THE WORLD'S CONCRECATIONALISM.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1866, 27 September 1913, Page 19

THE WORLD'S CONCRECATIONALISM.

AN ALL-ROUND INCREASE, Tho statistics of Congregationalism throughout tho world, tabulated below, show a satisfactory increase in each, department (says tho "Christian. AVorld"). Churches and stations show a growth of 124, membership has increased by 6464, and there is an advance of 10,750 in the number of scholars. These figures go'far to prove tlie claim that tho falling-off in membership and Sunday scholars in the United Kingdom in receiit years lias been duo to emigration, as thero has beon a marked increase in Church membership in Canada, Australasia, South Africa, West Africa, and Natal. Tho United States churches jecord sin increase of 4000 members, aloiif; with a proportionate growth in tho figures ,of tho American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. Tho statistics of the London Missionary Society also indicate ail increased membership in the Indian, African, Polynesian, and Madagascar- mission fields, China being tho only one reporting a decrease. For these figures wo are indebted to Mr. John Minslull, of tho Memorial Hall, who has for many years tabulated tho statistics of tho world's Coiigregntioiialism. Sunday Oliurohcs school cliapclsanil Oliurcli scliolstations. members, irs. Great Britain 5,025 490,722 692,676 London Missionary Society 2,860 64,551 64,998 Canada and. Now-. foundlnud 223 12,572 8,560 British Gutajin, and Jamaica I®' ' , ™" "•" 1 ™ Australia, and New . ••• • Zealand 443 22,99? 33,122 South and West Af--452 22,621 '11,064 American Zulu M.s149 22,009 8,246 Aincrica 6,064 743,025 675,677 American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions 2,080 77,619 81,365 'X'otal 17,425 1,<186,333 1,603,939 Increneo on last year's figures 124 6,461 10,7** DR. CASQUET'S GREAT TASK. "Dr. Gasquet, Abbot-l'rosideiit of the English Benedictines, recently left London for America, on a four-month lecture tour connected with tho great work, over which lie presides, namely, the critical revision of tho Vulgate, to tins" headship of tho Comniissioh for which undertaking ho was appointed. by a ; special Brief of tho present I'opo ill 1907. "Tho object of the tour is to raise tho required funds to meet tho largo expenditure involved by the labours of tho Papal Commission, a sum which will amount, according to the Abbot's estimate, to somo £30,000,'', says the "Morning l'ost." "The object of the Commission is not to produce r. Latin Biblo to bo'proposed as an ullicial text, but to take a preliminary step towards producing that ofEcial version. ' The main object is to determine as accurately as possible the text of St. Jerome's Latin, translation, given to tho world in tho Fourth Century, and upon which all subsequent texts were based. Inasmuch as the work is one of purifying the texts, and since only verbal changes will be involvedy it may be doscribetfas mn.inly philological. Nothing will be changed ill the meaning orteaching of the Sacred Books."