y be separated? Possibly (not probably) the question will
be asked, why were these churches allowed originally to become one? We
answer, _God made them so_, 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.

"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 _commencing_ 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.

"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.

"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. _First._ 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 _individuals_ might have
been asked, but we suppose that the Board in their official capacity
had nothing to do with the paper. _Secondly._ Inasmuch as the paper
emanated from us, if 'it would have been well' to