diff options
Diffstat (limited to '17002-h')
| -rw-r--r-- | 17002-h/17002-h.htm | 3092 |
1 files changed, 3092 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/17002-h/17002-h.htm b/17002-h/17002-h.htm new file mode 100644 index 0000000..0408098 --- /dev/null +++ b/17002-h/17002-h.htm @@ -0,0 +1,3092 @@ +<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" + "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> + +<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> + <head> + <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> + <title> + The Project Gutenberg eBook of /ECCLESIASTICAL RELATIONS, by Rev. J.V.N. Talmage. + </title> + <style type="text/css"> +/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ +<!-- + p { margin-top: .75em; + text-align: justify; + margin-bottom: .75em; + } + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ + clear: both; + } + hr { width: 33%; + margin-top: 2em; + margin-bottom: 2em; + margin-left: auto; + margin-right: auto; + clear: both; + } + + table {margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;} + + body{margin-left: 10%; + margin-right: 10%; + } + + .linenum {position: absolute; top: auto; left: 4%;} /* poetry number */ + .blockquot{margin-left: 5%; margin-right: 10%;} + .pagenum {position: absolute; left: 92%; font-size: smaller; text-align: right;} /* page numbers */ + .sidenote {width: 20%; padding-bottom: .5em; padding-top: .5em; + padding-left: .5em; padding-right: .5em; margin-left: 1em; + float: right; clear: right; margin-top: 1em; + font-size: smaller; color: black; background: #eeeeee; border: dashed 1px;} + + .bb {border-bottom: solid 2px;} + .bl {border-left: solid 2px;} + .bt {border-top: solid 2px;} + .br {border-right: solid 2px;} + .bbox {border: solid 2px;} + + .center {text-align: center;} + .right {text-align: right;} + .smcap {font-variant: small-caps;} + .u {text-decoration: underline;} + + .caption {font-weight: bold;} + + .figcenter {margin: auto; text-align: center;} + + .figleft {float: left; clear: left; margin-left: 0; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-top: + 1em; margin-right: 1em; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .figright {float: right; clear: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-bottom: 1em; + margin-top: 1em; margin-right: 0; padding: 0; text-align: center;} + + .footnotes {border: dashed 1px;} + .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} + .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} + .fnanchor {vertical-align: super; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;} + + .poem {margin-left:10%; margin-right:10%; text-align: left;} + .poem br {display: none;} + .poem .stanza {margin: 1em 0em 1em 0em;} + .poem span.i0 {display: block; margin-left: 0em;} + .poem span.i2 {display: block; margin-left: 2em;} + .poem span.i4 {display: block; margin-left: 4em;} + // --> + /* XML end ]]>*/ + </style> + </head> +<body> + + +<pre> + +The Project Gutenberg EBook of History and Ecclesiastical Relations of the +Churches of the Presbyterial Order at Amoy, China, by J. V. N. Talmage + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: History and Ecclesiastical Relations of the Churches of the Presbyterial Order at Amoy, China + +Author: J. V. N. Talmage + +Release Date: November 4, 2005 [EBook #17002] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ECCLESIASTICAL RELATIONS *** + + + + +Produced by David Newman, Graeme Mackreth and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + +</pre> + + + + +<h2>HISTORY</h2> + +<h4>AND</h4> + +<h2>ECCLESIASTICAL RELATIONS</h2> + +<h4>OF THE</h4> + +<h3>CHURCHES OF THE PRESBYTERIAL ORDER,</h3> + +<h4>AT</h4> + +<h3>AMOY, CHINA.</h3> + +<h4>BY</h4> + +<h2>REV. J.V.N. TALMAGE,</h2> + +<h3>MISSIONARY OF THE PROT. REF. DUTCH CHURCH.</h3> + +<p class="center">New York:</p> + +<p class ="center">WYNKOOP, HALLENBECK & THOMAS, PRINTERS, 113 FULTON ST.</p> +<p class="center">1863.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h3>PREFACE.</h3> + + +<p><i>To the Ministers, Elders, and Members of the Reformed Dutch +Church</i>:</p> + +<p>It is proper that I give some reasons for the publication +of this paper. The importance of the subject of the ecclesiastical +organization of the churches gathered in heathen lands, I conceive to +be a sufficient reason. Those who may differ in regard to the views +set forth in this paper, will not dispute the importance of the subject. +Instead of the questions involved having been settled by any of the +Presbyterian Denominations of this country (the Dutch Church +included among them), by experiments in India or any other +heathen land, very few of the churches gathered from the +heathen, by these various Denominations, have yet arrived at +a stage of development sufficient for practical application of +the experiment. (See foot-note, page 160.) There are, however, +a few mission churches, where the subject is now becoming +one of vast practical importance. The Church at Amoy stands out +prominent among these. With the continuance of the divine blessing +there will soon be many such. Hence the importance of the discussion, +and its importance <i>now</i>.</p> + +<p>Many experiments have been made in reference to the +best way of conducting the work of missions. The Church +has improved by them, and has been compelled to <i>unlearn</i> +many things. We are continually returning towards the +simple plan laid down in God's Word. As the Church by +experiment and by discussion has thus been led to retrace +some of her steps in the preliminary work of missions, should she +not be ready to take advantage of experiment and discussion, in +reference to the ecclesiastical organization of the mission churches, +and stand ready to retrace some of her steps in this second stage of +the work of missions, if need be, in order to conform more fully to +the doctrines of our Presbyterial church polity? I would use the +phrase <i>Scriptural church polity</i>, but I suppose it is the +universal belief of our Church, that Presbyterial polity is scriptural. +At any rate, it is the duty of the Church to examine the subject +carefully. She has nothing to fear from such examination. +She should fear to neglect it.</p> + +<p>In addition to the importance of the subject in itself +considered, I have other reasons for discussing it at the +present time. There are mistaken impressions abroad in the +Church, concerning the views and course of your missionaries +at Amoy, which must be injurious to the cause of missions +in our Church. It would seem to be a plain duty to correct +these impressions. I will quote an extract from a letter, I +recently received, from an honored missionary of a sister +Church:</p> + +<p>"I have heard much, and seen some notices in the papers +of the battle you fought on the floor of Synod, and would +like to hear your side of the subject from your own mouth, +as the question has also been a practical one with us. * * +* * * We have our own Presbytery, and manage our own business, +and insist on not having too much of what they call the new science +of Missionary management; a science which, I believe, has been +cultivated far too assiduously. It was this, more than anything else, +which kept me from going out under the A.B.C.F.M., and to Amoy. +* * * * * I hear, however, from some, that what you and the brethren +there had formed, was some sort of loose Congregational association. +If so, I must judge against you, for I believe in the <i>jure divino</i> +of Presbytery (or Classis if you choose so to call it), and I think you and +they should have been allowed to form a Presbytery there, +and manage all your own affairs, and that your Boards at +home should be content to consider themselves a committee +to raise and send on the funds. But it is hard for the D. +D's and big folk at home to come to that. They think they must manage +everything, or all will go wrong; while how little it is that they can +be brought to know or realize of the real nature of the work abroad; and +then it is the old battle of patronage over again. Those who give the +money must <i>govern</i>, and those who receive it must give up +their liberty, and be no longer Christ's freemen."</p> + +<p>This is only a specimen, one of many, of the mistaken +impressions abroad in the Church concerning the views and +doings of your Missionaries. May we not, <i>must</i> we not, correct +them? The letter also illustrates the evils resulting from allowing +mistaken impressions to remain in the Church uncorrected. There has long +been an impression in our Church that the A.B.C.F.M. interfered with the +ecclesiastical affairs of our missions. We have been informed that several +of our young men, before our Church separated from that Board, were +deterred thereby from devoting themselves to the foreign Missionary work. +The writer of the above letter, probably having more of the Missionary +spirit, was not willing, on that account, to give up the work, but was +led to offer himself to the Board of a sister Church. The +Mission at Amoy, and our Church, have thus been deprived +of the benefit of his labors by means of an erroneous impression. +When we learned the fact of such an impression existing in this country, +we endeavored to correct it. In our letter of 1856, to General Synod, we +called particular attention to the subject. Here is a part of one sentence: +"It seems to us a duty, and we take this opportunity to bear +testimony, that neither Dr. Anderson, nor the Prudential +Committee have ever, in any communication which we have received from them, +in any way, either by dictation, or by the expression of opinions, +interfered in the least with our ecclesiastical relations." We failed to +get that letter published, and I find the erroneous impression still +prevalent, working its mischief in the churches.</p> + +<p>But to return to the subject of the mistaken impressions +concerning the views of your Missionaries at Amoy. These impressions would +have been partly corrected in the Church, if the report of the proceedings +of Synod, in "The Christian Intelligencer," had been more correct on this +subject. That paper states, that, on Friday evening, "Rev. Mr. +Talmage then took the floor, and addressed the Synod for +nearly two hours," but does not give a single word or idea +uttered by him. It is careful to report the only <i>unkind words</i> +against the Missionaries uttered during that whole discussion, +which, with this single exception, was conducted in a spirit +of the utmost Christian kindness; but does not give a word +of the remarks made on the Friday evening previous, on that +very subject, in justification of their course.</p> + +<p>It seems to be a duty, though painful, to speak particularly +on this subject. Look at the following language: "I know that we are told +that the <i>hybrid organization</i> [i.e. the Classis, <i>a court of the +Church of Christ</i>, at Amoy] which now exists is every way sufficient and +satisfactory; that it is the fruit of Christian love, and that to disturb +it would be rending the body of Christ. Here one might ask, how it came +to exist at all, seeing that this Synod spoke so plainly, and +unambiguously, in 1857; and <i>I, for one, cordially concur in +the remark of the elder, Schieffelin, that the brethren there 'deserve +censure</i>.' We do not censure them, nor do we propose to do so; <i>but that +they deserve it is undeniable</i>. But the point is, how can our disapproval +of <i>the mongrel Classis</i> mar the peace of the Amoy brethren?" This +language was used by the President of Synod, after asking whether the Synod +was ready for the question, "the question being about to be +put," when an attempt to answer it seemed altogether out +of place. In all the circumstances it seemed almost like the +charge of a judge to a jury. I do not say that there is any +improper spirit manifested, or opprobrious expressions employed +in this language, or that the President did wrong in waiting until the +discussion was over before he uttered it, or that the missionaries are not +deserving of such severe censure—of all these things let the Church +judge—but I do say that the spreading of such language and such charges +broadcast, before the Church and before the world, demands that +the missionaries be heard in self-defense, or, which is all they +ask, that they be allowed to state the facts and views which +guided them in their action.</p> + +<p>Doubtless it was an oversight that such a one-sided report on +this subject appeared in The Christian Intelligencer. At least +it was not at all designed that injustice be done to the Missionaries, +but, unless they be allowed to speak for themselves, is not injustice done +them? It seemed to me that a very mistaken impression concerning the views +expressed by me, near the close of the session of Synod, was also conveyed +by the Report. This I attempted to correct by a note to the +editor, but even the right of correcting my own sentiments +and language was refused, my note garbled, and, as I thought, +my views again misrepresented. More than this, the <i>implied</i> +charge is published to the world that I am seeking to excite +"dissension among the churches," and "opposition to the +constituted authority of Synod."<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a> It would therefore be +great dereliction of duty to return to my field of labor, allowing +my own views, and the views of my co-laborers, to be thus mistaken in the +Church, and such serious charges against our course unanswered. I am not +aware that any censorship of the press has been authorized by General +Synod. Surely if others are allowed to be heard for us we should be allowed +the right to be heard for ourselves. We were unable by writing from Amoy to +get our views before the Church. I must, therefore, while in this land, +endeavor to make them known.</p> + +<div class="footnote"> + <p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> + If this language seem too strong or uncalled for, see Appendix B, at the end.</p> +</div> + +<p>I have been advised by some to delay the publication of +this paper a few months, until we learn the effect of the decision +of the last Synod on the Mission at Amoy, and see what course the Church +there may feel compelled to adopt. I do not see the force of such advice. +Whatever may be the course of the Church there, the intrinsic merits of +the question will be unchanged thereby. Besides this, I cannot afford +such delay. I have been looking forward to as speedy return +as possible to that field of labor. Would it be right to +leave the whole subject to the eve of my departure, and thus +shut myself off from the possibility of defending or further +explaining my views, if such defense or explanation be called +for?</p> + +<p>I have been asked, Why not bring this subject before the +Church through the columns of the <i>Christian Intelligencer</i>? +This question, after what has been said above, need not now +be answered. Doubtless the editor is responsible for what +appears in his columns. The only resource left the Mission +seems to be the one I have chosen.</p> + +<p>I regret the necessity of discussing the subject, since the +action of the last Synod, but we could not discuss it previously +without running counter to the same advice which would now restrain us. +I do not at all suppose, however, that by the course I am taking I shall +become guilty of disobedience "to the authority of Synod." Neither should +it be the occasion of creating "dissensions in the churches." +The discussion of any important subject in a proper spirit is +neither opposed to the doctrines of the Sacred Scriptures, nor +to the doctrines of the Dutch Church, and I am willing to +leave it to those who may read the following pages to decide +whether there be in them any manifestation of an improper +spirit. We, and those who differ from us, are all seeking the +same end, i.e. the glory of God through the advancement of +his cause. All that I ask for myself and co-laborers is an +<i>impartial hearing</i>.</p> + +<p>Perhaps, in order to guard against any mistaken impression, +I ought to add that the relations between the Missionaries +and the Board of Foreign Missions of our Church, have always been of the +most pleasant character. Whatever have been their differences of opinion +on this most important subject, or on any other subject, they have not +caused, so far as I am aware, the least interruption of that warm Christian +friendship which has always existed, or been the occasion of +one unkind utterance in all their mutual correspondence. +Why not so? Cannot Christians reason with each other, even +on subjects of the highest moment, in such a spirit as not +only to avoid animosities, but even to increase personal friendship? +If this paper should prove the occasion of discussion in +our Church, let me express the hope that such discussion will +be carried on in such a spirit.</p> + +<p> +J.V.N. TALMAGE.<br /> +<br /> +<span class="smcap">Bound Brook</span>, N.J., October, 1863.<br /> +</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>HISTORY</h2> + +<h4>AND</h4> + +<h2>ECCLESIASTICAL RELATIONS</h2> + +<h4>OF</h4> + +<h3>THE CHURCHES OF THE PRESBYTERIAL ORDER,</h3> + +<h4>AT</h4> + +<h3>AMOY, CHINA.</h3> + + +<p>The first Protestant Missionaries at Amoy arrived there in the year +1842. They were Dr. Abeel of the American Reformed Dutch Church, and +Bishop Boone of the American Episcopal Church. After these there arrived +Missionaries of the London Missionary Society, of the American +Presbyterian Church, of the English Presbyterian Church, and others of +the American Reformed Dutch Church.</p> + +<p>Bishop Boone soon left Amoy, and no others of his Church have since then +been stationed there. The American Presbyterian Mission was removed to +other parts of China. At the present time there are three Missions at +Amoy, viz.: the Missions of the American Reformed Dutch Church, of the +London Missionary Society, and of the English Presbyterian Church.</p> + +<p>The Missionaries of the London Missionary Society are Independents or +Congregationalists, and have organized their churches after the +Congregational order. Thus their churches form a distinct Denomination, +and nothing further need be said of them in this paper.</p> + +<p>The first Missionary of the English Presbyterian Church at Amoy was Dr. +Jas. Young. He arrived in May, 1850. At that time there were two +Missionaries connected with our (R.D.C.) Mission, viz.: Rev. E. Doty, on +the ground, and Rev. J.V.N. Talmage, absent on a visit to the United +States. There were then under our care six native church members. Five +of them had been baptized by our Missionaries at Amoy. The other had +been baptized in Siam, by a Congregationalist or Presbyterian Minister +of the A.B.C.F.M.</p> + +<p>Dr. Young, being a physician, and not an ordained Minister, instead of +commencing an independent work, inasmuch as our doctrines and order of +church government did not essentially differ from those of his own +Church, very naturally became more especially associated with us in our +work. A school under the care of our Mission, of which Mr. Doty did not +feel able to continue the charge, was passed over to his care. He also +rendered medical assistance to the Missionaries, and to the Chinese, +both in Amoy, and by occasional tours in the country. In his labors he +was usually assisted by native Christians under our care.</p> + +<p>The first ordained Missionary of the English Presbyterian Church, at +Amoy, was Rev. William C. Burns. He joined Dr. Young in July, 1851. +While he rendered considerable assistance to the brethren of the London +Missionary Society, being ready to preach the gospel at every +opportunity, providentially he became especially associated with us, and +with the native Christians under our care. A remarkable outpouring of +the Spirit of God had accompanied the labors of Rev. Mr. Burns, in his +native land. So the remarkable outpouring of that same Spirit in Amoy, +and vicinity, occurred sometime after his arrival, and much of this good +work was manifestly connected with his labors. The permanent work in the +country around Amoy commenced through his instrumentality, in connection +with native members of the church under our care. We desired him to +take the charge of that work, and gather a church at Peh-chui-ia, under +the care of the English Presbyterian Church. But, at his urgent request, +we took the pastoral oversight of the work in that region, administering +the sacraments to the native converts.</p> + +<p>Rev. James Johnstone, of the same Mission, arrived in December, 1853. He +undertook the care of the church being gathered at Peh-chui-ia, +assuming, in behalf of the English Presbyterian Church, all the expenses +thereof, we continuing the pastoral oversight until such time as his +knowledge of the language should be sufficient to enable him to relieve +us.</p> + +<p>In consequence of the ill-health of Dr. Young, he and Mr. Burns left +Amoy, in August, 1854. Mr. Johnstone, in consequence of ill-health, left +in May, 1855, before he was able to relieve us fully from the pastoral +care of the church at Peh-chui-ia.</p> + +<p>Rev. Carstairs Douglas, of the same Mission, arrived at Amoy in July, +1855, and immediately entered on the work of Mr. Johnstone, we +continuing the pastoral oversight of the church at Peh-chui-ia, until +his knowledge of the language enabled him to assume it.</p> + +<p>Before the brethren of the English Presbyterian Church were able to +assume pastoral responsibility, the work spread from Peh-chui-ia to +Chioh-be. It was thought best that we take the charge of that station.</p> + +<p>After the departure of Dr. Young, all the Missionaries of the English +Presbyterian Church, for several years, were unmarried men. Therefore, +they resolved to devote themselves more especially to work in the +country, leaving to our especial care the church in the city of Amoy, +and the one out-station at Chioh-be. Amoy was still necessarily their +place of residence. All their work at Amoy was in connection with the +church under our care. In the country we assisted them as we had +opportunity, and as occasion demanded. They did the same for us. In +fact, we and they have worked together as one Church, and almost as one +Mission, with the exception of keeping pecuniary matters distinct.</p> + +<p>More recently the English Presbyterian Mission was reinforced by one +member with a family, and it seemed a proper time for them to commence +more direct work at Amoy. A very populous suburb (E-mng-kang) was +selected as a suitable and promising station. They assumed the immediate +care, and all the expense of it, employing, as at all the other +stations, indiscriminately, members of their own or of our churches as +helpers.</p> + +<p>We are not afraid that our Church will ever blame us for working thus +harmoniously, and unitedly, with our English Presbyterian brethren, and +we feel confident that none of her Missionaries would consent to work on +any other principles. If there be any who, under similar circumstances, +would refuse thus to work, this would be sufficient evidence that they +had mistaken their calling. If any blame is to be attached to the course +the Missionaries have pursued, it is not that they have worked thus in +harmony and unison with the English Presbyterian brethren, but that they +have failed to keep the churches under their care ecclesiastically +distinct. Some do feel inclined to censure us for this. It must be, +however, because of some great misapprehension on their part. The Synod +has distinctly uttered a contrary sentiment, i.e. that the course of the +Missionaries is not censurable. We do not believe that our Church, when +she understands the true state of the case, will ever censure us on this +account. It would not be according to the spirit of her Master. He +prayed that His people might be one, but he never prayed for their +separation from each other. When separation is necessary, it is a +necessary <i>evil</i>. But more of this hereafter. Our Church might well have +censured us, if we had adopted lower principles as her representatives +in building up the Church of Christ in China.</p> + +<p>The first organization of a church at Amoy under our care, by the +ordination of a Consistory, took place in 1856. The Missionaries of our +Board then on the ground were Doty and Talmage. Mr. Douglas was the only +Missionary of the English Presbyterian Church. (Mr. Joralmon, of our +Church, arrived between the time of the election and the ordination of +office-bearers.) When the time came for the organization of the Church, +we felt a solemn responsibility resting on us. We supposed it to be our +duty to organize the Church in China with reference simply to its own +welfare, and efficiency in the work of evangelizing the heathen around. +Believing (after due deliberation) that the order of our own Church in +America would best secure this end, of course we adopted it. We did not +suppose that we were sent out to build up the <i>American</i> Dutch Church in +China, but a Church after the same order, a purely Chinese Church. How +much the growth and efficiency of our Church in this country has been +promoted by retaining (rather inserting) the term "<i>Dutch</i>" in her name, +I will not now attempt to discuss. I suppose the principal argument in +favor thereof is found in the fact that our Church, in the first +instance, was a colony from Holland. The Church in China is not a colony +from Holland, or America. We must not, therefore, entail on her the +double evil of both the terms "<i>American</i>" and "<i>Dutch</i>" or the single +evil of either of these terms. Your Missionaries will never consent to +be instrumental in causing such an evil.</p> + +<p>We had already adopted the order and customs of our Church at home, so +far as they could be adopted in an unorganized Church. The English +Presbyterian brethren had adopted the same. They found that there were +no differences of any importance between us and them; the churches being +gathered under our care and under theirs—growing out of each other and +being essentially one—neither we nor they could see any sufficient +reason for organizing two distinct denominations. Especially had <i>we</i> no +reason for such a course, inasmuch as they were willing even to conform +to our peculiarities. We most cordially invited Mr. Douglas to unite +with us in the organization of the Church, and he as cordially accepted +of the invitation.</p> + +<p>In reference to this subject Mr. Douglas wrote to their Corresponding +Secretary as follows: "I need hardly say that this transaction does not +consist in members of one church joining another, nor in two churches +uniting, but it is an attempt to build up on the soil of China, with the +lively stones prepared by the great Master-builder, an ecclesiastical +body holding the grand doctrines enunciated at Westminster and Dort, and +the principles of Presbyterian polity embraced at the Reformation by the +purest churches on the continent and in Britain; it will also be a +beautiful point in the history of this infant Church that the +under-builders employed in shaping and arranging the stones, were +messengers of two different (though not differing,) churches in the two +great nations on either side of the Atlantic."</p> + +<p>The course of Mr. Douglas met with the decided approval of their +Secretary, and, as he had reason then to believe, and has since fully +learned, with the approval of their Church.</p> + +<p>We also sent a communication to our Church, addressing it to General +Synod. We directed it to the care of one of our prominent ministers, for +a long time Secretary of the Board, with the request that it be laid +before the Church, using language as follows: "You will, doubtless, +receive this paper some months before the time for the next meeting of +that Body [General Synod]. We would suggest therefore, that the paper be +published, that the members of the next General Synod may have the +matter before them, and be the better prepared to make such disposition +of it as the subject may demand. We feel that the subject is one of very +grave importance," &c.</p> + +<p>Our communication was laid before the Board of Foreign Missions. They +designated it a <i>Memorial</i>, and decided that they had no right to +publish it. Of course we had no means of publishing it ourselves. It was +laid before Synod among other papers of the Board. The action of Synod +on the subject was as follows (Minutes of Synod, 1857, pp. 225-227):</p> + +<p>"Among the papers submitted to the Synod is an elaborate document from +the brethren at Amoy, giving the history of their work there, of its +gradual progress, of their intimate connection with Missionaries from +other bodies, of the formation of the Church now existing there, and +expressing their views as to the propriety and feasibility of forming a +Classis at that station. In reply to so much of this paper as respects +the establishment of individual churches, we must say that while we +appreciate the peculiar circumstances of our brethren, and sympathize +with their perplexities, yet it has always been considered a matter of +course that ministers, receiving their commission through our Church, +and sent forth under the auspices of our Board, would, when they formed +converts from the heathen into an ecclesiastical body, mould the +organization into a form approaching as nearly as possible that of the +Reformed Dutch Churches in our own land. Seeing that the converted +heathen, when associated together, must have some form of government, +and seeing that our form is, in our view, entirely consistent with, if +not required by, the Scriptures, we expect it will in all cases be +adopted by our Missionaries, subject, of course, to such modifications +as the peculiar circumstances may for the time render necessary. The +converts at Amoy, as at Arcot and elsewhere, are to be regarded as 'an +integral part' of our Church, and as such are entitled to all the rights +and privileges which we possess.</p> + +<p>"And so in regard to the formation of a Classis. The Church at home will +undoubtedly expect the brethren to associate themselves into a regular +ecclesiastical organization, just as soon as enough materials are +obtained to warrant such measure with the hope that it will be +permanent. We do not desire churches to be prematurely formed in order +to get materials for a Classis, nor any other exercise of violent haste. +But we equally deprecate unnecessary delay, believing that a regular +organization will be alike useful to our brethren themselves, and to +those who, under them, are training for the first office-bearers in the +Christian Church on heathen ground. As to the difficulties suggested in +the memorial, respecting the different Particular Synods to which the +brethren belong, and the delays of carrying out a system of appellate +jurisdiction covering America and China, it is enough to say:—(1) That +the Presbyterian Church (O.S.) finds no insuperable difficulties in +carrying into operation her system which comprehends Presbyteries and +Synods in India as well as here; and (2) That whatever hindrances may at +any time arise, this body will, in humble reliance upon the divine aid +and blessing, undertake to meet and remove them as far as possible. The +Church at home assumes the entire responsibility of this matter, and +only asks the brethren abroad to carry out the policy, held steadily in +view from the first moment when our Missions began.</p> + +<p>"The following resolutions are recommended:</p> + +<p>"<i>Resolved</i>, 1. That the Synod view with great pleasure the formation of +churches among the converts from heathenism, organized according to the +established usages of our branch of Zion.</p> + +<p>"2. That the brethren at Amoy be directed to apply to the Particular +Synod of Albany to organize them into a Classis so soon as they shall +have formed churches enough to render the permanency of such an +organization reasonably certain."</p> + +<p>It should be noticed that, in the foregoing Report, which was adopted by +Synod, the most important question—the vital question—of our +communication, i.e. the <i>unity</i> of the churches under the care of the +English Presbyterian Missionaries and of us, is entirely ignored; and +consequently, without the fact being stated, we were directed to divide +those churches, and form a part of them into a distinct Denomination.</p> + +<p>If the English Presbyterian Church had disapproved of the course of +their Missionaries in uniting with us in organizing the native churches +with our peculiarities, we think even that would have been strange. It +would have appeared to us as though they were sacrificing some of the +essentials of Presbyterianism for the sake of non-essentials, for, in +our organization, they found all that they hold essential in doctrine, +order, and customs. Suppose the position of the two Missions had been +reversed, they had been first on the ground, and when we arrived we +found the Church being planted and beginning to grow up after their +order. If we had found in the Church thus growing up <i>all</i> that we hold +essential and important, even though it had some little peculiarities +which were theirs and not ours, ought not our Church to have permitted +us to work with them, as they have been permitted to work with us? If +such be not the true Christian spirit, than we frankly confess that we +know not, and despair of ever learning from the Word of God, what the +Christian spirit is on such a subject. But whether such disapproval on +the part of the English Presbyterian Church would have been strange or +not, it would not have been so strange as was the decision of our +Church, that the churches organized by the English Presbyterian brethren +and by us—all one in fact, growing out of each other, and all adopting +our order, should not be organically one. Hence, when we learned from +our Board the decision of Synod, we felt (correctly or incorrectly) that +there must be some misapprehension. Surely our Church cannot have +correct views of our position, and our course of proceeding. Hence, we +returned answer to the Board as follows:—(Letter dated December 23, +1857.)</p> + +<p>After speaking of our hearty approval of the course of our Church in +separating from the A.B.C.F.M., though as individuals we took our leave +of that Board with feelings of sadness, we remarked:</p> + +<p>"It seems proper to us also, on the present occasion, to allude to a +subject deeply affecting the interests of the little Church which God +has graciously gathered by our instrumentality from among this people. +This Church is now small, but we trust that, with a continuance of the +Divine blessing, the 'little one' will soon 'become a thousand,' and the +'small one a strong nation.' 'The Lord will hasten it in his time.' We +love this Church, and cannot but watch over her interests with jealous +care. Besides this, the Great Shepherd has made us under-shepherds, and +commanded us to watch over the interests of this flock. We gave a brief +history of our work, and an account of the present condition and +peculiar circumstances of the churches here under our care, and stated +at considerable length our views in reference to the future +ecclesiastical relations of these churches, in a paper prepared for the +information of our Church at home, and addressed to General Synod. The +facts thus communicated ought to be known by the Church. It seems to us +very unfortunate that that paper was not published according to our +suggestion. It stated facts of grave importance. If we could have had a +representative in General Synod, the previous publication of our paper +might have been unnecessary. But, without such a representative, it was +hardly possible that the subject, by a single reading of so long a +document, could be brought before the minds of all the members of Synod +with sufficient clearness.... Therefore it is not strange that some of +the important points in the paper should have been entirely overlooked, +and also that certain grave misconceptions should have got abroad in the +Church concerning the views expressed by us.</p> + +<p>"So far as we can judge from the report of the proceedings of Synod, as +given in The Christian Intelligencer, one of the most important +considerations—perhaps altogether the most important mentioned—why the +Church, gathered by us here, should not be an <i>integral part</i> of the +Church in America, was entirely overlooked. That consideration relates +to the <i>unity of Christ's Church</i>. Our Saviour prays: 'Holy Father, keep +through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be +one as we are one.' 'That they all may be one, as thou, Father, art in me, +and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe +that thou hast sent me. And the glory which thou gavest me, I have given them, +that they may be one, even as we are one.' Will our Church require of +us, will she <i>desire</i> that those here who are altogether <i>one</i>—one in +doctrine, one in their views of Church order, and one in mutual love—be +violently separated into two Denominations? We cannot believe it. +Suppose the case of two Churches originally distinct. By coming into +close contact, and becoming better acquainted with each other, they find +that they hold to the same doctrinal standards, and they explain them in +the same manner; they have the same form of Church government, and their +officers are chosen, and set apart in the same way; they have the same +order of worship, and of administering the sacraments; all their +customs, civil, social, and religious, are precisely alike, and they +love each other dearly; should not such churches unite and form but one +Denomination? Yet, such a supposition does not, and cannot, even after +you allow all the likeness and unity between the two churches it is +possible to conceive of, represent the circumstances of the churches +gathered by us, and by our Scotch brethren of the English Presbyterian +Church. Our [theirs and ours] Churches originally were one, and still +are one; and the question is not whether those churches shall be united, +but, shall they be separated? Possibly (not probably) the question will +be asked, why were these churches allowed originally to become one? We +answer, <i>God made them so</i>, and that without any plan or forethought on +our part, and now we thank him for his blessing that he has made them +one, and that he has blessed them because they are one.</p> + +<p>"That misconceptions have got abroad in our Church concerning our +views, we have abundant evidence from various private letters. They were +written with the most kindly feelings towards us, but evidently under +the impression that we find difficulty in organizing our churches +according to the order of the Dutch Church. We have never found any +difficulty of this kind. It is true that when we were called to the +solemn duty of <i>commencing</i> a church organization in an empire +containing one-third of the inhabitants of the globe, we gave the +subject of church polity a more careful investigation than we had ever +before given it. The result of this investigation was a cordial (and, as +we think, intelligent) approval of the order and forms of our own +Church. We have commenced our organization according to the order of the +Dutch Church, and we expect to proceed, as fast as the providence and +grace of God lead the way, after the same order; and we use the forms of +our own Church. Our Presbyterian brethren unite with us in these things.</p> + +<p>"But it is not strange that such misconceptions should be spread in the +Church. They are the necessary result of publishing certain remarks made +in Synod concerning our paper, without publishing the paper itself.</p> + +<p>"In the Report of the Synod, Synod's Board, Board of Foreign Missions, +it is said: 'It would have been well if the memorial had been placed, in +a printed form, in the hands of the ministry. This they [the +Missionaries] suggested, but the Board felt it was purely a Synodical +matter—that they could not act in the case.' With all due respect, and +with the kindest feelings, we desire to make three remarks on this +subject. <i>First.</i> We do not understand the principle on which the Board +felt called upon to decide whether our letter should be published or +not. It was not addressed to the Board, nor sent to the care of the +Board. The opinion of members of the Board as <i>individuals</i> might have +been asked, but we suppose that the Board in their official capacity +had nothing to do with the paper. <i>Secondly.</i> Inasmuch as the paper +emanated from us, if 'it would have been well' to have had it published, +our suggestion was a sufficient warrant for its publication. The +responsibility would have been ours. It had not yet become a Synodical +matter. Afterwards it would have been a legitimate question for the +Synod to decide whether they would entertain a paper coming before them +in such a manner. This question might well have been left to General +Synod. <i>Thirdly.</i> A short time previous to the writing of that paper, +unless our memory is greatly at fault, a communication was received from +the Arcot Mission (or Classis of Arcot), addressed to General Synod, +which was thus published, according to the request of the Arcot +brethren, and without the authority of Synod.</p> + +<p>"Our position is a somewhat painful one. We desire to give offense to no +one, and we do not wish to appear before the Church as disputants. We +have no controversy with any. We have neither the time nor inclination +for controversy. We are 'doing a great work' and cannot 'come down.' +Yet, our duty to these Churches here, and to the Church at home, and to +our Master, demands of us imperatively, that we state fully and frankly +our views. We have the utmost confidence in our Church. We have proved +this by endeavoring to get our views fully known. And we feel grateful +for the spirit of kindness towards us manifested in the action of Synod, +and also in the letters received from fathers and brethren in the +ministry, notwithstanding their misconception of our views. But, we have +also learned, how easily our views may be mistaken. In our paper, +addressed to General Synod, when discussing the difficulties in the way +of the Synod's jurisdiction over churches so far removed in time, +distance, and circumstances, we remarked:—'Will written correspondence +supply the place of representation? It would place our Classis under +great disadvantages. There must usually be a delay of one or two years +on every subject on which there is need of a decision by either Synod. +If anything is not understood, or is misunderstood, in our +communications, there will be no one to explain for us. Difficulties of +this kind, from want of knowledge of the civil and social circumstances +of this people may frequently occur. Could we have representatives from +among us, they could usually be easily explained; but without this +representation, they can only be explained by a long correspondence, +which may cause years of delay.' The whole of this misunderstanding, +which has arisen out of our first communication, and the length of time +and the amount of correspondence which may yet be necessary, before we +can see 'eye to eye,' give a striking illustration of the force of these +remarks."</p> + +<p>So far as the preamble and resolutions of the Synod of 1857 embody the +doctrines, and what we supposed to be the policy of our Church, we +heartily agreed with them. Of course we were pained to see that they +implied, that, in organizing a Church at Amoy, we had not proceeded +according to the order of our Church, or had found great difficulty in +doing so. This was altogether a mistake, and was already producing evil +results. We think there is another mistake in the preamble. It seems +small, but because of this fact, and of its plausibility, it has done +more, perhaps, than anything else in leading our Church into the false +position which she seems now to occupy. Therefore, we should examine it +with some care. It is the assumption, as a matter of course, that, "the +converts at Amoy" are "an <i>integral part</i> of our Church," in this +country. What made them so? Is it because they were converted through +the instrumentality of the preaching of our Missionaries? This is a new +doctrine, that a convert as a matter of course belongs to the Church of +the preacher through whose instrumentality he has been led unto Christ. +Perhaps it was the doctrine of some of the Corinthians, when they said, +"I am of Paul, and I of Apollos," &c., but it was not the doctrine of +the Apostle who reproved them. Besides this, how shall we know which of +them were converted through our instrumentality? The English +Presbyterian brethren and ourselves have preached indiscriminately. Is +it because they were baptized by our Missionaries? But many of them were +baptized by the English Presbyterian brethren. They have baptized in our +churches, and we in theirs. If they be an <i>integral part</i> of the Dutch +Church in America, they are also an integral part of the Presbyterian +Church in England. We, it is true, baptized a majority, say two-thirds. +Are they, then, two-thirds of an integral part in America, and one-third +of an integral part in England? No. The whole is a fallacy. Each +individual Church there is an integral part of the whole of them. All +together, they form an <i>integer</i>. They might by the act of our Church, +and <i>a correlative act on their own part</i>, become an integral part of +the Church in America? In a similar way they might become an integral +part of the Church in England. They are now an <i>integer</i> of themselves. +To make one portion of them an integral part of the Church in this +country, and another portion an integral part of the Church in England, +is to be guilty of causing <i>a violent rupture</i>.</p> + +<p>We felt that the consequences were so momentous, that, before we should +allow ourselves to be instrumental in thus (as we supposed) rending the +"Body of Christ" at Amoy, we should make another effort to get the facts +before the Church. As yet, we could not, if we would, carry out the +resolution of Synod, and organize a Classis in connection with the +Particular Synod of Albany, for, it was not till several years after, +only very recently, that we had materials "enough to render the +permanency of such an organization reasonably certain." Therefore we +wrote, as above, under date of December 23, 1857, and frequently wrote +on the subject, as occasion offered.</p> + +<p>Although our views were not made public (the Board judging that they had +no right, or that it would not be for the good of the Church, and the +interests of the Mission, to publish them), still we continued to +prosecute our labors, in connection with the English Presbyterian +brethren, receiving and giving mutual assistance. We were encouraged +thus to continue our work: 1. Because of letters we received from home, +some of them written by individuals who were able advocates of the +decision of the Synod of 1857. They told us that it could not be +otherwise than that a separation must come between us and the brethren +of the English Presbyterian Church, but they would not have us +inaugurate that separation. 2. (and more important) Because a marvelous +blessing from on high was attending our labors. 3. (and most important) +Because we knew this harmonious and mutual assistance to be entirely in +accordance with the spirit of the Gospel.</p> + +<p>In process of time a Church was organized at Chioh-be by the appointment +of elders and deacons, then at Peh-chui-ia, then at Mapeng, and then the +Church at Amoy was divided into two distinct organizations. Thus we had +five organized churches, all of our order—the elders and deacons chosen +and set apart according to our Forms, and all our Forms in use so far as +there was yet occasion for them. Two of these churches were under the +especial care of the English Presbyterians, and pecuniarily the work +was sustained by funds collected in England and Scotland. The other +three were under our especial care. The pecuniary expenses, beyond what +the native churches could themselves raise, were borne by our Church at +home.</p> + +<p>One of the essential principles of our Church polity is, that individual +Churches are not independent of each other. They are members one of +another. They are to be subject to each other. They are individual parts +of a whole. Each part should be subject to the whole. Hence the +necessity of higher judicatories. Thus we felt that these five churches +had a right to an ecclesiastical organization, by which they might enjoy +this essential principle of Presbyterianism. [I trust we shall hear no +more of the charge that the Missionaries at Amoy are Congregationalists.] +But we were afraid to give this organization to the native churches, lest +we should give offense at home. We knew that we were misunderstood, and as +yet could see no way to make the Church acquainted with our position and +our views. If the Master should plainly call us to go forward, of course +we must obey, and leave the results with Him.</p> + +<p>These churches, having grown out of each other, were essentially one, +and were as closely united together as it was possible for them to be, +without a formal organization. The first formal meeting of all these +churches was held at Chioh-be (a church under <i>our</i> care), in 1861. No +ecclesiastical power was assumed. The next similar meeting was held in +April, 1862, in the churches at Amoy. This was still more formal. It was +composed of all the Missionaries of our own and of the English +Presbyterian Church, and of one representative Elder from each of the +five organized churches. This body may be called an incipient Classis. +The only ecclesiastical power exercised, however, was connected with +church discipline. Heretofore each individual Church, in connection with +the Missionaries, had exercised the power of discipline, even to +excommunication. Now certain cases of excommunication were referred by +individual Consistories to, and acted on by, this body. Is it necessary +to defend such acts? We felt that if each individual church could +exercise such power, and the principles of our Presbyterianism be +scriptural, then could a body, composed of the representatives of these +churches, together with the Missionaries, with safety exercise such +power. It was approaching as nearly as possible to the practice of our +Church at home. We expected soon to be called to the performance of +ecclesiastical acts more momentous. Already had two of the churches +chosen two of the native members, who were now engaged in careful study, +that in due time they might be set apart to the office of the Ministry +of the Word, and ordained pastors of the churches respectively choosing +them. But for reasons given above we would not go forward faster than we +were plainly led by the hand of Providence. Therefore, while the +Missionaries, in presence of this assembly, examined these +pastors-elect, in reference to their qualifications for the office of +Pastor, the body, as such, took no part in the examination.</p> + +<p>This incipient Classis met next in the autumn of the same year at +Peh-chui-ia, a church under the care of the English Presbyterian +brethren. At this meeting it became a real Classis, not fully developed +as a Classis in a mature Church, but possessing the constituent elements +and performing the functions of a Classis. Not only were there cases of +discipline to act on, but a distinct application was made by one of the +churches, that a pastor be ordained, and placed over them. The body +decided, not only that they had the right, but that the plain call of +the Great Head of the Church made it their duty to go forward in this +matter. Preliminary steps were taken, other meetings of Classis were +appointed and held, candidates were examined, calls presented and +approved, until early in the present year the First and Second Churches +at Amoy had each a native pastor ordained and installed over them. By +the authority of this Classis, in the early part of this year, a third +church was organized at Amoy according to our order. It is in the suburb +called E-mng-kang, and is under the especial care of the English +Presbyterian brethren, as mentioned in a previous part of this paper. So +now there are six organized churches, all of the same order, and some +others almost ready to be organized. If the Missionaries at Amoy have +been guilty of any great mistake, it has been in this matter of forming +such a Classis, and proceeding to the ordination and installation of +native pastors, and the organization of new churches. Therefore, this +subject demands a careful examination.</p> + +<p>When we commenced the work among the heathen, it was found that the +Constitution of our Church had made no provision for such work beyond +the simple ordaining of men as Missionaries. We might preach the gospel, +but no provision was made for receiving into church fellowship, +administering the sacraments, electing and ordaining office-bearers, +and all the incipient steps of the organization of the Church from among +the heathen. The Constitution was made for the government of a Church +already organized and matured, and in America; therefore, it is not +strange that such things were not provided for. Our duty seemed very +plain. We must fall back on the great principles of church government +taught in the Word of God. We believed these principles to be set forth +in the Constitution, and other standards of our Church.</p> + +<p>When, through the instrumentality of the preached Word, men gave +satisfactory evidence that they had experienced "the renewing of the +Holy Ghost," without the advice of Consistories, by virtue of our office +of Ministers of the Word, we administered to them the sacrament of +baptism, thus admitting them into the church. Now the Lord's Supper must +be administered to these believers, baptism to their infant children, +and to new converts, and the discipline of God's house maintained. By +virtue of that same office, and by virtue of the authority given by the +Master to his Church, we felt that we had the right, aye, that it was +our bounden duty, to perform such acts. We could not yet for a long time +set apart a proper Consistory, but we must not therefore be "lords over +God's heritage." In receiving new members, and in all acts of +discipline, we must advise with the church already gathered.</p> + +<p>The church grew, and in due time a Consistory was called for; must the +work stop, because the Constitution had made no provision? No. The +little church had the right to choose men, and having chosen suitable +men, it was our duty to ordain them. The authority we thus exercised was +not usurped, but was implied in the commission we received from our +Master through the Church. The same may be said of the authority of the +brethren at Amoy, when, in connection with the representative elders of +the various churches, they proceeded to the ordination of native +pastors, and the organization of new churches. It was not necessary for +the performance of every act to get a new commission from the Church. +When the Church sent us out, the one commission contained all the +authority necessary for the complete organization of the church. It is +an absurdity to deny, on <i>constitutional grounds</i>, the right of the +Missionaries to perform these last acts unless you deny their right to +perform all their other acts except the simple preaching of the Gospel. +Their acts were all <i>extra</i>, not <i>contra</i> constitutional. If their +authority thus to act be justified in reference to the former acts, and +denied in reference to the latter, the justification and denial must be +on other grounds than the Constitution of our Church.</p> + +<p>Will any one assert that the Classis thus formed at Amoy is not a +Classis <i>de facto</i>? or that the native pastors ordained and installed by +that body are not <i>scripturally</i> set apart to their offices, and that +its other acts are null and void? If so, then, as yet, there are no +organized churches—no Consistories—at Amoy, and there have been no +scriptural baptisms, for all ecclesiastical acts performed there, have +been performed on the same principles, and by the same authority. No one +will have the hardihood to assert such a doctrine. It will be admitted +that there is a Classis <i>de facto</i> at Amoy. Then it is competent to +perform all the functions of a Classis. But it will not be contended +that that Classis is a part of the Dutch Church in America. Yet it is +essentially like a Classis in America, just so far as the present state +of development of the Church at Amoy, and its Chinese character, render +likeness possible. It is <i>Chinese</i>, not <i>American</i>. The organization of +such a Church is what we always supposed required of us. We never +imagined that we were sent to organize the <i>American</i> Dutch Church in +China. If your Missionaries are allowed to proceed, and are not required +to repel the English Presbyterian brethren from their united labors with +us, there will be but one Church at Amoy of the Presbyterian order. With +the continued blessing of God on such harmonious labor, it will be <i>the +Church</i> of that region. It will be dear to both the Presbyterian Church +in England, and to our Church in this land, and peculiarly dear to our +Church in this country, because of its Dutch characteristics. Your +Missionaries will still be your agents, responsible to the Church at +home, as they have always been. The near relation to the Church in this +land, which they have always held, they desire to retain. The late +action of Synod contemplates the <i>formation of two denominations at Amoy +of the Presbyterian order, giving our peculiarities to one-half instead +of to the whole, thus producing rivalries, injuring the efficiency of +the native churches, and making the relation of the Missionaries to the +Church at home more distant, thus weakening your hold on them</i>, and all, +as we think, without any remunerating advantages. But before we proceed +to the discussion of this subject, a few other preliminaries demand some +attention.</p> + +<p>The English Presbyterians, as they are accustomed to speak of all the +Classes of our Church in America, call this Classis at Amoy "<i>a +Presbytery</i>." Hence the question has been put to us with all sincerity +and gravity, "Is it a <i>Classis</i>, or is it a <i>Presbytery</i>?" Some seem to +be afraid that the Church we are forming will be half Dutch and half +Presbyterian, and that it will soon be swallowed up by the +Presbyterians! Are there any ministers, or elders, or intelligent +members of the Dutch Church, who have yet to learn that a Classis is a +Presbytery, and that the Dutch Church is a Presbyterian Church? Surely +not. Why, then, such questions and suggestions? Can they be designed to +prejudice the Church at home against the ecclesiastical body which has +grown up at Amoy? We will not impute such a motive, and, therefore, I +merely say that we are surprised at all such remarks. It is proper for +the English Presbyterian brethren to speak of the <i>Presbytery</i> at Amoy. +They never speak of it as an <i>English</i> Presbytery. They do not regard it +as a part of the Church in England, but as a purely Chinese Church. They +have liberality enough to assist in building up such a Church, even +though it has some things peculiar to us, for it has all the essentials +of their own order. Will it not seem to them that our Church is +deficient in liberality, when they learn the decision of the last Synod?</p> + +<p>In connection with this subject, it is proper to speak more particularly +of the liberality of the English Presbyterian Church. When it is +remembered that that Church is really a branch of the Free Church of +Scotland, it will not be supposed that their liberality is the result of +indifference to anything which they regard essential or important. +Seldom has our world witnessed such sacrifice for the sake of principle +as was exhibited by that Church, when she came out from the +Establishment. Their liberality is a beautiful illustration of the +Christian spirit. The course of their Missionaries at the first +organization of a church at Amoy, and the approval thereof, have been +already alluded to. In consequence of the recent formation of a Classis, +the subject naturally came up again this year. It was laid before their +Synod, which met a few weeks previous to ours. In the report of their +Foreign Committee, which corresponds to our Board of Foreign Missions, +the following language is used in reference to the Church at Amoy:</p> + +<p>"As all the elements of Presbyterian organization thus existed [each +church having native elders], a further step was taken last April +[1862], when a Presbytery was constituted at Amoy by mutual consent, +consisting of all the American brethren and our own, as well as +representative elders from the several congregations. Its name is +neither the Greek 'Presbytery' employed in this country, nor is it the +Latin 'Classis,' which has long been used in Holland; but it is 'Tai +Tiong-lo-hoey,' or Great Meeting of Elders, genuine Chinese, and a +hopeful earnest of the facility with which our representative and +consultative system of polity will find its way among a sensible and +self-governing people. Of course it is not intended that this Presbytery +should in any way come between the Missionaries themselves and the +Committee or Board by which the respective Missions are administered at +home; but for the management of local matters, for disposing of +questions which may arise in the several congregations, and in regard to +which a session may require counsel or control; and for the very +important purpose of exemplifying in the most legitimate way +ecclesiastical unity, it is essential that Missionaries and native +office-bearers should come together in some such capacity. The +proceedings are conducted in Chinese, which is the only language +understood by all the members of Court, and it is in Chinese that the +minutes are kept. Three meetings have already been held. At the last, +held in January, important business was transacted affecting the 1st and +2d Congregations of Amoy, both of which are under the immediate +superintendence of the American Mission. Each congregation is desirous +of the settlement of a stated pastor, and each has agreed to call a +minister, the one congregation promising a stipend of $14 a month, and +the other $13. The calls were sustained, and the Presbytery agreed to +meet on February 21st, to proceed with the 'trials' of the brethren thus +elected. As these proved satisfactory, Sabbath, the 29th of last month, +was appointed as the day for their ordination.</p> + +<p>"Dr. Peltz, the esteemed Corresponding Secretary of the Board of Foreign +Missions of the R.P.D.C. of N.A., has apprised the Committee, that it is +possible that a Presbytery of this composite character may not secure +the approval of their Synod. In separating from the A.B.C.F.M., and in +setting up a separate and ecclesiastically organized mission, that +Synod was anxious to introduce into its different Mission fields a +system of Church government which it believed to be scriptural, and +adapted to all lands. Consequently, in these Mission fields it sought to +form Classes or Presbyteries which should be connected with Provincial +and General Synods in the same way as are the Classes on the American +continent. And Dr. Peltz is apprehensive lest the General Synod in +America should regard as a deviation from this plan the amalgamation in +one Presbytery of their own agents with those of another Church.</p> + +<p>"We are hopeful, however, that on further consideration, our brethren in +America may allow their Missionaries in China to continue the present +arrangement, at least until such time as it is found that actual +difficulties arise in the way of carrying it out. 'Behold how good and +how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity;' and there +are few brethren towards whom we feel closer affinity than the members +of that Church, which was represented of old by Gomarus and Witsius, by +Voet and Marck, and Bernard de Moore, and whose Synod of Dort preceded +in time, and pioneered in doctrine, our own Westminster Assembly. Like +them, we love that Presbyterianism and that Calvinism which we hold in +common, and we wish to carry them wherever we go; but we fear that it +would not be doing justice to either, and that it might compromise that +name which is above every other, if, on the shores of China, we were to +unfurl a separate standard. We would, therefore, not only respectfully +recommend to the Synod to allow its Missionaries to unite, +Presbyterially as well as practically, with the brethren of the R.D.C.; +but we would express the earnest hope that the Synod of the sister +Church in America may find itself at liberty to extend to its +Missionaries a similar freedom."</p> + +<p>These sentiments were <i>unanimously</i> adopted by the Synod of the English +Presbyterian Church.</p> + +<p>It seems perfectly reasonable that two Churches of Christ so nearly +alike, in attempting to plant the Church of Christ in the same place in +a heathen land, should strive, if possible, to form their converts into +one organization. The existence of different Denominations in the same +place in any Christian land, at the best, is only a necessary evil. God +may bring some good out of this evil, but this is not a sufficient +reason why we should create such divisions, for their own sake. Hence, +the liberality of the English Presbyterian Church is so manifestly in +accordance with the Christian spirit, that it might have attracted no +especial notice from us. But the proceedings of our own Synod, by +contrast, as it seems to us, have forced it out in bold relief. <i>They</i> +were willing to support their Missionaries in laboring with ours, and +building up a Chinese Church, not differing essentially from theirs, but +with some characteristics peculiar to ours. <i>We</i>, though the Church thus +organized has not only all the essentials but all the peculiarities of +our own Church, still refuse such Christian co-operation, preferring to +rend asunder the Church already formed, and organize a part of it a +distinct Denomination, connected with the Church in America. I cannot +yet believe that such is the sentiment of our Church. There must be some +great misapprehension. But such is really the decision of the last +Synod. Here is the language of the Committee which was adopted by the +General Synod:</p> + +<p>"Your Committee do not see any propriety in re-enacting the law of 1857 +already quoted, because it has never been repealed, and remains +therefore in full force and virtue. Nor, if the reasoning in this report +be correct, would they have the law repealed, believing as they do, +that the maintenance of the principle contained in it is essential to +the success of our Missionary operations in foreign parts, and to the +wholesome liberality of the Church at home.</p> + +<p>"The Committee are not prepared, however, to recommend that any violent +or coercive resolutions should be adopted for the purpose of +constraining our brethren in Amoy to a course of procedure which would +rudely sever the brotherly ties that unite them with the Missionaries of +the English Presbyterian Church. But a Christian discretion will enable +them, on the receipt of the decision of the present Synod in this +matter, now under consideration, to take such initial steps as are +necessary to the speedy formation of a classis. Much must be left to +their discretion, prudence, and judgment. But of the wish and +expectation of this Synod to have their action conform, as soon as may +be, to the resolutions of 1857, your Committee think the brethren at +Amoy should be distinctly informed. They therefore offer the following:</p> + +<p>"1. <i>Resolved</i>, that the General Synod, having adopted and tested its +plan of conducting Foreign Missions, can see no reason for abolishing +it, but, on the contrary, believe it to be adapted to the promotion of +the best interests of the Foreign Missionary Churches, and of the +denomination supporting them.</p> + +<p>"2. That the Board of Foreign Missions be, and hereby is, instructed to +send to our Missionaries a copy or copies of this report, as containing +the well-considered deliverance of the Synod respecting their present +relations and future duty.</p> + +<p>"3. That the Secretary of the Foreign Board be, and hereby is, directed +to send to the Rev. Dr. Hamilton, of London, Convener of the +Presbyterian Committee, a copy of this Report, with a copy of the action +of 1857, and that he inform him by letter of the wishes and expectations +of the Synod respecting the ecclesiastical relations which this body +desires its churches in Amoy to sustain to it."</p> + +<p>The above is only an extract from the close of the Report of the +Committee, and contains the result at which they arrived. In reference +to it we would make three remarks. (1). It (Res. 3) seems rather a +cavalier answer to the fraternal wish of the Synod of the English +Presbyterian Church, as expressed in their action. (2.) The action of +Synod is made to rest (Res. 1) on the fact that Synod had "tested" this +"plan of conducting Foreign Missions." If this be so, and the plan had +been found by experiment unobjectionable, the argument is not without +force. But how and where has this test been applied, and found so +satisfactory? Our Church has three Missions among the heathen: one in +India, one in China, and one in Japan. Has it been tested in Japan? No. +They have not yet a single <i>native</i> Church. Has it been tested in China? +If so, the Missionaries were not aware of it. The test applied there has +been of an opposite character, and has been wonderfully successful. The +test has only been applied in India, and has only <i>begun</i> to be applied +even there. There, as yet, there is but one native pastor. Their Classis +is more American than Indian. We must wait until they have a native +Classis, before the test can be pronounced at all satisfactory. True, +that Mission has been very successful since they formed what is called a +Classis in connection with the Synod in America. But has it been more +successful than the Mission at Amoy? Compare the amount of labor and the +money expended on the two Missions, and then look at the results, and +thus decide about the tests. It is in no spirit of vainglory that we +call for such a comparison. Studiously have we avoided it, and the +responsibility must rest on those who compel us to it. (3.) No +consideration is had for the feelings, wishes, or opinions of the native +Churches. Some consideration is shown for the feelings of the English +Presbyterian Missionaries. This is as it ought to be. Yet it is a matter +of <i>comparatively</i> little importance. <i>The inalienable rights of the +native churches, their relation to each other, their absolute +unity—things of the utmost consequence</i>—are not at all regarded, are +entirely ignored!</p> + +<p>It would have occupied too much space to have quoted the whole of the +Report of the Committee. The preceding part of it occupies nearly six +pages of the Minutes of Synod. Yet we may not pass that part over in +silence, for, while with much of its contents we have no dispute, it +contains some grave mistakes of fact, and, as we think, some very grave +errors of doctrine. It grieves me to say thus much, and also to feel +compelled to add the following strictures. But, in order to discuss this +subject, duty required the careful examination of the whole of the +Report, and, finding in it such errors, the clear statement of them. It +might be easy, perhaps, to account for the fact, that mistakes, in a +report, unprinted, and of such length, should escape the notice of +Synod, but an attempt to apologize for that body might give occasion to +infer more disrespect than simply to point out the mistakes.</p> + +<p>After some introductory remarks, chiefly concerning the difficulty of +their task, the Committee "begin with the assertion of principles." +These they make three in number. The sum of the first principle is that +<i>a Church, by divine arrangement, has government</i>. The essential idea of +their second principle, so far as we can understand it, is, that <i>the +Dutch Church has a clearly defined government</i>. The Missionaries at +Amoy, as well as the ministers in this country, admit both these +principles fully. But they do not affect the question in dispute. Not so +with the third principle of the Committee. Lest I might be supposed to +misrepresent, I will quote their own language: "No government can, +voluntarily, relinquish its powers, and abnegate its authority without +thereby inviting disorder, disquietude, and, in the end, its +destruction." Is this, indeed, as the Committee assert, one of the +"admitted principles" of our Church? one of the "convictions in the mind +of our Church, hardly separable in idea from its very existence?" one of +the "old truths maintained through blood and flame?" If the doctrine be +true, the Church in Holland had no right to relinquish its authority +over the Church in America. If this doctrine be a "principle" of our +Church, never, <i>never</i> could your Missionaries consent to be +instrumental in bringing the Church in China, which now has liberty in +Christ Jesus, into such <i>perpetual</i> bondage. Once bring the Chinese +churches under the authority of the Church in America, and it matters +not how great may be their growth, and how many centuries may pass away, +the Church in America can never relinquish her authority over them! But +this is not an "admitted principle" of our Church. The Dutch Church is +<i>protestant</i>, not <i>papal</i>. Instead of the principle being one of the +"<i>old truths</i> maintained through blood and flame" by her, it is an <i>old +error of the Papacy</i>, for rejecting which she poured out her blood so +freely, and would do the same to-day. Yet in the Report of the Committee +this error of Romanism, guilty of the blood of thousands upon thousands +of the saints of the Most High, is made to lie at the basis of the +action of the last Synod!</p> + +<p>The Committee next proceed to the statement of "certain historic facts." +As with the "admitted principles," so with the "historic facts." With +some of them we have no dispute. But when they come to describe the +present condition and relations of the churches at Amoy, their language, +to say the least, is very unfortunate. "These six Churches," say they, +"have grown up together under such an interchange and community of labor +on the part of our own Missionaries, and on the part of those belonging +to the English Presbyterian Church, that all are said to have a two-fold +ecclesiastical relation—one with England—one with America, and still a +third, and economical and domestic relation among themselves, which is +covered and controlled by what is styled 'The Great Presbyterial or +Classical Council of Amoy.'"</p> + +<p>We do not know by whom these native Churches "are said" to have a +two-fold or three-fold <i>ecclesiastical</i> relation. It is not so said by +the Missionaries. They contend that the native churches are neither +English, nor American, but <i>Chinese</i> churches. They are ecclesiastically +related to each other, and ought to remain so. But the effort is now +made to sever this ecclesiastical relation to each other, and bring half +of them into ecclesiastical relationship with the Church in America, +making them the Protestant Reformed Dutch Church of <i>North America, in +China</i>! At present the native churches have an intimate, but not an +<i>ecclesiastical</i>, relation to both the Church in England and America.</p> + +<p>From the above mistaken statement the Committee have drawn out three +"<i>particulars</i>" which they seem to think especially worthy of note.</p> + +<p>"1st. That while this Chinese Presbyterial or Classical Council is +itself an autonomy—having the right to ordain ministers, exercise +discipline, and do whatever else a 'self-regulating Classis' or +Presbytery can or may do, still the whole in England is claimed to be +the Presbytery of Amoy, and to this Synod it is reported as the Classis +of Amoy."</p> + +<p>How dreadful! English Presbyterians call the body at Amoy a +<i>Presbytery</i>, and American Dutchmen call it a <i>Classis</i>! If this +language is also meant to imply that the Classis at Amoy is usurping +authority, it is answered in other parts of this paper.</p> + +<p>The next "particular" of the Committee is:</p> + +<p>"2d. The Missionaries, while they are members of this Grand Presbyterial +or Classical Council, exercising full ministerial functions in it, are, +at the same time, members either of Classes in America, or of +Presbyteries in Great Britain."</p> + +<p>The meaning of this second "particular" is, that the Missionaries have a +two-fold ecclesiastical relation. Is there anything contrary to +Scripture doctrine, or to Presbyterian principles, or to common sense, +that ecclesiastical relations should correspond to fact?—that the +Missionaries should have some sort of an ecclesiastical relation, both +to the Church at home and to the Church in China? They have a peculiar +relationship to both these Churches. Why forget or ignore the fact that +they are <i>Evangelists</i> and <i>not Pastors</i>? Why object to an +ecclesiastical relationship exactly corresponding to, and required by, +their office and position? The two parts of this relationship do not +contradict each other. They are altogether correlative. The Missionaries +are still agents of the Church which sent them out. Their ecclesiastical +relation to it should be direct, that they may be controlled by it, +independent of any intermediate body. The Church at home cannot afford +to cut off her Missionaries from this immediate relationship so long as +they remain her agents. This does not conflict with, but requires some +sort of a corresponding relationship to the Churches planted and growing +up through their instrumentality. Their relationship to those Churches +must have reference especially to local matters, for the proper +organization, and control, and development of the native churches, not +at all to be controlled by them. When they cease to be agents of the +Church at home, and become the proper <i>pastors</i> of the native churches, +then will be the proper time to put themselves under the control of the +native churches, instead of the Church at home. We must not confound +<i>evangelization</i> with <i>colonization</i>. Does any one imagine that Paul and +Barnabas, and Timothy and Titus, or any of them (for they were not all +apostles), had connection with the Church which sent them out, <i>only</i> +through the churches and ecclesiastical bodies organized by them? or +that they were in any sense under the control of those bodies?</p> + +<p>The next and last "particular" of the Committee is "3d. That while the +Churches, three at least, are organized under and according to the +Constitution of our Church, it is, nevertheless, claimed that the +members of said Churches are not more members of the Reformed Dutch +Church here, than they are members of the Presbyterian Church of +England."</p> + +<p>The words of this third "particular" are almost (not quite) accurate. +Yet they appear to us like special pleading. They would have been +strictly correct if they had run as follows: "These Churches are <i>all</i> +(why say, '<i>three at least</i>'?) organized according to (not +'<i>under</i>'—see pages 28-30) the Constitution of our Church. Therefore it +is claimed that they form a Church of our order in China, but that the +members thereof are neither members of the Reformed Dutch Church here, +nor members of the Presbyterian Church in England." Such are the facts. +It would have been better if the Committee had so stated them. The +effort is now made to divide these churches, and make three of them a +part of the Dutch Church in America.</p> + +<p>There is one more paragraph in the report of the Committee which demands +notice. It is:</p> + +<p>"Your Committee can easily understand how reluctantly our Missionaries +may have been, or may still be, to disturb, or alter, or modify the +relations of the Churches at Amoy. But they conceive it to be their duty +to say that feeling should never be allowed to take the place of +conscience, nor to discharge its functions; and so long as our +Missionaries claim to be subordinate to the authority of General Synod, +they should allow this body to assume the responsibility of its chosen +and deliberate policy."</p> + +<p>It seems to us the Committee are not much more fortunate on the subject +of casuistry, than on Church "government" and "historic facts." The +Missionaries do "claim to be subordinate to the authority of General +Synod," but they also claim to be subordinate to the <i>Supreme +authority</i>. Now suppose—we shall not be charged with insubordination +for the mere supposition—suppose the Synod, through some +misapprehension, should direct us to pursue a course, which, after the +most mature reflection, we felt to be injurious to the cause of Christ, +and consequently contrary to His will—will the fact of the Synod +"assuming the responsibility" clear our skirts? Who is the Lord of +conscience? General Synod? It seems to us, while the Committee conceive +it to be their duty to deliver to the Missionaries at Amoy a lecture on +the importance of giving heed to conscience, in the very same sentence +they direct us to hold conscience in abeyance. But where did the +Committee learn that their Missionaries were influenced by <i>feelings</i> +and not by <i>conscience</i>, and that too in reference to the laying of the +foundation of the Church of Christ in such an empire as that of China; +that they felt called upon in this solemn manner to deliver such a +lecture? Would such a reflection have been cast on any other body of +ministers in our Church? or is it supposed that men who give themselves +to the work of preaching the gospel in heathen lands are less under the +influence of conscience than those who remain at home? <i>They conceived +it to be their duty!</i> Was it?</p> + +<p>So much for the Report of the Committee of Synod. The decision of Synod +has been given, as stated above. The important question now is, what +will be the result of this decision on the Church at Amoy? This +question, however, cannot yet be answered with certainty, for we cannot +yet even guess what course the Missionaries there, when they learn the +decision of Synod, will feel it their duty to pursue. There may be more, +but I can now only think of three ways open before them. (1.) <i>To ask +the Board to recall them.</i> They firmly believe that their course of +proceeding, in organizing the Church at Amoy, is not only in accordance +with the teachings of the Holy Scriptures, but also with the principles +of our Church. To be the instruments, then, of dividing the Church, +which God has gathered by their hands, may be to sin against their +consciences. They may therefore ask the Board to appoint other agents to +carry out the decision of Synod. This would not be insubordination, but +perfect subordination both to the authority of Synod and also to that +authority which all Protestant Christians acknowledge to be <i>supreme</i>. +This, I suppose, would be the most natural course for the brethren to +take, except for one consideration; that is, their love for the Churches +gathered by them, or under their care, and their responsibility in +reference to the spiritual welfare of those disciples of the Lord. It +would be the severest trial they have ever been called on to endure to +be recalled from their work. Therefore (2.) <i>They may delay their +action</i>, making one more effort to get their views published, hoping +that the Church will yet change her decision, and not require of them to +engage in a proceeding which they think will be so injurious to the +cause of Christ; but, on the contrary, will approve of the course +heretofore adopted by them as altogether scriptural, and the true +doctrine of our Church. Or (3.) They may <i>possibly</i>, after mature +reflection, think the <i>least evil</i> will be <i>to carry out the decision of +Synod</i>, although that decision be altogether contrary to their own +judgment. Then they will take three of the six churches, which now are +all of our order, and organize these three a separate Denomination and +an integral part of the Church in America. This is the course which at +home will be generally expected of them.</p> + +<p>Now let us suppose that they will adopt this third course, and then let +us look calmly at its results—at the supposed or real advantages +thereof, and the supposed or real evils thereof.</p> + +<p>We first look at the <i>Advantages</i>.</p> + +<p>1. The most important is, or is supposed to be, that there will thus be +higher courts of jurisdiction to which appeals may be made, and by which +orthodoxy and good order may be the better secured to the Church at +Amoy. Such advantages, if they can be thus secured, we would by no means +underrate. There sometimes are cases of appeal for which we need the +highest court practicable—the collective wisdom of the Church so far as +it can be obtained; and the preservation of orthodoxy and good order is +of the first importance. Now let us see whether the plan proposed will +secure these advantages. Let us suppose that one of the brethren feels +himself aggrieved by the decision of the Classis of Amoy, and he appeals +to the Particular Synod of Albany, and thence to the General Synod. He +will not be denied the right to such appeal. But, in order that the +appeal may be properly prosecuted and disposed of, the appellant and the +representative of Classis should be present in these higher courts. Can +this be secured? Is the waste of time, of a year or more, nothing? and +where shall the thousands of dollars of necessary expense come from? Now +suppose this appellant to be a Chinese brother. He also has rights. But +how, on this plan, can he possibly obtain them? Suppose (which of itself +is an absurdity) that the money be raised for him, and he is permitted +to stand on the floor of Synod. He cannot speak, read, or write a word +of English. Not a member of Synod can speak, read, or write a word of +his language, except it be the brother prosecuting him. I ask, is it +possible for him thus to obtain justice? But, waiving all these +disadvantages, the only points on which there is the least probability +that an appeal of a Chinese brother would come up before the higher +courts, are points on which these higher courts would not be qualified +to decide. They would doubtless grow out of the peculiar customs and +laws of the Chinese—points on which the Missionary, after he has been +on the ground a dozen years, often feels unwilling to decide, and takes +the opinion of the native elders in preference to his own. Is it right +to impose a yoke like this on that little Church which God is gathering +by your instrumentality in that far-off land of China? But it is said, +that these cases of appeal (because of impracticability) will very +rarely or never happen. Be it so; then this supposed advantage will +seldom or never occur, and if it should occur, it would prove a +disadvantage. The highest practical court of appeal for the native +churches can be secured only on the plan for which the Missionaries +contend. Why must we deprive the native Christians of the benefit of the +collective wisdom of all the churches of like doctrine and order among +them?</p> + +<p>As regards orthodoxy and good order, it is incumbent on the Church at +home to use her utmost endeavors to secure these. Doubtless this was the +great design of Synod, both in the action of 1857 and in the action of +1863. But will the plan of Synod give us any greater security for these +things? How can they be secured? We answer, under God, <i>only</i> through +your Missionaries. The greater your hold on your Missionaries, the +better security for the churches under their care. The plan of Synod +would place your Missionaries <i>ecclesiastically</i> almost beyond your +control. They must be dismissed from the various Classes in this +country, and, together with the native churches under their care, form +themselves into a Chinese Classis. Either they will have a controlling +influence over the native portion of this Classis or they will not. If +they have, then your only way to discipline them will be to discipline +their Classis. It would be a new doctrine in our Church, to make the +Board of Foreign Missions an <i>ecclesiastical</i> medium between the Synod +and one of its Classes, or to enforce discipline over the ministry by +the <i>money rod</i>. The Classis, <i>as such</i>, must be disciplined by the +direct act of Synod. Or, suppose the Missionaries do not have such +controlling influence over the native members of Classis, for the native +members will outnumber, and, unless the action of Synod (as we greatly +fear) seriously retard the work at Amoy, will very soon greatly +outnumber the Missionaries. What then? Your Missionaries are under the +ecclesiastical control of the native converts. Their doctrines and +morals are to be decided on by a court composed mainly of recent +converts from heathenism. The only way to bring them before the higher +courts in this country, is through this native court, as we have already +seen, almost an impossibility. Is it not plain that the Church at home +will not thus have a moiety of the control over her Missionaries she now +has? Is this the way to keep the Church at Amoy sound and pure? It +seems to be supposed by some that the Missionaries desire to be +separated from the control of the Church at home. This is altogether a +mistake, and another result of withholding their views from the public. +They have no such desire. The contrary is altogether the fact. They do +not desire to be placed under the control of the native Chinese +churches. They did not derive their authority from those churches, they +are not sustained by them, and they are in no sense their agents, but +they derive their authority through, are sustained by, and are +altogether the agents of the Church in this country; therefore the +Church at home has and should retain control over them. They are +amenable to the Church at home, through their several Classes. These are +the only courts qualified to take cognizance of their doctrines and +morals. They desire to remain in this relation. We think they have a +right to demand this, until such time as they become agents of the +Church in China, instead of the Church in America.</p> + +<p>Suppose by some means suspicion should arise at home concerning the +orthodoxy or morality of one or more of your Missionaries. On the plan +proposed, what can the Church do with them? May the Board of Missions, +on mere report or suspicion, recall them without giving them a proper +trial? Can the Board try them? No. It is not an ecclesiastical court. +Will the Church be satisfied with the decision of a court, a majority of +whose members have recently been converted from heathenism through the +instrumentality of these very Missionaries? But continue the plan of the +Missionaries and all will be simple. If any of the Missionaries give +occasion for suspicion, let them be tried by their proper Classes in +this country. This is all that the Church at home can do +<i>ecclesiastically</i> towards keeping the Church pure in China. Whether +the proposed <i>nominal</i> union be consummated or not, the only hold you +will have on the Chinese churches will be through your Missionaries. If +they will not receive the instructions, and listen to the advice of your +Missionaries and of the Synod through them, you would not expect them to +obey the injunctions of Synod. Your only other resort will be to +withhold from them help. Can you not do the same now?</p> + +<p>But in all this discussion, I fear, we lose sight too much of our +dependence on the Head of the Church to keep His Church pure. Sure I am +that the Church in China cannot be kept pure by legislation on this, the +opposite side of the globe. But we expect Christ to reign over, and the +Holy Spirit to be given to the churches, and the proper ecclesiastical +bodies formed of them in China as well as in this land. Why not? Such +are the promises of God. The way to secure these things is by prayer, +and the preaching of the pure gospel, not by legislation. Let the Church +be careful in her selection of Missionaries. Send only such as she has +confidence in—men of God, sound in the faith, apt to teach—and then +trust them, or recall them. Don't attempt to control them contrary to +their judgment. Strange if this, which is so much insisted on as the +policy of our Church, be right, that she cannot get a single man, of all +she sends out to China, to think so. Can it be that the Missionary work +is so subversive of right reason, or of correct judgment, or of +conscientiousness, that all become perverted by engaging in it?</p> + +<p>2. Another supposed advantage is the effect it will have in enlisting +the sympathies of the Church in behalf of the Mission at Amoy. It is +said, tell the Church that we have a flourishing Classis at Amoy, a part +of ourselves, connected with General Synod, just like all the other +Classes of our Church, the effect will be wonderful in enlisting +sympathy, money, and men in behalf of that Mission; otherwise the +opposite evil must be apprehended. If these things be so, they are +indeed of grave importance. The Mission in China cannot live without the +sympathy of the Church at home. But are these things so? It seems to us +that the supposition takes for granted that our Church in its Missionary +work is influenced by a desire for self-glory, or self-gratification; +or, at least, that she is not a Church of liberal views—that she is not +at all to be compared, in this respect, with the English Presbyterian +Church, or the Free Church of Scotland. Allusion has already been made +to the liberality of the English Presbyterian Church. I may now also +remark that a large amount of the funds for carrying on the work at Amoy +is raised in Scotland from members of the Free Church. They never had +any idea that the churches gathered in China were to be a part of their +own Church. They do not even ask that they be a part of their sister +Church in England. They only ask that they shall be sound in the faith +and hold to the essentials of Presbyterianism, even though they have +some characteristics peculiar to the Dutch and other Reformed Churches. +These Presbyterian brethren in England and Scotland are not only ready +to support their own Missionaries in their work of building up the +churches under their especial care, but they stand ready to assist the +Missionaries of our Church in building up the churches under our +especial care. Of their frequent offers to assist us, when they feared +we should be in want of funds, our Board can bear testimony. We are not +yet willing to believe that our people are a people of narrow views in a +matter like this. It is contrary to our history in time past. It is +contrary to the facts of the present day. It is contrary to all my +observation among our churches. Our people do not first ask whether it +be building <i>ourselves</i> up, before they sympathize with a benevolent +object. We believe the contrary is the exact truth. It requires a +liberal policy to call forth liberal views and action. As regards the +enlisting of men, look at the facts. Every man who has gone out from +among you, to engage in this Missionary work, begs of you not to adopt a +narrow policy. So in regard to obtaining of funds. Usually, the men who +are most liberal in giving are most liberal in feeling. This must be so +in the very nature of things. The way to alienate the sympathies of the +Church from the Mission at Amoy is to divide the Church there by a +sectarian policy; and the way to enlist her sympathies is to continue +the former plan, and let the work go forward with the Divine blessing as +in days past. The people will be more encouraged, and praise God more +heartily, when you tell them of six organized churches like our own, and +many others growing up all around, than they will if you tell them of +only three churches, and only a few out-stations, under our care. They +will not object to hear that the English Presbyterian brethren are +laboring with us, and organizing churches so nearly like our own. +However powerful the motive addressed to the desire to build up our own +Church, there are motives infinitely more powerful. Such are the motives +to be depended on in endeavoring to elevate the standard of liberality +among our people.</p> + +<p>Let brethren in the Ministry try the experiment, and tell their people +of the wonders of God's grace:—that he has led his servants from our +own Church in this land, and from the Presbyterian Church in Great +Britain, in their work of evangelizing the heathen, and laying the +foundation of the Church of Christ, to lay aside all national +animosities, and rise above all denominational prejudices and +jealousies—that he has given to the Presbyterian Church in England, +and the sister Church in Scotland, a spirit of catholicity and +liberality as exhibited in the previous part of this paper—and that, as +a consequence, he is causing his Church to grow up in the region of Amoy +in beautiful proportions, all the congregations under their care and +ours also manifesting the same spirit of catholicity and liberality, +submitting to each other according to the Divine command, working +together with the utmost harmony, and, as a consequence, with wonderful +effectiveness. Can you account for such things except by the energy of +the Spirit of God? Surely it is not the spirit of the world, neither is +it the spirit of the devil. Try the experiment, then, and see whether +the wonders of God's grace will alienate the hearts of his people. Your +Missionaries have no doubt—we can hardly understand how any who examine +the subject can doubt—we are sure that no one can personally behold the +work and yet doubt, that the wonderful blessing of God, which has +accompanied the work at Amoy, has been both the cause and the result of +this harmonious labor on the part of your Missionaries, and those from +the sister Churches in England and Scotland. Therefore, we feel assured +that the simple recital of the grace of God thus manifested, must +influence the hearts of his people most powerfully, and therefore it is +that we beseech the Church not to interfere with, and hinder the work of +God. May we not refer, without being charged with disrespect, to the +Synod of Jerusalem as a proper example for our General Synod? Peter +says, "Why tempt ye God to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, +which neither we nor our fathers were able to bear?" And then the +decree, which the Synod sent to the Churches, runs thus: "It seemed good +to the Holy Ghost and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than +these <i>necessary</i> things." The ecclesiastical "power which the Lord +hath given" to his Church is "to <i>edification</i>, and not to +<i>destruction</i>."</p> + +<p>If the Missionaries be allowed to proceed in building up a Church, like +our own, simply with reference to the evangelization of China, doubtless +brethren in the ministry, and other influential men, could take occasion +therefrom to prejudice the Churches against our work. They could do +this, if they were so disposed, without any such occasion. But will they +do it? We cannot believe that they will. They love the cause of Christ +too well, and desire to see the world converted to God too ardently, to +permit them to throw any obstacles in the way of our work, even though +that work be not carried forward in the manner which they consider +altogether the best. If we are right, these brethren will soon see that +we are right, and however powerful the motive to be addressed to the +desire of extending our own Church, they will find infinitely more +powerful motives to be addressed to a more noble desire of the Christian +heart. If our people have not yet learned, they should be taught to +engage in the work of evangelizing the world, not for the sake of our +Church in America, but for the sake of Christ and His Church, and when +the Church thus built up is like our own, they should be fully +satisfied. We believe they will be satisfied with this.</p> + +<p>3. The only other supposed advantage I can now think of, is the +advantage of carrying out the <i>policy</i> of our Church. This, in itself +considered, might be regarded worthy of but little attention. +Cannot—ought not—the Church change her policy if wrong, or if a better +can be adopted? Surely her laws are not like those of the Medes and +Persians. But the argument has been used with so much earnestness and +perseverance, both in the Reports of the Committees and in the +discussions in Synod, that it demands some investigation. Instead of +the course pursued by the Missionaries being, as it is contended, +contrary to, it is the true policy of our Church—the policy in +existence long before the decision of 1857. If the course now required +of them be the present policy of our Church, it is a <i>mistaken</i> policy, +contrary to the very genius of our institutions, and ought to be +corrected. It is so contrary to our time-honored Constitution that +either it or the Constitution must be sacrificed. In order to save the +policy it was found necessary during the past year to amend the +Constitution by a clause so sweeping, that if the circumstances of a +Missionary Classis require it, "<i>all the ordinary requirements of the +Constitution</i>" may be dispensed with by the General Synod. Can it be +that a policy which requires <i>such constitutional changes</i> can be the +old and proper policy of our Church? But if the policy be continued we +are not yet done with changes. The very <i>name</i> of our Church must be +changed. It now is "The Reformed Protestant Dutch Church <i>in North +America</i>." We must expunge the words "<i>in North America</i>," or must add +India, China, and Japan, and every other country where the Church may +undertake Missionary work. We know it has been said of this policy, "it +is our <i>settled, irreversible</i> policy." Is every thing then to be +regarded as <i>unsettled</i> and <i>changeable</i> but this policy of the Church? +We answer, No. The Church may change her name, if she please, as she has +changed her Constitution. Or she may change her policy. But there are +certain fundamental principles of Church government which she may not +change. Hence, even yet, the principles for which the Missionaries +contend must remain the true policy of our Church, for they lie at the +very foundation of Presbyterial order. A full discussion of this subject +will come up most naturally when we discuss the <i>evils</i> of the course +now required of us. I will now allude to only one fact. The Board of +Foreign Missions was formed on this principle. If the Classes at Arcot +and Amoy are to be considered <i>integral</i> parts of the Church in this +country, related to General Synod like the Classes in this country, then +the Missionaries at those stations properly should come under the Board +of Domestic Missions. Suppose, according to the new plan, the +Missionaries form themselves into the kind of Classis now required of +them; what will be the relation of the Classis of Amoy to the Board of +Foreign Missions? Is the Classis, in evangelizing the heathen around, to +operate through the Board, or the Board through the Classis? The Classis +at Amoy decide on a certain course of ecclesiastical procedure, or +evangelistic labor, and the Board decides on another course; how is such +a matter to be settled? Will it be said, there is no danger of such +difficulty? The Classis and Board will both be composed of men with +infirmities. Ask the Board whether there have not already been incipient +difficulties, in the supposed clashing of the powers of the Board and +the powers of the Classis of Arcot. But the Classis of Arcot as yet is +little more than an <i>American Missionary Classis</i>. What will be the +difficulties when it becomes an <i>Indian</i> Classis? But we are told, "keep +the Mission and Classis distinct." Is the Mission, then, to attend to +all the evangelistic work, and the Classis to do nothing? Or are there +to be two distinct evangelistic policies carried on at Amoy, the one by +the Mission, and the other by the Classis? Or is the Classis first to +come over to the Synod, and so get to the Board in order to carry on the +work around? Instead of this new plan being the settled policy of our +Church, we believe it to be a solecism. When a Church is established +among the heathen after our order, then is the true policy of our Church +carried out. Let the present relations of the Missionaries to the Board +and to their several Classes remain, and there will be no occasion for +the clashing of the powers of the Board with those of any +ecclesiastical body.</p> + +<p>So much for the <i>advantages</i>. They are really disadvantages, leading to +<i>serious evils</i>, which of themselves should be sufficient to deter the +Church from inaugurating the policy proposed, or, if it be already +inaugurated, to lead her to retrace her steps, and adopt a better and a +consistent policy.</p> + +<p>Now let us consider the real or supposed <i>Evils</i> (in addition to the +above) of carrying out the decision of Synod.</p> + +<p>1. It will not be for the credit of our Church. She now has a name, with +other Churches, for putting forth efforts to evangelize the world. Shall +she mar this good name and acquire one for sectarianism, by putting +forth efforts to extend <i>herself</i>, not her doctrines and order;—they +are not sectarian, and her Missionaries esteem them as highly as do +their brethren at home—but <i>herself</i>, even at the cost of dividing +churches which the grace of God has made one?</p> + +<p>The decision of the last Synod may not be the result of sectarianism +among the people of our Church. We do not think it is. But it will be +difficult to convince our Presbyterian brethren and others, that it is +not so. By way of illustration I will suppose a case. A. is engaged in a +very excellent work. B. comes to him, and the following dialogue ensues:</p> + +<p>B. "Friend A., I am glad to see you engaged in so excellent a work. I +also have concluded to engage in it. I should be glad to work with you. +You know the proverbs, 'Union is strength,' and 'Two are better than +one.'"</p> + +<p>A. "Yes, yes, friend B, I know these proverbs and believe them as +thoroughly as you do. But I have a few peculiarities about my way of +working. They are not many, and they are not essential, but I think +they are useful, and wish to work according to them. Therefore, I prefer +working alone."</p> + +<p>B. "Yes, friend A., we all have our peculiarities, and, if they be not +carried too far, they may all be made useful. I have been making +inquiries about yours, and I am glad to find they are not nearly so +many, or so different from mine, as you seem to suppose, and as I once +supposed. The fact is, I rather like some of them, and, though I may not +esteem them all so highly as you do, still I am willing to conform to +them; for I am fully persuaded that, in work of this kind, two working +together can do vastly more than two working separately, and the work +will be much better done. Besides this, the social intercourse will be +delightful."</p> + +<p>A. "I appreciate, friend B., your politeness, and am well aware that all +you say about the greater efficiency and excellence of united work, and +the delights of social intercourse is perfectly true. But—but—well, I +prefer to work alone."</p> + +<p>2. It will be destroying a <i>real</i> unity for the sake of creating one, +which, at the best, can be only <i>nominal</i>, and hence will really be a +violation of Presbyterial order. It seems strange to us that it should +be constantly asserted that we are striving to create a formal union +between two bodies which are essentially distinct. There is nothing of +the kind. There are six organized churches at Amoy. They are all Dutch +(i.e. Reformed), and they are all Presbyterian, for the Dutch Churches +are all Presbyterian. But they are Chinese, not American, nor English, +nor Scotch. If these churches are not <i>one</i>, then it is impossible for +two or more individual churches to be one. If schism in a Church be a +sin, then the separation of this Church will be a sin, for it will be +an actual schism. You can make nothing more nor less of it. If you say +that schism is only an evil, then the separation of this Church will, at +least, be an evil.</p> + +<p>Perhaps it will be thought that <i>schism</i> is too hard a term whereby to +designate the separation of the Church at Amoy. Never mind the word, +then, but let us look at the facts. The proper Classis of Amoy, composed +of all the churches of like order, and of the Missionaries, has +proceeded, according to the order of our Church, to ordain and install +native pastors, and to perform a few other necessary ecclesiastical +acts. These pastors are now called on to separate from, and break up +that body, through which they received their office! The opinions and +wishes of these native pastors, as well of the native Classis, and the +native churches, are all ignored! Are such things right? Are these the +doctrines or policy of the Dutch Church? We are told that we need say +nothing to the native churches on the subject. Is this right? Is the +Dutch Church a hierarchy? Does the General Synod claim authority to +order the division in such a manner of a Classis of the Church of Christ +without the consent of that Classis? "<i>What God hath joined together let +not man put asunder.</i>"</p> + +<p>In consequence of fallen humanity, there are evils which we call +necessary evils. Such is the case of different Denominations of +Christians in the same region of territory. They differ in sentiment on +important (or supposed to be important) subjects, and because of this +difference in sentiment, they can work together in greater harmony, and +with greater efficiency, by being formed into distinct organizations. +Such, however, is not the case of the six churches at Amoy, and others +growing up under their care and the care of your own and the English +Presbyterian Missionaries. Even when Churches agree in doctrine and +order, it is sometimes better, and sometimes necessary, in consequence +of geographical separation or national distinctions, to form distinct +organizations. It is better, or necessary, that the Churches in Holland, +and America, and South Africa, be ecclesiastically distinct. We do not +call this an evil, for all the advantages of ecclesiastical courts and +control are better thus secured. But suppose a case. There are, say, +thirty Dutch churches in the city of New York. Now, suppose there were +no others of the same order throughout this whole land: instead of +allowing these churches to remain one organic whole—forming Classes and +Synods, as the growth and convenience may allow and direct—it is +proposed to take one-half of these churches, form them into a distinct +organization, thus depriving them of ecclesiastical relations to the +other half, and attach them to an ecclesiastical body in China—a nation +of different customs and different language. How should we designate +such an act? The first part would be schism, and the last part would be +folly. The only difference between such a procedure and that required of +us is, that the churches at Amoy have been gathered partly by our +instrumentality, and are dependent partly on us for instruction. If our +Presbyterial order be scriptural, all these churches at Amoy, growing +out of each other, are bound to associate together, ecclesiastically. It +is their duty to submit to each other. They would also be bound to +submit to the Church of the same order in England and America, and every +other country throughout the world, if it were possible and convenient. +But such relation is not convenient, or possible. Therefore, we must +choose that which is possible and most convenient. It is possible, and +it is convenient, that they associate together. It is not possible that +they all be subject to the Church in England, and, at the same time, to +the Church in America. It is not convenient that they all be subject to +either of these Churches. We do not think it is convenient that one-half +of them be subject to either of these Churches. Besides the sin, or +evil, of schism, they never can be properly represented in the higher +ecclesiastical bodies of either of these Churches. They never can have +an Elder present (I speak now of their connection with the Church in +America, for this is the subject before us). They never can have a full +representation of ministers. Only very seldom can they have even one +minister present. He usually will only be one who is ill, and +consequently not a proper representative. The native element, <i>i.e., the +chief element</i> of the Church can never be represented at all. The +representation, at the best, will only be a representation of your +Missionaries, not at all of the Chinese Church. Therefore, we assert +that such a union would not be <i>real</i>, not even <i>apparent</i>, only +<i>nominal</i>. In striving after it, we are pursuing a chimera, destroying a +substance for the sake of a shadow.</p> + +<p>But it is offered as an objection to our views, that the Presbyterian +Church (O.S.) has Presbyteries and Synods in India and China. Yes, they +have three Presbyteries and a Synod in India, and have had for twenty +years. But even yet there is not so much of a native element in their +whole Synod as there is already in the little Church in the region of +Amoy. As an ecclesiastical body, it is not <i>Indian</i> in its +characteristics—it is <i>American</i>. So with all their Presbyteries in +Siam and China, with the exception, perhaps, of the Presbytery at +Ningpo. They are <i>American</i> Presbyteries, not native in their +character.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + <p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> + The following statistics are from the Minutes of General Assembly, 1863. </p> + <p> +<i>Synod of Northern India</i>—Was organized in 1841. Is composed of three +Presbyteries. Now has 19 ministers (only one of these is a <i>native +pastor</i>); 9 churches; 246 communicants. (How many of these are natives +not reported.) +</p><p> +<i>Presbytery of Canton</i>—Has 4 ministers; no native pastor; 1 church; 12 +communicants. (How many of these are natives not reported.) <i>Presbytery +of Ningpo</i>—Has 8 ministers; no native pastor; 2 churches; 111 native +members. +</p><p> +<i>Presbytery of Siam</i>—Has 6 ministers; no native pastor; 1 church; 8 +communicants. (How many of these are native members not reported.) +</p><p> +<i>Presbytery of West Africa</i>—Has 9 ministers; no native pastor; 6 +churches; 191 communicants (probably all natives.) +</p><p> +Are these ecclesiastical bodies respectively Indian, Chinese, and +African in their character? or are they all <i>essentially American</i>? Yet +these are the bodies to which the Committee of General Synod of 1857 +referred when they said, "As to the difficulties suggested" [by the +Missionaries at Amoy] "respecting the delays of carrying out a system of +appellate jurisdiction covering America and China, it is enough to say, +that the Presbyterian Church (O.S.) finds no insuperable difficulties in +carrying into operation her system, which comprehends Presbyteries and +Synods in India as well as here." Why should there be many <i>insuperable</i> +difficulties so long as these bodies remain <i>American Missionary +bodies</i>, instead of being <i>native ecclesiastical bodies</i>? Practically +they do not need representation in the Church at home more than our +Missions need representatives in the Board of Missions. In the aggregate +of all the above-mentioned ecclesiastical missionary bodies, there is +<i>but one native pastor</i>, and this, as might be expected, so far as we +are aware, furnished the only case in which difficulty has occurred. +Doubtless in the instance referred to, the native pastor was in error, +and, as he found some <i>insuperable difficulty</i> in getting his case +before the General Assembly, a similar effort is not likely soon to be +made.</p></div> + +<p>So is the Classis of Arcot appealed to. Such appeals put us in a +somewhat painful position. As with the Presbyterian bodies just +mentioned, so with the Classis of Arcot. We have no rivalry with the +brethren there, and do not wish to say a word that looks like stricture +on their policy. We do not utter a word of this kind, except in +self-defense. We rejoice in all their successes. But the time will come, +if the blessing of God continues to follow their labors, when they will +be compelled to adopt our principles. The Missionaries at Arcot are not +properly <i>pastors</i> of the native churches. They exercise the pastoral +office only temporarily, until native pastors are raised up. Their +relation to the Synods in this country is not like that of the other +Classes of our Church. They never have had and never will have a proper +representation in these higher courts. They have never had a native +elder present. They never have even a partial representation of +ministers, except under the afflictive dispensations of Providence. For +several years past they would have been without any representation at +all, but for the fact of one of their number being in this country whose +ill health forbids his return to that field of labor. It is by being +unfitted to be a member of the Classis that he becomes able to be a +representative of the Classis in the Synod! At the present time, because +of the still American character of their body, they may feel no serious +inconvenience. If our position had been like theirs, occupying the +ground at Amoy alone, possibly we should have done as they have. We +should have understood well enough that the connection of the native +Church with the Church at home could only be <i>nominal</i>. But if our +Church desired this, so long as it did not injure the native Church, we +probably should have made no objections.</p> + +<p>But we are told that it is not desired that this connection with the +Church in America should be perpetual. It will last only until the +Church at Amoy has sufficient development to stand alone. Then, of +course, our Church will consent to the separation. (A very different +doctrine, by the way, from the "<i>assertion</i>" of the committee of Synod +that the Church can not "voluntarily relinquish its powers.") After +that, the churches at Amoy which have been under our care, and those +which have been under the care of the English Presbyterians, may again +unite in one Denomination, if they see fit. This sounds pretty well. But +look at it. First separate the churches long enough to engender +rivalries and allow prejudices to grow up, and then attempt to unite +them, and what will be the result? Unless they have a more liberal +spirit than is usual in the churches in this land, instead of making one +denomination out of two, we shall have three. But who shall be the +judge when the proper time has arrived to liberate the Church in China, +if the opinions of those on the ground, and of the native churches, are +all to be ignored?</p> + +<p>3. It will injure the efficiency of the Church at Amoy. Besides the +objection—which the heathen will thus, as readily as the irreligious in +this country, be able to urge against Christianity—furnished by the +increase of Denominations, it will deprive the churches of the benefit +of the united wisdom and strength of the whole of them for +self-cultivation and for Christian enterprise, and will introduce a +spirit of jealous rivalry among them. We know it is said that there need +be no such result, and that the native churches may remain just as +united in spirit after the organization of two Denominations as before. +Such a sentiment takes for granted, either that ecclesiastical +organization has in fact no efficiency (such is not the doctrine of our +Church), or that the Chinese churches have arrived at a far higher state +of sanctification than the churches have attained to in this land. Do +not different Denominations exhibit jealous rivalry in this land? Why, +your Missionaries are already frequently charged with being too liberal +towards their English Presbyterian brethren in giving to them members +and churches which, it is said, properly belong to us. Is Chinese human +nature different from American?</p> + +<p>In consequence of such division, the native Churches will not be so able +to support the Gospel among themselves. Look at the condition of our +western towns in this respect. Why strive to entail like evils on our +Missionary churches? Their strength will be weakened for evangelistic +effort. Their Missionary efforts is one of the most striking and +praiseworthy characteristics of the Amoy churches. How will they be +shorn of their strength by division and necessary rivalry! Besides +this, if the connection with the Church at home be anything more than +nominal, our churches should, in part at least, work through the Church +at home. No? Then why form the connection?</p> + +<p>4. Instead of the Dutch Church being <i>the</i> Presbyterian Church at Amoy, +it will only be a small Church, bearing about the same proportion to the +other Christian Churches there, that it does to the other Churches in +this land. Why is not the Dutch Church the principal Presbyterian body +in this land? Unless we are mistaken in regard to its excellency of +order, it has all the adaptedness, and it was here first. Do you wish a +similar result in China?</p> + +<hr style='width: 45%;' /> + +<p>That it may be seen whether the Missionaries of Amoy have asked of our +Church to "surrender the Constitution, the policy, the interests of our +Church," "nay, even their own welfare, and that of the Mission they are +so tenderly attached to"—whether what they ask for "is flatly in the +face of our Constitution and order"—whether the "Synod has no right to +form, or to authorize any such self-regulating, ecclesiastical body, or +to consent that any Ministers of our Church should hold seats in such a +body"—whether, "if we do it, we transcend the most liberal construction +which has ever been known to be given to the powers of the General +Synod"—whether, by granting the request of the Missionaries, "we +violate our own order, our fundamental principles, the polity to which +we are bound by our profession, by our subscription, by every tie which +can bind religious and honorable, men"—I will append the resolution +which was offered by me in the General Synod as a substitute for those +offered by the Committee. If it called for declamation like the above, +well. These are the words:</p> + +<p><i>Resolved</i>, That the Synod learn, with gratitude to God, of the great +progress of the work of the Lord at Amoy, and in the region around, so +that already we hear of six organized churches with their Consistories, +and others growing up, not yet organized; two native Pastors, who were +to have been ordained on the 29th of March last, and the whole under the +care of a Classis composed of the Missionaries of our Church and the +English Presbyterian Church, and representative Elders of the several +churches. It calls for our hearty gratitude to the Great Head of the +Church, that the Missionaries of different Churches, and different +countries, have been enabled, through Divine grace, to work together in +such harmony. It is also gratifying to us that these Churches and this +Classis have been organized according to the polity of our Church. +Inasmuch as the Synod of the English Presbyterian Church has approved of +the course of their Missionaries in uniting with ours in the +organization of the Church at Amoy, after our order, therefore, this +Synod would direct its Board of Foreign Missions to allow their +Missionaries to continue their present relations with the Missionaries +of the English Presbyterian Church, and the churches under their several +care, so long as the present harmony shall continue, and no departure +shall be made from the doctrines and essential polity of our Church, or +until this Synod shall otherwise direct.</p> + +<p>Some, after reading the foregoing discussion, will be ready to say to +us: "Your views are in the main correct. It would have been better if +Synod had decided otherwise, but the decision has been made, and we must +put up with it." We answer, Not so. We must obey Synod, but may not the +Church change or improve her decisions? Here is one of the good things +we hope to see come out of this mistake of the Church. Jesus rules, and +he is ordering all things for the welfare of his Church and the +advancement of his cause. Sometimes, the better to accomplish this end, +he permits the Church to make mistakes. When we failed in former days to +get our views made public, it gave us no anxiety, for we believed the +doctrine that Jesus reigns. So we now feel, nothwithstanding this +mistake. The Master will overrule it for good. We do not certainly know +how, but we can imagine one way. By means of this mistake the matter may +be brought before our Church, and before other Churches, more clearly +than it would otherwise have been for many years to come, and in +consequence of this we expect, in due time, that our Church, instead of +coming up merely to the standard of liberality for which we have been +contending, will rise far above anything we have asked for or even +imagined, and other Churches will also raise their standard higher. +Hereafter we expect to contend for still higher principles. This is the +doctrine: Let all the branches of the great Presbyterian family in the +same region in any heathen country, which are sound in the faith, +organize themselves, <i>if convenient</i>, into one organic whole, allowing +liberty to the different parts in things non-essential. Let those who +adopt Dutch customs, as at Amoy, continue, if they see fit, their +peculiarities, and those who adopt other Presbyterian customs, as at +Ningpo and other places, continue their peculiarities, and yet all unite +as one Church. This subject does not simply relate to the interests of +the Church at Amoy. It relates to the interests of all the Missionary +work of all the Churches of the Presbyterian order in all parts of the +world. Oh that our Church might take the lead in this catholicity of +spirit—instead of falling back in the opposite direction—that no one +may take her crown! But if she do not, then we trust that some other of +the sacramental hosts will take the lead and receive too the honor, for +it is for the glory of the great Captain of our salvation, and for the +interests of His kingdom. We need the united strength of all these +branches of Zion for the great work, which the Master has set before us, +in calling on us to evangelize the world. In expecting to obtain this +union, will it be said, that we are looking for a chimera? It ought to +be so, ought it not? Then it is no chimera. It may take time for the +churches to come up to this standard, but within a few years past we +have seen tendencies to union among different branches of the +Presbyterian family in Australia, in Canada, in our own country, and in +England and Scotland. In many places these tendencies are stronger now +than they have ever before been since the days of the Reformation. True, +human nature is still compassed with infirmities even in the Church of +Christ. But the day of the world's regeneration is approaching, and as +it approaches nearer to us, doubtless the different branches of the +Presbyterian family will approach still nearer to each other. God hasten +the time, and keep us also from doing anything to retard, but everything +to help it forward, and to his name be the praise forever. Amen.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>Appendix A.</h2> + + +<p>Further to illustrate the unity of the Churches under the care of the +two Missions, I will transcribe from the <i>Reports</i> of the Amoy Mission, +for the years 1861 and 1862.</p> + + +<p><i>From the Report for 1861</i>. Dated Feb. 24. 1862.</p> + +<p>Our work is so interwoven with that of the Missionaries of the English +Presbyterian Church, that we cannot give a full report of the state of +our Churches and out-stations without including in it a partial report +of some of their stations. We have, therefore, thought it best, both on +this account, and because the Churches gathered by us and by them are +really one, to give statistics of both Missions with brief remarks. +These, besides simplifying the matter, will enable the Church at home to +become better acquainted with the real progress of the cause of Christ +in this region.</p> + +<p><i>Missionaries and Assistant Missionaries of the Reformed Dutch Church at +Amoy, at the close if the year</i> 1861. [Here follow their names, and +remarks concerning them.]</p> + +<p><i>Missionaries and Assistant Missionaries of the English Presbyterian +Church at the close of the year</i> 1861. [Here follow their names, and +remarks concerning them.]</p> + +<p><i>Tabular View of the Churches and Mission Stations under the care of the +Reformed Dutch Church, and English Presbyterian Church, in Amoy and +vicinity</i>.</p> + +<table border=".2" summary="Church details"> +<tr> +<td>Churches and Mission Stations</td> +<td>Native helpers sustained by Mission</td> +<td>Elders</td> +<td>Deacons</td> +<td>No. of Church Members Jan. 1, 1861</td> +<td>Rec'd during the year</td> +<td> Died</td> +<td>Excommunicated</td> +<td>No. of Members, Dec. 31, 1861</td> +<td>Under suspension, Dec., 1861</td> +<td>Infants baptized during the year</td> +<td>Colporteurs sustained by Native Church</td> +<td>Benevolent contributions</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>First Church at Amoy</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">102</td> +<td align="center">24</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">122</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">13</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="right">$471 33</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Second Church at Amoy</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">78</td> +<td align="center">13</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">89</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">11</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="right">471 33</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Church at Chioh-be</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">47</td> +<td align="center">5</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">51</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">5</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="right">200 29</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Church at Peh-chui-ia</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">25</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">27</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Church at Ma-peng</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">33</td> +<td align="center">6</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">37</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at An-hai</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">7</td> +<td align="center">23</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">29</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at Khang-khau</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center" colspan="11">The Church members at this Station are reckoned to the First Church at Ma-peng</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at Khang-thau</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center" colspan="11">The Church members at this Station are reckoned to the First Church at Amoy</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at E-mng-kang</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center" colspan="11">The Church members at this Station are reckoned to the First Church at Amoy</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at Chiang-chiu</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +</tr> +</table> +<p> +[Then come remarks about <i>native helpers</i>, not included in the above; +<i>Schools</i> sustained by each of the Missions, and by the native Churches; +<i>Theological Class</i>; Students sustained by each Mission.]<br /> +<br /> +<i>Remarks on the above Tabular View</i>. +<br /> +The two Churches at Amoy, and the one at Chioh-be are under the care of +the Missionaries of the Reformed Dutch Church. * * * * * *<br /> +<br /> +The Churches at Peh-chui-ia and Ma-peng, are under the care of the +Missionaries of the English Presbyterian Church. * * * * * <br /> +</p> + +<p>The Congregation at An-hai is under the care of the English +Presbyterian Missionaries. It has not yet been organized into a Church. +It is so far removed from Amoy that it cannot conveniently be placed +under the supervision of either of the Consistories. * * * * * *</p> + +<p>Khang-khau is a station under the care of the English Presbyterian +Mission. * * * * * *</p> + +<p>Kang-thau is under the care of the Reformed Dutch Mission.</p> + +<p>E-mng-kang is a suburb of Amoy. The Congregation worshiping there +belongs, mostly, to the First Church at Amoy. The Station is under the +care of the English Presbyterian Mission. * * * * * *</p> + +<p>Chiang-chiu is a large city, some twelve miles or more beyond Chioh-be, +and about thirty-five miles from Amoy. In times past, several efforts +have been made to establish a Station at Chiang-chiu, but always without +success, until during the past year. At the close of the year there had +not yet been any baptisms at that Station. Since the beginning of this +year, there have been several. The Church members are reckoned to the +Church at Chioh-be, and are under the oversight of the Chioh-be +Consistory. Both Missions work as one at Chiang-chiu. Each Mission is to +furnish half the expense. To simplify the work, it was thought best that +one Mission be responsible for the control of the Station, and direct +the work. At present this is the Mission of the Reformed Dutch Church. +If the work be prospered, it is proposed to form two Stations, one under +the care of each Mission.</p> + +<p>[The remaining part of the Report, having no bearing on the subject +before us, need not be quoted.]</p> + + +<p class="center"><i>From the Report for 1862.</i></p> + +<p>[It will be sufficient merely to transcribe the <i>Tabular View</i>, and add +one or two explanatory remarks.]</p> + +<p><i>Churches and Mission Stations under the care of the Reformed Dutch and +English Presbyterian Missions at Amoy, December 31, 1862.</i></p> + +<table border=".2" summary="Church details"> +<tr> +<td></td> +<td>Elders</td> +<td>Deacons</td> +<td>No. of Members, Dec. 31,1861</td> +<td>Died during the year</td> +<td>Excommunicated during the year</td> +<td>No. of Members, Dec. 31, 1862</td> +<td>Under suspension, Dec. 31, 1862</td> +<td>Infant baptisms during the year</td> +<td>Helpers supported by native Church</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>First Church at Amoy</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">122</td> +<td align="center">6</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">139</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">17</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Second Church at Amoy</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">89</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">100</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">27</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Church at Chioh-be</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">4</td> +<td align="center">51</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">70</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">9</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Church at Peh-chui-ia</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">27</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">30</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Church at Ma-peng</td> +<td align="center">1</td> +<td align="center">3</td> +<td align="center">37</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">38</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at An-hai</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">29</td> +<td align="center">2</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">30</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +<td align="center">--</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at Kang-thau</td> +<td align="center" colspan="11">The members at this Station are reckoned to the First Church, Amoy</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at Khang-khau</td> +<td align="center" colspan="11">The members at this Station are reckoned to the Church at Ma-peng</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at E-mng-kang</td> +<td align="center" colspan="11">The members at this Station are reckoned to the First Church, Amoy</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at Chiang-chiu</td> +<td align="center" colspan="11">The members at this Station are reckoned to the Church at Chioh-be</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at Go-chhng</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at Te-soa</td> +</tr> +<tr> +<td>Station at Khi-be</td> +</tr> +</table> + + +<p>[Of the three new Stations, Go-chhng and Te-soa, are under the care of +the Reformed Dutch Mission, Khi-be under the care of the English +Presbyterian Mission. The other Churches and Stations as in previous +Report.]</p> + +<p>The Board of Foreign Missions, being simply the organ of Synod, felt +bound in their Report to eliminate, as far as possible, all the +Presbyterian elements from the above Reports of the Mission. By so +doing, we think that they, <i>undesignedly</i> of course, keep our Church in +ignorance, not only of the absolute unity of the Churches in the region +of Amoy, but also of the real progress of the cause of Christ and of the +Church of our order there. Among the members set down to our churches +are those who belong to stations under the care of the English +Presbyterian Mission, as is shown by the Tabular Views. The Church at +home, not aware of this fact, gives to their Mission credit which does +not belong to them; and then, when, in the progress of the work, new +churches are organized at these stations, and these members are set off +to them, because they belong there, the Dutch Mission is charged with +deficiency of denominational feeling, in giving to the English +Presbyterians that which, "by all rules of Christian courtesy and +harmonious Missionary action," belongs to the Dutch Church. Is it well +that we should be disputing among ourselves concerning who shall have +that credit which all belongs to Christ? I know it has been asked, with +disapprobation, by very high authority (not, indeed, by the Board) +concerning the unity of the Churches at Amoy—"<i>how it came to exist at +all</i>." In answer to such questions, let us consider one case, that of +the Station, now Church, at E-mng-kang. It is near enough to the First +Church, at Amoy, to be under its supervision. Doubtless, we might have +said to our Presbyterian brethren, In gathering a church, we are willing +to labor with you in preaching the Gospel, for no one will censure us +for that, and we admit that, by all principles of our Church order, it +would be altogether proper that the converts gathered in at E-mng-kang +should be received and watched over by the First Church, at Amoy; but, +by allowing this, there will be danger of unity between the Christians +at E-mng-kang and Amoy ("that they all may be one"), which will be a +violation of the important and radical distinction existing between +them, because "some are supported by our funds, some by the funds of the +English Presbyterians;" and then, when it becomes necessary to divide +these Churches, for where there is such a radical distinction, "a +division will necessarily come at some period, and the longer it is +delayed, the more trying and sorrowful it will be," it will be found +that the Church at Amoy can never "relinquish its powers and abnegate +its authority" over the Church at E-mng-kang—therefore, rather than +incur such risks of unity, we had better violate our principles of +Church order at the commencement, and not allow the native Elders any +responsibility in receiving and watching over the Church members. We +might have acted on such principles, but shall we be <i>censured</i> for not +doing it?</p> + +<p>Let it be distinctly understood, that I do not publish the above +Reports with such remarks with any design of throwing blame on the Board +of Foreign Missions. The members of it, and the Missionaries, have had +no feelings towards each other but such as are altogether pleasant. +Perhaps the Board, in view of all the circumstances, has simply +performed its duty. I add this Appendix only to illustrate the unity of +the churches at Amoy, and show that the Missionaries have acted +according to the doctrines of God's Word and the fundamental principles +of our Church order.</p> + + + +<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<h2>Appendix B.</h2> + + +<p>In the <i>Christian Intelligencer</i> of June 18, 1863, in the Report of the +Proceedings of General Synod of Thursday, June 11, the last day of the +session, appeared the following paragraphs:</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"AMOY MISSION.</p> + +<p>"Rev. Dr. Porter arose and said that he was about to utter what to +himself was the gladdest and happiest word he had been permitted to +speak during the Synodical sessions, delightful as they all had +been. He was informed by his beloved brother Talmage, that by +permission of Synod, he would like to express briefly his content, +in the main, with the action which the Synod had taken respecting +the Amoy Mission. It is of the Lord. He has melted all hearts +together as one, for his own work and honor. We see eye to eye, and +Zion may lift up her voice in thanksgiving.</p> + +<p>"Rev. J.V.N. Talmage said he wished to express his gratitude to the +fathers and brethren for all their kindness to himself and the +Missionaries at Amoy. If the Synod has not arrived at the very best +decision, he hoped it is the best under the circumstances. He felt +no desire to disobey the Synod, nor will the Missionaries at Amoy. +If we cannot organize a Classis at once, we will do the best we +can. He had been defeated, and he had no qualms of conscience in +submitting to the decision that had been reached."</p></div> + +<p>I was willing to allow the previous, and, as I considered, very partial, +report of the proceedings of Synod to pass unnoticed, but felt that I +had no right to allow errors, such as are contained in the above two +paragraphs, to remain uncorrected. Therefore I addressed to the editor +the following note:</p> + +<p class="center">"<i>To the Christian Intelligencer.</i></p> + +<p>"Mr. <span class="smcap">Editor</span>:</p> + +<p>"In looking over the report of General Synod, as given in the last +number of the <i>Intelligencer</i>, I find a very grave mistake in +reference to the position taken by me near the close of the +session. A similar mistake appears in the report made to the <i>New +York Observer</i>.<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a></p> + +<div class="footnote"> + <p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> + I addressed to the editors of the <i>Observer</i> a card, correcting the mistake + which had appeared in their paper, and they published it.</p> +</div> + +<p>"When, in the order of business on Thursday morning, there seemed a +suitable opportunity for me to address the Synod, I was sitting +near Dr. Porter, and remarked to him that I wished to make such +address. He said that he desired to speak first. He arose and +addressed the Synod, in substance, as is reported. I was altogether +surprised, for I had given him no authority to speak for me; +neither had I expressed to him or any other man the sentiments he +attributed to me. I felt that his speech was altogether +unfortunate, for it seemed almost to demand of me a restatement of +my views. But I felt, also, that it would be improper, then, to +occupy the time of Synod with any further discussion, and contented +myself with merely taking exception to Dr. Porter's statement, +saying that I could not use the language he had just used.</p> + +<p>"I also stated that although the Synod had not arrived at the best +decision, yet <i>perhaps</i> it was the best under all the +circumstances. As these circumstances seem to be entirely +misunderstood by some, I may now explain them. I had remarked in +the previous debate, and still firmly believe, that the decision of +Synod, if it be fully carried out, would only be disastrous in its +results, as far as the churches at Amoy were concerned. But there +was another disaster to be apprehended. If the Synod had allowed +the work of God to proceed at +Amoy, as it had always been carried forward, and with such +marvelous blessings from on high, for so many years past, it was +feared that some of the members of Synod would use their influence +in the Church against that Mission, to such an extent as possibly +to cut off the resources of the mission. Such were the +circumstances to which I alluded, and I was well understood, at +least by some of the members of Synod. It seemed necessary to +choose between two evils. My own opinion was, and is, that the +Synod had chosen the greater evil, still I was willing to yield +'the benefit of the doubt,' and therefore remarked that <i>perhaps</i> +(I used the word 'perhaps') the decision was the best under the +circumstances.</p> + +<p>"I did express for myself, and as I believed, in accordance with +the views of the Missionaries at Amoy, that we did not wish, and +never had wished to disobey the injunctions of Synod. Besides this, +we were under obligations to do what was best for the churches +under our care. If we were not allowed to do that which is +absolutely best, we should do the best we could.</p> + +<p>"I also expressed my gratitude that the Synod had manifested so +much patience and Christian courtesy towards myself and the +Mission, for with one or two exceptions, not an unkind word had +been uttered.</p> + +<p>"The closing sentence of my remarks being somewhat playful, might +have been omitted from the report, but if thought worthy of +publication, it should have been given correctly. I know that I can +give it now with accuracy, almost <i>verbatim</i>. 'I have fought hard, +and have been beaten; I could wish I had been able to fight better, +but I did my best, and consequently have no qualms of conscience on +the subject.' Does that mean that we had no qualms of conscience +about 'submitting to the decision that had been reached?' No. It +means that I was not responsible for the evils of that decision.</p> + +<p>"It will, I think, serve the cause of truth, Mr. Editor, if you +will be so kind as to publish this card in your next issue. If I +was so unfortunate in the use of language as not to express +sentiments similar to the above, I desire now to express them.</p> + +<p>"Allow me also to ask whether you will open the columns of your +paper for a full statement of the views of the Amoy Mission on the +subject of the ecclesiastical relations of the churches under their +care? I find that there is still altogether a mistaken impression +among our churches on this subject. Our people who sustain the +Mission have a right to know the condition of that Mission. From +the report in the last Intelligencer, they will get no light on +that subject, but will get the impression that some great mistake +has been committed by the Missionaries at Amoy. <i>Allowing</i> this to +be the case, the Missionaries have a right to be heard before the +churches. Let the churches understand the matter, and decide +concerning the mistake. The Missionaries have been desirous for +years to get their views made public, but have not yet succeeded.</p> + +<p class="center">"Very truly, yours, &c.,</p> +<p class="right">"J.V.N. TALMAGE."</p> +<p><span class="smcap">June 19, 1863.</span></p> + +<p>Instead of finding my note inserted in the next number of the +<i>Intelligencer</i> I found the following:</p> + +<p class="center">"REV. MR. TALMAGE'S LETTER.</p> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"We have received from the Rev. J.V.N. Talmage, a communication +respecting our report of his remarks at the close of the session of +the General Synod, accompanied with a request that he be permitted +to appeal through these columns to the Churches in support of his +position. The communication is long, and perhaps we can give the +substance of it briefly.</p> + +<p>"1st. He wishes to correct the statement of Rev. Dr. Porter. And +this he shall do in his own words, viz.:</p></div> + +<div class="blockquot"><p>"'I felt that his speech was altogether unfortunate, for it seemed +almost to demand of me the restatement of my views. But I felt, +also, that it would be improper then to occupy the time of Synod +with any further discussion, and contented myself with merely +taking exception to Dr. Porter's statements, saying that I could +not use the language he had just used. I also stated that, although +the Synod had not arrived at the best decision, yet perhaps it was +the best, under all the circumstances.'</p> + +<p>"So far Mr. Talmage, in disclaiming agreement with the statement +made by Dr. Porter.</p> + +<p>"We can, on this point, only express regret that there should have +been either seeming or real difference. But as Brother Talmage +confesses that our report correctly represents him as having said, +that</p> + +<p>"'Although the Synod had not arrived at the best decision, yet +perhaps it was the best, under all the circumstances,'</p> + +<p>"We therefore suppose that the report of verbal differences—if the +spirit of the remarks be anything—between him and the gentleman to +whom he refers, cannot be accounted as very serious.</p> + +<p>"2d. As it respects the opening of these columns to a fresh +discussion of the matter relating to the Amoy Churches before +Synod, we have simply to say that we dare not give consent, for the +following reasons: The Synod is the legislative body for the +Church. The documents and statements respecting the Amoy Churches +were full and thorough in the information imparted. Four sessions +and more of the Synod were occupied with a careful preparatory +hearing and final adjudication of the matter, and it is not the +duty of the <i>Christian Intelligencer</i> to allow itself to be used as +the agent of dissension among the Churches, and of opposition to +the constituted authority of the Synod."</p></div> + +<p>Whether my views were <i>misrepresented</i>, and whether I was charged with +seeking a different object from that for which I had asked—I had not +asked that the columns of the paper be opened for a fresh "<i>discussion</i> +of the matter" which had been "<i>before Synod</i>," but "for a <i>full +statement</i> of the views of the Amoy Mission," because of "<i>mistaken +impressions</i>" in "<i>our Churches</i>"—the Church will be able to decide as +accurately as myself. But I wish to say this much. Your Missionaries do +not consider that by becoming Missionaries they lose their rights as +<i>men</i>, and <i>Ministers of the Dutch Church</i>. They have the right to +expect that, when away from home, their reputation will be protected. +When mistaken statements concerning their views get abroad in the +Church, there should be, and we believe there is, a responsible party +whose duty it is to correct such statements. At any rate, a paper which +professes to be the organ of the Dutch Church, has no right to refuse to +the Missionaries themselves the privilege of correcting mistaken +statements of <i>their own views</i> and <i>their own language</i>, that appear in +its columns. The Editor doubtless is responsible for what appears in his +paper. He may refuse to publish improper articles, but he may not garble +and misrepresent them without incurring reproof. The expense of +publishing in pamphlet form corrections of mistakes which appear in the +columns of a newspaper, is too heavy a tax to impose on any of the +Ministry of the Church, especially on your Missionaries; and, even then, +the corrections can be read by only a small portion of those who read +the misstatements.</p> + + + + + + + + +<pre> + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of History and Ecclesiastical Relations +of the Churches of the Presbyterial Order at Amoy, China, by J. V. N. Talmage + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK ECCLESIASTICAL RELATIONS *** + +***** This file should be named 17002-h.htm or 17002-h.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/1/7/0/0/17002/ + +Produced by David Newman, Graeme Mackreth and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +https://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at https://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit https://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including including checks, online payments and credit card +donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + https://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. + + +</pre> + +</body> +</html> |