bered she has already gained immense advantages in spite of these difficulties. If these successes, and her astounding declarations, fail to awaken public attention to the greatness of our danger; if the great mass of Protestants can be persuaded that there is no very great cause of alarm after all; if they can only be induced to keep quiet, to sleep on, to do nothing, the road will be open, and when their power is once established in these United States, our sun will have set.

CHAPTER V.

Further Cause for Alarm from Popery.

THERE are various other causes in connection with what has already been stated, that may well excite the apprehensions of Protestants for the safety of our free institutions. One of these is the rapid growth of Romanism in this country. While in Europe, where it is best known by sad experience, it is steadily loosing its hold upon the popular mind, and while even its own communicants, in many instances in that country, are in open rebellion against its arrogant assumptions; here, it is steadily increasing in numbers, in influence, in wealth, and in power; while it is petted, and favored, and caressed, even by government officials, more than all other denominations together.

As to the amount of the yearly increase of papists, or its per centage, or the relation it bears to the increase of our entire population, it is not easy to determine. This is owing to the want of full and complete statistics of the number of their priests, churches, communicants, colleges, schools, monasteries, convents, etc. To secure accuracy it would be necessary to have, not only complete statistics for the present,

but that they extend back through a number of years. But Roman Catholic publications are very deficient in such information.

Dr. Mattison furnishes a table in his work on Romanism*, from the Catholic World, which is as follows:

In Appleton's Cyclopedia for 1864, article Roman Catholic Church, it is stated that, "The increase between 1840 and 1860, was 125 upon each hundred, while the nation only increased by 36 to a hundred; between 1850 and 1860 the increase was 109 upon a hundred, while the nation increased only 30 upon a hundred. Should things go on only as they have hitherto done, the Catholic population will be one-fifth of the whole in 1870, and nearly onethird in 1900."

Now, whether the above be strictly true or not, it is patent to all that Romanists are rapidly increasing on every side. It is stated in their Family Almanac for 1871, that in 1816

* Page 64.

†This line I have changed to make it correspond with the present time.

there were in all New England, only two thousand Catholics, with two priests and a bishop, while now there are nearly one million in the same territory.

An article appeared in the American Messenger not long since, headed "A great increase," in which it was stated that "there are now 100 churches and 200,000 Roman Catholics in Rhode Island and Connecticut, where fifty years ago there were but three families of Romanists."

What is true of the New England States in this respect is true, in a great measure, of all the States. It is supposed that there are some 400,000 in the city of New York alone, and they claim over 800,000 in the State.

This rapid growth of Romanism in the United States is not so much to be wondered at, however, when we take into consideration the fact that it is estimated that between one and two hundred thousand are added to her communion yearly by emigration alone. This enables her to move with rapid strides toward the establishment of her supremacy; to outstrip any other denomination in the erection of costly and imposing structures for church purposes. Says Dr. Mattison, after presenting several valuable statistical tables: "It would appear that the Roman Catholics have expended about four times as much money in building churches

since 1860, as the Methodist Episcopal Church has."*

And again: "Though the number of their priests is small compared with the number of Protestant ministers, yet they are sufficient to man all their churches, and are rapidly increasing. And what is more alarming, many of them are American born."

It does not, however, lessen the cause for alarm to know that the increase of Papists in the United States is principally in consequence of emigration. European Papists are certainly no better than American converts to Romanism. From whatever cause her increase among us proceeds, we have the same reason to apprehend the subversion of our liberties whenever she secures the necessary strength.

Says the Tablet: "Catholics are increasing rapidly in the United States, and it is to be expected that they will introduce and observe Catholic usages, and these all the world knows differ from those of Puritans." Of course they do. This is frank.

A writer in one of the Western "Advocates," says: "The Papists are rapidly conquering the great West. Their agency is the school. The property of the Roman Catholics in the new city of Leavenworth, Kansas, is, from the published estimates, some $475,000, while all other

* Page 42.