ART. 7. Any Missionary Society may become auxiliary by agreeing to pay into the Treasury of this Society the whole of its surplus funds, and sending to the Corresponding Secretary a copy of its Constitution and Annual Reports, mentioning the names of their Missionaries, and the fields of their operations. ART. 8. Every Auxiliary Society which shall agree to pay the whole of its funds to this Society, shall be entitled to a Missionary, or Missionaries, to labour in such field as it may designate; at least to the amount of its contributions; provided such designation be made at the time of payment. ART. 9. The officers of all Auxiliary Societies shall be, ex-officio, Directors; and annual contributors to their funds shall be members of this Society. ART. 10. The Society shall meet annually in the City of NewYork, on the Wednesday next preceding the second Thursday in May. ART. 11. No alteration shall be made in this Constitution without a vote of two-thirds of the Members present, at an annual meeting, nor unless the same shall have been proposed at a previous annual meeting, or recommended by the Executive Committee. PROCEEDINGS RESULTING IN THE FORMATION OF THE AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY. 4444 A concise history of the measures which have resulted in the formation of the "American Home Missionary Society" is contained in the following Circular, with its accompanying documents, which, in the month of March, 1826, was addressed to a large number of the friends of missions, of the Congregational, Presbyterian, and Dutch Reformed Churches, in all parts of the United States. CIRCULAR. SIR, The Executive Committee of the United Domestic Missionary Society have, for several years, felt an increasing conviction that a more extended effort for the promotion of "Home Missions" is equally indispensable to the moral advancement and political stability of the United States. They have beheld with satisfaction, in common with their countrymen, the unexampled increase of this nation in numbers and resources, and have contemplated, with gratitude to God, the mighty union of wealth, and talent, and piety, which have been enlisted in the promotion of several other objects of national charity. Nor would they pass over, as inconsiderable among the results of the philanthropic efforts of the American churches, the good which the blessing of God upon their munificence has already enabled this and other local Domestic Missionary Societies to accomplish. It is delightful to reflect that, in instances not a few, through the instrumentality of Societies now existing, the solitary place has been made glad by the voice of one who was sent to preach the Gospel to the poor. But the more the undersigned have been called, in the discharge of their appropriate duties, to acquaint themselves with the spiritual wants of the rising communities of the West and South, and the destitute condition of considerable portions of the older states, the more decided is their conviction that mere local efforts must be, for ever, inadequate to accomplish the wishes of the benevolent. The field which is now waiting for the cultivating hand of the churches of these United States, and which is widening with every wave of emigration that beats back the western wilderness, requires a concentration of the nation's strength to supply it with labourers sufficient to gather in its harvest. This Committee have therefore noticed, of late, with no ordinary pleasure, the progress of public sentiment friendly to the formation of a national Society for Home Missions. With solicitious interest, also, have they watched every movement which has been made toward the accomplishment of this immensely important and highly patriotic design. With the same interest, they now cheerfully assume the trust reposed in them by the documents recorded on the opposite page of this sheet, and proceed to invite the attention of the Christian public to further measures. Having also held correspondence with individuals at the South and West, and received from all a uniform and cordial expression of deep interest in the object, we cannot entertain a doubt that, in the good providence of God, American Christians of the Congregational, Presbyterian, and Dutch Reformed denomination are prepared to sanction the measure which we now propose, and to unite in one concentrated and intense effort to build up the wastes of our common country, and supply all her destitute with the means of salvation. The Executive Committee have accordingly resolved to invite a meeting of the Directors of the United Domestic Missionary Society, together with other friends of missions in the United States, to convene at the session room of the Brick Presbyterian Church in this city, on Wednesday, the tenth day of May next, at eight o'clock A. M., for the purpose of forming an AMERICAN HOME MISSIONARY SOCIETY. Permit us, Sir, earnestly to solicit your counsel and the weight of your influence at that meeting. And may He who is head over all things to the Church, guide the deliberations of those who shall take part in this benevolent enterprise, and make the contemplated Society a river of life to the American people, and a glory in the midst of them. With sentiments of respect and affection, Yours, in the service of the churches, ABSALOM PETERS, Corresponding Secretary. PETER HAWES, Treasurer. STEPHEN LOCKWOOD, Recording Secretary. JOHN D. KEESE, Chairman of the Executive Committee. GARDINER SPRING, Executive Commit United Domestic Missionary Society's Office, ELEAZER LORD, ACCOMPANYING DOCUMENTS. The following is extracted from the minutes and explanations of the late meeting in Boston, transmitted to this Committee by the Rev. Mr. Wis "On the 29th o September, 1825, four candidates for the Gospel ministry were ordained as Evangelists at Boston, in compliance with a request from "the Executive Committee of the United Domestic Missionary Society" of New-York, under whose patronage three of the persons ordained were soon to go forth as missionaries to the western states and territories of the United States. The other individual ordained, was expected to labour in the same field, under the patronage of the "Connecticut Missionary Society." This ordination, taking place the day after the anniversary in the Theological Institution at Andover, was attended by persons interested in the prosperity of Zion, from various parts of the United States. Several of these persons, from Massachuetts, Connecticut, New-York, and South Carolina, providentially met, the day after the ordination, at the house of the Rev. Mr. Wisner, and had their attention called to the desirableness and expediency of forming a National Domestic Missionary Society. "After discussion, it was their unanimous opinion that the formation of such a Society is both desirable and practicable. A committee was accordingly appointed, consisting of the Rev. Dr. Porter and the Rev. Mr. Edwards, of Andover, Mass. and the Rev. Dr. Taylor of New-Haven, Conn. to make inquiries in relation to the subject, and, if they should deem it advisable, invite a meeting of gentlemen, friendly to the object, in Boston, some time in the month of January ensuing. This committee consulted, and held correspondence with, gentlemen in different parts of the country; and so general and cordial was the approbation of the design expressed by the persons consulted, that the committee determined to invite a meeting for the purpose of consultation with regard to further measures. They addressed to several individuals a letter, inviting them to attend a meeting to be holden in Boston, on the second Wednesday of January, 1826. "At the time designated by the above-named committee, the proposed meeting was held at the house of Mr. Henry Holms, in Boston. There were present the following persons, viz: Rev WILLIAM ALLEN, D. D. President of Bowdoin College, Maine. Rev. NATHAN LORD, of Amherst, N. H. Rev. BROWN EMERSON, and of Salem, Mass. Rev. ELIAS CORNELIUS, Rev. LEONARD Woors, D. D. and Professors in the Theological Institution, Rev. EBENEZER PORTER, D. D. Andover, Mass. Rev. JUSTIN EDWARDS, of Andover, Mass. Rev. WARREN FAY, of Charleston, Mass. Rev. JOHN CODMAN, D. D. of Dorchester, Mass. Rev. THADDEUS OSGOOD, of Springfield, Mass. of Hartford, Corresponding Secretary of the Con necticut Missionary Society. "The meeting was organized by choosing the Rev. Ebenezer Porter, D. D. Chairman, and the Rev. Benjamin B. Wisner, Scribe, and was opened with prayer by the Rev. Mr. Whittlesey. "The Rev. Mr. Edwards then gave an account of the proceedings which had led to the calling of the present meeting, and stated the names of the gentlemen who had been invited to attend it from the states of Maine, New-Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and New-York. "Letters were then read from the following persons, who had been invited, but were unable to attend this meeting, viz: Rev. John W. Ellingwood, of Bath, Maine; Rev. Eliphalet Gillet, D. D. Hallowell, Maine; Rev. John H. Church, D. D. of Pelham, N. H.; Rev. Samuel Shepherd, D. D. of Lenox, Mass.; Rev. Calvin Chapin, D. D. of Rocky Hill, Conn., and Rev. Lyman Beecher, D. D. of Litchfield, Conn.; each expressing his cordial approbation of the design of the present meeting, and deeply regretting his not being able to assist in its deliberations. "The committee, appointed in September last, then reported, in part, in relation to the expediency of forming such an institution as is proposed, and the principles which should regulate the proceedings had for the accomplishment of the object. "The considerations named by the committee as evincing the expediency of the measure proposed were the following:-The influence such a Society will be likely to have on the more favoured portions of our country, in perpetuating their religious institutions and character; its favourable bearing upon the Southern and Western States and Territories, in extending to them the blessings of pure and undefiled religion; its effect on the destitute, in exciting and encouraging them to make exertions for the support of religious institutions; the influence it may be expected to have on local Domestic Missionary Societies already existing, in diffusing information among them, and increasing their efforts; and the tendency it will have to produce, among the friends of evangelical religion in the United States, greater union of feeling and exertion. "The principles named as proper to be considered fundamental in all proceedings in relation to this subject, were the following-1. A union of all denominations not to be attempted as a for mal thing. 2. Local Societies now existing, not to be superceded, except in accordance with their own desire, and not to be impeded in their operations, but to be strengthened and stimulated. “Several gentlemen, present, then expressed their views in relation to the points presented in this part of the Committee's report, and the meeting unanimously voted their concurrence. "It was then, on motion, unanimously resolved that it is, in the opinion of this meeting, expedient to attempt the formation of a National Domestic Missionary Society. "The committee then reported the form of a constitution, which having been considered and approved, as suitable to be recommended to a meeting hereafter to be convened for the purpose of forming the proposed Society, it was voted, unanimously, that the Rev. Dr. Porter, and Messrs. Edwards and Wisner, be a committee to communicate to the Corresponding Secretary of the United Domestic Missionary Society of New-York an account of all the proceedings which have been had in relation to the interesting subject of the deliberations of this meeting; and to correspond and co-operate with the Executive Committee of that Society, and with others, if necessary, for the purpose of effecting, in the best manner, the establishment of the proposed Society. "The following queries were then proposed for the consideration of the meeting, viz: Shall the United Domestic Missionary Society of New-York be requested to invite friends of domestic missions in different parts of the country to attend the annual meeting of that Society, in May next, for the purpose of acting on the plan of a National Society now proposed? Shall that Society be requested to become the National Society, modifying its constitution to suit the case? Or shall a meeting of the friends of domestic missions in different parts of the country be otherwise convened, a National Society formed, and then the New-York Society be invited to become auxiliary ?” "After consultation, it was unanimously voted that it is highly desirable that the more general meeting should be requested by the Executive Committee of the United Domestic Missionary Society of NewYork, and that that Society should become the American Domestic Missionary Society, should no special reasons occur to render such a measure inexpedient. "The Rev. President Allen then, at the request of the Chairman, returned thanks to Almighty God for the harmony and cordiality which had characterised the proceedings of the brethren assembled, and for the auspicious result of their deliberations, and commended |