The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-02-12 00:00:00

RELIOIOUs TRACT SOCIETY.

--
On Wednesday evening. the annual [netting of the
Doreheater twain+ of Ow excellent society was hell at
the Towithall. The attend mee tves tolerahly nuoierons.
The chair we, occupied by Ike Rec. Mr. Ludlow. The
meeting having be..o iniened kith player. the chairman
rolled upon the aeeretkry, the Rae. H. Mottle, to read
the report.
The Rev. H. hlioutit said le fait deeply the wane of
such a asteiety as the one wits.. dellell they ha I met to
advocate ; and thou who watched the revival
movement an lie had, mut see the beneficial Mew
el"which this sncicet* “erbri upon that inoastoent.
The report state" that the tisanes. In hand last veer was
1:27 14, 9 . ; auhkeriptiona .11 I donations. E-20. 61.. (a
verk ctiall SUM, he it Or,. fore population of upwards
of 7.0001; received at tract kireting st Dorchester last
year, 1:4 13a. 9.1.; sales at ti.. depoaitory, 183; making
a tot .1 cl3B 9.. 91. They hail aent during the 'Nast
yesr taperer 14 f L'63 to the pseelit society. soil they hail
at present a bilance in hand ot upwartla of [Wt.
The lice. J. P. Saernr.t. the .'elotation, then •1.
cheaaed the meeting at mat length, giving interecting
p.,rtlcelhrs of the t ru.irt as of the eu eti doting the past
Jeer. He amid his friend, kr iloole, luo,t referred to
ale or two of the society's *sou, " Grasping the Pio-

iniaric," sea i 'True Story of Lucknow." During the
whole period of the aotloly's of tit
yams, they hail never 1011,1i,lied any tiaets which had
1•0011 Ott eageilv rend by I he piddle as two 1111.;1C,
61014. Tile 11C11011111 for them Lail Lecome so great tnat
it had been rimed impiesilde to supply it. Providenee
had remarkably Wessel some of the soseety'a tracts in
die conversion of mutters. Ile would refer to one ealleil
" The I)ariyman's Imu.litrr. The • iviety hail printed
several itillans of that tract in upwards of 3111 different
'angli gin, awl they 1.1 upon the reel., of the iodetv
1,5u0 k....n 04ft, of conver•ion through the reeding of
.at tract. Miss Tooker's tra,t, "
Promisis," had alto been largely accompanied with the
Divhie Vilesaine, and he might ineotion th .t in one
Part miler district in the heighlioerhood of lent tin
WWI permeally actuainted wilt upwards of rAh known
VOW- of conversam, through the reading of that tract
alone. During the past year the society hail
46 of paldications, and sit, an average upw•rds
of SO,OOO pulilications were oboe,' from their depository
jut Paterimsier.row every hour, iii 114 linguages aid
naleata. Front all parts id the world they were con•
thotaily receiving urgent them outs for supplies of tract*,
dul application* hail been received with I articular
ur,ency froui the London Missiousry and f the
Ciiiirell Missionary Siielet nt. The, society, therefore,
felt hound to doulle the giant of tracts to those too
ti a over any former ye ,r. He than pulsed on to
notice the state of the continent of Eurepe, and lire..
On. attention of lii• 'inane% to the remarkable awaken.
mgit Sweden. Thia wakeideg was to he traced to the
irtits eingle let liv it nil. er in her y.uj rh's tlret
it a keep., of a lighthouse 011 is madam reek on the
coed I Sn -40%. r rev.en 1).11..I.
:44,114.11.0p lii Lialein, France, tied other 'arts of the
foal:lent, Mr. alitirey eniosi 1,11 to iodise the present
state of Italy. Our tamed think if Italy teak the
speaker' without deep lei:ling. Oar heart,, ttiroh unit
Tut:keit wide we o eak of It thy, that lougdanightml,
long'ensleveil country. They, as Christiela, reji, ecal it
the political ets that wore ticking 'lace there,
him MA' they doubted not hut that them political
uoviellents wise but the commencement of the reign of
a King, in 'toy ••a hose kintiote is rig,liteliostiess, peace,
awl joy in the Holy Ghost." Who could have pre-
dicted 12 months ago, without incerring the charge of
heing insane, that within a year Bibles should be
openly soil in the streeta and market id oes of Naples.
1 Such, liessever, was the case ; and lie Its I lately spoken
to • clergyman who hail received a letter from a naval
orth Cr who hail lately viaiteul Naples, in which it,
that he had wen }holes anddestaments sold in
toe most pudic 'lams in Naplan, sod what was moro
astonhiltiog wa, that the most tionierous purchasers
wore Catholic priest.. Although pm wins of every .d.as
ankle to puraiiime Bibles, no class came more frequently
than the Ustholic priests. The writer of the letter nlllO
atated that he believed before ton.; they should find
him tim tlatliolia prieots prod dining salvation ti.roucli
the Idoial if Jews Christ ; for it Will an utpleniable
fact that many a them wore passing under a great
spiratial chatige, surf hel been led to dee the errors oh
tee church in which they had been brought up. Who
would have ',relit:tea 12 sssss tithe ago that in the street
of Naples, Florence, and Turin, men 'Mould stand up in
the eitilst of rant miiultiu ides proclaiming " the peace an
it es ill dolma," mei denouncing Pepery as adverse not
only to the spiritual, but alio to tee civil interests of
man. The Tract &misty hail teen frequently called
uoon to aid the Christian timovriflcttt in Italy hy grants of
tructosed books. TuTuriti,F ormicemnil Naidesthey had
%tilt 011 t during I'm past few mouths very large
supplies of various tracts. They now intertled to start
• mag.zoie itt Italy, ti be calls the Ito/inc Erougefist
Mayo.:ice, which would he published forthwith. •• If
they lolly del their duty," • geetleinan 'aid lately to
lion 'Mr. Saffrevh " they would soon see Bibles sold lit
Hanno." At all event, they shin-ill sew Italy rising from
the dust a which she hal ti.id inanscled for ages, tier
morals purified, her arts refine I, tier muoic sacred to
milder worship and holier services. and her spleedid
scenery iniested with new fascinations and new theme.
The rev. gentleman then pee soon other intereititig
detail, and concluded by an earnest appeal for reneoed
su;liort. • The doxology having been sung, the meeting then
separated. A eille.tion was made in aid of the funds
I of the society, which ateouliteil to £6 12s. 10ji1.