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Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2017 with funding from 
 Columbia University Libraries 
 
 https://archive.org/details/missionofamericaOOtalm 
 
MISSION OF AMERICAN REFORMED CHURCH IN 
 THE REGION OF AMOY, CHINA. 
 
 BY REV. J. V. N. TALMAGE, D.D. 
 
 There are three Protestant Missions at Amoy, viz., of 
 the American Reformed Church, the London Mis- 
 sionary Society and the English Presbyteria^i Church. 
 No proper account of the work of either of these 
 Missions can be given without some account of the 
 other two. The three Missions have worked together 
 with unusual harmony, and have assisted each other 
 directly and indirectly in many ways. 
 
 The Mission of the American Reformed Church was 
 the first in the field. It was commenced by Rev. David 
 Abeel, D.D., who arrived at Amoy, Feb. 24, 1842. He 
 came to China in 1830, as agent of American Seamen’s 
 Friends Society, to labor especially among the English 
 speaking seamen connected with the shipping at Wham- 
 poa (Canton). Afterward for a time he had appointment 
 from the A. B. C. F. M. He was a man of unusual 
 activity He made various trips to different parts of this 
 eastern heathen world, also a trip to Europe and Amer- 
 ica, always engaged in the work of his Master, and always 
 having the evangelization of the great Chinese race at 
 heart. 
 
 After Amoy, at the close of the opium war, became an 
 open port, he came to Amoy to engage in direct mission 
 work. Having already made considerable acquisition of 
 the dialect of this part of China, he was able almost im- 
 mediately after his arrival to begin evangelistic work. 
 
2 
 
 SKETCHES OF THE MISSIONS. 
 
 In consequence of ill health he left Amoy, December 19, 
 1844, and returned to America. Dr. Abeel was a man of 
 warm hearted piety, and his name was fragrant at Amoy 
 for many years after his departure. He did not baptize 
 any converts, but some of those who became interested 
 in the Gospel through his instrumentality were after- 
 ward baptized by others. (John iv. 37.) 
 
 Before the departure of Dr. Abeel from Amoy Rev. E. 
 Doty and Rev. Wm. J. Pohlman joined him, arriving 
 June 22, 1844, under the direction of the A. B. C. F. M., 
 through which Board the American Reformed Church 
 was then conducting all its foreign mission work. They 
 had been laboring some years among Chinese settlers in 
 Borneo. This was the transference of the Chinese de- 
 partment of the Borneo Mission to China proper. 
 
 In consequence of the death of Mrs. Pohlman and 
 Mrs. Doty, Mr. Doty left Amoy, November, 1845, for the 
 United States with his and Mr. Pohlman’s children. 
 
 In 1847, having again married, he returned to China, 
 arriving at Amoy, August 19, 1847. 
 
 December 19, 1848, Mr. Pohlman took his sister, who 
 had joined him some time previously and had recently 
 been very ill, to Hong Kong for her health. On his re- 
 turn voyage from Hong Kong the vessel was wrecked 
 January 5, 1849, and Mr. Pohlman was drowned. He 
 had been a very zealous and efficient missionary. He 
 had only baptized two native converts, but he had been 
 instrumental in interesting many others, some of whom 
 were baptized after his death. One of these (not bap- 
 tized till many years after Mr. Pohlman's death) in his 
 later days always seemed to associate heaven with Mr. 
 Pohlman. When speaking of heaven, to which he was 
 expecting soon to go, he was wont to say “ I will see 
 Teacher Pohlman there.” The first church building 
 erected by Protestants at Amoy, probably the first erected 
 in China for Chinese worship only, stands, and, judging 
 
AMOY MjSSION: china. 
 
 3 
 
 from the stability of the structure, may stand for genera- 
 tions to come a monument of the faith and zeal of Mr. 
 Pohlman. The money for the building was raised by 
 friends in the United States at his suggestion and solici- 
 tation, and he watched over the work of building with 
 great solicitude until the house was nearly ready to be 
 opened for public worship, when he was suddenly called 
 to leave for Hong Kong. The dedication of it was de- 
 layed for him to return and conduct the exercises. But 
 when the news of his death came the dedicatory exer- 
 cises were held and were also made his funeral services. 
 
 The above mentioned three missionaries may properly 
 be called the founders of the Mission, so there is no need 
 in this paper to mention the names of those succeeding 
 them. A few more words, however, should be said con- 
 cerning Mr. Doty. The second Mrs. Doty having been 
 taken from him, he left Amoy for the United States a 
 second time with his motherless children in November, 
 1859, and returning arrived again at Amoy in September, 
 1861. He was permitted to labor here until November, 
 1864, when he again embarked for America, but died on 
 the passage a few days before the ship arrived at New 
 York. He left a much greater impress on the church at 
 Am.oy, and for good, than those who preceded him. 
 
 The London Mission work was commenced at Amoy 
 by Rev. J. Stronach and Rev. Wm. Young. They ar- 
 rived in July, 1844, were joined in 1847 by Rev. A. 
 Stronach. All these had been laboring some years at 
 various places south of China, mostly among Chinese 
 from the region of Amoy, so that they were ready to be- 
 gin evangelistic work immediately on their arrival. They 
 did efficient work for many years. Their names are still 
 held in honored remembrance by the churches here. 
 The London Mission has now a larger number of native 
 churches and church members than either of the other 
 Missions at Amoy. 
 
4 
 
 SKETCHES OF THE MISSIONS. 
 
 The work of the English Presbyterian Church was 
 commenced here by Dr. James Young, who arrived at 
 Amoy in July. 1850. He had been engaged at Hong 
 Kong in the druggist business, which he gave up in order 
 to engage in mission work. He was joined in July, 1851, 
 by Rev. Wm. C. Burns, who had previously been en- 
 gaged in evangelistic work in the region of Hong Kong 
 and Canton. Dr. Young being a layman, and Mr. Burns 
 wishing to give himself entirely to evangelistic work, 
 they labored at first chiefly in connection with the other 
 Missions at Amoy. Mr. Burns providentially soon be- 
 came very closely associated with* the native Christians 
 connected with our Mission, and as soon as he had ac- 
 quired sufficient knowledge of this dialect he began mak- 
 ing short preaching tours with them. Thus union in 
 work between the two Missions gradually became so' 
 close that the churches planted by them grew up ecclesi- 
 astically o?ie. 
 
 Dr. Young’s health failing him in 1854, and it being 
 necessary that some one take charge of him, Mr. Burns 
 decided to return with him to their native land. They 
 embarked for Hong Kong on the U. S. steamer “ Pow- 
 hatan,” August 5, 1854. Before their departure how- 
 ever, in December, 1853, Rev. James Johnston joined that 
 mission. Itwas indeed with him that the proper organiza- 
 tion of their mission work began. Mr. Johnston on account 
 of ill health left Amoy, May, 1855, and returned to Great 
 Britain. His work however was soon taken up by Rev. 
 Carstairs Douglas, who arrived at Amoy in July, 1855. 
 He soon became, and continued until his death in 1877, 
 a very efficient laborer in connection with the English 
 Presbyterian Mission. Beside his direct evangelistic 
 work in the region both northeast and northwest from 
 Amoy, he compiled and published a dictionary of the 
 spoken language of this region, which is of immense value 
 to all the missionaries and all others endeavoring to learn 
 
AMOY MISSION : CHINA. 
 
 5 
 
 this language, and is a monument of indefatigable labor 
 and painstaking accuracy very characteristic of the man. 
 
 The Engl'sh Presbyterian Mission has not only greatly 
 developed in the region around Amoy, but has sent off 
 branches which are bearing great fruit both at Swatow, 
 the next port south of Amoy, and to Taiwanfoo, the 
 southern part of Formosa. 
 
 Missionaries of other churches and societies at different 
 times commenced work at Amoy. The most of them re- 
 mained so short atime as to leave but little manifest effect 
 of their labors. The most notable exception to this was 
 Rev. John Lloyd of the American Presbyterian Church. 
 He arrived at Amoy, December 6, 1844, and died De- 
 cember 6, 1848. For a year or two before his death he 
 had conducted evangelistic services almost daily in a small 
 building which he had rented for the purpose in a ver)' 
 busy part of the town. The fruit of his seed sowing was 
 reaped by others. He left in manuscript an Amoy vocab- 
 ulary, which may be said to be the foundation of Dr. 
 Douglas’ Dictionary. After the death of Mr. Lloyd, all 
 others who had been in connection with that mission 
 having previously returned to the United States, the 
 American Presbyterian Church withdrew from this field, 
 leaving their work specially to the American Reformed 
 Church, because of the similarity of the two churches 
 in the matter of doctrine and church government. 
 
 Medical mission work at Amoy was commenced by an 
 American physician, Wm. H. Cumming, M. D., who 
 arrived at Amoy, June 7, 1842. He was not at the first 
 connected with any missionary board or society, but was 
 a zealous medical missionary, the expenses of his mis- 
 sionary work being defrayed by the private resources of 
 himself and others. He opened a dispensary for the 
 Chinese in the house of Dr. Abeel, who furnished him a 
 room for the purpose, and gave religious instruction 
 
6 
 
 SKETCHES OF THE MISSIONS. 
 
 daily to those who came for medicine or medical advice, 
 or for other purposes. 
 
 Dr. Gumming was joined November 25, 1843, by J. C. 
 Hepburn, M.D., who is now and has been for many years 
 a missionary in Japan. He was sent out by the American 
 Presbyterian Church, resided a while at Singapore, and 
 came to Amoy after the opening of this place to foreign 
 residence. Although Dr. Hepburn left Amoy in 1845, 
 and Dr. Gumming in 1847, medical mission work has been 
 continued ever since by one or more of the missions, with 
 very few and short intermissions. 
 
 From the above it will be seen that the commencement 
 of medical missionary work was in connection with our 
 Mission. Afterward it was taken up and carried on as 
 the special work of other missions. We have always done 
 what we could, and as our help was needed in forward- 
 ing their medical work, sometimes by assisting in defray- 
 ing the expenses thereof, as well as by missionary labor in 
 connection with the hospitals. Our own direct medical 
 mission work must date from this year or from the latter 
 part of last year. Dr. Y. May King arrived at Amoy, 
 October 3, 1887, and Dr. J. A. Otte, January 13, 1888. 
 
 All mission work at Amoy began on Kolongsu, the only 
 place where foreigners at the opening of this port were 
 able at first to get residences ; stated public preaching 
 and regular medical work in Amoy town began in Janu- 
 ary, 1844. 
 
 The character of our Mission from the beginning was 
 that of a preaching mission. This is well stated in a 
 paper prepared by Mr. Pohlman in 1846, in which he de- 
 scribes the missionaries of Amoy as giving themselves 
 specially ‘‘ to stated intelligible and formal exhibitions of 
 divine trtdh on the Lord's day and during the week," and 
 he advises all missionaries coming to Ghina to learn to 
 speak the language accurately, and adds, "Be sure you are 
 understood, * * then preach, PREACH. * * » 
 
AMOY MISSION ; CHINA. 
 
 7 
 
 ‘ Alas ! for a mission where the absorbing object of atten- 
 tion with any of its members is anything else than how 
 Christ crucified shall be preached to the heathen, so as 
 most effectually to persuade them to be reconciled to 
 God.’ ” 
 
 Thus we have always made all other departments of 
 mission work, educational as well as medical, subservi- 
 ent to the proclamation of the Gospel. 
 
 Beside the more formal preaching on the Sabbath and 
 the less formal preaching on week days in the chapels, 
 and the still less formal preaching in the streets, so soon 
 as earnest inquirers were found. Inquiry-meetings, Bible- 
 classes, and Prayer-meetings were instituted, some of 
 which commenced by Messrs. Doty and Pohlman have 
 been continued even to this day, and many others have 
 sprung from them. 
 
 Parochial schools were begun as soon as the number of 
 children connected with Christian families seemed to 
 justify the additional expense of money and labor. Our 
 distinctive educational work has been decidedly religious, 
 our primary schools are confined almost entirely to chil- 
 dren connected with Christian families, and the higher 
 schools to youths who have made public profession of 
 faith in Christ, and give promise of future usefulness as 
 teachers, evangelists or pastors. Some thirty years ago we 
 commenced a theological class for the training of native 
 preachers. Some seven years ago a middle school (the 
 beginning of an academy or college) was instituted by 
 the English Presbyterian Mission to be shared equally by 
 us. In like manner our theological class has been merged 
 in the union theological school or seminary of the two 
 missions. It is in order to secure better and suitable 
 buildings for the accommodation of these two institutions 
 that we have asked our church to furnish us with $5,000, 
 to be added to a like sum which the English Presby- 
 terian Missionaries hope to get from their church forthis 
 
8 SKETCHES OF THE MISSIONS. 
 
 purpose. I believe they have already received more than 
 half that amount. 
 
 While on this subject of Christian education I may re- 
 mark that nearly twenty years ago. we began in connec- 
 tion with our second church at Arnoy, a girls’ school both 
 for boarding and day scholars. In i88o it was removed 
 to Kolongsu near our Mission houses. Each of the three 
 missions has now a girls’ school on this island. 
 
 In 1884, the “Charlotte W. Duryee Bible school” was 
 commenced, where women from the churches of each of 
 the missions receive careful Christian instruction, and 
 are taught to read the Bible in Romanized Colloquial, for 
 their own spiritual advancement, and that they may be- 
 come more useful at their homes, and that some of them 
 may become fitted to be employed as “ Bible women.” 
 
 The first converts received at Amoy were in connection 
 with our Mission, viz., the two old men baptized, as men- 
 tioned above, by Mr. Pohlman in April, 1846. The next 
 received in connection with our Mission, were three per- 
 sons, two men and their old mother, a widow, baptized 
 in July. 1849. Since then every year has witnessed addi- 
 tions to the church in Amoy, beside the work in the 
 country around. 
 
 Amoy church was organized by the setting apart of 
 elders and deacons in 1856. In i860 it was separated into 
 two organizations preparatory to the calling of pastors. 
 Two men were chosen by the churches in 1861. They 
 had been preachers or unordained evangelists. A special 
 course of additional instruction was given them, and in 
 1863 they were ordained and installed over their respect- 
 ive churches. 
 
 The first work inland from Amoy that produced mani- 
 fest fruit and became permanent, was commenced by 
 Rev. Wm. C. Burns, who in the autumn of 1853 accom- 
 panied by some of the members of our church in Amoy, 
 made a preaching tour in the region of Peh-chui-ia. Be- 
 
AMOY MISSION : CHINA. 
 
 9 
 
 fore this, there had been desultory preaching by the mis- 
 sionaries and native Christians in many of the towns, 
 villages, and hamlets around ; and preparation had been 
 made and native unordained evangelists appointed to be- 
 gin permanent work in the cities of Chiang-chiu and 
 Tong-an. Several visits for preaching had been made to 
 Chiang-chiu, and a house had been rented as a chapel for 
 stated preaching and Christian worship, and two of our 
 native preachers had taken possession. These plans how- 
 ever were all frustrated by the rebellion that occured 
 in this region in the spring of 1853, in which one of the 
 helpers at Chiang-chiu lost his life. The other with great 
 difficulty escaped and got back safely to Amoy. Amoy 
 was held by the rebels for six months, which allowed 
 little opportunity for evangelistic work in the country 
 during that time. 
 
 It was after this rebellion had been subdued that Mr. 
 Burns and the native Christians made the tour mentioned 
 above. Great interest attended their preaching. Mr. 
 Burns being very unwilling to assume pastoral responsi- 
 bility, the supervision of the work at Peh-chni-ia de- 
 volved on our mission. During the year 1854, Mr. John- 
 ston assumed the financial responsibility of the work in 
 that region, and Peh-chui-ia became a station of the 
 English Presbyterian Mission. We agreed however, to 
 continue the pastoral oversight of the church until his 
 knowledge of the language should be sufficient for him 
 to relieve us. In consequence of his departure so soon 
 from Amoy, we continued that oversight until the 
 summer of 1856. From the beginning to that time we 
 had baptized thirty-seven adults and eight infants at Peh- 
 chui-ia. After that time Dr. Douglas assumed the pas- 
 toral as well as the financial responsibility of the church 
 in that region. 
 
 The manifest progress of the Gospel stirred up much 
 opposition at Peh-chui-ia. The first Christians exposed 
 
10 
 
 SKETCHES OF THE MISSIONS. 
 
 themselves to much obloquy, and sometimes to loss of 
 property, and even to persona! violence. 
 
 The next out station that became permanent is Chioh- 
 be. The work spread to that place from Peh-chui-ia in 
 the first instance, by some of the Christians of Peh- 
 c-hui-ia in the summer of 1854, going to Chioh be on busi- 
 ness. Afterward the missionaries and native members 
 of our churches at Amoy took up and carried on the 
 work. The first baptisms were in January, 1855. During 
 that year we baptized at Chioh-be twenty-two adults and 
 five infants 
 
 At Chioh-be the progress of the Gospel stirred up 
 still more violent opposition than at Peh-chui-ia. The 
 officials openly took sides against Christianity, but did 
 not dare openly to authorize violence on the part of the 
 people. 
 
 Doubtless these persecutions were overruled to bring 
 some good to the churches. They were the means of 
 keeping out the hypocrites and self-deceivers, and of 
 driving the Christians closer to their Saviour; and not- 
 withstanding the manifest check they gave to the imme- 
 diate spreading of the work, they did not stop it 
 altogether. In the region beginning at Peh-chui-ia and 
 spreading beyond to the southwest the English Presby- 
 terians have five organized churches supporting their 
 own ordained pastors, and more than twenty regular 
 preaching places. 
 
 In the region beginning at Chioh-be and extending 
 westward we have three organized churches supporting 
 their own pastors, with some eleven congregations and 
 out stations under their care. The expenses of evange- 
 listic work in these outlying congregations and out sta- 
 tions are defrayed in some jilaces wholly, at other places 
 partly, by the Mission. Still beyond these churches and 
 congregations is the field of mission work among the 
 Hakkas carried on by the native church. 
 
AMOY MISSION; CHINA. 
 
 11 
 
 The work of our church has also spread somewhat to 
 the east and north from Amoy, where we have three or- 
 ganized churches with five congregations, but without as 
 yet any ordained native pastor. 
 
 The churches gathered by the English Presbyterian 
 and American Reformed Missions were organized in 1862 
 into a Classis or Tai-hoey, in which the two Missions at 
 the present time are very nearly equally represented, and 
 connected with which, according to the reports for 1887, 
 there were 16 organized churches, with 1701 adult mem- 
 bers, 1 1 ordained pastors supported by their respective 
 churches, 47 unordained preachers or evangelists, 56 con- 
 gregations and preaching stations (beside the mission 
 among the Hakkas), 16 parochial schools with 238 
 pupils, $4,588. 1 3 contributions by the native churches for 
 religious purposes. 
 
 In order to a full appreciation of the grace of 
 God manifested in His work in this region, I should 
 add that the churches gathered by the London Mission 
 have formed a Congregational Union or con- 
 nected with which, according to their report (published 
 a year ago), there were 5 ordained pastors, 42 unordained 
 preachers, 27 congregations and preaching stations with 
 1088 adult church members. The contributions for religi- 
 ous purposes during the year had been more than $2,000. 
 
 Now, I ask. how shall we thank God sufficiently for the 
 marvelous success He has given us ? From the foregoing 
 it will be seen that, although our Mission was the first in 
 this field, the one coming last has overtaken, and the 
 other has outstripped us. Perhaps a sufficient reason 
 for this may be found in the fact that both of these Mis- 
 sions until recently have usually been furnished with 
 more men and means for the work. For the first forty 
 years of our work here it was only during rare or short 
 periods that we had on the ground as many as three mis- 
 
12 
 
 SKETCHES OF THE MISSIONS. 
 
 sionaries with sufficient knowledge of the language to do 
 efficient work. But now, thank God, our Mission is 
 stronger than it has ever been before. Now if the 
 church at home continue to furnish the men and means 
 needed to keep up this enlargement, and we, the mission- 
 aries, be found faithful, both of which conditions we 
 pray God, for His own name's sake, by His gracious Spirit 
 to make good, then shall our church have a still more 
 worthy share in the work of bringing back to allegiance 
 to our Lord this the greatest of His rebellious provinces. 
 
 MISSIONARIES OF THE REFORMED CHURCH IN AMERICA 
 TO AMOY, CHINA. 
 
 JOINED RETIRED FROM 
 THE MISSION. THE MISSION. 
 
 Rev. David Abeel, D.D., 1842 1845* 
 
 Rev. Elihii Doty, 1844 1865* 
 
 Mrs. EHhu Doty, 1844 1845* 
 
 Mrs. Mary (Smith) Doty, 1847 1858* 
 
 Rev. \V. J. Pohiman, 1844 1849* 
 
 Mrs. Theodosia R. (Scudder) Pohiman, 1844 1845* 
 
 Rev. J. V. N. Talmage, D.D., 1847 
 
 Mrs. Abby F. (Woodruff) Talmage, 1850 1862* 
 
 Mrs. Mary E. (Van Deventer) Talmage, 1865 
 
 Rev. J. S. Joralmon, 1855 i860 
 
 Mrs. J. S. Joralmon, 1855 i860 
 
 Rev. Daniel Rapalje, 1858 
 
 Mrs. Alice (Ostrom) Rapalje, 1878 
 
 Rev. Alvin Ostrom, 1858 1864 
 
 Mrs. Susan (Webster) Ostrom, 1858 1864 
 
 Rev. John E. Watkins, 1S60 * * 
 
 Mrs. John E. Watkins, i860 * * 
 
 Miss Caroline E Adriance, i860 1863 
 
 Rev. Eeonard W. Kip, D.D., 1861 
 
 Mrs. Helen (Culburtson) Kip, 1861 
 
 Rev. Augustus Blauvelt, 1861 1864 
 
 Mrs. Jennie (Zabriskiei Blauvelt, 1861 1864 
 
 Rev. J. Howard Van Doren, 1864 1873 
 
 Rev. John A. Davis, 1868 1871 
 
 Mrs. Emma C. (Wyckoff) Davis, 1868 1871 
 
 Miss Helen M. Van Doren, 1870 1877 
 
 Miss Mary E. Talmage, 1874 
 
 Rev. David M. Talmage, 1877 1880 
 
 Miss Catharine M. Talmage, 1881 
 
 Rev. Alexander S. Van Dyck, 1882 
 
 Mrs. Alice (Kip) Van Dyck, 1886 
 
 Miss Y. May King, M.D., 1887 
 
 John A. Otte, M.D., 1887 
 
 Mrs. F. C. (Phelps Otte, 1887 
 
 Rev. John G. Fagg, 1887 
 
 * Deceased. 
 
 * * Rev. John E. Watkins and wife sailed from New York to join 
 the Mission in i860, and were never heard from. 
 
ERRATUM. 
 
 To list of Missionaries, page 12, add : 
 
 Rev. Philip W. Pitcher, 1885 
 
 Mrs. Annie T. (Merritt) Pitcher, . . 1885