The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1895-07-09

The following address delivered
before the Missionary Children's
Society by Rev. o. P. Emerson
June 18th gives "Some of the
Causes which have Operated to
bring about the Present Weakness
of the Native Churches :"
(ConcLuded.)
In the days of Kalakaua it achieved
its fullest strength. In the establish
ment Of his "Hale Naua" society, and
by his other numerous, neathenish
practices be fairly organized the reac-
tionary party with all its heather
tendencies, till, in the words of one,
who, as a pastor, had felt the royal
power "Kalakaua all but came to
the act of proclaiming the abomina-
tions of the Hale Naua' as the reli-
gion of the land, and himself its high
priest"
1t was during such days as these
that the experiment OF native min
istry was tried-days when fierce,
malignant influences were let loose
upon the Christian community. The
native Christian worker had to meet
the old hereditary foe toward which
he cherished certain timidity.
AS one remarked: "He did not love
this power of the old life. He hated
it. But it was inbred, and as it
sprang again to control we felt weak
before it."
Now that we know the story SO
fully, it is pathetic 70 go back to those
bitter days and review the fierce trials
through which these pastors passed.
Fostered by the highest ruler of the
land, and carried on in his very court,
idolatrous practices became very gen.
eral.
Influence of Kahunas-
The white communities knew little
of it, but there was not native viii
Iage, and hardly hamlet or house,
where the kahuna did not attempt
his operations or seek some kind of
recognition. They crept into the fold
Of the church and corrupted its mem
bership.
The native passionate found it inn
possible to turn back the rising tide
Of heathenism. That which had once
been an occult force, working in the
darkness at last under the sanction of
the court began to save the light. 1t
was such a power as this that every
pastor was forced to meet and have
dealings with in all the operations of
life. 1t invaded the sanctity of his
home as well as of his church.
As one said: zone day lay in my
house sick and in great pain. Friends
came about me and begged me to en-
ploy q kahuna. L sturdily refused,
but my wife was prevailed upon to
let him in. When L saw him rolled
over with great effort, grasped my
walking stick and struck at him and
told him to be gone"
Is it wonder that some of the ma
tive pastors weakened under the spell
of this malign influence, and suffered
it for a season to affect their lives.
Consider the serious difficulty of the
situation-the often helplessness of
their sick-the real virtue of some OF
the native medicines used by the ka-
hunas and associated with their mean
tations-and withal it was a battle
they had to fight out by themselves,
and we so little aware of what it all
meant.
1t is perhaps not enough to refer the
evils of those days to the revival OF
kahunaism. Kahunaism was one of
the most prominent features which
marked the depravity of the times.
The political methods of the day were
very corruptiUg to the people. Kala-
kaua used all the power of his vast
patronage to efface pure government.
untouched. None but the strongest
dared to resist his will. He yielded
himself to the most infamous schemes.
No trust, however sacred, was above
the reach of his wicked solicitations.
Officers of the church as well as Off
GERS of the state felt the oppression of
his power. Thus the national life was
corrupted.
Though in his day and by his ap-
prevail many enactments were passed
advantageous to the material we'll
being of the land, though he was too
wise to put himself in opposition to
commercial interests, yet there was
nothing which he thought it safe for
him to do which he was not willing to
do in violation of every holy law.
There was for him no sacred thing
but his own inoTdinate lust Of power
and Disqualification; and to its
shrine he summoned the kahuna, the
hula master and all that was dark in
Hawaiian character Thus from its
central seat of influence was the ma
tional life corrupted.
The wonder is that the native min
istry came out of the trying ordeal, if
not quite whole, yet with integrity
enough left to recover so quickly from
their wounds
Again, IL must not be forgotten that
during this later history of the Hawai-
ian mission, while our native pastors
were In the field suffering such dis
asters from the corruptions of the gov
eminent, and especially from the re-
awakening of the old fetish worship,
they had also TO reckon with the
Asiatic influence, which came in dur
ing their day with a flood.
introduction OF Chinese.
While there were ecouomic reasons
for the Introduction of Asiatic labor
into these islands, while good Is com
ing of 1t to the new settlers and their
employers, while it is plain that lands
which had been left to- waste needed
the tilling of industrious hands, yet
u 80 ~.