, 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
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."

In regard to keeping the Church pure in doctrine:

"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 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?

"2. Another supposed advantage is the effect it will have in enlisting the
sympathies of the Church in behalf of the Mission at Amoy. Our people do
not first ask whether it be building ourselves 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 actions. 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.

.... "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 upon in endeavoring to elevate the standard of
liberality among our people. If our people have not yet learned, they
should be taught to engage in the work of evangelizing the world, not for
the sak