consequently, without the fact being stated, we were directed to divide
those churches, and form a part of them into a distinct Denomination.

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 _all_ 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.)