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 have had it published,
our suggestion was a sufficient warrant for its publication. The
responsibility would have been ours. It had not yet become a Synodical
matter. Afterwards it would have been a legitimate question for the
Synod to decide whether they would entertain a paper coming before them
in such a manner. This question might well have been left to General
Synod. _Thirdly._ A short time previous to the writing of that paper,
unless our memory is greatly at fault, a communication was received from
the Arcot Mission (or Classis of Arcot), addressed to General Synod,
which was thus published, according to the request of the Arcot
brethren, and without the authority of Synod.

"Our position is a somewhat painful one. We desire to give offense to no
one, and we do not wish to appear before the Church as disputants. We
have no controversy with any. We have neither the time nor inclination
for controversy. We are 'doing a great work' and cannot 'come down.'
Yet, our duty to these Churches here, and to the Church at home, and to
our Master, demands of us imperatively, that we state fully and frankly
our views. We have the utmost confidence in our Church. We have proved
this by endeavoring to get our views fully known. And we feel grateful
for the spirit of kindness towards us manifested in the action of Synod,
and also in the letters received from fathers and brethren in the
ministry, notwithstanding their misconception of our views. But, we have
also learned, how easily our views may be mistaken. In our paper,