Saturday press. [volume] (Honolulu, H.I.) 1880-1885, 1885-01-10
Timely Question ing.

IhttpR SAftbpAf ihtsai seAH WIZ
you kindly rive space In yom columns fof
some reflections which have been stirred by
the present efforts in which many Of our
devout Christian people are engaged urdet the
earnest leading Of Mrs, lIampson1 ! am
plain man, and Christian professor, although
might not be counted among the fgidly
orthodox ! desire TO obtain through your
paper replies 10 some plain questions assuring
YOU that my motive In asking them Is simply
tha, the portion of the general public ,hs,
| " cares fof none Of these things may receive
wholesome information At a time when the
subjee, is in many minds, The iewid utter.
anees II Mrs. IIampson, seconded by earnest
Christian workers, must lead many to ask
HHaf u a "Repfpdf y and HHa Is hr tedien
that II eomef nfst ffe iedde,fbibsfa figaagfrP
| Further I observe that the Roman Catholic
Church. regarding of course all pfotesisnts as
sehismatica aud hcrctica, has no part Ia this
movement. viii some one inform me, what
provision does the Church OF Rome make fof
rcvivaA of religion among her people when
religious life falls to low cbb
| observe also that, as q religious body the
Episcopal of English Church takes no part
with Mrs IIampson, while I have seen one
of the ministers of that church at her meetings.
evidently interested and a number Of EnRlish
Church people among the singers and hearers.
iIas the English Church, or Episcopal Church
in America, any regular provision for revival
or Evangelstie work, and to what extent is it
carried on
| do not ask you. Mr. Editor. % consume
"the midnigh, oil" in research to answer these
questions Perhaps some Of our learned clef.
gymen Of the various Christian bodies will
come to your aid, and give the Honolulu public
some useful instruction in this matter.
! am struck with this fact that the mis-
sionary spirit which brought abou, such wonder.
ful results in the conversion Of this Hawaiian
people from paganism to Christianity
which survives in the sober religious life and
conversation Of the children and pupils oi
Christian missionaries, Is eonfessedly made.
quate to cope with the positive wickedness, OF
overcome the moral Indifference Of the foreign
residents Of Honolulu. Six or eight Protestant
ministers in these religious meetings take a
secondary place and sit at the fee, Of uunian
thereby proclaiming publicly ,ha, they fail &c
reach the people whom they hope ht may
reach. A great awakening is good for thei
hocks or it is not il it is, 1t may be asked
very properly could they no, by united action,
and il moved forward by a spirit Of earnest
ness have brought it about on their own ac
count ?
; am sure, Mr.. Editor, tina, no one who ha'
heard this devoted Christian woman whose lif,
is given up to deliver the message Of a loving
God and a merciful Redeemer, or who ha
talked with her, can doubt that whatever ma,
be weaknesses in her methods, however emo
,ionalism may take the place Of argument, sh'
tells "2At Story" with powers and JoAle nsnf
hear with the inward ear, to conviction Of un
worthy living and conversion to better things
am led however to ask does the end justif,
the means Which is better, that crowded
meetings should result in affecting some mind
with idle agony, or filling others with the in
fation of spiritual arrogance and selfconceit--
or that the spirit which Mrs. Hampson i
capable Of instiling into Christian workers il
Honolulu should go forth into the homes 0
the people in quiet works Of sympathe,i'
dealing with sin, suffering and sorrow after thu
manner OF Him who went about healing al
manner Of sickness and disease and sent out Hi
disciples two by two
There are not a few in Honolulu WHOSE
hearts arc crying aloud that this people and
nation, and the Europeans and Asiatics who
dwell. on these shores, may have new heart
a new spirit, and new light upon the Ever
lasting O,acles Of Divine Truth.
If the present evangelistic work he success
full in creating any enthusiasm Of true religion,
If a good work be begun, there can be no per
manent result without the constant use OF th'
old well-tricd methods, Of home culture, O
house to house visiting, OF Bible reading anc
! study, of devout worship and plain preaching
Of the Christian ordinances Of Baptism and tn
holy supper, and the personal life Of profession
without self.complacency. OF all spiritual de
ceits none is more injurious than the idea tina
religion is something to be got, caught as
were by infection or con,agion.
/ Life is short and there is much to learn in it
From study Of the present religious movemen
in our city certainly there is valuable instruc
ton to those who rightly seek it.
am, very sincerely, yours,
A SEEKER AFTER TRUTH.
Honolulu, January s, 1854.
. four correspondent asks questions which W
, would gladly have answered in our columns
more fully than we are able to answer theu