which does not relate to this object, be difcuffed at the meetings of the Society.

3. The great outlines of thofe religious principles, in which the members of the Society are agreed, and which' they defire to diffufe amongst others, are the following: That in the divine effence there are three diftinct perfons, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghoft, equal in perfection and glory-That the eternal God, who created all things for his own glory, made man upright, and entered into a peculiar covenant with him, as federal head of his pofterity-That man fell from his ftate of rectitude, and involved all his pofterity in his fall, who are thus, by nature, children of wrath, totally depraved, dead in trefpaffes and fins, and without help or hope in themselves, or any created power-That a provifion of grace is made, for a reftoration from this ruin through Jefus Chrift, the eternal Son of God; with whom, as the only Mediator between God and man, and the federal head of the election of grace, a covenant having been established from everlafting, he, by affuming the human nature, into a perfonal union with the divine nature, was manifested in the flesh-That being very God and real man in one perfon, he, as the furety of his peó-ple, yielded perfect obedience to the precept of the divine law, and endured its penalty, by offering a perfect facrifice and atonement for their fins-That his righteoufnefs, confifting of his obedience and fufferings, freely imputed by God, and received by a living faith, is the only ground of their pardon, acceptance with God, and title to eternal life-That they are made alive unto God; are vitally united with the Lord Jefus Christ, as their living head; are renewed in heart, fanctified, and rendered meet for heaven, by the efficacious and almighty energy of the Holy Spirit-That the facred fcriptures, contained in the Old and New Teftament, and the ordinances of the gofpel, are the great means which he employs in commencing, effecting, and completing his work of grace in the heart-That there is an infeparable connection between the free grace of God,

received by faith, and the practice of holiness-That all who are vitally united to Christ, are kept by the power of God through faith, unto eternal falvation-That God did, from the beginning, fet apart, one day in feven, as an holy Sabbath, to be immediately employed in his fervice; and that the Lord's day is of no less indifpenfible obligation, under the Chriftian, than the Sabbath was under the Patriarchal and Jewish difpenfations-That there will be a general refurrection, both of the juft and the unjust, whose eternal retribution fhall be awarded by Jefus Chrift; and that the righteous fhall be adjudged to endless life, and the wicked to end. lefs punishment.

4. The Society will cordially correfpond and co-operate with any other Societies, who, agreeing in thefe important truths, incline to unite in profecuting the fame defign with this Society.

CHAP II. Of Officers.

1. In this Society there fhall be a Prefident, VicePrefident, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Clerk; all of whom shall be chofen by ballot, at every annual meeting of the Society, by a majority of the members prefent.

2. The duty of the Prefident fhall be, to preserve order, to ftate queftions, to make known the business which is from time to time to be transacted, to give a deciding voice, whenever the Society may be equally divided on any question, and to call fpecial meetings, agreeably to the limitations expreffed in this conftitution, of which meetings notice fhall be given in one or more of the public newspapers.

3. In cafe of the abfence of the Prefident, the VicePrefident fhall take his place, and perform his duties.

4. The Treasurer fhall take charge of the funds, and other property of this Society; fhall anfwer all legal demands, keep a regular account of the income and expenditures, and annually prefent the fame for infpection: he shall alfo give fufficient fecurity for the duc

performance of his truft, before he enters on the execution of his office.

5. It fhall be the duty of the Secretary faithfully to record the proceedings of the Society, and to tranfmit and receive all communications from and to this affociation.

6. It fhall be the duty of the Clerk to take the minutes of the proceedings of the Society, and to deliver the fame to the Secretary, to be recorded in a book to be provided for that purpose.

CHAP. III. Of Directors.

1. There fhall be chofen, by ballot, at every annual meeting of this Society, twenty-four Directors, who fhall be called The General Board of Directors, and fhall meet twice in every year; on the firft Thursday in May, and on the first Thursday in November; the first of which meetings fhall be held in 'the town of Schenectady, and afterwards on their own adjournment.

2. When nine Directors fhall be convened, they fhall have power to proceed to business.

3. The bufinefs of the General Board of Directors fhall be to arrange and prefent, for the confideration of the Society, fuch plans or meafures as they may deem coincident with the principles, and calculated to promote the important objects of the affociation; to correfpond, through the medium of the Secretary of the Society, with inftitutions of a fimilar nature, in this or in other countries, and with all perfons who may be inclined to favour the general objects which this affociation have in view, and to direct all miffions-But for all fuch acts, and in all cafes whatsoever, they fhall be refponfible to the Society.

CHAP. IV. of Departments.

1. As this Society is at prefent compofed of members from different places, and contemplates acceffions,

from those which are still more remote, it may establish, from time to time, as many diftinct departments as may be deemed neceffary, to advance the pious objects of the inftitution.

2. The departments, when formed, fhall be known by the names of No. 1. No. 2. &c..

3. Diftinct departments fhall be formed by the Society, whenever application fhall be made by feven members.

4. In each of the departments there fhall annually be elected a Prefident, Secretary, and Treafurer of departments.

5. The Prefidents and Secretaries of departments fhall discharge fimilar duties in the departments to thofe prefcribed to the Prefident and Secretary of the Society.

6. The Treafurers of departments fhall collect, in their respective departments, all monies which, from time to time, shall become due to the Society, and fhall tranfmit the fame, every fix months, to the Treasurer of the Society.

7. The departments thus conftituted fhall co-operate in promoting the general defign of this inftitution; fhall have the power of receiving members agrecably to this conftitution; and all members of the departments fhall be, ipfo facto, members of the Society.

8. Each of the departments fhall delegate one member, to meet and to act with the General Board of Directors.

CHAP. V. Of the Meetings of the Society.

1. This Society fhall meet annually, on their own adjournment.

2. Twelve members fhall be deemed a fufficient number to adjourn from day to day; and fifteen fhall be a fufficient number to proceed to bufinefs.

3. At every ftated meeting of the Society a fermon fhall be preached by a member of this affociation, who fhall be appointed for that purpose at the preceding annual meeting, and a collection fhall be made.

4. Every meeting of this Society fhall be opened and clofed with prayer.

5. Special meetings fhall be called by the Prefident, at the request of five members.

CHAP. VI. Of Miffionaries.

Every person who may offer himself as a candidate for any miffion, fhall produce a certificate from the Judicatory to which he belongs, recommending him as a Miffionary to the General Board of Directors, and particularly fpecifying his piety, ability, and aptnefs to teach, and his firm determination to inculcate the principles expreffed in Art. 3. of Chap. I. of this Conftitution; and, on further examination, being found qualified, fuch person fhall receive a teftimonial from faid Board of Directors, of his being approved of, and appointed a Miffionary of this Society.

2. On every miffion at least two Miffionaries fhall be appointed, if practicable, for the purpose of counfelling, affifting, and encouraging each other, who fhall refpectively render an accurate return to the Board of Directors of their tranfactions, and of the ftate of religion in the places they may have vifited.

3. The particular duties of the Miffionaries fhall be, faithfully to preach the gofpel of the Lord Jefus Chrift, and further by catechetical inftruction, to inculcate the principles adopted by the Society, and expreffed in Chap. I. Art. 3. to use their best endeavours to establish schools, and to introduce amongst the Indian tribes the arts of civilized life; to comply with the directions they may, from time to time, receive from the General Board of Directors; and, finally, by a prudent and pious deportment, to enforce their inftructions.

CHAP. VII. Of the Admiffion of Members.

1. Any perfon may be admitted a member of this Society, who is of good moral character, and whofe