The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-02-28 00:00:00

CHURCH PASTORAL AID SOCIETY.

It must be a pleasure to friends of the Church of
Enghiod who especially eieb her to go on extending her
wort to populstoons which molt need it, that the C.P.A.
amnia to be reviving in W .yrnoutb the interest ...yid oh
should always be felt in so Evangelical and truly If nue
Missionary Society. Sermons were preecba lon its behalf
on Sunday and a goon, collec Lion made, and on Monday
evening • meeting, the precursor, we h ope, ot ver, much
larger mesungs, wu held in St. Ilsry's Schoolroom, the
Sector, Hubert Scott, presiding.
Alter singing and prayer,
Toe Ritcrost said it wee with no ordinary Pleasure be
found bowel( taking the chair for the fint time at the
...tong of . religious society in Weymouth, and that
society the Church Pastoral Alit Society, and he gave It
• hearty welcome to Weyonouth. The principles of this
society were the gsme when it was first formed, and
first VI all, toe C.P.A. is • lion, Micsionaey Society; that
tubo say, it. operations are confined to Eoglend Itself, it
seeks to bring under the ital.-taus or the Gospel the great
Hausa of people in our large town,. A odi eurroll if we
feel it our bounden dwy to send the Iloilo,' into heathen
lands, it Is tenfold our duty to see that those who are
living ic beatheniena at home are brought to • saving
I knowledge of the truth. When this society was formed,
there were three millions in England alone without the
means of grace, and the society's object then was to go
into the homes of the muses of the people In our large
towns to seek them out and bijou them by various means
to the saving knowledge of the t-uth, as it is in Jaunt.
It I. not only • Home Mission, but a Church of England
Society. Among ita patrons are 17 home bishop., 17
colonial bishops, and It works upon the parochial system,
never going lot • parish until invited by the clergy of that
parish. List of all, it is an Evangelical society ; that is, it
seeks to tiring the gospel before the mods of men in
all its simplicity, in all its fulness, in all its freeness,
and we glory in the tact Gist the doctrines it teaches
are of the Evangelical school. We are not ashamed
of that, we glory in it. While we au so tnauy around us
—men who are Nuking to undermine the [Tine/Plea for
whom the help Reformer, died—it behoves us to set forth
the standard of truth in It. simplicity. And ill .n, on toe
other hand, there are these who esti undermining great
doctrines, such as the inspiration of Scripture. This
society seeks to bring before all thews dm-Vines But its
great object Is the saving of souls. In the present day ono
of the greatest, which we WI the English notion enjoy, lethal
of our perochtal system: but it gums in many caws to be
in aheyistice ; it lemma partly suinue.ge I in tinny large
towns, if not altogether lost sight of. Lot Abu give an
instance of this :—.I oat six ewers *ea it was Viet he was
called to the charge of • lirge perish in Birmingham,
which contained a population just lour times ass large as
that of licicombe liogia, tit. Hues. Chrift Church, and
bt. John's—between 27.000 and 58.000 souls. Hs went,
and had it not been for the Church Pastoral Aid Society
he should have begot the only clergyman In that parish.
The first thing he did was to apply to the Church Pasthral
Aid, and they gave Um £lOO for one curate, and LBO •
year for a second; so there were throe in • parish f 500
sores, which had the population of a large town. It the
church and the chapels of that posi-h had bets filled, he
supposed there would not her, beta ucommodation for
more Clan 3.000 souls; but be applied to the Chureh
Pastoral Aid, and they gave him a Scripture reader. In
that parish were no wealthy reedents. everyholy who
could afford it, who bad any ason..y, as the first thing
Its! did hastened to laird the p a .e. It was not very
attractive, there were soap, iron, and glees works; they
were just on the border. of the Black Country, and though
they had • large garden everything was dying, nothing
seemed to dourieb, for all was covered with black. And
in the very heart of the pariah wa, what wu called Satan's,
Ring, the gaol with 500 prisoners, the lunatic Asylum
with 500 poor creatures who had last their nation. and
the workhouse with between 2000 and 3,003 inmate,. i
Those who went away forgot the poor people they had
left behind; there were several manufectories, but the
manufacturers who made their fortunes quite forgot
the claims of the People who had worked for them.
Waist lit went, there were about 40 people in the
courch, but, thank God, when he left, the church was full
from end to enil eith a nice hurt,' congregation, so that
a lady who visited them said it was the heartiest service
she ha lever attended. But had it not been ler the a P.A.
hr ehould have teen alone with a popolatio• of V. or
98.000. Hia heart was very full, and he was =MAUI to
stir up their interest so that they might do something
towards supportiog it. Lst them try and realise the
potation of • clergyman in such a place as that. Here was
one set down in • work which seemed almost an impossi-
bility. And this was not the only one; there were many
other prozishoo where the parochial system seemed to be
In &pelmets, but it was the object of the society
to send forth the clergy and laymen into these parishes.
It waa the lint society which eoc named lay help, which
used to be looked upon with great gustation; but now
they were only too glad to get lay help, and in Redipole it
was hi, pleasure to admit to the office of lay reader one
who w.• well-known to all there, so they saw what •
change had come over ue elth regard to lay agency. In
Wermouth they had raised £3l 4c 11. in the year for the
society, but he hoped they would raise tint to MO In
c inclusion be assured them of hoe hearty sympathy with
the society, and hoped thit ill Weymouth we shall do all
we can for it. aid.
The Res. .J. KILNNEDY said his parish, when he was
under the C.P A., had only about 33 acne In it but
M
there were 16,0011 people ; vet they had • very large
churchyard. . primitiveethodist Chapel, two Board
schools, some very fine wide streets, suns manufactories,
and . very large number of publichouses. They might
ask where all the people were put, but in one court
there would he 15 or 16 houses, where you had • difficulty
to find them at first In the parish was • very line church.
built 58 year. he., when it was at a dietanoe from the
town and in the midst of fields, and now 16,000 people are
gathered round it. Tot since than 13.000 had beset cut off
for one district and 6,000 for another. What would he the
condition of thus people if it were not for the C.P.A.. 1
There would be simply one man, the rector. with • very
itinneclincedhurchto, gwoithintoa large
number of people far more
publichouse than the olkurish.
His rector wrote to the C.P.A., and they gave
him • grant enobliag Mtn to keep two aerates,
two &risers ruder', and • Bible woman. He never
WWI si, hard-worked is his life u when he we. &C.P.A.
curate, and never so badly said; but he never was se
happy. (Applause.) The society were very particular,
too, about their men he thought "The society must
accept Me, the Bishop bas accepted me, the Rector hell
also, and surely the society must.' But the society
wanted references from Rome really good evangelical muss.
When be settled to work, lint of all they had a Bible.
class for working men, at half-past seven o'clock, and
used to think It • bed number if they only had 200, for
the average was 350, spa be kit ow as a fact that many
of thou men had given their hearts to God, end been
brought to the Saviour through the instrumentality of
that class; they 884 d l come In their worirdei doses,
often jut as they came (rum work. Besides, there were
two mission rooms, and they were Ailed, 'being small
rooms capable of holding 250 or 360, in the week were
two Bible-classes for working mu, with average attend.
lace of 60, • slmilar clam for women with 130 avenge
attaidasc% a week night surdas, the stleadasos

ing 150, and on Saturday night • prneer meeting &wars
weir n:tended, t ono of the beet at'eoded meeting. of
from six to •ven on Sonde'
neisAge U 0 or 70 would c ;me in, end slag hymn niter
tbhfi
tsvii•es
sacrnrip-est:ren g
reel cpeci.
As:
re vinci nil 'on inctrd
hyinn or shoat balf-anthour, end when well composed
the Siripture reader would get op and speak to theca
Thi. erne a poor parish with only one rich man in the Pon-
gregst on. Tally time down upon him rather heavily, it
Wee a cam er she w,lils h ie.e but they lowl no other
bores to ride, nods, he km fly allowed it, they worked
him petty freely. Last Year there were about 2,000
eauldmo in the school', about twice as many as in St
M try's and Christ'. Church, sod the children rated £l3O.
Was there any sign that real sod abiding spiritual good
rk
r y
wurkdi the day
nb., deal..t
tie :t.c p
is.yahn. and
hwebo
▪ Merest that he bad been truly conceited; it was •
frem-.citifyuol
ndt,eclr
iihneinwgoukf
01 cohr,ormat iwtiiotich
salary;
hsulaio the
uld
Joan pr•feued to go oil woreinj as ho had before No
t'ehuatiLiet:irallir'iwtan"nbicd.ba
encioty ilmerved more than Os (1 PA. como P•orde vs.
We glee.. great deal to toe C torch wisaionary 8 'clot"
hut he did out wish them In mi.,' on-i i.einy lee hi that,
I. it not CCI that the Seine Poiotes moth give to the
C.P.A. &ono irt the Church M mionary Soinetr. It wee
• to, that charily ought not to rod at him,; but it
• begins there, and he h pot toot at it year, instead of
, tending up only £llO to the C.P.A., as the recto boost,
they would he a`.l. to gold .4100.
Toe 1t... It. G. Fowst• said • considerable amount of
the euoiety'• work is earned on in toe open sir. If people
.111 not C.me, they lutist go Vi tbe people. That 0P...11r
with toad been "tarried on in Ss ieb.ry and Boost al, with
Veit' ViCareel. In Bristol, for ihetalre, • clergyman found
nig church fillet with trodesinen ; but a very large pops-
'siva were outside, who were not, ertoer, leeched by
ths" being too poor to provide themselves with a
minister. So he 1.-gan to emit them at toeir own courts,
having first announced his ant dition. That had beam •
fashionable parith, and the large houses had great sins-
cams ; but they were now occupied with a Swann Da
population who mote outside, and gossiped over the doings
ot the dsy. Wbeo he weut fir.t., the women tett their
goasiping, the lain shut down their win lows, and the
children promptly disappeared, sad he Nand himself en-
thely alone. However he banded ab int hymn hooks
where he cosild got them thken,pashed others under door.,
and began to sing without any nuistmice or sympathy on
the port of his hearer,. He bad chosen a good long one,
and only towards the close could he 04th • ghostly sound
from within; us then opened his Bible sad preached the
word, and, having, good powerful voice, be felt c madam
he people would be remised lay the ear. All that snob
mu he went, and people voluntarily opened their men.,
toe windows were not closed so hermetically as bet /re,
and, at bast, on • wet daiy, Idle people had pity on his held
head, and a g oil woman invited him into her libeler& ;
they cleared Away the turn tore, called other womm
windows were set open widely, and there they sang and
be preached without any movement of his hand., lees toy
•tionid be involved in the hair or the Mlles around. 81
the prearthing had &Wormed trom being 'open-M'" to a
mersung. Boon the People sugmeted another nib
provement ; they said " M ore tit us will be able to meet
together, and we snail have • more Weeny service, if we
can have a place to contain us all. That was told the ,
vicar; they hired • large room, began with MO, and now
they are never below that number. 303 limaion rooms are
in exmoUy the same position now; they are in • transition
state, bouth above the cottage lecture, sal only temporary
rooms. 350 such rooms have weedy led up to permanent
buildangs, so the society is enabling the Conrco ot &gaud
to overtake her mop ; she must endeavour more
earnestly and succeset ully to reach all the people; no -Ii
must be beyond the reach of her agency. Bat at the pec-
cant tens of &Downstage, Or Olen 1111111,4611, Me entirely
to: yood her roach; there are people woo live an" N Mann-
Linda," districts which are hew and have gradually growo
op as • sort of fringe ot the parish, and where there is
no religious agency whatever, bat where people are getting
more and more Indifferent. r.kc tor itistance, West
How, near L radon, where ere 050,000 people, wherein the
ls.t ton yearn, the popolsti ace Ant In ire than d
and 00000 tbrne weeks. pm slimy fi id .51w street of 120
houses wi.h tlllO fresh parithiomra, and this has actuaily
Asa going on tor the ...At two or threc year. lio.gine lii
such • case the utter re lemurs destituti tn. Toe gi slat
majority of them poops c as* up from toe country, on
thcount of getting hiener Were., greater liberty, greeter
emussusent, they tin I there is no restraint, no one who
visits them ; they el, rioiesly'. children, nobody's It te.k.
mu t,o of ten they ale allo•ed to lise nod die witn no true
La care for them. The Courch, Pastoral Aid fl,ciety'.
solution is to get bill of them peopie before they go
adrift, while they sttil call themselvese members of the
Courtin of &faked, and before the millet lecturer lute
limn able to encore Ryon. How reel is that danger may
; be 10 igod from the lact that one society of infi leis keen
, twelve paid !securers...fully at work, teaching the re iple
. in their Halle of ticience—Seculmimia, Atheion, B al-
laughimu, and S ...liaises, not only mining to pull d awn our
, inflation. and Royal reload', but even to dmtroy toe
; mcretineas of our homes foe Con- c a Pestorel Aid looks
att. n the 0091., balms tiey are beyond help, tor if you
,eL hold oi toem directly they c raze up from their own
. homer, yan can get them ; but it they are lef t alone for 10
Years. th•Y wall mho t it neturaily, mad it will bs mint
10 gat them to return. Hot • great mistake wili
, be made, if i. is th mot the society only thinks of the
large places; it lenge tor the didlicultiea of country rect ire
a. well. Take a town in Gorowell with perhaps 4,000
, people in an arcs ol Over 12 square mtis.--Ltekeard.
; Here you have •Im met inace-seible hills, to ascend. and
, descend, and be c •rt an ti tind • group of people at toe
very border. at your porno, some wnter privilege or mine
has drawn and trouped them tier.. Two or three men
, might hops LO overtake toe wore in such • patio,. bat
, wit less, and toe ex tr• iddes toe //Cony graillit I. vie,
, aside, at Crewkeroe; he waa stating with a chorea.
, war ton, and too or three miles away from the pariAt
civauch they wsnt to he tip of • hill, sad some distance
air ar lie sew sone a Uses On th• !lope Of soother hill.
aging what itwo-, he was told "Crewkerne." How Weil
, "Lie mem to look alter a permit lige that, with • lards
, central populati in nem the church, and hamlets neer the
, border. of hi. pariah? In such • case the C.P.A. provides
a curate, end that as COtLie help, or thaws outlying pm-
imioner. would be entirely left, they would not use.
person to baptise their childien or bury their deed.
Sp-aning of the three teens, Plymouth, B.orishome, and
Devooport, be remarked that Eldystone lighthouse,
which had to be rebuilt, they proposed to remove to the

Hoe at Plymouth, to tait up the lieht turning it inwards,
m that it may iliunainate the town. Here sae • beauti-
ful illustration of the C.P.A.; the lighthouse hal thrown
its light over fOraigti •InaLioos; now it was a very good
thing tor tho iightmuse to shine tereards home. Where
are won, heathens than ours. " The heathen in his
blindoess, bows down to wood and stoner but he seta
an exempt, to the heathen at home who denies the
existence of Gad. He then spoke touchingly of the
ragged children or Liverpool, for whom they borrowed •
w 0.41 yard of • matter carpenter, and had • service
there; yet, being thoroughly loyal to the chunk
they tried to lead them on to the decent form of
service p ovided, I.r they wodld be sorry to net up more
dtmenting chapels. They hoped to induce the people to
attend the church, otherwise they would be only multiply•
in he number of mete already too large; they did not
wish the caurch hi dtop away, forming herself into
Manion Rooms, but that the spire of the parish church
should continue to point its an angels Sager to heaven
and God. As to funds, he esid that in Soinersetehire they
had worked very bud, and raised ClBO more than in the
previous year, bat they had to make up • deficiency of
.CBsin Dorsetahlre. He advised them to take • lesson
from the Salvation Army. la Cornwall he was awakened
by very discordant sounds and heard them singing
" We'll roll toe old chariot on, and won't drag on behind,
and that was what they wanted to do with the church
societies—alt to be pushing and punts' in some way, and
no dragging oft behind. £l2 collected yeetewday wee •
handsome contribution. and he hoped it would he the
beginning of better things.
The RaCTUR hoped they might get • Gospel Tent here,
that shalt be *nicely worn out in premotthic the Gospel.
The meeting dined in the usual v r.y.