the plague, I had written a letter
making this request, yet, on my recovery, I destroyed it.

I also received a letter from Dr. Morrison, in China, in which he
expresses his conviction of the importance of missionaries learning to
earn their subsistence by some occupation, however humble, rather than
be dependant as they now are, on societies. I confess my mind so far
entirely agrees with him, that, if I had to prepare for a missionary
course, I would not go to a college or an institution, but learn
medicine, or go to a blacksmith's, watchmaker's, or carpenter's shop,
and there pursue my preparatory studies. I do not mean to say, that
this should be to the exclusion of preparatory studies in language,
and the deepest preparatory Scripture studies, but, in conjunction
with them, for I am satisfied it is a much greater blessing to
missionaries to lead those down who either by birth or other
circumstances may have been a little removed from the lower orders of
society than to raise those of humble birth to the rank of gentlemen
in the world, who neither by education, habits, nor intercourse are
enabled happily or profitably to fill such a station--but it is that
yoke of mere human ordination, the necessity of a _title from man to
preach_ and _administer_ as it is called the sacraments, of which not
so much as a hint is contained in the New Testament, it is that awful
distinction between laity and clergy which are the things that tie up
all hands, and put bodies of men into situations of trial, who, but
for this delusion, would be without any comparative difficulties.
Without these we should learn to judge of men's fitness for their
work, not by their being ordained or unordained by this or that
denomination of men, but according to the rule of the apostles, by
their doctrine and walking as they had them for "ensamples;" if they
came otherwise, though apostles or angels, let them, says the apostle,
be accursed. Oh, if this principle of the apostles were set up in
proving all things and holding fast that which is good, we should not
hear so good a man, and one so much to be loved, as Mr. Bickersteth,
misleading his readers by telling them to adhere to an unsound
_authorised_[39] teacher, rather than go to a sound and unauthorised
one; to one who is authorised by the head of the church, though not by
the head of the state. So said not Paul, but, "if I or an angel come
preaching any other doctrine, let him be accursed." In al