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I WILL not commit myself to an agreement with all that Mr. Allen has said or all the arguments he has used in the following pages: but I am thoroughly in agreement with his main line of thought and his general contention.
我无法完全认同艾伦先生在以下篇章中所说的一切以及他所使用的所有论点，但我完全赞同他的主要思想和总的论点。
The question of mission policy needs to be studied far more than it has been studied in the past, with due reference to the first principles of missionary work which we find in the New Testament.
传教政策的问题需要比过去更加深入地研究，并且应当充分参考我们在《新约》中找到的传教工作的基本原则。
I have felt for some years past that our policy in India has been largely dictated by sentiment, by circumstances, by expediency rather than by first principles, and I am grateful to Mr. Allen for this effort to bring our missionary methods to the test of apostolic precedent.
过去数年来，我深感我们在印度的政策多半是由情感、环境和权宜之计所支配，而非以基本原则为指导。我对艾伦先生努力以使徒的先例来检验我们的传教方法表示感激。
His argument is briefly as follows. St. Paul was the greatest Church-builder of Christendom.
他的论点简述如下：圣保罗是整个基督教世界中最伟大的教会建立者。
The circumstances under which he built may be in many respects different to those of the modern mission field.
他建造教会的环境在许多方面可能与现代传教场所有所不同。
Still we cannot but assume that his principles have a permanent value for all time, even though their method of application may vary according to circumstances.
然而，我们不能不认为他的原则具有永恒的价值，即使这些原则的应用方式可能会因环境而有所不同。
His methods and principles may be summed up as follows: —
他的方法和原则可总结如下：
He had no preconceived plan of campaign; he went where the Spirit led; he sought for the open doors; he chose the centres most suitable for the gathering of converts and the propagation of the faith:
他没有预先设定的传播计划；他随圣灵的引导而行；他寻找敞开的门；他选择最适合聚集归信者和传播信仰的中心地方。
he aimed definitely at converting men and women to faith in Christ: we never find him simply preparing the ground for future conversions.
他的明确目标是使男女归信基督：我们从未见他单单为未来的归信作预备之工。
viii INTRODUCTION
第八章 引言
Then he planted Churches which rapidly became self-supporting and self-governing.
然后，他建立了教会，这些教会很快变得自给自足并自主治理。
We never find St. Paul governing a Church by means of workers paid from foreign sources.
我们从未发现圣保罗通过依靠从外国来源支付薪水的工人来管理教会。
In about six months he has founded the Church, taught the converts the necessary elements of the faith, ordained a ministry and made provision for the administration of the sacraments.
大约在六个月的时间内，他就建立了教会，教导了归信者必要的信仰要素，任命了圣职人员，并为圣礼的施行作了安排。
Then St. Paul passes on elsewhere, and the Church is left to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.
然后，圣保罗转向其他地方，而教会则依靠圣灵的能力自行发展。
He occasionally visits it, writes to it and sends to it his fellow-workers; but in no case does he settle down to govern it as a modern missionary governs his district in India or China.
他偶尔会探访教会，写信给它，并派遣他的同工去那里；但他从不留驻下来管理教会，就像现代传教士在印度或中国管理他的传教区那样。
Again, in his teaching St. Paul is content to lay simple and strong foundations.
同样，在他的教导中，圣保罗满足于奠定简单而稳固的基础。
He does not attempt to give it the elaborate teaching which is thought necessary in a modern mission.
他并未试图向教会提供现代传教中被认为必要的详尽教义。
The teaching given to a modern candidate for Holy Orders in the mission field finds no parallel in the work of St. Paul.
现代传教区域内圣职候选人所接受的教导，在圣保罗的工作中没有对应之处。
Once more in the exercise of discipline, St. Paul strives to inspire a spirit, not to enforce a law.
此外，在施行教会纪律时，圣保罗努力激发一种灵里的原则，而不是强加律法。
He carefully abstains from imposing upon his Churches any external code or authority.
他谨慎地避免向他的教会强加任何外在的规条或权威。
His object is not to compel them to obey a law, but to lead them to obey the inner guidance of the Holy Spirit.
他的目标不是强迫他们遵守律法，而是引导他们遵循圣灵内在的引导。
Then, lastly, his ideal of unity is essentially spiritual.
最后，他对教会合一的理想本质上是属灵的。
It is not based upon organization, but upon life.
这种合一不是基于组织，而是基于生命。
He makes no attempt to bind them all into one by any centralized organization or by obedience to a common authority, but by the power of one spirit and one life.
他从未试图通过任何集中的组织或对共同权威的顺从将他们都统一在一起，而是通过一个圣灵和一个生命的大能使他们合一。
There is obviously a very wide and marked difference between the methods and principles of St. Paul and the methods and principles of modern missions.
显然，圣保罗的传道方法和原则与现代宣教的传道方法和原则之间存在着非常广泛而显著的差异。
We neglect the open doors and then spend time and money largely in preaching to people who show no willingness to accept the faith.
我们忽视了那些敞开的门，却在不愿接受信仰的人身上花费了大量的时间和金钱传道。
We found Churches and keep them in leading strings for a hundred years, and even then are not within measurable distance of giving them independence.
我们建立了教会，却将它们长期置于束缚之中，长达百年之久，甚至到那时也未能使它们接近独立。
We transplant to the mission field the elaborate system of teaching and organization with which we are familiar at home.
我们将本土所熟悉的复杂教学和组织体系移植到宣教工场上。
We impose discipline upon our converts as an external law and authority.
我们将纪律强加于我们的归信者，作为一种外在的律法和权威。
Why is there a difference between our methods and those of St. Paul?
为什么我们的方法与圣保罗的方法之间会有差异？
It may partly be accounted for by a difference of circumstances.
这或许可以部分归因于当时环境的差异。
But Mr. Allen maintains that this by no means entirely accounts for, or justifies, our wide departure from the methods of the Apostle; and I am strongly inclined to agree with him.
但艾伦先生坚持认为，这绝非完全解释或证明我们远离使徒方法的正当性；对此，我深表赞同。
At any rate, whether we agree with him or not, his argument deserves our serious consideration.
无论我们是否同意他的观点，他的论点都值得我们认真思考。
The fact remains that, where St. Paul conspicuously succeeded, we have conspicuously failed.
事实仍然是，在圣保罗显著成功之处，我们却显著失败了。
May it not be because we have worked upon widely different principles?
这是否因为我们所遵循的原则截然不同呢？
HENRY MADRAS.
亨利·马德拉斯。
目录
总编序言
引言
序言
第一部分 – 导言
I. 导论
第二部分 – 先决条件
II. 战略要点
III. 阶层
IV. 道德与社会状况
第三部分 – 福音的宣讲
V. 神迹
VI. 财政
VII. 讲道
第四部分 – 教导归信者
VIII. 对归信者的教导
IX. 受洗与按立候选人的培训
第五部分 – 圣保罗处理有组织教会的方法
X. 权威与纪律
XI. 合一
第六部分 – 结论
XII. 原则与精神
XIII. 应用
XIV. 收尾 – 当今的对比