_To the Ministers, Elders, and Members of the Reformed Dutch
Church_:

It is proper that I give some reasons for the publication
of this paper. The importance of the subject of the ecclesiastical
organization of the churches gathered in heathen lands, I conceive to
be a sufficient reason. Those who may differ in regard to the views
set forth in this paper, will not dispute the importance of the subject.
Instead of the questions involved having been settled by any of the
Presbyterian Denominations of this country (the Dutch Church
included among them), by experiments in India or any other
heathen land, very few of the churches gathered from the
heathen, by these various Denominations, have yet arrived at
a stage of development sufficient for practical application of
the experiment. (See foot-note, page 160.) There are, however,
a few mission churches, where the subject is now becoming
one of vast practical importance. The Church at Amoy stands out
prominent among these. With the continuance of the divine blessing
there will soon be many such. Hence the importance of the discussion,
and its importance _now_.

Many experiments have been made in reference to the
best way of conducting the work of missions. The Church
has improved by them, and has been compelled to _unlearn_
many things. We are continually returning towards the simple plan laid
down in God's Word. As the Church by experiment and by discussion has
thus been led to retrace some of her steps in the preliminary work of
missions, should she not be ready to take advantage of experiment and
discussion, in reference to the ecclesiastical organization of the mission
churches, and stand ready to retrace some of her steps in this second stage