The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-02-03 00:00:00

RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY.

A meeting of the Religions Tract Society win held
In the St. Mary's Soho ilroom on Thursday evening,
under the presidency of the Rector, the Riv. J. 11.
STott. After the Waging of the hymn. " Jaen, Lover
of my Soul," 6041 grace off .red by the Rev. W. Lewii,
11.. tenon:Ter, Mr. Andrews, read his noon. Tbe
subecriptiona fir the year amounted to £23 2.. 61. ;
donation., 15e. ; collecting card., £26.. 31. ; collection
after sermon on
_previous evening, El 131. ld. ; total,
326 16r. 101. The expenses amounted to El le.,
leaving • baleen of 32.5 15,. 101. to the good. Corm
puke( this statement with that of last year, it was
found that the differeace was only 14s. 8d bat it
woull have been more but for the collection Made the
previous day, a earmon not baying been winded last
year. Through deaths of subscribers £4 la. had been
lizelirt they were progreseirg favourably, and Mr.
Andre.'. expressed a with that the culleotioa at the
close of that meeting would be • sat'sfacitory one, and
that they would be enabled to remit to the parent
society • sum equal to that of last year. The society
was doing a great and noble work, and he •rked them
to consider it a privilege t be able to strengthen the
society's bands.
The 0111111LMLN end for $6 years the principles of
the society bad remained auctioned, and that was •
neat thins to say In those days. It had • straw claim
upon all, because it Is • great minsiooary society, both
at home and abroad. He believed that in every part
of tbe globe where there was any printed literature
U.. society seat the knowledge of the liaricar'e name.
£4OOO were spent yearly in ladle aide on then
means of spreading the Gospel, and he hoped Wey-
mouth would mine snore and more the religions
character of the moiety. It also bad • claim upon
them because it is a great pnbilshlog society, and yet
did they aot see evil abroad, did it not anon itself
more badly than It used to do The best way to most
this evil we, to matter religious literature. The
society had loud 100 millions of publication In 33
different tearing's, and be escaladed his bearers that
every donation given to the society was devoted
entirely to the missionary work, and not to the Issuing
of publication.. tip then grounds be thought the
motet, had • Frail data apes the public at lugs
WA The Rev. Mr. TN(T. who TM nest Clalld IWO
to 1113611 k, OOIIOOMBOOtti by asking who bad not received
some beinfit from reading what was called • tract,
and he was sure all beneatted more or lee by reading
religious books, and people amend that they
ought not to reed any other book but the Bible, but
that was almost an impossibility, anal now they could
find books beautifully illustrated and beautifully
bound from Id. and upwards, which were printed
expressly to give young people cheep, good, and
sound literature. From tract, whloh inn them
nothing he had remised much benefit and
comfort. Bat where did they come from From
the Religious Tract Society, which was tor all
denomillatioci, and for all countries of the world. It
was impossible to tell the ni soy iniaticee In which
the little tract had been the means of °Quentin( •
soul, By giving their pence they could be the means
of doing much good. He had, he said, been to
Norway and Swedes, and he gave an interesting
enema of • re-rios bell on the top of • mountain
and which wee attended by • lot of navvies. lle
spoke of the lutanist they took In it, and the happy
faces that were to be seen when they distribated
tracts. In Stockholm • gnat work was being done,
and then the treats were distributed freely among the
Isiah in the hospital., the sailors, the priaosiers, the
1 libraries. In other countries to which the Swedi di sailor
was likely to go, the abie women, the Sunday
I schools, and other Ladies and it was saki that the
bleseing was unmistakeable. Referring, to India,
where he had man friends, he stated that all said
the same—they did not know what they should do
without the tract., and one of the missionaries had
reported that there wee an increasing desire for the
handbills issued by the society.
The Rev. Dr. Waifs, the enteral secretary of the
moiety, who attended as • deputation, thee addreleed
the meeting. He said he knew for a long time the
society had received good support from Weymouth,
end they hod had many opportunities of knowing
what the society was doing. The society had been
in existernoe about 8$ years. ()rigidity it was *del
the Tract S ;okay, and was formed sopecially for the
production of religion' trans. It soon began to feel
that it moot not confine itself to tracts, but mast
produce books, and most do sometime for those living
in other °Gantries They bad kept within the
lines first marked our, they had extended
the work, but the doctrine was the naps.
He referred te a canting of the Ivaagelleol
Alliance held last encases( in G,treakeffin, when his
met reperatatatives freer different 00UStr4el. and
said what that Alliance had been doing far the last
40 years the society had dein for the pint 80 MR
All than win= bit Int bail lam net on.il