"THE STORY OF THE NEW ZEALAND MISSION."
SOUVENIR handbook:.
M o have received from the organising secretary of the Church Missionary Association at Auckland a copv of an interesting and neatly printed'little. book, entitled _ "The Story of the. Now Zealand Mission." It is written by Dr. Eugene Stock, and contains a. supplementary chapter on the New Zealand Church Missionary Association by Bishop Mules. The. book contains a 11 innber of photographs -of persons and places connected with the early davs of Christianity in New Zealand. The stor.v, which is so graphically told by Dr. Stock, is of especial interest at tho present time in view of the preparations, for the Marsden Centenary, as it gives an -excellent account of the first 1 reach- ' ins of tho Gospel to tho Maoris. The following paragraph describes the arrival of Marsden and tho first Christian service held in New Zealand.
' Tho Bay of Islands, whither Marsden. steered his littlo vessel, lies to the soutli of North Cape, 011 its eastern side. There he landed, and, despite Ruatara's warning, threw himself between two tribes just about to fight, and persuaded thorn to make peace. Olio of them, Ruatara's own tribe, welcomed liini, and the Maoris crowded to .see tho horse, the bull, and the cows ho had brought with liini (in that brigl), having 110 experience of anything larger than'a pig. A few days sufficed, to make a hopeful start with the settlement; .md 011 Christmas Day, 1814, tho first public Christian service was holtl in New Zealand; "A very solemn silence prevailed. _ I rose and began the service by singing tho old Hundredth Psalm, and I felt my very soul melt within me wlien I viewed my congregation. After reading the service, I preached from St. Luke 11, 10, 'Behold, 1 bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.'" Such is Marsden's simple account of 0110 of the great historic scenes in tlio history of missions—indeed one of the. really great scenes 111 tho history of the British Empire. For tho very existence of the now flourishing Dominion of New Zealand is due to the faith and courage of, Samuel Marsden in flinging himself among the ferocious Natives of those cannibal islands. The mission which lie founded on Christmas Day, 1314, tamed the race; and then, in poured the colonists./ ,
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Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1866, 27 September 1913, Page 19
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392"THE STORY OF THE NEW ZEALAND MISSION." Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1866, 27 September 1913, Page 19
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