Massachusetts Spy And Worcester Advertiser

Moral and Religious.
Religious Charitable Society in the
COUNTY OF WORCESTER.
This Society held its 12th anniversary
at Millbury, on the 17th inst. The
branches composing it were in general
represented, and a large number of Delegates
from various parts of the County
were present. The Meeting was opened,
as usual, with a song of praise, and
with prayer by the President.
The
Directors for the last year presented a
report of their proceedings, as also the Auditor
read his report of the state of the
Treasury; both of which were considered
and accepted. We were sorry to be
informed from the last of these reports,
that while the state of the Church is becoming
from year to year more interesting,
and the charities of Christians are
flowing forth in new channels and richer
streams, the receipts of this Society
have been gradually diminishing. Its
average annual receipt, during the 11
years of its existence, has been $933 30;
while for the three last years, it has received
considerably less than this, and
in the last, only, $694 97 cents. We
hope we are not to attribute this decrease
of its funds to a diminution of interest,
or any relaxation of effort, on
the part of our friends in this region,
in respect to those great objects which
Christians at the present day are associating
to accomplish. We know that
much has been contributed, in many Parishes
within the limits of this Society,
which has not passed into its Treasury;
and the most charitable conclusion
is, that in the multitude of claims
which have been urged before the public,
those of the Society now in question
have been comparatively forgotten.
We hope however this may be less the
case in future years. The objects of
this Society, it appears, are extensive;
more so perhaps, than those of any
other charitable association in the region.
It was designed, by its original
constitution, to embrace the three great
objects of Foreign and Domestic Missions,
and Charitable Education; and by a recent
enlargement of its powers, it is at
present authorized to receive and appropriate
monies, for any charitable object
whatever. As there is no object,
therefore, to which the mind of a Christian
can be directed, which may not be
aided through the medium of this Society,
why should it not, to a considerable
extent at least, concentrate the religious
charities of its friends, and be honoured
as the future almoner of their
bounties?
It appeared from the report of the
Directors, that they have been pursuing
with their accustomed zeal, and to
the full extent of the means entrusted
to them, the various objects for which
the Society was instituted. Besides affording
assistance to the American Board
of Commissioners for Foreign Missions,
and aiding in furnishing to some in our
immediate vicinity, who must otherwise
have been destitute of religious means,
the stated ministration and ordinances
of the gospel, they have continued to a
considerable extent the business of charitable
education, and contributed to
several other important religious objects.
The whole business of the meeting
was conducted with uninterrupted harmony
and order. In the progress of it,
an appropriate and interesting discourse
was delivered by Rev. Gaius Conant, of
Paxton, from Mark xi. 3. "The Lord
hath need of him." Conformable to
the Constitution, the following officers
were appointed for the ensuing year.
Rev. John Crane, D. D. President.
Nahum Fay Esq. V. President.
Rev. Benj. Wood, Secretary.
Rev. Joseph Goffe, Treasurer.
Rob. B. Thomas Esq. Auditor.
Rev. Elisha Rockwood,
Rev. Enoch Pond,
Directors.
Jonas Brooks Esq.
Daniel Henshaw Esq.
An arrangement was entered into at
this meeting, which will in future be continued,
that the Auditor shall be, ex-officio,
a Director.
The whole sum received by the Society
during the last year has been given
above. The amount of expenditures
for the year, is $468 34.
There were received the last year,
and after the annual publication, the following
sums, viz.
Of the Princeton Branch, residue, $5 00
Fem. Char. Soc. in Brookfield, $18 32
Fem. Char. Soc. in Hubbardston, $13 00
Uxbridge Branch, $22 12
Millbury Branch, residue, $9 00.
A Friend in Sutton, $1 00
Winchendon Branch, residue, $1 00
Fitchburg Fem. Aux. Char. Soc. $21 00
Princeton Fem. Char. Soc. $7 00
Northbridge Fem. Reading Society
(for Jews.)
$12 00
Douglas Branch,
$10 00
Dea. J. Thayer, (Dom. Miss.) $1 00
H. Holmes Esq. Boston, $10 00
Sutton Branch, residue, $1 00
Athol Branch, $17 00
Ladies in Royalston, 17 yds. of
fulled Cloth.
Ladies in Uxbridge, 10 yds. of
Shirting. $1 50
At the annual Meeting, and since
the following sums have been received,
viz.
Of Rev. Enoch Pond, (avails of a
charity Box at the Monthly
Concert) to constitute him a
life member of the Society, $15 00
Rev. John Boardman, given at the
Monthly Concert, to constitute
him a life member of
the Society,
$15 00
Millbury branch,
$39 00
Sutton
do.
$13 00
Uxbridge: do.
$15 00
Uxbridge Contribution,
$8 74
Northbridge Branch,
$15 19
do. Cent Soc.
$13 22
do. Fem. Reading Soc. $5 50
Upton Branch,
$10 00
Westborough Branch,
$35 79
Southborough do.
$16 00
Northborough and Berlin do. $53 25
do. Fem. Cent Soc. $7 80
West Boylston Branch, $16 00
do. Fem. Aux. Soc. $17 89
do, Monthly Concert,
$1 52
Princeton Branch,
$18 00
do. Fem. Char. Soc.
$20 71
Westminster Branch, $41 00
Winchendon do.
$15 00
Hubbardston do.
$17 00
Dea. O. Parker, (avails of a Miss.
Flock.)
$4 00
Hubbardston Young Ladies Read.
Char. Soc, $1 71
Holden Branch,
$60 00
Paxton Branch,
$15 00
do. Fem. Char. Soc. $15 97
do. Subscription for a beath-
en child,
$18 75
Leicester Branch, $11 00
Leicester Fem. Char. Soc.
$10 36
Southbridge Branch,
$18 00
Oxford
do.
$34 00
Dea. A. Stone
Joseph Goddard
Grafton, $2
6.00
Stephen Holbrook
each,
Friend in Boylston,
$5,
$1 00
Contribution at the Annu. Meet. $32 96
Wm. Moore & wife, Worcester, $2 00
- Attest,
JOSEPH GOFFE, Treasu'r
The members of this Society have,
we think, the strongest reasons for continued
and vigorous exertions. When
they look back upon the transactions of
other years, and enjoy the satisfaction of
reflecting that they have not been left
to labor in vain; all the success with
which they have been favoured should
be improved as a stimulus, urging them
forward to still greater efforts. And
when they look forward and around, upon
the great work which remains to be
accomplished, & which must be accomplished,
before the hearts of Christians
will allow their hands to rest, it should
be impressed upon them, that this is no
time to be idle. Indeed every consideration,
which can have led to the formation
of this Society, is impelling its
present members to a continuance of it,
and to a zealous prosecution of its noble
objects. The hands of no one, therefore,
should be feeble. The hearts of
none should faint. Those that are for
us are more and stronger than those
that are against us; and we are engaged
in a cause which, if the promise of
God may be trusted can never fail