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HISTORY

AND

ECCLESIASTICAL RELATIONS

OF THE

CHURCHES OF THE PRESBYTERIAL ORDER,

AT

AMOY, CHINA.

BY

REV. J.V.N. TALMAGE,

MISSIONARY OF THE PROT. REF. DUTCH CHURCH.

New York:

WYNKOOP, HALLENBECK & THOMAS, PRINTERS, 113 FULTON ST.

1863.

PREFACE.

To the Ministers, Elders, and Members of the Reformed DutchChurch:

It is proper that I give some reasons for the publicationof this paper. The importance of the subject of the ecclesiasticalorganization of the churches gathered in heathen lands, I conceive tobe a sufficient reason. Those who may differ in regard to the viewsset forth in this paper, will not dispute the importance of the subject.Instead of the questions involved having been settled by any of thePresbyterian Denominations of this country (the Dutch Churchincluded among them), by experiments in India or any otherheathen land, very few of the churches gathered from theheathen, by these various Denominations, have yet arrived ata stage of development sufficient for practical application ofthe experiment. (See foot-note, page 160.) There are, however,a few mission churches, where the subject is now becomingone of vast practical importance. The Church at Amoy stands outprominent among these. With the continuance of the divine blessingthere will soon be many such. Hence the importance of the discussion,and its importance now.

Many experiments have been made in reference to thebest way of conducting the work of missions. The Churchhas improved by them, and has been compelled to unlearnmany things. We are continually returning towards thesimple plan laid down in God's Word. As the Church byexperiment and by discussion has thus been led to retracesome of her steps in the preliminary work of missions, should shenot be ready to take advantage of experiment and discussion, inreference to the ecclesiastical organization of the mission churches,and stand ready to retrace some of her steps in this second stage ofthe work of missions, if need be, in order to conform more fully tothe doctrines of our Presbyterial church polity? I would use thephrase Scriptural church polity, but I suppose it is theuniversal belief of our Church, that Presbyterial polity is scriptural.At any rate, it is the duty of the Church to examine the subjectcarefully. She has nothing to fear from such examination.She should fear to neglect it.

In addition to the importance of the subject in itselfconsidered, I have other reasons for discussing it at thepresent time. There are mistaken impressions abroad in theChurch, concerning the views and course of your missionariesat Amoy, which must be injurious to the cause of missionsin our Church. It would seem to be a plain duty to correctthese impressions. I will quote an extract from a letter, Irecently received, from an honored missionary of a sisterChurch:

"I have heard much, and seen some notices in the papersof the battle you fought on the floor of Synod, and wouldlike 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 scienceof Missionary management; a science which, I believe, has beencultivated far too assiduously. It was this, more than anything else,