The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-09-19 00:00:00

LiY REPRESENTATIVES FOR ST. JOHN'S.

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& meeting was held at Bk. John's School on Tuesday
night, for the purpose of electing lay repntsentatives
far the seri-does:id meetings, which will elect synods.
men for thu DiQCO,O of Sali.bury. according to the
Bishop's scheme. Tho meeting was very influential,
including taLarly all the principal inhabitants of St.
John's district.
The CHAIRMAN (the Rev. J. Stephenson) explained
the Bishop's scheme, and sail the Synod would
consider the subject of 'location, the supply of
churches, charch tnisdons, sal sill be a crooned
' for conference with the Bishop in regard to
1.
ecclesiastical affairs of importance in the diem.,
Ile b.lievul the Bishop anxious that the working of
miasion ~ of church education, and the supply of
I church. a, k, . ,houhli be taken ' cliar::a of by • .me ,
1 :muerte d body in this dioeese, meeting at Seisbory.
' of course tie Bishop takes care not to give up say of
tic posers which praperly be'ong to him as bishop,
and if be did give up those rowers, the speaker for outs
would certainly not have had anything to do with the
scheme ; but the Bishop wished to have the synod co.
oper.te wit., him, he of room holding bin position as
hut pastor of Christ's church within tau diocese.
Dr. DANBIT proposed a gentleman who was a very
good staunch churchman every way—Mr. George Eliot
—(appl.use.)
Dr. SMITH seconded.

Carried unanimously.
Mr. YEARMLLY proposed • gentleman who was of
staunch Protestant principles, and above all, • n.an
whose heart's desire Is mit on doing good. The gentleman
li', was about to mention had had more opportunity of
doiog good than moat of them, and he had always
heard his name mentioned in oonaection with doing
good to his fellow-crestures. He proposed Dr. Smith—
(applau,e).
Rev. V. BOTHAMLIT seconded.
Cartied unanimously.
Mr. G. ELIOT said be should have great pleasure
In accepting the honour, and it the ruri-deanal
meeting should put upon him the further honour
of sending him to the Synod, he should endeavour to
prove him,elf worthy of their confidence. As regards
the Bishop's salmine,his opinion was that it will require
very great modifications before it will succeed, for he
saw great dangers in the present scheme, that It would
not prove e perfect success. But thus far be felt that,
it having been iltcel before them by the Bishop in
the way it had, and with his authority, it was their
duty to help him. The only way in which they could
make it a useful scheme would be by all doing their
best to make it such. If they threw cold water on it,
no work could prosper. and if anything a:laid endanger
a synod of this kind. It would be to allow it to drift too
much into the hands of the clergy. This is • thing
set in motion on purpose to enlist the sympathy of the
laity, and if the laity will only take up the duty thrust
upon them, he believed it woull prosper—(applause.)
Ile returned thanks for the honour of election.
Dr. SMITH also returned thanks. He thought the
proposition most important, for the purpose of bring-
ing the laity together to Lutist the clergy. He believed
they would go on and prosper in their endeavours,
while they had tho assistance of Ur. Eliot and such
gentlemen ao he saw around him—(applause).
The °MAILMAN Inuit say he felt thankful for this
meeting. not only for the Synod's sake, but
especially ter the sake of St. John's parish. He could
not hells feeling that it might stir up their lay brethren,
and he wished with all his heart they could have more
of lay counsel and co.operation. How often the clergy
felt &little bit sick at heart because they thought the
laity were not at their backs ; but if they had, &blear-
ing might always be looked for and if they could
unite together the church has nothing to fear. God
will give his blessing when all his servants join to.
gather in his work. The meeting seemed to augur
well for the Synod, and for St. John's parish, leading
the clergy to expect what they so much desired, the
co-operation of layinen—(applause).
Mr. YLARALLT had many times heard the necessity
of lay help pointed out, he was very glad to
see so many brother parishioners at the meeting, and
hoped it mlght be productive of great good. He pro.
posed • vets of thanks to their worthy chairman.
The Rev. F. FISHIER Peoouded. He did not think
the Bishop's idea had grown very much in our rural
di,tricts, because the other day he was going through
Broadwey and had • eonversation with • nice respeot-
able 01l woman about it, and she thought they were
going to blow up the Church altogether, take the
managern.Lt away from the clergy, the laity were to
be everything, and in fact the Chuich of England was
to be done away with, as they have done in Ireland.
The generality, oi pollee, do not understand it, and
the idea amongst the ignorant is that the church Is
going to be nowhere, like the Irish Church. But
tiny would not do without the clergy ; without them
and pari.h machir.my they would be lost, for if either
clergy or laity worked single-handed they would
never succeed. They were all redeemed Christiana,
and had the same means of salvation and man
is responsible to his God. God speed the laity in
helping the clergy in the work of the Church of
Chnst—(a.oplause).
The CHAIRMAN returned thanks, remarking that
his meting was anothLr of the happy ones they had
hid in this parish, and he hoped it would be an earnest
of more good to come.
The meeting then closed.