The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-10-17 00:00:00

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ADDRESS BY TH6 Rev, ALFRED CODD ON THE
CURATES' AID SoCIETY.—Two sermon. in aid of this
society were preached at St. Edmund's church, Salis-
bury, on Sundey. The c3llections amounted to
£l5 14s. On Monday evening a parochial meeting Was
held in the Boy's School-room, in furtherance of the
same object. The rector, the Rev. R. G. Swayne.
prexided, and a hymn having been sung, and prayer
offered, the Rev. Alfred Codd, Diocesan Secretary, was
introduced to the meeting. ,The Rev. A. Codd, vicar
of Beaminster, said he felt deeply impressed with the
vast importance of the cause which they were net to
promote. As they knew, vast populations were con-
centrated around the great hive of industry, and they
also knew how, in former years, those populations were
suffered to grow up without a a.rrespooding provision
of the means of grace being made for them. It was to
assist in remedying this evil that the Curates' All So-
ciety had been established, and it was cheering to know
that its income, this year, wag larger than it had ever
been before. It now amounted in £31,000, showing an I
Mcrearie of £B,OOO, as compared with the preceding year.
, That Mamas° Was made up to a great extent of new
annual suhsoriptions, thus affording a proof that the
society was making way, and that a better parochial
organisation was springing op throughout the land.
Last year the society was enabled to make 480 grants, as
compared with 300 six years ago, and it was highly ,
gratifying to know that local efforts were also being
mad. to meet the spiritual necessities of our large
towns. As much as £50,000 had been raised in Leeds,
, and a special fund had likewise been provided to
meet the pressing wants of the city of Leicester.
I About 60 years ago, Leicester contained a population
'of only 8,000, and there were then five churches. Now
the populatitin was 80,000, and yet there were only ten
churches, and it was believed that as many as 50,000
persons in that plaoe attended no place of worship at all.
' An incregge of wealth brought with it an increase of
reaponsihility and ft was encouraging to find that after
the lapse of so many yeate, the well-to-do classes of
Leicester were beginning to awake to the importance of
the work. He he'ieved, however, that if It had not
been for the existence of this society, such a resole
would not have been attained. As regarded the
aesistance which the society received from the diocese
of Salisbury, there was a little, but only a little, room
for congratulation and encouragement. The total re-
turns, this year, were about £4O moss than they were
last 'ear. The grants made to the diocese were
drawing away £265 of the £615 which it contributed,
and probably next Easter. the parish of Bridport would
take £5O or £6O more. To the parish in which they
were assembled, an annual grant of £75 was made 25
years ago, and it would be seen that us to the pres nt
time, those grants had amounted to ne,...r.y £2OOO, while
the returns from the city at large had ...rit,-..unted only
to 2,1500, or about £2O • year. The scrrrety, it would
be observed, was essentiall; a home sCMCr and i's work
was being yarned on in reins of the poorest parishes of
the kingdom, with which, supported as rhey were by a
vo'untary system, the dissenters were tint.bi.: to deaL It
was repeatedly found that when a °cabby was deserted
by its richer inhabitants, the Dissenting minister could
no longer be supported, and as a consequence tha meetings
house waselosed. The minister was compelled, in fact, to
go where he could obtain support. The Church, it wastrue,
had neglected many of these poor and populous part-ben
in years gose by, but it was encouraging to feel that ehe
was at length awaking to the importance and necessity of
the work, Having pointed out how utterly impossible
it is for unaided clergymen properly to watch over the
large parishes existing in some of the chief cities and
towns, the rev, gentleman concluded by expressing his
I belief that the stirring events of the present time were
intended as a special call to the whole church to do
Goi's work better than it had ever been done before.
(Applausa.)—The Rev. It. Gregory, of Lambeth, then
addressed the meeting, and bore his own personal testi-
mony to the good which the society had effected in
4013113 of the large parishes of the metropolis. Another
hymn having been sang, the proceedings terminated.
A. collection was Wade at the doors.