Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1856-10-25

ever true this might be of Rome, and of smaller
centres of opinion and habit, Pagansm fingered
and fingers TO this day, in the recesses where ira
dition lives untouched by the lapse of centuries
There are heights of Lebanon where the worship
of the sun proceeds, pure as in Jezebe's DAYS
and when the temple at Baalbec was thronged
There are caves where priests still bow the head
to Baal, and Astarte has her sacred grove to this
hour. But wherever the Christians prevailed, Pa
ganism was presently put down and soon forgotten.
With our modern missionaries the case is different
They have, in the South Sea Islands, to send mes
sengers round to fog the common people into the
churches; and they well aware not only are old
practices continued under the disguise of 'ncko-
naree" Professions but that in the forest and raw
ines where sedate preachers and their timid wives
can never penetrate the dear old gods are caressed
more than ever on account of the adversely into
which they have fallen; and charming familiar fes-
tvals are enjoyed more than ever, on the principle
that stolen pleasures are sweetest. The modern
preachers safe from the danger of early Chris
tian priests. of becoming Paganized by the process
OF converting Pagans but, the other hand, they
fail IN proportion in the work of real conversion
The comparison is one which it is perfectly fair to
make, because Pagansm is essentially the same all
over the world. Theoogians have noticed this
from generation to generation; and now travellers
bring up the fact again, in treating of every new
country exhibited by discovery. Every traveller
racks his brain for scheme by which to connect
the peoples of the most distant countries while
the philosopher finds the explanation of the like
ness, not in dreams of migration and a common
stock, but in the clear view of the stages passed
through by the universal human mnd-from fetish
ism to poytheism, and from polytheism to mono
thelsm. When the monotheists propose to convert
men passing throug earlier stage. they find, as
every true philosopher would expect, strong re-
semblance in the fetish religion, wherever found
and also IN the polytheistic; the beliefs being
everywhere the inevitable result of conditions com
mon to all. 1t is this which makes it fair to COM
pare the result Of proseytism by widely different
agents, in centuries far apart.
Beginning with the early times, however, weare
first struck with the thought of what we ourselves
owe TO missionary enterprise. Ia the south of
England and in Ireland there was probably some
early preparation by the Influx of prosecuted
Christians from the Continent; but the great re-
lease from the iron rule Of Druid caste-tyranny
owe to St. Augustine and other missionaries, who
came for the express purpose of making Us Chris
tians. The miracles of St. Augustine were Eumer-
Gus and wonderful enough to discredit the natural
science of the native priests and the eastern faith
spread till the monastery of Iona at length BECAME
the centre of enlightenment OF the northwestern
parts of the world. The rapid spread of the faith
here has afforded hint to missionaries in all ages
SINCE to begin with the soyereigns, sure that the
people will follow, by free will or force. When
the main object is to save the greatest number Of
souls by baptism, 1T is Il matter of small import
ance to the priest whether the people come to bap
tism by constraint or because they desire it. The
first missionaries presented themselves therefore as
ambassadors to princes: the princes had induce
ments of foreign alliance and other good things to
follow lead in matters of faith and the people,
again, followed by royal command. To this day
the same method is pursued, by Catholic and Pro
testant, wherever conversion is to be achieved.
Tattooed kings and eannibal princes of the blood
royal are first sought, their vices veled and their
caprices borne with, that by their means the king
dom of heaven might gain some of their subjects.
Hence that striking feature of missionary indu-
ence through all time-its support and strength
ening of the principle of caste. OF old, the mir
acle-workng priests, who shamed the Druids,
made themselves agreeable to the kings of The petty
states Of our island and in our own time, Pro
testant sectaries from England have made much OF
a drunken Pomare because she was queen and
American missionaries at Liberia have concealed
the sufferngs of the helpless imported inhabitants
at the bidding of those who sent them, the object
being to sustain the pride of race and the bribe to
the missionaries, the obtaining a rank of their
own. 1t appears that in some cases more detest-
able institution of caste than any missionary ever
found ready to his hand, is actually introduced by
modern methods of Christianizing the heathen.
An American vOyaSer testiGes as follows to the
Readers of reports" he says, are led to infer
that the and customs Of ciyizel life are rapidly
refining the natives of the Sandwich Islands. But let
be deceived by these accounts The chiefs swlg-
ger about in gold lace and broadcloth, while the great
mass of the common people are nearly as primitive IN
their appearance in the days Of Cook In the pro-
gress of events these islands, the two classes re-
ceding from each other the chiefs daily becoming
luxurious and extravagant in their style of living
and the-common people more and more destitute of the
neceSsaries and decences Of life But the end to which
both will arrive at last will be tie The one are
fast destroying themselves by sensual indugenceS AMI
the other are fast being destroyed by complication of
disorders, and the want of wholesome food The re-
sources of the domineerng chiefs wrung from the
starving serf and every additional baube with which
they beeck themselves is purchased by the suffering OF
their bondmen so that the measure of gewgaw refine
ment attained by the chiefs is only index to the ac
ual state of degradation in which the greater part OF
the population lie grOvelGng."
Such are the results of beginning the work OF
proselytism with kings, and making an arIstoeracy
to countenance and uphold religion. In the old
times the mischief was checked by the poverty and
humility of the missionaries themselves IN their
monastic capacity. They could not be ariStoeratie
except in purely spiritual relations. 1t IS other
wise in our time Our Protestant missionaries are
bound by no vows of poverty and humility; and
accordingly we find them poss :ssing lands and
houses managing public and private affairs, and
bringing their social position into wonderful
likeness to heather slave-holding. II the old
Catholic missionary was somewhat like the Pope
in other matters, he was like him also in being
serUus serU0rul, and there no helpful office too
humble for the Jesuit or the Dominican bent on
saving souls. Among Protestant seetaries, the
state of things is different.
At one time the Jesuits boasted that they had
millions of converts in China. NM. Hue and Gd
bet and the existing rebellion show what that
amount of conversion was worth. The late empe-
TOR issued an edict against and our trade on the
ground that he owed it to his people to guard them
against the contagion of religion 50 depravingt to