Forty Years in South China: The Life of Rev. John Van Nest Talmage, D.D.Fagg, John Gerardus
Religion
Forty Years in South China: The Life of Rev. John Van Nest Talmage, D.D.
Fagg, John Gerardus
Missions -- China; Talmage, John Van Nest, 1819-1892
The reason why Tai-hoey does not claim the right of discipline over the
missionaries is not because these are of a higher order than the other
members, but because the missionaries have a most important relation to the
home churches which the other members have not. The Tai-hoey respects the
rights of those churches which have sent and are still sending the Gospel
here, and has fullest confidence that they will exercise proper discipline
over their missionaries. Whether they do this or not, the power of the
Tai-hoey to cut off from its membership, or refuse to admit thereto, any
missionary who might prove himself unworthy, gives ample security to that
body and secures likewise the benefits of discipline. If time allowed us
to give a full description of our Church work here it would be seen that
the doctrine of the parity of all who hold the ministerial office so
thoroughly permeates the whole, that it would seem impossible for mistake
to arise on that point.
In connection with this subject it is also remarked "that where two races
are combined in a Presbytery, there is a tendency to divide on questions
according to the line of race."
With gratitude to God we are able to bear testimony that at Amoy we have
not as yet seen the first sign of such tendency. We have heard of such
tendency in some other mission fields. Possibly it may yet be manifested
here. This, however, does not now seem probable. The native members of
Tai-hoey, almost from the first, have outnumbered the foreign. The
disproportion now is as three or four to one, and must continue to
increase. It would seem, therefore, that there will now be no occasion for
jealousy of the missionaries' influence to grow up on the part of the
native members.
But, it may be asked, if the native members so far outnumber the foreign,
of what avail is it that missionaries be more than advisory members? We
answer: If we are in Tai-hoey as a foreign party, in opposition to the
native members, even advisory membership will be of no avail. But if we
are there in our true character, as we always have been, viz., as
Presbyters and acting pastors of churches, part and parcel of the church
Judicatories, on perfect equality and in full sympathy with the native
Presbyters, our membership may be of much benefit to Tai-hoey. It must be
of benefit if our theory of Church Government be correct.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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