the authority of this Classis, in the early part of this year, a third
church was organized at Amoy according to our order. It is in the suburb
called E-mng-kang, and is under the especial care of the English
Presbyterian brethren, as mentioned in a previous part of this paper. So
now there are six organized churches, all of the same order, and some
others almost ready to be organized. If the Missionaries at Amoy have
been guilty of any great mistake, it has been in this matter of forming
such a Classis, and proceeding to the ordination and installation of
native pastors, and the organization of new churches. Therefore, this
subject demands a careful examination.

When we commenced the work among the heathen, it was found that the
Constitution of our Church had made no provision for such work beyond
the simple ordaining of men as Missionaries. We might preach the gospel,
but no provision was made for receiving into church fellowship,
administering the sacraments, electing and ordaining office-bearers,
and all the incipient steps of the organization of the Church from among
the heathen. The Constitution was made for the government of a Church
already organized and matured, and in America; therefore, it is not
strange that such things were not provided for. Our duty seemed very
plain. We must fall back on the great principles of church government
taught in the Word of God. We believed these principles to be set forth
in the Constitution, and other standards of our Church.

When, through the instrumentality of the preached Word, men gave
satisfactory evidence that they had experienced "the renewing of the
Holy Ghost," without the advice of Consistories, by virtue of our office
of Ministers of the Word, we administered to them the sacrament of
baptism, thus admitting them into the church. Now the Lord's Supper must
be administered to these believers, baptism to their infant children,