Christianity among the New Zealanders

Front matter

CORNELL

UNIVERSITY

LIBRARY

Preface

It may seern to many per.s<.>ns a most unfa^'ouva1 )le time for publishing to the world a bc^ok on Christian Missions, but more particularly one which professes to give an account of Christianity among the New Zealanders. For S(.)me years every mail from Xew Zealand has been the bearer of intelligence respecting a Avar, during the course of which there have been many events recorded, showing the Maoris to be a bold and brave people, ready to fight to the last for v^hat they consider to be their rights : but they do not tend to give a very favourable impression of the Christianity which that people are ^aid to have receiA^ed. But more particularly the development of the Hauhau fanaticism with all its horrid rites, and the cruel murder <.)f poor X^Jlkner, has given too much reason for tlie public to ask : '' Is this the Christianity of the New Zealanders? HaAe the large sums of money spent uijon thi,^ Avork during fifty y(3ars, and the labours of your Missionaries — valuable men who would have done good service in any <jther occupation — produced no bett(,'r result ? Surely it has been a mistake to think of civilizing, and of bringing oV(^r

IV P1IEFA(^E.

to Christianity, a race of savages, doomed by the Almighty to be shut up in utter ignorance ! How much better to have bestowed these efforts in improving the condition of our own countrymen at home ! " Such are the sentiments which continually meet the eye in many of the public prints, while the infidel thinks that he is able to refute tlie Christian by an appeal t<:) the results of his own labours.

It is for this very reason that this little work, which was contemplated some years ago simply as a record of the past, is now given to the world, to show that those who eml)arked in j\Iissionary labours have not failed in that which tliey undertook, and are ready to challengt^ a fair and calm investigation into the history of their proceedings.

The early records of Christianity lead us to expect such events as have transpired in the New Zealand Church. First, our Saviour warned His disciples that many who heard the word gladly would by and by be offended. Then, as the Churches became established in different provinces of the Eoman Empire, we find St. Paul marvelling that the Galatians were so soon removed from him that had called them into the grace of Christ unto another Gospel ; and after a further lapse of time, we gather from the Epistles to the Seven Churches in Lesser Asia, that their religion had begun in those early times most seriously to degenerate from its original purity. Yet there was an abundant harvest of first-fruits, and great multitudes of true believers had been received into tlie

PREFACE. V

Church. The dominion of Satan had been invaded, and his anger, being stirred up to the utmost, became developed in fierce persecutions, under which many sealed their faith with their blood, and in subtle temptations also, which drew aside the great bulk of professors from the simplicity of the truth.

What have we found in New Zealand but the counterpart of this ? There has been a national recognition of the Christian religion ; but, while there have been many nominal professors, we have undoubted evidence that large numbers of sincere Christians have been gathered into the fold of Christ. In the meantime, at the very period when the Gospel was beginning to gain a hold upon the people, there came the colonization of the country, with all the manifold temptations and changes of circumstances introduced by a new race of men. The increase of settlers led to a greater demand for land, of which there was abundance in the country unoccupied; but, as might have been expected, quarrels have arisen, some of which have been the fault of the natives, but a large proportion had their origin in our ow^n mismanagement. The effect of all this has been most prejudicial to the progress of Christianity. The Eomish jjriests have made use of this state of things to procure for their tenets a favourable reception, saying that tliey have no connexion with the Endish or w^ith the Ens^lish Government; and hence the notion which has been impressed upon the natives, that the Protestant Missionaries were sent

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I'.y the Queen to prepare the way for the colonists. But what is th(.i r<^sult I That, notwithstanding' all these adverse circumstances, there is still a large number of faithful Christians. It was the command ' of our hlessrd Saviour that the Gospel should he . preached to all nations, and it is in compliance with this command that missionar^' labours are carried r)n iu the present (hiy. God has blessed thos(^ labours to a greater exti^nt than v/e had ventured to hope, and, notwitlistanding all the trials and discouragements and opposition of the evil one, the Christian knows that the kinu'dom of Christ will be triumphantly estalilished, and that '' He must reign till He hath put all <'n(Mui(_'s under His feet."

In preparing the following pages, a large portion of the infornjation has been gathered from the publieatiuns of the Cln'rcJi Missioaar]! Sucicii/, and much also from personal observation.

For most of the drawings which are inserted in this book, I am indebted to the kindness of the Eev. J. Kinder and the Eev. T. B. Hutton, to whom I wish to express my great obligation.