THE RELIGIOUS CENSUS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2433, 3 December 1892, Page 3

THE RELIGIOUS CENSUS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir,—Your referred in your recent leader to certain statistics bearing on this subject, and taken from The Review of Reviews, and you called attention to the fact that the English Church seemed to comprise so large a portion of the population, that the Methodists were growing prodigiously, and that both the Presbyterians and Roman Catholics were falling behind in the race, and not keeping pace with the growth of the population, and you reasonably ascribe fluctuations in the relative proportions of the various denominations in these colonies to immigration. You might also have added that these changes, comparatively unimportant, Ave lftl'gdy dllQ to tufl ayßtem of itinerancy and lay preaching adopted in more denominations than one. It would seem that such a system has at the outset some advantages iu a new and aparaely-populated country, but that as soon as the country becomes properly settled like the old one, these advantages disappear, if disadvantages do not take their place. It is, for instance, wellknown that a denomination largely using the above system, has itself for Some time been complaiuing of a diminution of strength in such places at Home as Cornwall, York, Bath, Carlisle, Hull, Devonport, and especially in towns. Most people will admit that attendance on religious ordinances is a very fair test. Tried by this standard the tables furnished by you are quite reversed. We have it on reliable authority that church attendance iu New Zealand stands thus : Presbyterians 40,785 Protestant Episcopalians... 37,000 Roman Catholics 30,000 Methodists 34,000 Baptists s>ooo. 5 > 000 . I give these figures in no controversial spirit, but that another phase might be Bet forth of the subject on which you have dwelt. They apeak for themselves".—l have, etc., _ John Dickson.