This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897 Excerpt: ...The clergy and some of the laity can give time and personal work, and the parishes and missions can plan to set free the rector or mission priest by giving him his time for direct missionary effort while they provide a substitute, or have a lay reader take the services for a Sunday. We are convinced that nothing will better promote the spiritual welfare of individual churchmen, or of the parishes and missions to which they belong, than a systematic canvass of the whole state, which will bring home to us a thorough knowledge of the conditions of religious life in it. This cannot fail to rouse in us an earnest and zealous desire to bring to the poor and neglected members of the Church, some of those benefits which we ourselves possess, and to communicate to our fellows, in the state of which we are so proud, and which we love so much, some of the blessings which God's providence has given to us. E. M. Parker, R. W. Dow, L. S. Hastings. Following the reading of the foregoing report, several gentlemen who assisted in the house-to-house visitations, gave account of visits to towns in different parts of the state. Of these Mr. Wm. V. Flint told of his canvass of the town of Webster; the Rev. Dr. Huntington, of that of Hanover; the Rev. David L. Sanford of Bellows Falls, Diocese of Vermont, gave interesting information about Walpole and towns in that vicinity; Mr. Beard, of that of Chatham; the Rev. Mr. Lav, of that of North wood; the Rev. Mr. Dow, of that of Stratford: Mr. Lemuel S. Hastings, of that of Enfield; the Rev. Mr. Jones, of that of Derry, who supplemented his remarks in urging the laymen of the Diocese to more interest and activity in the work of the Church. The Rev. Dr. Goodridge, in a five-minute earnest talk, reminded the clergy of (heir duties in v...