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CONSTITUTION 
 
 OF THE 
 
 tfoston Baptist jFtroalr Society 
 
 FOR MISSIONARY PURPOSES. 
 
 ORGANIZED OCT. 9, 1800. 
 
 CONSTITUTION ALTERED AND AMENDED, 
 
 DECEMBER, 1829. 
 
 Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to every 
 creature.— Jesus. 
 
 Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of 
 these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. —Jesus. 
 
 Help those women which laboured with me in the 
 Gospel.— Paul. 
 
 BOSTON 
 
 PRINTED BY TRUE AND GREENE. 
 
 1830. 
 

 
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CONSTITUTION 
 
 Animated by the noble exertions which are ma¬ 
 king in various parts of the Christian world to 
 spread the knowledge of divine truth, and by the suc¬ 
 cess with which the great Head of the church lias 
 seen fit in many instances to crown the united en¬ 
 deavors of his dear people, a number of females, feel¬ 
 ing interested in the glorious cause, and desirous of 
 promoting it, have formed themselves into a Society 
 to raise an annual collection for the express purpose 
 of aiding missions. The destitute and affecting situ¬ 
 ation of thousands of our fellow creatures calls aloud 
 to charity ; and while a needle can be instrumental of 
 spreading the knowledge of a Saviour’s name, shall a 
 Christian female forbear to exercise it in the best of 
 causes ? No : in imitation of those who ministered to 
 the necessities of our divine Lord, we will offer our 
 mite for the relief of his elect body. 
 
 The blessings which have attended the various 
 efforts which have been made to extend the triumphs 
 of the cross seem to justify the conclusion that the 
 glorious promise to the children of Israel, “ Every 
 place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall 
 be yours will be fulfilled to the faithful in all ages. 
 Meekly engaged in contending for the faith of the 
 gospel, we have every thing to encourage us. The 
 line of duty marked out; with the Banner of Peace 
 in our hand, and the Captain of salvation at our head, 
 
4 
 
 we may undauntedly traverse the wide spread plain 
 of benevolence, confident of imparting the richest 
 blessings to our fellow men, and promoting the de¬ 
 clarative glory of God. 
 
 With a view to accomplish the designs of the Insti¬ 
 tution, the following articles are adopted for its regu¬ 
 lation, 
 
 ARTICLE 1st. 
 
 This Society shall be distinguished by the name of 
 The Boston Baptist Female Society for Mis¬ 
 sionary Purposes. 
 
 ARTICLE 2d. 
 
 It shall consist of females, who are disposed to con¬ 
 tribute their mite towards so noble a design as the 
 diffusion of gospel light among the shades of darkness 
 and superstition. 
 
 ARTICLE 3d. 
 
 The permanent support of a suitable Missionary in 
 this city, shall be the society’s primary object. What¬ 
 ever may be raised over and above a sufficiency for 
 this, shall be appropriated to such missionary opera¬ 
 tions as the openings of Providence may suggest to be 
 duty. All necessary expenses shall be defrayed fVom 
 the funds. 
 
 ARTICLE 4th. 
 
 The meetings shall be holden on the first Monday 
 Afternoon of every month,, at such place as may be 
 appointed. 
 
 ARTICLE 5th. 
 
 The time shall be devoted to religious exercises, 
 unless indispensably necessary to attend to business 
 of importance. 
 
5 
 
 ARTICLE 6th. 
 
 The annual subscription shall be from two dollars 
 down to fifty cents, as circumstances shall dictate. 
 Those who possess the ability, it is hoped will do 
 much more. Life membership, twenty dollars. 
 
 ARTICLE 7th. 
 
 The Annual Meeting, shall be the first Monday in 
 October, when shall be chosen a President, Vice 
 Presidents, Secretary and Treasurer, Trustees and 
 Collectors ; who, together, shall constitute a Board 
 for the transaction of business. Any number of those, 
 who shall be present at a regularly notified meeting, 
 shall be competent to proceed to business in fifteen 
 minutes after the appointed hour. 
 
 The Board so chosen, shall appoint from among 
 themselves a Committee of Reference, to whom the 
 Missionary may apply for advice, and make known 
 his proceedings, tie will also be expected to make 
 a report to the Board and Society whenever officially 
 requested. 
 
 They may also if necessary, elect an Assistant Sec¬ 
 retary, and have a right to fill vacancies. 
 
 ARTICLE 8th. 
 
 . * 
 
 The Board shall meet by a notice from the Secre¬ 
 tary, whenever the President, with the concurrence 
 of two other members, shall direct. 
 
 The President, Vice Presidents, Secretary and 
 Treasurer, &c. will be expected to fulfil the duties 
 appropriate to their respective offices. 
 
 ARTICLE 9th. 
 
 The Society may open and hold correspondence 
 with other female benevolent societies, which letters 
 may be filed by the Secretary. 
 
6 
 
 ARTICLE 10th. 
 
 Any member shall have a right to withdraw her 
 name, by signifying her wish to the Secretary. 
 
 ARTICLE 11th. 
 
 This Constitution may be altered or amended at an 
 annual meeting, by a majority present. 
 
 OFFICERS 
 
 FOR THE CURRENT YEAR. 
 President , 
 
 MRS. THOMAS BALDWIN. 
 
 Vice Presidents , 
 
 MRS. DANIEL SHARP, 
 MRS. C. P. GROSYENOR, 
 MRS. J. D. KNOWLES, 
 MRS. HOWARD MALCOM, 
 MRS. M. L. O’BRIEN. 
 
 Secretary and Treasurer , 
 
 MISS M. WEBB. 
 
 Trustees , 
 
 Mrs. HEMAN LINCOLN, 
 Mrs. L. T. COOK, 
 
 Mrs. S. RIDGEWAY, 
 Mrs. C. H. JONES, 
 
 Mrs. E. CUMMINGS, 
 Mrs. J. B. JONES, 
 Mrs. I. MACOMBER, 
 Mrs. E. SMITH. 
 
 Collectors , 
 
 Mrs. F. Shelton, 
 
 Mrs. C. Cunningham, 
 Mrs. H. Henchman, 
 Mrs. Converse, 
 
 Mrs. S. Lamson, 
 
 Mrs. J. Chorley, 
 
 Miss T. Rogers, 
 Miss M. A. Quincy, 
 Miss L. C. Jepson, 
 Miss L. A. Jones, 
 Miss S. Griggs, 
 Miss M. Clough, 
 
 Mrs. George Homer, and Miss M. Doubt, members of 
 the Board for life. 
 
CIRCULAR 
 
 “ 1 will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the 
 name of the Lord,” said the holy psalmist, in view of 
 the mercies he had received from the hand of God. 
 And in imitation of his example, this society is cal¬ 
 led upon, to render praise and thanksgiving for the 
 rich and unnumbered blessings which have been con¬ 
 ferred upon it, during a period of almost thirty years. 
 
 Especially is its gratitude demanded, for the late 
 interpositions of providence by which it has been 
 much enlarged, and its treasury replenished. The 
 object it has immediately in view, viz. the permanent 
 support of a missionary in this city, is highly important. 
 Its utility has been tested by more than twelve years, 
 experience, and it is now presented to the kind consid¬ 
 eration of our Christian friends, in confident hope and 
 expectation, that members will be disposed to “come 
 up to help of the Lord,” and contribute worthily of their 
 substance in aid of this work. Among all the charities 
 bestowed on the poor, what so needful, so salutary, 
 as “ the glorious gospel of the blessed God ?” In the 
 hour of affliction and death how appropriate are the 
 offices of a sympathizing faithful minister! To the 
 hardened, impenitent sinner, how important the ad¬ 
 monitory voice of the messenger of God, who is taught 
 
8 
 
 by the spirit of inspiration, that he must not shun 
 to declare the whole counsel of God , whether men will 
 hear, or whether they will forbear. 
 
 That these privileges may be extended to all, it is 
 necessary that faithful laborious ministers be suppor¬ 
 ted, who are willing to deny themselves, take up the 
 cross, and go into the highways and hedges, in pursu¬ 
 ance of the object the Saviour had in view, when he 
 agonized in the garden, and laid down his life on 
 mount Calvary. And for the accomplishment of this, 
 the friends of the Saviour are now solicited to contri¬ 
 bute. The funds of the society are inadequate to the 
 purpose without a powerful effort to increase and 
 sustain them. We therefore present the motive 
 urged by an apostle, “ God loves a cheerful giver.” 
 
 Jesus .himself gave it in evidence of his advent to 
 this world, that “ the poor had the gospel preached to 
 them.” Let us hail them as harbingers of his glori¬ 
 ous spiritual reign on earth ; the efforts now making 
 to give the gospel to the poor. And let every disci¬ 
 ple of Jesus be emulous to do his full share of labour, 
 aware that “The night cojvieth when no man 
 
 CAN WORK.”