The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-02-26 00:00:00

COLONIAL AND CONTINENTAL CHURCH 800IETY •

The claims of this society were advoosted at All
Sainte' Church on Sunday by lb. Rev. E. hiarkby
(Amodation Secretary) and the Rev. E. W. 0 dlinson
(Woodsford). The collections amounted to £3 176.
The deputation preached at Wioterborne St. Martin's
I. the evening.
The anneal meals( wee held on Monday evening
at ths Alinerton Hall, when the Rev. Canon Reginald
Smith presided, supported by the 1f.,. E. Ludlow
(liertisatown), Rev. C. F. Powys, Rev. E. liarkby
(deputation), and Mr. Dixon (hon. secretary.)
Prayer having been offered by the Rev. E. Lornow,
the CUAILII4II said they had been joining in thanking
God for ell the inatitmions which He had raised up
for the extension of the kingdom of our blamed Lord.
He trusted their bouts went up with that petition to
the throne of graos. The missionary societies,
especially thaw for the extension of 00.1'41 H ,ly Word,
and other benevolent and excellent iostitutious, were
the bright stars in the firmement of the Church.
What would be the state of this earth if them ware no
sun to shins by day, no bright stars to help them by
night, and no moon given them when the sun was
withdrawn out of the range of their vision It would
indeed be dark, and • world io which nothing but
death could flourish. And such would b. the state
of men, morally, mentally' cod spiritually, if there
were not the witnessing of God's Holy Spirit t, the
work of the great atonement end the almighty power
of the Lord Jesus. Therefore this was a light in the
world in the highest sense ; became Lever let
them forget what He had said —0 I can
the Light of the World." and what He had
been pleased to add to that DMus saying for
their enclouragemant—" He that followeth Me shall
not walk in the darkener, but shell have the light of
life." The speaker then likened the 11.fluence of Eng.
land over the rest of the world to the heart's action in
the body, Englend's lolhienor, by its commerce, its
or.,wess in arm., its wonderful literature, its prin iples
of liberty, and every Magog which ascompanied
civilisation was spreading throughout the world.
Their influence, then, being so great, did it not strike
them how most important It was that that influence
should be for good and not for evil. They knew to
their great grief, in some respects, the influence waa
for evil and not for good. If they had ever travelled
abroad, there had been times when they had been
almost obliged to blush for their own country. A
little while ago he was in Gibraltar, and the Channel
Fleet came in. It wee one of the ports at which not
only the well-behaved, hut all the sailors were allowed
to go on shore, and from what he saw he could assure
them there was a greet deal that did make one feel
ashamed for one. own country. Numbers of these poor
bluajacketa were pouring through the steel., rushing
Into lb* wine and spirit Mope, and coming out in a
state of Mensal el intoxication, behaving with the
greatest violence, insulting
and lowering the ass of England in the eyes or the
Spinier:la and other nationalities there represented.
He thanked Gxll there was a great deal to c =tenet
this evil, and them were =my Influences at work
which tended to ram England infithe eyes of all other
people, and it was expressly those infiusoces whir%
emanated from Christianity. And societies such as
theirs were bright stars In the firmament which
prevented the darkness from covering the whole earth.
He would not say the Colonial and Continental
Society was the brightest of all, but he did say it
was one of those that burnt with a pure and steady
light. Some might have their objections to certain
details; what society was not open to 'ono, objection
or other; but he could say that on tbs whole Its
taudeooyiwas undeniably for good. Ooe thing was
quite clear, but for this moiety there would be
between 03,000 and 70.003 of their countrymen, who
were abroad every summer in search of health,
and who would be to • very great extent
deprived of the blessings of the memo of gram on the
Lord's Day, and of the email being preached in all
Its purity, were it not for the agencies of that society.
And this was not this only department ; there was/mother
very extensive and very important branch, the colonial
part. It was quite true were it not for the agencies
of this society vast numbers of their fellow country-
men who had left home and emigrated to various pens
of the world would be almost In the condition in
which the heathen were, and without any observances
of the bloomed day of rest—without anyone to preach
the gospel to them and without snyone to
minister to them in their sickness. Them period
might be numbered
itohousiinds, and the children
be who should gro _ up in the nurture and
admonition of the Lord, but who might be growing up
In every way that woe hurtful and Injurious' to the
soul, would be a multitude that no one could number,
He was sure, therefore, they would join with him.
they ought to bless and prides God for this most vats.
able Instrumentality His had been pleased to raise up
(Applause.) He then called on Mr. Dixon for his
annual report,
Mr. DLION promised Meta his report should be very
brief. He only wished in some respects it was longer;
be meant not in words be should say, but • longer list
of subscribers and collections in their vericria churches.
Still he was thankful for what the Lord bad been
pleaded to do for them, and he only truetad they
might do lathe years to come more for this met noble
and blamed society. He then presented the following
financial statement :-

Amneet of public subocrintionelduring the you Lit 111 Pi ;
collectime—All Uinta% £3 4. 110 ; ortontown. 1.11 741
public meeting. Pi Ile El : ortrate o.Vections—lbr. E. Lad-
ino., £15.; Diann. £1 15e fid ; JONI. Crow. CI ;
Mr. Purnell (Poole). le; PI re. Berne., las ; r. Omh. :
K. Selby, to id—total amount mot t, Pariat betel, last
March. 4131 6.14. lo addition to this am, lady Smith hal
Mat a eubrocripUon of LI The year corresponding to tl • Met
woe really llr, years woo. when the amount forwarded to the
'moiety amounted to fall Po PI
Ho warn very glad there wa. thu lIICIVLOO on the
right side, and he only hoped If they were spared
another year, be should have a 'till more favourable
report to present t, them. (Applause.)
The Deputation than delivered so interestinr
address on the work of the societv, especially in
Canada. He took occasion to heartily thank Mr.
and Hr.. Dixon for their exertions on behalf of the
society.
A vote of thank., proposed by the Rey. C. F. Pow,.
awl seconded by the 1t.,. E. LUDLOW, Concluded the
prObelailnge.