arrow Carlisle Patriot arrow 18 May 1844 arrow Propagation of the Gospel (2)
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Carlisle Patriot - 18 May 1844
..... continued ....

The Rev. Dr. JACKSON said, that although from private circumstances he was
unable to do justice to the important object they were met to promote - an
object than which it was not possible to find any higher and holier - yet,
as secretary and treasurer of the Carlisle Diocesan Branch of the Society
for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts, he was most anxious to
attend, and indeed it was his duty to narrate what had been done here, and
to introduce the Rev. E. TUFNELL, who, at considerable trouble and
inconvenience, had undertaken a long journey to be present. To some it might
be a matter of surprise that the meeting was so small, but it was not so to
him, for he knew that ten years ago the branch society for this district
could hardly number half-a-dozen subscribers amongst its supporters. About
eight years ago an effort was made by the Right Reverend Diocesan, a
committee was formed, and the subscriptions were increased to £50 and £55,
but the society again languished, and in 1840 the amount fell to £47. He was
happy to say, however, that in 1841 a new impulse was given, and the
subscriptions rose to £78 10s in 1842, and in 1843 they amounted to £86 17s
10d. This showed a decided increase; but however gratifying that might be,
it was not satisfactory when the extent of the diocese was considered, and
it proved that they were not doing all, or nearly all, that was in their
power. (Hear, hear.) It was not necessary that he should enlarge upon the
value and great importance of the society itself. It had taken a deep root
in the country, and as the oldest missionary establishment - as the
authorized organ and agent of the Church in missionary labours, it might
well be expected that it would receive a much greater support than it had
done hitherto. It sought to dispense the blessings of the doctrine and
discipline of the established and recognized Church of this country all over
the world. England was the most powerful and influential of all nations, and
when they reflected on its power and its influence, they could not but feel
it their duty to diffuse the light of true religion in the east and the west
in the north and the south. If they looked at India, China, or the West
Indies, or at North and South America, they saw millions owning the same
temporal sway, but not the same heavenly Lord. (Hear, hear.) But yet the
Church, by the aid of the society they were met to assist - was raising its
head in all those places - and it only wanted efficient aid to enable it to
spread abroad the pure light of Christian knowledge. It was said that the
sun never sets on the broad empire of Great Britain - a prouder boast than
even imperial Rome could reach with all its power; but, while they might be
proud of the fact, it was their duty to take care that the sun of
righteousness should shine throughout all our possessions - (hear, hear.) -
and they ought by prayer and earnest endeavours to cause it so to shine, and
make the kingdom of Christ at least co-extensive with our dominions. The
best mode in which he could bring under their notice the circumstances of
the Society would be by reading the appeal which it had published. It was as
follows: -

"The Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts most
earnestly desires to call public attention to the duty of making increased
provision for the supply of the spiritual wants that exist in the colonies
and foreign dependencies of the British empire. That empire extends to every
quarter of the globe. The tide of emigration continues to flow to British
America and Australia; tens of thousands of poor labourers are to be found
in the forests of Canada, without churches, or clergymen, or schools; while
the Australian settlements, originally designed for a small number of
convicts, have grown up rapidly into populous colonies, nearly destitute of
the means of religious and moral improvement. In the East Indies, Great
Britain has established her dominion over a hundred millions of Hindoos or
Mahometans. The West Indian colonies are making great efforts for the
education of their coloured population; while on the western coast of
Africa, and at the Cape of Good Hope, are settlements which promise to open
a way into the immense region inhabited by the Negro and the Caffre. At the
present time, moreover, the peace recently concluded with China affords the
opportunity of not merely extending the commercial intercourse of the
English nation, but also of planting a branch of Christ's Church in that
large and densely peopled empire. The society has, for many years, made the
greatest exertion to carry on the work committed to its charge; and it has
from time to time been induced, by urgent demands from every quarter, to
make large additions to its establishment and expenditure, until its outlay,
in the year 1842, has amounted to more than £80,000, while the number of
clergymen in connexion with it, has been increased to upwards of three
hundred. The faith of the society is pledged to these missionaries, who,
with their wives and children, are mainly dependent upon it for their means
of subsistence in the distant lands to which they have gone forth, in
obedience to their Master's call. But it will not be possible for the
society to fulfil its obligations, much less to take advantage of the
opening which presents itself in China, without a very large and permanent
increase of its funds."

He might add that the best and most efficient means they could adopt, to
carry out the appeal and aid the parent society in its great work, was by
diocesan and district societies, and these would be rendered more useful and
complete in their operations if parochial societies were formed where the
clergymen would have the assistance of a committee of his own parishioners
to assist him in the work. (Hear, hear.) And he wished to caution them
against an error that was not uncommon, that of objecting to a committee
where the subscriptions from the parish were small. In some places they
might not amount to 5s., there might be no more subscribers than the
secretary and the clergyman, but still they would have a receptacle for the
donations of all who were disposed to give and he believed it would not be
in vain. For himself, he would be happy to do everything in his power to aid
the society. (Applause.)

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..... The first resolution to follow .....
 
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