The National Preacher, Vol. 2. No. 6., Nov. 1827: Or Original Monthly Sermons from Living MinistersPatton, William
Religion
The National Preacher, Vol. 2. No. 6., Nov. 1827: Or Original Monthly Sermons from Living Ministers
Patton, William
Sermons -- Periodicals
The population of New-York city, in 1820, was 123,706. In 1825, it was
166,086: making an increase, in 5 years, of 42,380. Allowing the same
ratio of increase, there is now a population of 185,000. There are in
the city 101 churches, or houses of public worship: Of which 4 are Roman
Catholic, 1 New-Jerusalem, 2 Unitarian, 2 Universalist, 2 Jews'
Synagogues, 15 Baptist, 13 Methodist, 17 Episcopalian, and 34
Presbyterian churches, including the Scotch and Reformed Dutch. The
remainder are Lutheran, Moravian, Friends, German Reformed, and
Independents. The average number of regular attendants is estimated, by
such as have made it a subject of special examination, not to exceed 400
to each house; which makes the number of those statedly attending public
worship 40,400. After deducting 50,000, for children, for the sick, and
for others necessarily absent, there will still remain NINETY-FOUR
THOUSAND AND SIX HUNDRED, or _more than half the population, absenting
themselves from the public worship of God!_
There are in the city 4 theatres and 2 circuses: most of which are
opened from 4 to 6 nights every week. The number of shops and other
places licensed to sell liquor by the small measure, is three thousand;
or about one to every SEVENTH DWELLING-HOUSE! In addition to the
violations of holy time, occasioned by steam-boats, and other public
conveyances, by butchers, grocers, and other traders purchasing their
stock from boats arriving from the country, upwards of ONE THOUSAND
_shops, and other places, are opened for the sale of liquor or other
things on the Sabbath_!
Nor is this view peculiar to New-York. A critical investigation of facts
in other cities will develop similar results. In London, the whole
number of churches and chapels of all denominations is estimated at 400.
"If we calculate," says a late English writer, "that the average
attendance is 500; which is certainly the greatest extent we can allow,
and add 250 more for the fluctuating hearers, it will give a result of
300,000 persons. The population of this metropolis is estimated at
1,274,800. From which subtract the feeble minority above, and we find
NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-FOUR THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED _persons neglecting
the public worship of God_! It appears that of the commercial papers
published in London on the Sunday, there are circulated, on the lowest
estimate, 45,000 copies; and that upon the most moderate computation,
between two and three hundred thousand readers of these papers are to be
found in the metropolis alone. While the great number of pressmen,
distributers, master-venders, hawkers, and subordinate agents, of both
sexes, and of all ages, who are employed on the Sabbath, all tend to the
most flagrant breach of the day of rest."
In the mean time, the number of deaths in New-York is about _five
thousand_ annually: in London, about _thirty-three thousand_.
CONTRIBUTORS.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account