The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-05-16 00:00:00

appeared
tied
the

CHURCH MISSIONARY SOCIETY.

ON Sunday last sermons were preached at churches
in this town on behalf of the Church Missionary
Society, and the following collections were made :
Holy Trinity, £ll 13+. Bd. ; St. Peter's, £ll 68. 9d. ;
East Fordington, £2 10s. • West FOldington, £2 16s.
Two meetings were held on Monday at the Townhall
in aid of the slme excellent society. R.. if. Eliot, EN.,
of Weymouth, presided at the afternoon meeting. The
following clergymen were present :—Rev. Reginald
Smith, of West Stafford, the Rev. E. Ludlow of Martins.
town, the Revs. T. A. Falkner and J. G. Davis, curates
of Holy Trinity, Dorchester, the Bev. H. Moule, vicar
of East Fordington, the Rev. A. Handley, of Fisherton,
the Rev. C. W. Bingham of Bingham's tdeloombe, the
Rev. E. W. Pears, rector of St. Peter's, Dorchester, the
Right Rev. George Smith, D. D., late Bishop of Victoria,
the Rev. L. G,ffard, deputation from the parent
society, and the Rev. W. Bird, vicar of West Fordingtou,
Dorchester. The attendance was numerous.

Prayers having been read by the Rev. G. J. Davis,
The CHAISKAN remarked that they were once more
privileged to meet together to hear of the progress of
missionary work, and to stir one another up to further
diligence in the glorious cause. He felt that every
meeting of this character was a means for provoking
one another to love and good works. They were all too
apt, he feared, to loge sight of the great missionary en-
terpri.e, or at least not to keep it so clearly in view as
they should, and these anniversaries served as gentle
reminders of their privileges and responsibilities.
He trusted that the meeting would tend to deepen
their interest in, and sympathy with, this their Master's
work, and send them home deeply bumbled to
think how little they had done for Him who
had done so much for them, and resolving to
devote themselves anew to His service. There was
as mush need as ever for missionary work; the state of
the heathen bad not altered in the eight of God; and
the Gospel eas as mighty now as when the Saviour
first gave the command to go into all the world and
preach the Gospel to every creature. The principles of
the society had not changed; they were still the simple
principles of the Gospel of Christ. The men who
founded the society felt that the salvation of souls was
at stake, and that men oould only be Raved through the
merits of Jesus Christ; and whatever misht be insinuated
against the society as the society of a party, he felt
sure that they would still love it and remain
faithful to it, as a society maintaining the Gospel
principles upon which it was based. In regard to the
results of the society's work, as was well remarked by
a speaker recently at Exeter Hall, the aim had been
rather for quality than quantity—the carrying on of
God's work quietly rather than the sending home of
glowing reports. But the work had not been in vain.
Still, if they had not been permitted to see any result
they felt sure that God's word could not and would not
return unto Him void. Let it be theirs to work in
faith and with prayer, leaving the results to God. One
remark in the society's report was that the branch
associations had not during the past year made
their wonted increase of contributions. He did not
know whether that applied to the Dorchester associa-
tion, but
.be thought that it ought to excite them to
increased efforts, for if the tributary streams abated
in their flow, or did not increase, the main stream
must soon be diminished, and the mission work would
lacgoish at its extremities. Be it their', then, with
much prayer, earnestness, and self-denial, to promote
the missionary enterprise,and hasten the coming of that
glorious time when the Lord shall have the heathen
for his inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth
for his possession.
The Rev. J. G. Dem, secretary, read the annual
report of the Dorchester association, which we learn has
catered upon the second half century of its existence.
The committee communicate the gratifying fact that
the contributions during the past—their year of jubilee
'—have been larger than before, which it is trusted may
be an omen of progress. They acknowledge with
sihankfulness the triumphs achieved through the blessings
'el God's Holy Spirit upon the labours of the society,
'set forth the great field open fer missionary enterprise,
and encourage to increased efforts in the holy work.
The treasurer's account shows receipts—sermons and
meetings, £Bl Is. 7d.; subscriptions, donations,
etc., paid t 3 treasurer, £45 18s.; collectors' lists,
£53 lls 110. ; juvenile association, £4l 161. 4d;
neighbouring parishes, £92 17e. 6d.—total, £295 ss. sd.
Of this sum £287 Its. sd. have been remitted to the
parent society.
The Right Rev. G. BUTTE, D.D., then addressed the
Meting. He said that he felt it would be more
conducive to the interest of his address Übe limited
his remarks to that portion of the mission field with
which he had been more particularly connected, but,
beta* he pasted to the general subject of the
China mission, he would state that he felt it to be
• privilege as well as a duty to attend the anniversary
of the Dorchester association on account of the great
ooistribution they had made to the China mission by
giving two valuable and effective missionaries. He felt
it to be a duty he owed to them and to their
Vementble parent who appeared before them that
day, to be present, and to give them his humble, but
deeded testimony on behalf of their zealous and useful
labours. He could truly say that at the present time
!herbed no missionaries more efficient—if, indeed, so
isent—thim their beloved young brethren, the Revs,
rOsorge and Arthur Motile. He trusted that the
bitterest of the meeting would be deepened in
the work in which those missionaries were en-
gaged, and that they would peer forth their prayers
for God's blessing on their laboars. It was true that
they could not speak of a great number of conversions,
but looking balance,* the peat2o years, he saw that very
o
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