Directory_and_Chronicle_1850 — Page 659

1850.

Defense of an Essay, &c.

617

years, and both Tien-ti and tí had been tried for many months; and that too at a time when all the powers of their minds were given to the consideration of this subject. These circumstances invest the opinion of such men (one of them the oldest Protestant missionary in China), given at such a period of the controversy, with great weight. The terms in which they speak of this transferred word, and the argu- ments with which they urge its adoption on their fellow-missionaries laboring at the Five Ports, show that all doubts, with respect to the course to be pursued, have been removed from their minds, and that they have attained a situation, which they think warrants them to re- sort to both intimidation and encouragement in addressing their bre- thren. Their proposed term is one, "against which no believer in Divine Revelation dare raise his voice."!!! Speaking of their plan of transferring the Hebrew word, they say, “We can not go wrong in so doing. It is sanctioned by the Scriptures: we are therefore right in employing it, unmistakably and incontrovertibly right. We free ourselves hereby from all mixture with Chinese superstition.'

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The missionaries who "have but recently come to the country" are dissuaded from forming an opinion of their own upon the subject, un- til "a thorough knowledge of the Chinese classics, and extensive inter- course with the people," put them in a fit position to do so; ad interim, these three Delegates, together with the three friends who join them in their Letter of 30th January, offer the persuasive influence of their own exainple. "Those who have enjoyed (say they) the most of these advantages (i.e. who have the most thorough knowledge of the Classics, and who have had the most extensive intercourse with the Chinese) are the first to abandon native terms."

I do not think these expressions at all in good taste from any of the parties who signed this letter, and inost especially not from those. who had but recently come to China, and I have not quoted them for the purpose of exciting the reader's admiration, but to show how de- terminately the minds of the signers of this Letter are made up to ad- here to the course they have adopted. Being "unmistakably right" they are resolved to adhere to Aloho through evil report and good report, and stand pledged to this term, as firmly as solemn convictions, published in strong unhesitating language, can pledge men to any

course.

It is however, I believe, now well ascertained that notwithstanding this proposition came before them so highly recommended, and that too in such confident language, there has been no single missionary in China induced to follow the lead of the six signers of this Letter.

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VOL. XIX. NO. XI.