We begin then with the proportion of communicants in the Christian
constituency. If we take the last table and, instead of considering the
proportion of the communicants to the non-Christian population, consider
the proportion of communicants to the Christian constituency, we gain a
very different view. We gain then an idea of the character of the
Christians. Instead of an idea of the size of the force at work we
receive an impression of the quality of the force. Even one who lays
little stress on the value and necessity of sacraments would not deny
that he would expect more from a Church of 1000 in which 500 were
communicants than he would from a Church of 1000 of which only 100 were
communicants. He might deny that his expectation was based upon any
faith in the virtue of sacraments, but he would acknowledge the fact
that in our experience the Church which possesses large numbers of
communicants is generally stronger than the Church which possesses a
small number. The comparison of the number of communicants in relation
to the number of the total Christian constituency does properly produce
an impression of the strength of the Christian body.

If we can fill up the table

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District.| Total. | Communicants | Proportion of | Remarks and
| Christian | or Full | Communicants | Conclusions
| Constituency.| Members. | to Christian |
| | | Constituency. |
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| | | |
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we gain an impression of the strength of the Church. But it is important