'huiuli of Kni;h\nd up lo (lie i lire-CHI time. The imbliMii'r« nmioiinoo , thai ihe iUithor "cxposi'- I lie disloyally of | i'rote-ilanl teac-hinj; as »-t forth in eerlain | wiirli<. in iwiiiKiiliiv 'KnoN i United' (late Ili'hop Kyle), 'Chuivh of ! JCngland Teaching' (Moule .mil lirury), I and 'The Catholic. Faith' (Griflith Thomas)."