The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1865-05-06
THE PACIFIC
Commercial Advertiser.
SATURDAY, MAY 6.
CFor the Pacific Commercial Alyertiser3
BishO StnIey'- Pastoral Address
CONTINUED from our previous issue.l

r- EN-'a~~' AN-N-t
The Bishop says that " this denominations system
without creeds, without formularies, is no match for
the compact and solid organization Of Rome" There
are other elements which enter into the question,
and which the Bishop ignores. One IL the fact that
the Bible is 4 Protestant book. and as such Is with
held from the people by both Romanist and Tracta-
riau. Another is the fact that the world still
moves that knowledge is becoming more and more
the property Of all, and that the tendencies Of the
age are against all monopolies or privileged orders in
church or state. The tauut comes with an i'll grace
from q church from whose members Rome has receiv-
ed go large accessions, while go large q proportion of
the remainder are on the road thither. Torn by intes-
tine conflicts, and embracing a Brother Ignatius aud
q COlenso iD the same communion, it presents the ex-
traordinary spectacle Of the most discordant sect in
Christendom, inviting the other sects TO escape from
their divisions by returning TO her as to " the
one body of Christ"
To illustrate &" the little weight which this denomi-
national Christianity attaches to the sacrament of
baptism the Bishop quotes haJ of the definition
Of the word sacrament from the English Hawaiian
vocabulary, drawn up by Rev. J 5 Emerson and
Rev. A.. Bishop, and published at Lahaiualuna in
ls45. He quotes as follows " Sacrament, o ka aha
alma a ka HAIKU" i e, " The Lords Supper from
which he draws the sweeping conclusion that bap-
tism is not regarded as q sacrament by the American
Mission ! But he Omits the rest of the definition,
- he oihana ekalesia,' - "a church observance, - in
adequate it is true, but about as good n definition as
could be given without coming Il new word like
a. sakarema.' Another discovery which he thinks
he has made is that the American Missionaries have
been guilty Of n {" piOus traVd" in teaching the ma
tives TO call Sunday 'Sabati,' and in allowing them
to call Monday &" Poakahi,' - first night. SC. Thus
leading them 10 confuse the glorious festival sacred
to our Lords resurrection with the Jewish Sabbath"
In the first place. why should the Pagan name
Sunday. which recalls the worship Of the sun, be
preferred to the word Sabbath, which means % rest"
The best English photographers define Sabbath"
as the name of the institution rather than of
the dag. ~ " the day of rest" the Saturday of the
Jews, and the Sunday of the Christians. The Bishop
has no doubt seen the Catechism published by the
American Mission in 1912, reprinted in 1860, and
extensively used in their Sunday Schools. On the
Fourth Commandment it contains the following ques-
tons and answers (which day Of the week was
given as a Sabbath to the Lord Ans. From the
resurrection of Christ until now, the first dag of
the week is the day kept holy to the Lord. Was it
so from the beginning Ans. No, from the begin
ming of the world to the death of Christ. the seventh
day was the Sabbath, Why was this change made
in the Sabbath from the seventh day to the first
AuS = NhS VI ChiiS Nic
dead on the first day, was the most wonderful work
of God, by which life and Immortality were brought
to light through him, and that is the day to be re-
membered until the end of the world" Again,
''What is the frame of mind suitable to the Sabbath ?
Ans. A heart rejoicing in God, and real joy before
him.
Turn again to the section of the Catechism on the
church " How many sacraments (oihana hoailona
ekalesia) has Christ given his Church Ans. Two
only. baptism and the Lords Supper" Comment
on the above is unnecessary. | leave il to the reader
10 judge OF the conduct of a writer who makes such
sweeping charges against a body Of Christians with.
out taking the trouble TO examine their catechism or
creed.
As to their practice, it is not true that they refuse
to administer baptism to any who are willing to pro-
fess their faith in Christ and love TO him, or to the
children OF members of any Christian Church. They
10 not regard baptism as "A magical incarnation by
which all sin is exercised by Il little water aud a few
human words, or as possessed of any saving efficacy
in itself. The Bishop is shocked that the good King
kamchameha III should have been allowed to die
unbaptised, and ]procEaims the fact in capital letters
- to the eternal disgrace Of those whom it may con
Germ 1t ls certainly n sad fact, but IT merely
shows the rigid impartiality with which the Ameri-
can Missionaries acted, requiring the same evidence
OF o change Of heart and life from the King rs from
the lowest peasant. 1t is not likely that they will
consult the Bishop as TO who are proper subjects for
baptism, or as to what constitutes credible evidence
Of conversion. They never have, and it is 10 be
hoped they never will publish lists of the illustrious
personagcs connected with their Churches, for effect
abroad. Here it is a proper place to mention that
two at least of the persouages in the list on page 81,
are members in good standing. one IF the Kawaiahao
Church, and the other Of Mr.. COan's Church in IIilO.
The origin of the English Mission to these isl
auds is so important IL chapter in Hawaiian his
tory, that it is desirable that il should be thoroughly
ventilated. Having carefully read the Bishops
statement Of the steps which led 10 the establishment
Of this Mission, | cannot see that it invalida'es in
the least the four differences which are drawn by DR..
Anderson on the 3iith page of his book, except that
the assent of the Hawaiian King seems to have been
given earlier in 1861 than DR.. y. supposed. At the
risk of taxing the patience of your readers, | will ex-
anime this portion Of the " Pastoral" somewhat in
detail. As my object is 10 elicit the g true facts of
the CASE" l will gladly stand corrected whenever |
am IN error.
DR.. Anderson has published. in his late work. the
two letters addressed to the Rev. Mr.. Ellis in the
spring of 1860, by Messrs. Wyllie and Armstrong.
In these letters they simply asked for = chaplain,
and desired Mr.. Ellis to use his influence in securing
the appointment of an evangelical man. Another
letter on the same subject had been previously writ.
ten by Mr.. Wylie, TO Manley Hopkins, Esq the
Kings Charge d'Ahaires in London, which we hope
will also be published. Immediately after receiving
this letter, Mr.. Hopkins put himself in cooperation
with the Bishop Of Oxford. Beresford Hope, and
others Of similar views, 10 send out, not = simple
Clergyman, as requested by the King, but 4 Bishop
and clergy, and prepared a circular on the subject.
When, soon after, Mr.. Ellis called on him, as directed
by Dir. Wyllie, Mr.. Hopkins expressed surprise that
he (Mr. Ellis) should have been applied TO at all,
and made him understand that his services would
not be welcome. We cannot, however, suppose that
Mr.. Hopkins took this course in consequence Of in
structions from Mr.. Wyllie, since that gentleman
has repeatedly declared that the Hawaiian Govern
ment never asked that 4 Bishop should be sent out.
In his sermon last New Years day the Bishop