Fifty Years in Amoy OR A History of the Amoy Mission, CHINA.
FOUNDED FEBRUARY 24, 1842.
Under the Patronage of the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions from 1842-1857.
Transferred to the govermnent of the Board of Foreign Missions of the Reformed (Dutch) Church in America in June. 1857.
BY P. W. PITCHER Missionary of the Reformed (Dutch) Church at Amoy, China
To The Memory of
Rev. J. V. N. TALMAGE, D.D., Veteran Missionary,
whose memory will ever remain fragrant in the hearts of those who had the pleasure of being co-laborers with him, as well as in the hearts of those who walk with Ood through the Word he preached unto them, this re-view is most affectionately dedicated.
AUTHOR’S PREFACE
The purpose of this little volume is, first : To acquaint the churches with a history of the origin and progress of the Amoy Mission, China, and with some of tlie important political events inseparably connected there-with ; and, secondly- : To arouse a deeper interest in the salvation of, and a deeper respect for, the people amongst whom the Mission is established.
Its author would simply say that he has been led to attempt this history for these two reasons, viz :
(1) Because no such history exists.
(2) Because the close of fifty years seems most oppor-tune to record that history.
The volume claims to be nothing more than a plain narration of facts that the author has gathered by a personal relation with the work, and such as he has been: able to glean from the following sources : The Annual Reports of General Synod of the Reformed Church, the “Missionary Herald, " Manual of the Reformed Church in America, History of the Board of Commissioners for For-eign Missions, 1842, William’s Middle Kingdom, History of the Insurrection in China, the “Christian Intelli-gencer,” Annals of the American Reformed Dutch Pulpit, and other works mentioned herein.
The author feels under obligation to Revs. A. P. Van Gieson, D. D., and Wm. Bancroft Hill, of Poughkeepsie,. N. Y., for so generously placing their libraries at his disposal, and to the former for other courtesies and help-ful suggestions as well ; and to Rev. Win. Wurts, of Berne, N. Y., for kind assistance in gathering personal information. Acknowledgments are also due to Rev. Elbert Nevius, of Stuyvesant, N. Y. ; Rev. J. B. Drury, D. D., Editor of the “Christian Intelligencer” ; Mr. Win. Adriance. of Elmira, N.Y., and to members of the Amoy Mission for a helping hand.
It is unfortunate that in the spelling of Chinese names no harmonious system has been adopted by the Missionaries of China; the endeavor has therefore been made to follow a system of spelling conforming somewhat to the Amoy Romanized Colloquial.
The illustratione are a selection from a series of photographs collected while engaged in the work at Amoy, and it is with the hope of both increasing the value and interest of the book, that so many are incor-porated therein.
If, therefore, the book can in any way fulfill its purpose by promoting the great and good object for which the Amoy Mission exists, the labor herein expended will not have been in vain. For such reward only, the author earnestly seeks.
P. W. P. Poughkeepsie, Aug. 1st, 1893.
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