The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-02-19 00:00:00

CHURCH PASTORAL AID SOCIETY.

The annual sermons in behalf of this society were
preached in St. Mary's Church on Sunday last, morn.
lag and evening, by the Rev. R. G. Powell, 51. A.
(association secretary.)
The annual meetiog wee bold on Monday evening in
St. Mary's National Echo .li, but the atteedoescs was
somewhat stoat The Rev. J. H. Scott, rector of Si.
Mary's, occupied the chair, and w,. supported on the
p4aUorm by the Rev. R. G. Powell (deputation),
Rev. Churchill. and the Rev. J Kennedy.
Tbe muting having been opened la the usual way,
the OILAIIILMAX 0/aW upon tu Rev. J. Kennedy to
read his report
The Rev. J. Keintspy then read tits statement of
accounts for the Weymouth Branch, which showed
that the oollections amounted to Ea 104. 81.; Sowers
sold, ka. El 5..; collected by cards, a 154. 2d.;
collected,fil3; collected at touting, a 44. 6d.; per
Rev. C. Donning', El 16 31.; collected at Radipole
Church, El ; total, £56 6.. 101. After paying& small
sum for:expenses, the balance had been paid over to
the society. The Rev. J. Kennedy also expiated that
£4 18..51. had been °oilseed at Christ Charchaebr:.!
too late to be put into last year's account, that
fore would cense into the statement for the present
year. (Applause.)
The Camas/Le, Winning the meeting, sad the
collections on the previous day came to pretty much
about the game as in the previous year; though they
didn't advance, still they didn't rllOlOll. Be need
hardly to-night advocate the claims which the Church
Pastoral Aid Society had upon that meeting or upon
members of the Church of England. Ho could safely
say that night he believed from the very depths of his
heart that the claims of this society were greater than
ever they were. Whether they looked at the large
Isamu of population in their towns, or at the increase
In the number of societies formed in recent years for
the porpoise of undermining the Christian faith, it
showed the necessity of rendering all the aid they
could to such societies as the Church Past oral kid
Society. With regard Is the increase of populatiee,
London incensed at the raw of 1,000 a week,
and taking for example the case of the parish
In which he had laboured for six yearly the
population increased a thousand every year; therefore
each aocieUes as this one were necessary to meet the
spiritual warts of the people. As regards the infidel
societies, he I,lieved there was one which not their
agents abroad, who had delivered 1.000 lectures to
undermine the Christian religion. The one object of
the Church Pastoral Aid Society was to extend
Christian teaching. (Applause.) It planted the first
agent& to meet the spiritual neonsities of the large
parishes and winning souls to Christ. That was the
ono object of this society, and it advocated the
support of every member of the Church of England.
Ho wished they coal I do more in Weymouth for this
society. He knew how many claims there were for
their sympathy and support, and how many local
claims there were, but sUll he hoped the claims of this
eociety would not be loot sight of. (Applause.)
The Rev. R. G. Yowux, the deputation, then
addressed the meeting at length, and pointed out the
work the Church Pastoral Aid S ociety were doing.
Tney owed a great deal to other societies; they owed
a groat deal to the temperance movement. (Applause.)
They saw a great m ,vement in these times to improve
the dwellings of the poor, and then again they wished
them "Gad speed." They saw a great power for their
agents when the poor had better dwellings. They were
personally interested in this reform, and all these
dwellings being raised for the poor in London, Man-
°benne, and Liverpool were great things, for they were
Ike means of their getting at the poor. Their object
was to implant better prineiplee in the minds of the
people as well as improve their dwellings. The rev.
gentleman than related • number of anecdotes
, relative to the work the society was doing. Speaking
, of the way in which the poor eapported this society,
' he said to show how much the poor appreciated the
146 ministers and scripture readers of the society which
were labouring amongst them, they subscribed last
year £15,000. Provincial towns, such as Weymouth,
subscribed £30,000. He then related an instance
which bad been toll him by their clergyman. At the
last meeting held here a working man came, and at
the close asked for a card, which was given him. This
man's luxury wu a twopenny cigar every Satorday
but he gave that up, and placed the money on the
card for If weeks. Work then failed him, and he bad
to leave the town, but Wore he left he bronght the
rector the card and the half-crown. (Applause.) He
thought that was an example, and thought it said to
those who had more luxuries than a twopenny cigar
"Go and do thou likewise." Is conclusion be read a
verse from one of Frances Ridley Haverga's poems,
and mentioned that when that lady died she left her
piano to the society. It was sold, and the £2O handed
over 10th. society. (Applause.)
The Rev. CHURCHILL proposed a vote of thanks
to their kind friend who had come and given them so
much information. From his own exposition he
could testify that he had not exaggerated, but rather
underestimated the good done by this society. In
conclusion he related his own experience of the work
done by this society in one part of London.
The meeting then terminated