SOCIETY. 



furers, a fecretary, an afliftant, a clerk and coUeftor, with 

 two afliltants. 



SociETV, New England, was firft incorporated by an 

 ordinance of parliament in 1649, by the name of the " Prc- 

 fident and Society for the Propagation of the Gofpel in 

 New England ;" and empowered to receive and difpofe of 

 monies in fuch manner as fhould bed conduce to the preach- 

 ing and propagation of the gofpel among the natives, and 

 for the maintenance of fchools for the education of their 

 children ; for which purpofe a general coUeiftion was to be 

 made in all the counties, cities, towns, and pariflies of 

 England and Wales. With the fum of money thus col- 

 lc<Sed, the fociety was enabled to purchafe an eltate in land 

 of between 500/. and 600/. a year. But upon the relloration 

 of kmg Charles II. the charter became void, and colonel 

 Bedingfield, a papill, wlio had fold an ellate of ^22/. per 

 annum, which had been fettled for the ufes of this fociety, 

 repolieffed himfelf of it, and refufed to pay back tiie money 

 which he had received for it. However, the corporation 

 being revived, in 1661, by an exprefs charter, which or- 

 dained, that there be for ever within the kingdom of Eng- 

 land, a " Society or Company for the Propagation of the 

 Gofpel in New England and the Parts adjacent in America," 

 the eftate which had been detained by Bedingfield was 

 reilored by the chancellor's decree. The members of this 

 fociety are not to exceed forty-five ; thefe and their fuccef- 

 fors, to be chofen by the fociety, are conftituted one body 

 corporate, with the powers and privileges ufual in fuch cafes : 

 and a power is likewife given them to appoint commiflioners 

 refiding in New England to tranfaft their bufinefs in thofe 

 parts. The honourable Mr. Boyle was appointed by char- 

 ter the firft governor of this company. See a copy of the 

 charter in the Appendix to Dr. Birch's Life of Mr. 

 Boyle. 



Society 0/ the Sons of the Clergy, was incorporated by 

 king Charles II. in 1678, by the name of " The Governors 

 of the Charity for Relief of the poor Widows and Children 

 of Clergymen." This fociety is under tlie direftion and 

 management of a prefident and vice-prefident, three trea- 

 fvirers, and a court of afliltants compolcd of forty members. 

 Several hundreds of widows and cliildren of the clergy have 

 annually received confiderable relief from this ufeful charity. 

 See Corporation of the Sons of the Clergy. 



SociEl'Y of Stewards and Suhfcribers for maintaining and 

 educating poor Orphans of Clergymen till of Age to be put 

 Apprentice, an eilablifhment formed in the year 1749, which 

 has attained a confiderable degree of profperity, and which 

 has received into its fchool more than 700 children of both 

 fexes, moft of whom have been apprenticed or otherwife 

 provided for. This fociety was incorporated by an adt of 

 parliament in the 48th year of Geo. III., and it is under 

 the management of a prefident, vice-prefident, treafurcr, 

 fecretary, and committee, elected annually, at a general 

 meeting in February. The committee confills of the prin- 

 cipal officer!, a fecretary, and of 20 other members, any 

 eight of whom (hall be deemed a board, who meet every 

 month. See Clergy. 



SociETVyb;- the Sons of the Clergy of the ejlabli/hed Church 

 of Scotland, was inftituted at Edinburgh in February 1790, 

 and was conftituted a body corporate by his majefty's royal 

 charter in 1792. The views of this fociety have been li- 

 mited only to the fons of clergymen, conceiving that its 

 funds will be thus moft advantagcoufly employed, and pro- 

 pofing other plans of beneficence which fhall alfo compre- 

 hend the daughters of the clergy, as its funds increafe. 



Society for promoting religious Knoiuledge among the Poor 

 commenced in the year I750, for the purpofe of giving 



Vol. XXXIII. 



bibles, teftaments, and other good books, to thofe who 

 moft needed them, and who were moft likely to improve 

 them. This fociety is fupported by an annual fubfcrip- 

 tion of the members, together with the donatioas and le- 

 gacies of other contributors ; and each fubfcriber is in- 

 titled to a nomination of books in turn, correfponding to 

 the amount of his fubfeiiption. The iociety meets every 

 month. 



Society for promoting Chriflinn Knowledge in the High- 

 lands and Jflands \of Scotland, was firft begun by the aUb- 

 ciation of private contributors at Edinburgh, about the 

 year 1701 ; their defign was approved and encouraged by 

 q,ueen Anne, who, in 1708, iffued her royal proclamation 

 for this purpofe : and, in 1709, fhe granted a patent, con- 

 ftituting a certain number of the fubfcribers a fociety, or 

 body politic, with full powers to receive donations and pur- 

 chafe lands, &c. not exceeding 3000/. a year, and with the 

 profits of the fame to ereft and maintain fchools, &c. Ac- 

 cordingly the lords of leflion, under lier majefty's commif- 

 fion, nominated eighty-two fubfcribers to be tlie firft mem- 

 bers of this fociety, who chofe a prefident, treafurer, fecre- 

 tary, and other officers. They alfo chofe a committee of 

 fifteen, who were to meet every month, or oftener, as oc- 

 cafion required. There is a general meeting of the whole 

 fociety every three months, when they admit members, make 

 general regulations, give orders to the committee, and fettle 

 their accounts. In 17 10 the fociety began to fettle fchools. 

 In 1738 the king granted a new patent, to caufe fuch children 

 as were found proper to be inftrufted in hufbandry, houfe- 

 wifery, and manufaftures ; in purfuance of which the iociety 

 erefted feveral working fchools. The fociety's firft charter 

 extends to popifli and infidel countries beyond the fcas, and 

 four miftionaries have been maintained for converting the 

 native Indians in America to the Chriftian faith. The fo- 

 ciety has feveral correfponding members in London, who 

 meet every quarter, to receive fubfcriptions, donations, 

 &c. Thefe form the Correfponding Board, which was 

 eftablifhed in the year 1729; and which, after remaining 

 long inaflive, began, in 1773, to co-operate more cordially 

 with their brethren in Scotland. Since that period an an- 

 nual fermon has been preached in commendation of the cha- 

 rity ; and the preachers have been felefted from various reli- 

 gious denominations with advantage to the charity. 



There is alfo a charitable fociety in London, corre- 

 fponding with the incorporated fociety in Dublin, for pro- 

 moting the Engliih Proteftant charterlchools in Ireland; 

 under the management of a treafurer, a ftanding committee 

 of fifteen, and fecretary, who meet once a month. 



Sociv.T\ for promoting Chrijtianity among the Jews, Lon- 

 don, was inftituted in Auguft 1808, and it has been con- 

 dufted under the management of a committee, confifting of 

 eighteen members, befides the treafurcr and fecretary, five 

 of whom are a quorum ; who meet on the firft Friday in 

 every month at the Jews' chapel in .Spitalfields. The object 

 of this fociety being to relieve the temporal diftrefte"- ot the 

 Jews, as well as to promote their Ipinlual welfare, tlie com- 

 mittee are empowered, from time to time, to adopt fuch 

 meafuree for any fuch purpofca as the majority of the mem- 

 bers prcfent may approve. General meetings are held twice 

 in the year, for receiving the reports of the committee ; and 

 two coUeftion fermons are preached at each of the half- 

 yearly meetings, for the benefit of the fociety, one in the 

 eftabliflied church, and the other among tlie Diflenters. A 

 fermon is addrefted to the Jews every Lord's day evening, and 

 a regular courfc of ledlures is delivered every Wediiefday 

 evening. Divine fervicc is performed in the morning and 

 afternoon of every Sunday. 



F f Society 



