I gave the trustees to understand that I would never give such a pledge for the following reasons: * First, it would handicap and circumscribe my usefulness. * I wanted the utmost freedom of action to avail myself of every opportunity to do the greatest good in China. * If necessary, I might be obliged to create new conditions, if I found old ones were not favorable to any plan I might have for promoting
In the second place, the calling of a missionary is not the only sphere in life where one can do the most good in China or elsewhere. In such a vast empire, there can be hardly any limit put upon one’s ambition to do good, if one is possessed of the Christ-spirit; on the other hand, if one has not such a spirit, no pledge in the world could melt his icebound soul.
In the third place, a pledge of that character would prevent me from taking advantage of any circumstance or event that might arise in the life of a nation like China, to do her a great service.
“For these reasons,” I said, “I must decline to give the pledge and at the same time decline to accept your kind offer to help me. I thank you, gentlemen, very much, for your good wishes.”
Both Brown and Hammond afterwards agreed that I took the right view on the subject and sustained me in my position.
To be sure, I was poor, but I would not allow my poverty to gain the upper hand and compel me to barter away my inward convictions of duty for a temporary mess of pottage.
During the summer of 1850, it seems that Brown who had been making a visit in the South to see his sister, while there had occasion to call on