Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1856-10-25
Gbe 1Dolpuesia1l.
From The Westminster Review, for July.l
Christian Missions---their Principle and p rae

The aim of the old missions abundantly acc Ints
for the devoted spirit of the missionaries. ge-
NAL writer Leigh HUNT says, that if men in gen
eral had ever seen human being broiling in real
ire, writhing and groaning, men in general would
fall on their knees to impore the quenching of
hell-hre, would disbelieve its existence. In the
old days of uniform faith, held in an organic state
OF society, men believed more thoroughly and per-
haps imagined more vvidly than we, in our critical
state Of society and amidst our schsmatc surround
ings, can easily conceive: yet we know and feel
that If we any reason whatever to believe that
anybody was in danger of hell-ire for an eternity,
for want of anything we could do for them, we
should do that thing instantly at any cost st,-wheth-
er OF living in the Sandwich Islands, or diving of
starvation IN Patagonia or any other painful DOOM
When we consider that the Jeauits and other Ro-
manlsts, and the Wesleyans and other Prote5tants,
have always believed this without shadow of
doubt or a dream of hesitation, there remains moth
ing to wander at in their going forth to the ends of
the earth. to toll and suffer- and die for the saliva
ton. of souls.
However impossible-it might be 10 people with
hearts to /" live at home at ease" at a cost of hu
man souls the necessity of the position of the mis-
slonary in no degree impairs its solemn beauty
Disinterestedness is etenally beautiful and
pious selfsacri6ce is above all things solemn. In
the infinitely inferior case of the anchorite 60
ing out into the desert or of men entering a CON
vent, where the sacrifice iS ostensibly made Tor self
and not for others, it IS impossible for the most
Iclear-sighted moralistS and the most experienced
philosopher not to feel interested and touched. If
tender emotions aroused by the spectacle of
young girl renOuncing the world to be the bride
of Christ,-wel we know how ignorant she is
of what she is DOING and how fatal is the step, and
easily it is accounted for when certainty of sal
vatiOn is the bribe,-how moving must be the act
of renouncing all that makes life safe and pleasant
for the sake of other peoples souls! There is in
fact observance on earth more hear-siirring than
that of the conSecration and sending forth of mis-
sionares to the heather. These apostles are usu-
ally young, always resolute and earnest, or they
would not be there, prepared TO suffer, and, if the
truth were told, hoping to die with the martyrs
crown and palm within their grasp. No wonder
many tears are shed no wonder the grasp of " the
right hand of fellowship Is hearty; no wonder the
devoted servants of the are regarded with the
deepest and tenderest compassion, reverence, and
envyl These feelings are natural and therefore
holy, just the act of devotedness is not the less
holy for being morally unavoidable. No heart can
ought to harden itself against the thought of the
perils by sea and land to be encountered by these
voluntary sufferers,-of the tolls and wants and
pain and disease to be incurred of the contempt
and i'll usage to be expected from barbarians and
the utter isolation from the moral and intellectual
comforts of civilization. The certain thing in
the case is that the missionary must sufer,-at
times to the very limit of endurance. When,
therefore, young men and their brides join in
Christian worship for the last time among familiar
faces, and in Christian land, the spectacle is one
which must rouse the deepest emotions in all
who have hearts.
They (the first missionaries in the reign of The
odosius) believed that the Gods of their neighbors
were really and truly demons, and that the wor
ship of them was the most atrocious crime against
God that could be perpetrated and of course they
4 A. Il, l.,
gree. Under their theocratic view, treason and
6lasphemy were combined in the practice; and
eternal perdtion the proper retribution for it.
This is the same view that the Jews had in regard
10 the dolatry they warred against in taking pos
session of the Holy Land and their zeal was all
the more deeply engaged for their having no other
king than Jehovah. The Christians of the first
centuries perpetuated II; and we notice 1t here thus
expressly because we take this 10 be the principle
which is at the bottom of the whole system of mis-
sions to the heather. No one can read the most
modern missionary books, even by protestants OF
born sects without perceiving strong traces of
the opinion and sentiment that idoatry is of devil
sh excitement, and even that devils themselves are
in some cases the idols and that thus the worship
of heathen gods comprehends at once treason and
blasphemy and leads inevitably to hel-fre. The
result of the polling for Jupiter ia the Senate in
the fourth century, at the command of TheodOsius,
is known to everybody. Though the common peo-
pie believed that various recent calamltes were
owing to the interference of the Christians with
the old gods, they were for the moment more IN
awe of the Emperor than of their unseen deites;
and Jupiter deposed, having too small ma
iorty to stand by him. The evils of sincere con-
fornity troubled and endangered the new faith for
some time after; and indeed the Pagans did not
surrender all hope of the restoration OF the religion
of eleven centuries as long as the temples OF the
gods remained, however empty and disgraced
Hence the violence of the Christians in destroying
the monuments of the old faith, even to the trees
which grew near the temples. Martin, bishop OF
Tours, engaged in this work, and Marcelus, lead
ing on the havock in Syria, and meeting his death
at the hands of the people, who could not bear to
see Jupiter's temple overhrown, are altogether
Thetic picture of after ages when other Chris
tans and other Pagans should do the same things
in unknown continents and far islands of the sea
The Egyptians, sitting spitefully waiting for ca
lamity after the destruction of the temple OF Sera-
pis hoping first that the Nile would not rise, and
then that it would rise to deluge. remind one OF
the precisely similar state of mind OF those South
Sea islanders who saw their converted queen fout
their burning mountain, and who sat down to watch
for the eruption which sure to ensue.
When once the multitude can be brought to at
tend voluntarily the public services OF the lnnova-
tors the extinction of the old faith Is virtually Ell
fected; for no associations which are not sustained
by observances can, IN the general mind outlive
generation. Within thirty years of the death OF
Theodosius, every trace of Paganism had vanished
in Rome; and in like manner the same methods
would obliterate Paganism now. in every island OF
the Pacific. But the same methods cannot be EN-
ployed and modern missionaries can neither draw
converts to their churches, nor put down the an
cient worship as the early Christians did in Rome.
The Christians of the Empire introduced the relics
of martyrs into their churches, and kept the inter
est and superstition of the people alive by per-
petual show of miracles. While deceased saints
anJ martyrs were constantly active among the