Polynesian., 1850-03-09

a' present, IS, that there Is no necessity fo,
IL. ihe advocates for leaving assign as rea.
sons, the relief it will give the Board. of ex.
pense-the good moral effect it will have up.
on the world, and the benefit it will be to the
natives by teaching them to maintain tbei,
own religious institutions.
As to the first OF these reasons if wouId
be sound were it true. But | seriously doub,
whether the funds of the Board wouId he AT
all relieved by the measure How should
they be Suppose that by going off from
the Board and depending on his people for as
much OF his support as they were able to
give, and to expect the Board to make up
the deficiency, wherein would his goino of,
relieve the funds of the Board any more
than his holding on would do provided the
money he could derive from the people were
faithfully thrown into those funds. In the
one case said funds would be relieved to the
amount of salary collected-and in the other
to the same amount. So far as know the
people are urged by all suitable arguments
to support the gospel among themselves, are
doing, some more, some less, but all per-
haps nearly as much as their circumstances
will allow, for the object What they rive
in this way, goes TO diminish the expenses OF
the Board and would the same amount d.
minIsh the expenses more if the Missionary
lett the Board, than by his remaining with If !,
Ihe same may be said of the one whose peo-
pie actually contribute the amount of his sal
ary-that contribution will not enhance the
relief to the Board more by the Nissiona-
ry S forsaklng the former than by his re-
naming with it. The argument supposes
that In gong of or remaining with the Board
all the money which the people can raise
VIII be devoted to the maintenance of the
Missionary, and that in either case the def
cheney IN maintenance will be met by the
! Board
Equally untrue, as it seems to me. is the
assertion that the Missonary's learing the
1 Board will have better moral efft CT unon
the world than would his remaining where
I he Is. should one or more become disen-
gagged from the mission, so much as he could
get for his support from his people. would
misunderstanding community be reliey-
ed from expense in his case. So far and no
farther would they be particularly interested
IN 1t. But they would experience the same
relief from him were his people to give as
much for his support while connected with
the Board, and the moral effect in the latter
case could not be less favorable than in the
former. In the one case the moral effect would
arise from the fact that the cause had been
so successful that some churches were sup
porting their own ministers in whole or in
| part /; in the other, from the report that said
churches were casting, some all, and some
a part of what they received from the Board
back into its treasury. He, must confess,
must be nice adjuster of differences, who
can weigh that which exists between the two
cases so far as the moral effect is concerned.
The question is not concerning an unlimited
union with the Board, but the continuance of
that union until the work of the Board shall
be mainly if not fully completed, phich riII
be on The day when the churches as a Jodu al
the islands are able and iciiiing to support The
gospel among themselves, and not before
When this desirable period shall arrive, the
Board will cease to exercise its functions, for
its work will have been accomplished. The
Missionaries will have become independent
Of it, OF course. But let the gang remain
unbroken, if possible, until the last clip in
the harvest is taken, then lay down the sick
les and retire from the field together, and
iDscribe FINISHED on the nOblest and best
enterprise o! the age. Could the moral eff
feet of such blessed consummation be less
powerful or wide extended than it would be
were the laborers to abandon the field separ-
ately? Verify, the announcement of the
completion of the missionary work at the is
lands at particular date, and the simutane-
Gus retirement of the Missionaries from the
service Of the Board, could not fail to be re-
garded as momentous event or of causing
general jubilee throughout the christian
world So far then, as good moral effect is
l. |.
leaving the Board. Why then not hold on
until the work is done'
Another and more plausible reason urged
in favor of leaving the Board, is the good it
will do, and the superior moral influence it
will have upon the people themselves. This
argument though apparently plausible. will,
think, be found upon examination, to be no
more sound than the others Just noticed
The argument would be good were it fact
that the people were not instructed in their
duty to support their pastors by those who
have up to this moment leaned on the Board
That it is Of great use to people to sup
port their own religious institutions, there
can be no doubt, and that Pastor would do
them an irreparable injury, who should
lean on the Board instead of his people for a
support without urging them to support HIM
themselves. But unhappiy for the argument
in question, the Missionaries who lean oSthe
Board instead of their people for support, are
not particularly remiss in teaching the peo-
pie to support them, or what is the same
thing, the ministry among themselves. And
it is also fact that the churches OF most, #
not all such Missionaries are actually sup
porting their pastors in whole or IN part. and
that they are doing as much for this purpose
as they would do, we're the Missionaries TO
give up their lien on the Board. Few. If any
Of the churches feel able to give the Mission
aries the full amount which they are receiv-
ing from the Board, small as the amount
may be; but they are as willing to do what
thev can for the one who leans onthe Board
as they are for one who leans on themselves
Facts can be stated TO prove this assertion,
and will be if required. Why should they
not be as able and as willing to support the