RELIGIONS OF THE PEOPLE.
From 1871, when the last general census was taken, till March, 1874, when the volume of statistics just issued by the Registrar-General was compiled, there has been an increase in the religious denominations of the people of 43,121 souls. The greatest increase, strange to say, has been of those who delight to call themselves Pagans—viz., of 83.39 percent. There are now 4,764 such persons in the Colony. The Ciiurch of England now returns 127,171 persons, or an increase of 18.58 per cent.: the Presbyterians, 72,477, or 13.91 per cent. Baptists, 6,355, or 34.30 yer cent. ; the Congregational 5,441, or3B.o6percent.; Lutherans 3 914, or 67.19 per cent; Unitarians 5nVl 0r J 9 i‘lV er Cen t‘ ; Catholics, 40,371, or 13.38 per cent. ; Jews, 1 218 or 3 72 per cent, while no less than 6,760 persons decline to state their religion, and nearly a thousand prefer to be “undescribed.” Turning to the table which subdivides the religions into groups, one is surprised at the great number of such groupings. The Presbyterians include fourteen of the Reformed Church; the Methodists comprise Bible Christians, new connection Methodists, Independents, and Ranters, while “other Protestants’ include Christadelphians, Christ’s Church, Church of the New Testament, ' ’iaeiples, Dutch Reformed Church, the Free Christian Church, the French Reformed Church, Followers of Christ, Gospel Brethren, Jehovistio Nonconfor mists, Morrisonian s, Nazereues, the New Church, Swedenborgians (forty-five of them), a single Puritan, eight male Shakers, and a solitary member of the Welsh Church. Included in the Catholics are 382 “undefined” and fortyone members of the Greek Church. There are fifty-six men and six women who are Mormons, seventeen men who are Mahometans. The other denominations ” comprise Anytbiugmuan, Hindoos, Rechabites, Spiritualists (oo mtn and 31 women) and univeisalists, while no denominations ” include Apostles of Chnst, Believers in Christ, Believers in God, Believers in the Lord Jesus, Believers in the Kingdom of God, Bible Thumpers, Brothentes, Calathumpiane, Christian Theists, the Church of God, the Church of Omotoze, Cosmopolites, Deists (21 men and 7 women) 1 Evolutionist, 135 Freethinkers, 2 Followers of the Lamb, General Christians, Justis, Latitudinarians, Mystics, a couple of New Lights, one Neutral, seven of “no particular sect,” two of no church, 424 men and 310 women of no denomination, six who are not decided, one whose religion is of the “old identity” kind, three who are Pantheists, one Platonist, four women who profess “what Christ preached 1,800 years ago, (ten who are Progressionalists, thirteen Rationalists, one Theist, four Truth-seekers one who says he .obeys “the veice of Cod,” three who belong to the Unleavened Brethren of Chnst, 198 who are Uusectarian, and one who is ‘upright and fair.” Those of “no religion” include four male Atheists, one Heathen, two Infidels, a Materialists, sixty-five men and twelve women of no religion at all, six of no creed, three who delegated to be classed as “nothing,” a brace of Sceptics, a single^Unbelie ver, and a couple of Utilitarians. In a note, the Registrar-General says that 38 of the Chinese population of the Colony were returned as professing Christianity; they belonged to the undermentioned denominations Church of England, 20 males and 2 females; Presbyterians, 7 males; Wesleyans, 4 males; Roman Catholics, 5 males. Fifteen werejreturned as Mahometans ; the remainder were stated to be Pagans or Confucians, but some doubt existing as to whether the latter word was used advisedly by the sub-enumer-ators, the whole are given in the tables as Pagans.
„ Iu the City of Dunedin proper, there'are 6,082 Episcopalians, 1,973 Catholics, 6,613 Presbyterians, 899 Methodists of various shades, 712 Baptists, 564 Congregationalists, 279 of the Church of Christ, 7 Quakers, 3 Christian Israelites, 7 Moravians, 6 Mormons, 246 Jews, 2 Mahomedans, 83 Pagans,S79 of no denominations, 14 of no religion, and 531 who object to state their religion.
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Evening Star, Issue 3797, 26 April 1875, Page 2
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631RELIGIONS OF THE PEOPLE. Evening Star, Issue 3797, 26 April 1875, Page 2
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