The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1893-10-03

anity, and Investigation has con-
WINGED me they never were. Gentle
ness, q predominant feature in this
race, makes il almost impossible for
them TO say nay Thus, when the
nrSt miSsionarieS-about IS20-men
of devoted and earnest lives, sue
ceeded in winning over many of the
chiefs to whatever they might teach,
the people, AS was their wont, fol-
lowed their chiefs, so without really
believing what they were taught or
renouncing what they and their
fathers believed to be true, accepted
in addition the amakuas of the
strangers which they brought with
them from New England-Jehovah,
and book, the Bible.
I'm the words of native as quoted
TO me, Your God speaks to you
through one of your amakuas-a
book our gods speak to US through
our amakuas.' You have one huihi-
| pilis-great big devil, we many little
devils; you pray to be saved from one
big devil, we from our little DEVILS
Mr.. +. s., gentleman of position
and intelligence, whose wife is q ma
tive, mentioned that q venerable Ha-
waiiam, held in much esteem, after
taking part in the services of the
church, of which he is a member,
would retire to secluded spot and
there, before his idol, to which q
particular spirit was supposed to be
favorable. pour forth his petitions
with the earnestness of fervid devo-
ton. In harmony with the above a
gentleman of undoubted veracity re-
lateS this touching incident from the
lips of o trusted Christian Hawaiian:
My sweet child was sick nigh
unto death, l prayed to Jehovah
very earnestly with my whole soul,
but He did not answer. Maybe He
does not understand our language,
for he has only had seventy years
in which to learn it, or He was too
| busy with the white people to mind a
poor Hawaiian. Then, in deep sorrow,
/ went to my own dear little god, got
priest to offer sacrifice of a white
chicken, red fish and q black pig,
and my dear little amakua who
knows all about me and my family
drove away the demon that was kill
ling my sweet child
Teachers tell me that whilst their
pupils, bright and intelligent, can re-
cite correctly long chapters of both
Old and New pestaments, yet when
misfortune befalls u teacher whom
they love it is not to Jehovah but to
one of their amakuas they beseech in
their behalf; all going to prove that rs
the Samaritans were half Jew, half
heather, so these Hawaiians are half
Christian, half heather; for unto this
day they do after their former man
ners' Should you then ask: Have |
missions been n failure in these ISL |
andsH / answer: rn part, yes; in part, |
no. for never did the shadow of the |
cross rest on any land without its |
bringing benediction. Never was the !
Rose of Sharon brought into contact |
with any race without imparting |
some of its sweetness. So amongst !
these natives there have doubtless
been some who have lived life of |
faith in the Son of God, but as a ma
ton they have never been converted, |
and would suggest the following as
reasons why great efforts which have
been put forth for their evangeliZation
have been productive of such small
results: First, profession has been
induced, unaccompanied by belief,
u OH
the moral nature of the professor. In
fact, all uncOnsciously premium has
been offered for hypocrisy. Second,
judgments formed by the experience
of men like Livingstone and Stanley,
who have had a thorough knowledge
of the heather character, tell US that
it is only by gradual means, and must
be the work of more than one genera
ton before we get into the heather
mind ideas of the unity of God and
that it is not best to
begin by reviling their old religions
which, if we believe that Christ is
the true light that lighteneth every
man that cometh into the world, may
have in them some germs of truth.
"Even in these poor Hawaiians,
leathens, pagans, idolators as they
were, their religion had a powerful
influence on their minds, led them to
'ome faith in the Unseen to do and to
suffer and to dare, aye, and to pray to
| power above them with faith that
hey should receive a response to the
deepest yearnings of their heart. ,
What was the divine method in the
,ducation of the world ? Did not the
Baptist prepare the way Of the Mes
iah, and was not the moral law given [
~ Moses, schoolmaster, to bring us I
o Christ, the worlds Savior? All
experience teaches that Christian
work amongst degraded peoples,
whether in Christian or in Pagan
ands, must have civilizing element q
s its handmade; indeed, frequently 7
Is precursor In the not long past
hurches sought to evangelize the C
wellers in the wretched portions of t
ur cities by Bible readers, tract dis 2
etc, the visits of such being :,
Olerated for the pecuniary or other y
elp which they might dispense, but t
be actual results were few indeed. n
t has been for this generation in a
lrger measure than ever before to |
nd that the lower strata of the masses u
annot be effectually reached by the Il
ospel without removing them from C
heir present degraded surroundings, n
nd having them learn lessons of n
lenliness, industry, self-respect. l
What ideas of purity or decency can 7
e instilled into the mind when the "
ntire family live in one room in a
rOwded tenement house where vile
lngs are sung, vile conversation in l.
ulged, and the only relief from u