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Duff, on the morning of the 29th. This being the day of National Thanksgiving, the Miffionaries, who had been nurtured in the bofom of this highly privileged country, thought it their duty, on leaving it, to mingle their grateful acknowledgments with thofe of the thoufands of our British Ifrael. Soon after the ship was brought to anchor, public fervice was held upon the quarter deck, in which many of the friends at Gravefend were happy to unite. Mr. Peter Levefque delivered a fhort difcourfe from I Cor. xv. "Thanks "be to God who giveth us the victory.' In the evening Mr. Wilks preached at the Meeting-house in that town, from 1 Sam. vii. 12. "Hitherto hath the Lord "helped us." The next day (Friday) the Duff weighed anchor, and arrived in the Downs about Sunday noon. A short service immediately commenced, and in the evening Mr. Benton preached, and the facrament was afterwards adminiftered, it being the firft Sabbath in the month. Monday evening, December 3, the ufual time of the Monthly Miffionary Prayer Meeting was obferved on board the fhip; feveral of the Miffionaries engaged in prayer, and an appropriate exhortation was delivered.

On Wednesday, the 5th, the married Miffionaries left town to proceed to Portfinouth, and the next morning, the wind becoming fair, the Duff, in company with about 70 other fhips, proceeded from the Downs to Spithead, where the arrived on Saturday. On their paffage they were interrupted by a thick fog, wherein feveral fhips ran aground, among which was the Henry Addington East Indiaman, fince gone to pieces.

On the 12th, a favourable breeze fpringing up, fignal was made for failing, and early next morning the fleet weighed again, under convoy of the Amphion frigate, and was out of fight before noon.

THE

New-York Miffionary Magazine,

AND

Repofitory of Religious Intelligence.

A fhort Hiftory of the Formation and Progress of the Northern Miffionary Society in the State of New-York; contained in a Letter from the Rev. Jonas Coe, to the Publisher, dated Troy, Feb. 11, 1800.

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CONVENTION of minifters and private chriftians, of different denominations, met, by mutual agreement, on the 11th of January, 1797, in the town of Lanfingburgh, for the purpose of inftituting a Miffionary Society, in the northern part of the State of New-York, at which time and place a refpectable number of perfons affembled. The bufinefs of the day was opened with a fermon, by Dr. Romeyn, from Mat. xxviii. 20." Lo, I am with you alway, even unto the "end of the world. Amen." After which, the Convention was opened with prayer, by Doctor Smith, and the Rev. James Proudfit was chofen Chairman,and the Rev. John Baffett, and Jonas Coe, were chofen Clerks.

Doctor Smith then ftated the object of the meeting, and laid before the Convention a draft of the principles of religion to be agreed to by them, and propagated by their Miffionaries, for their confideration and approbation, which was carefully examined and provifionally adopted.

The Rev. John Baffett, and the Rev. John B. Johnfon, laid before the Convention a plan of a Conftitution for VOL. I. No. 2.

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the government of the Society; which being duly confidered and amended, was referred for final adoption to the next meeting of the Convention.

The Rev. Alexander Proudfit read, before the Convention, a draft of an Addrefs which he had prepared to the churches in general, on the importance of fending out Miffionaries, which was referred to a Committee, confifting of Doctor Romeyn, Doctor Smith, Jacob Sickles, and Robert Smith.

Adjourned, to meet in the city of Albany on the 14th day of February, at 11 o'clock in the forenoon. Concluded with prayer.

Albany, Feb. 14, 1797.

THE Convention met according to adjournment, when a Sermon was preached by Doctor Smith, from Mat. vi. 10. " Thy kingdom come." After which it was opened with prayer, by the Rev. Mr. Baffett.

Doctor Romeyn was chofen Chairman, and Meffrs. Baffett and Coe were continued Clerks.

The Conftitution provifionally adopted at the meeting at Lanfingburgh was read, paragraph by paragraph, and after being again amended and altered, was finally adopted by the Convention, as the Conftitution of the Northern Miffionary Society in the State of New-York. The Committee appointed ro revife the Addrefs to the Citizens at large, expreffive of the nature of this Inftitution, and of the importance of its objects, reported, that they had revifed it, and made fuch alterations and amendments, as appeared to them neceffary, which being read, was adopted, and committed to the fame Committee, together with the Conftitution, to be corrected and printed.

The following Officers were then elected for the current year: Rev. Doctor Dirck Romeyn, Prefident; Rev. James Proudfit, Vice-Prefident; Rev. John Baffett, Secretary; Rev. Jonas Coe, Clerk; Rev. Elbert Willet, Treafurer.

DIRECTORS.

Rev. Doctor John B. Smith, Rev. John Clofe, Rev. Samuel Smith, Rev. Ifaac Labagh, Rev. John B. Johnfon, Rev. David S. Bogart, Rev. William McCauley, Rev. Daniel Marfh, Rev. James Mairs, Rev. John Dunlap, Rev. Anthony T. Braun, Rev. Robert F. Smith, Rev. Alexander Proudfit, Rev. Jacob Sickles, General James Gordon, Doctor Hunloche Woodruff, Mr. Ebenezer Clark, Mr. Abraham Eights, Mr. Ifaac Hutton, Mr. Jacob Vanderheyden, Mr. Abraham Hunn, General Abraham Outhout, Mr. Elijah Janes, Mr. Cornelius P. Wyckoff.

The Society adjourned to meet on the first Thursday in May, in the Dutch Church at Schenectady. Concluded with prayer.

Schenectady, May, 1797.

THE Society met according to adjournment, and was opened with prayer.

The Prefident, for certain reafons, was excufed from preaching the fermon, appointed him at the laft meeting of the Society.

Application being made agreeably to the Conftitution, the Society refolved, that the towns of Salem, Saratoga, and Charlton, be, and hereby are conftituted a department of this Society, to be known and distinguifhed by the name of Department, No. i.

Refolved, That the town of Schenectady, and the adjacent places, within the circumference of fix miles, be, and hereby are conftituted a department of the Society, to be known and diftinguifhed by the name of Department, No. 2.

Refolved, That the city of Albany, the towns of Troy, Lanfingburgh, and Waterford, be, and hereby are conftituted a department of the Society, to be known and diftinguished by the name of Department, No. 3.

Ordered, That the feveral departments, thus conftituted, be immediately organized, and report a true

copy of their proceedings at every annual meeting of the Society, and stated meeting of the Board of Directors.

Adjourned to meet in the town of Troy, on the 11th day of February, and that the Rev. Alexander Proudfit open the meeting with a Sermon.

Concluded with prayer.

Troy, Feb. 1798.

THE Society met according to adjournment, and a Sermon was preached by the Rev. Alexander Proudfit, from Mark xvi. 15. after which the Society was opened with prayer, and proceeded to bufinefs.

In tranfacting it, they received a number of members into the Society-heard the reports of the different departments—and adopted the following plan of correlpondence with the New-York Miffionary Society, viz.

1. That a friendly correfpondence be eftablished and maintained between the two Societies, in which they fhall mutually communicate fuch information as may be judged neceffary and useful, for promoting the great objects of their inftitution, particularly the ftate of their funds; the profpect and probable means of increafing them; the ftate of the frontiers, and Indian tribes, and the procuring and fending out Miffionaries, &c.

2. The Miffionaries of either Society fhall be fent out jointly, and with the united fanction and recommendation of both provided, however, that they fhall be accountable to that Society, by which they fhall have been procured.

-3. That either Society may, as circumftances require, apply to the other for pecuniary aid, and fhall receive fuch affiftance as the funds, together with their engagements and profpects, may enable them to afford.

4. That, on particular occafions, there fhall be joint meetings of the Directors, or of Committees appointed by them, or by the Societies, for the purpofes of mutual conference, and for concerting fuch meafures as may feem beft calculated for accomplishing the important ends which they contemplate.

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