NOTES AND COMMENTS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 13452, 31 May 1907, Page 4

NOTES AND COMMENTS.

IS THE CHURCH DECLINING? The figures given in the Official Year Book of the Church of England for 1907, recently published by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge under the sanction of the archbishops and bishops, afford most disquieting study to all those anxious for the welfare of the Christian Churches. The student of ethical progress must, of necessity. recognise the ■ value of the Church's co-operation along these lines and any indications of weakening influence or decaying power call for his sympathy rather than his hostile criticism. In this spirit the writer approaches an analysis of the statistics of the Anglican Church, That the position is serious none can doubt. If it .were simply a decline in isolated particulars explanations might be given to dispose immediately of their sig-j nificance, but the figures seem to indicate more than a casual situation. Their full importance may be better grasped by the following tables: — ...

* Until last year the figures given under this heading were estimates. ' tThe Editor of the Year Book explains that, some misconception has arisen with respect to the inclusion of the Bible classes, bo that the figures for 1905-6 do not afford a fair standard of comparison.

For purposes of comparison Mr. Howard Evans' figures respecting the Free Churches for 1906, published in the j Liberator for March, may be quoted, as follows: <v -

Communicants ... 2,201,849, an increase of 65,582 i Sunday - school | teachers ... 403,617, an increase of 2,479 Sunday - school - scholars ... 3,506,325, an increase of 34,933 One single grain of comfort occurs in the whole of the first table. Whilst the baptisms of infants in, the Church of England are less, those for adults show substantial progress. But this is the only satisfaction to be discovered. With an increasing population the number of ordinations and the number of new churches are much lower than in the previous year. Thoughtful observers believe that the Anglican Church has a time of strees and unrest before it in the future. It seems about to embark upon a revision of its rubrics against the expressed conviction of the two great par-ties-High "and Low—within its borders. To this, is now added the problem how the Church is to maintain and increase ite hold upon* the English people The greater includes the less. In grappling with the more serious question many well-iiTformed critics believe that she will settle with wisdom and stability the issues raised by the report of the Royal Commission on Ecclesiastical Discipline.

. . - . 1904-5. 1905-6. Incumbents ... ... ... 14,029 925 Baptisms (infants) ... ... 602,946 693 191 Baptisms (adults) 12,675 14,001 ♦Communicants ... ... 2,223,207 2,053,455 bunday-school teachers ... 209, 206,873 Sunday-school scholars and _ Bible classes ... ... 3,009,760 12,538,240 Confirmations ... ... ... ,231,126 222,368 Ordinations ... ■ 624 587 New churches ... 70 "59 Restoration of churches ... '289 210