Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1856-11-01

w tLe case VI tue ulSSlOldTy becomes COM
pounded by his meeting with Christian as well as
heathen antagonism. the whole beauty of the en-
terprise vanishes. Careless and romantic people,
who think well OF all missions as long as hand
tul OF Christians are proposing to convert nation
of heathens, are yet unable to look with any kind
of satisfaction on the encounter Of opposing mis-
slonaries on the same spot
And is itso? Speaking of Tahiti.) The people,
themselves scantily fed, and growing more hungry
year by year in their cabins, must carry their meat
and fruit to the grand house with the verandah and
lawn, and make roads and build houses, with the
Gospel Tor wages! This Is the successful side,-
OF those who secure the ground first. And for the
Cathoic,Phase, the idle priests destitute of disci-
pies, have their bamboo chapel to themselves, and
obtain intercourse only by bribes of brandy, with
Protestant spies peeping in at the midnight ca
rouse. Is this the issue of the system instituted
by the Xavlers and Vieyras, and occupying the
complete organization of the most proseytng
church IN the world? Counting each baptism as
soul saved, the Catholics may consider their mis-
slons successful: f: bot from every other point of
view, what can be more complete than the fiiIure?
No civilization, no enlghtenment,-not even super
hcIal success and external pros Ierty to show for
centuries of missionary effort and sacrifice
If such is the result in the Catholic case which
] Ic0mprehendS all conceivable advantages, the COIN
pletest organic Itlon In the world, the sanction OF
kings, the wealth of empires, and the facilities
arising from unity Of doctrines what could be hop
ed from Protestant missions In which all these aids
are wanting? Missionaries Of different secls are
more apt to denOunce than to aid each other; and
the individuals who 90 forth are not appointed un-
der any extensive organization, but represent sec
tiOnal opinions and symT athies, and are sustained
by voluntary contributions. What success we hear
OF is Of the Catholic sort-sOuls saved by baptism
(for shall see presently what the amount Of sue
cess In wider view really Isl and yet there has
1 - h. g..
missions is attributed by an earnes, divine 10 the
very doctrine Of eternal punishment, which alore
furnishes TO missions their plea of success. Tie
Rev. Edward White, in his Theory of Missions"
reprObates the horrible conception of hell as un-
scriptural, and causing vast amount Of nidelitv ;
and he recommends, fair medium between that
dogma and the doctrine of Universal Restoration,
his view of the annihilation Of the wicked. One
section Of his tract IS this -
"Iu. Another benefit arising from the adoption Of
the Scripture doctrine here advocated b that it places
the Missionary Enterprise in the light Of the glory Of
God before the churches at home and the heather
abroad. l would ask Of any frequenter of our Nay
meetings whether the aspect Of the Exeter Hall
lagos is which betOkens very earnest belief in the
everlasting stig of the barblrianS Of Asia, AficI,
and America The pi0us persons thus gathered are
among the flower Of the churches. They believe, as
strongly they able in what they profess bat the
doctrine is Incredible, and therefore produces but small
the believers. have the authority Of missionaries for
affirming that Of our best eyangelsts, living in
personal contact for years with the Pagan millions,
driven almost despair and paralysis Of heart by the
pressure Of the doctrines which they have been sent out
to proclaim This has been repeatedly admitted TO me
by some whose names are honored far as they are
known. Now, let the churches Of Christ embrace the
doctrine Of life Jesus CASt alone, and Of graduated
punishment; let the mssionl res carry itabroad-the
doctrine that the Gospel is the literal word of life and
not to anticipate at least the arising of joyous
zeal at home, and welcome reception Of the
sage in foreign llnds The annual reports Of sOce
ties do conceal the fct that present scarcely any
thing has been done by modern Christianity for the
overthrow of the great Pagluisms of the East. There
scattered bands Of conyerts but China and India,
with their 500 900 Of mankind, heather, obs
natey heathen, st."-p. 73.
The good Quaker Wheeler, who went out in a
ship of his ascertain the real state of things
in the South Sea Islands, said of Tahiti in 1894,
after long and careful investigation of its state,
:. Certainly, appearances are unpromising; and,
however unwilling to adopt such conclusion, there
is reason t. apprehend that Christian principle is
u great rarity" Since that time, the difficulties
with the French have wrought to lessen the church
gatherings, and empty the schools. The people
have the Bible in their own tongue, and they turn
over its pages in hstless sort Of way. The old
notion of the taboo is concentrated upon the Sun
day; 50 that SlJ5Itarian obseryances are genuine;
yet their spiritual state is painful and disa
greeable that, as IL must be ind Gated, we would
rather do it by extract than in language OF our
own, Observing that the missionaries themselves,
while the most specifically informed people IN the
island to the real condition of its morals, mourn
fully admit that the great problem which they have
hitherto failed to solve is bringing the faith
to bear ON the parihclti1n Of works. Iney take
care that their children shall not learn word OF
the native language; they permit no intercourse
between their families and the inhIbittnts ; and,
when playground is wanted for the European
pupils Of a school, wal. Of great height is built
all round it-a curious illustration, however neces-
sary, of the equal brotherhood of men theoretically
introduced by Christianity
To this IL must be added, that the poor Pulynesl-
ans have st some Of the best virtues that they had
Christian missionaries 20 forth in spirit Of com
placency whch to the philosopher appears really
mOurntul. The one suppoSltiOn on which MISSION I
aries proceed Is, that the heather are IN wholly
lost and damnable state. Ii never occurs to them
that there are things IN heathen morals and man
ners which might edify Christian mss!onlries as,
for instance, the brotherly love and social harmony
which exists before missionaries appear, to awaken
thought and create opinion, and thea take flight for
ever.
Enormous evils undoubtedly coexist with this
hlrmony-as lie Of pleasure seeking, OF lHdo- I
lence, of Ignorance, and other bad things but as
far as it goes, the amiabIhiy and instructive kind
ness and joyousness are good, ani any o1e who
chooses to break in upon the old state OF things IS
bound to take that the Iciety he takes IN hand
is left in at least good a state as that IN which
he found it. Ii this test were applied, we fear It .
would be discovered that the we! meaning but big
0ted and cOncelted missionaries have destroyed the
old graces without introducing any virtues which /
can be relied upon just as all missionaries 90 10
work to root out the faiths by which men have
lived, and thrust upon them another which can
never be as congeGial to them. II does not seem