The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-08-07

Waianae and Eva. In his parish OF
Hilo the Rev Titus Coan used much
less ceremony in administering baptism
to over 5000 persons in one year, and TO
1200 at a single service. he spr1nkieu
each group with a brush as whole,
without calling off their individual
names. 1t might have been impossible
to reach the whole 1000 by any other
method How the twelve apostles and
their helpers baptized three thousand
disciples on the day of Pentecost we are
not told. After witnessing that two
hours sprinkling of four houndred,
hope my Baptist brethren will exercise
charity towards some incredultty on my
part about the three thousand Jews hav-
ing been Immersed in one day. To have
immersed his four hundred would prob
ably have exceeded any of my fathers
fairly good organizing capacity, without
some sacrifice of decorum, such as max
ing them dive off bank, a score at a
time How Peter managed it, if not by
sprinkling, must be guessed at, subject
to reasonable limitations of propriety.
1t would seem as If the method of apply
ing the water of baptism must allow of
much latitude.
1t had always been the practice of the
missionaries in Hawaii TO enforce pro-
baton of six months upon candidates
for membership in the Church, before
their admission by the rite of baptism.
During the probation. they Were known
as poe Hooikaika," strivers. Usually
many of them would fail to stand fast
through the six months without lapsing
into the prevailing sin of unchastity.
During this Awakening, my father, like
most of his brethren, did not deviate from
the old rule to probation l believe
that Mr.. Coan and Mr.. Lyons baptized
their converts very promptly, and exper-
fenced much falling away in consequence.
The records show that those two ardent
souls baptized as many converts as al
the rest Of the missionaries together
For a whole generation those tive
churches of Hilo and Waimea held prec'
edence among the Hawaiian churches
| in strength and activity.
| From the time of his entrance in 1873;
: upon missionary labor in Hawaii, Titus
Coan had shown exceptional spiritua
fervor. combined with a rarely winning
manner. He would anywhere have
proved an evangelist or revivalist of un
9 usual force. When he first arrived a
Honolulu in 1885. he held meetings witt
2 lus children of the older missionaries
which recalled as very moving ane
! winning. We youngsters used to hans
upon Mr.. Coan'S words, and formed
deep personal attachment to the new
missionary. Three of the older ones mad'
E public profession of religion In 1886, II
consequence / later became aware nov
the rugged old Calvinist theology hat
S served to impede my natural spiritual de
: velopment and to discourage FREE
tchi1d-like taking hold upon the lovely
: land gracious Divine Power. But tn
= fault lay in the strenuous and ungra
: cious home teaching. and not in Mr.
g Coan's attractive invitations.
4 / think that the older pioneers of on
: Mission had but limited experience, i
/. any. of the intense Revival activity which
0 so reused and multiplied the American
n churches between 1925 and 1916. Thos
: devoted and faithful fathers, however
. laid deep foundations In their secont
4 decade there came TO mem, bringing
e fresh spiritual fire from the great F'iune.
. ! revivals. such men as Lorenzo Lyons
t Sheldon Dibble Reuben Tinker, Lowell
d Smith and Titus Coan. men who abound
: ed in the divine afflatus and spok
Z straight to the hearts of the already list
/. ening heather. Thus, from diligent earl,
:, seed-sowing and later divine watering
e burst forth the great Awakening of Ha
d wall which revolutionized the life ant
g thought of the old sluggish. sensual
:. childish heather race, and lifted them all
) people and chiefs, up to new and ex
allied plane of hope and purpose. It wa
). this spiritual revolution of the Hawaii
n ans, which made not only possible bu