Wesleyan Native Institution.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume 2, Issue 100, 15 March 1845, Page 2

Wesleyan Native Institution.

The above Institution was publicly opened by His Excellency the Governor on Wednesday the sth instant, in the presence of a respectable assembly, at 12 o'clock. His Excellency accompanied by the hon. the Attorney General, the Chief Protector, General OBrien, the Rev. W. Lawry, and several other gentlemen, entered the large school-room of the institution, which had been fitted up for the occasion, when Rev, W. Lawry commenced service by reading the scriptures and offering up an appropriate and impressive prayer to Almighty God for his blessing upon the undertaking. The Governor then, in an eloquent and appro* priate speech, remarked, that it gave him great pleasure to witness the beginning of this institution for the civil and religions benefit of the Natives, and he was happy in being able to lend a helping hand towards a cause which had his cordial approbation. His Excellency then ga7e a succinct history of the Christian Church from its rise downward till very many and great errors and corruptions having crept in, and at a remote period the glorious reformation took place. Afterwards there were circumstances connected with the general supineness of the Church to which he belonged, and which could not be denied by any man of correct information and candour, which rendered another movement allowable, and even necessary. A few good men, at the head of whom was Mr. Wesley, were the instruments which Divine Providence had used in raising up this body of Christians, who have greatly benefitted the established Church at home by rousing to their duty those who stood in need of it. His Excellency did not consider that they were essentially tioo, but ene Christian Church, holding the common faith as thej found it in the scriptures, and aiming at the same objects. As a missionary people he had great pleasure in bearing his testimony to their zeal and usefulness, from repeated opportunities of personal observation. When he considered the large sum contributed by the friends of missions at home, amounting to upwards of one hundred thousand pounds to tb( Wesleyan Missions alone, a large portion of which was expended on New Zealand, he saw a strong reason why those of us who are on the spot should be zealous in promoting by our contributions these great objects. Then turning towards the General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Missions, His Excellency congratulated him as the representative of the Wesleyan body, on the energy they had put forth for the benefit of the Aborigines, and said, Mr. Lawry, it will give me at all times great plea* sure to forward, as I best can, your objects in a" things connected with your important missions. His Excellency then requested the Chief Protector to interpret what he had said, to the Natives, which was done accordingly. The Rev. T. Buddie then read the following REPORT, &c. The importance of Native agency to assist in car« rying out the work of God in the various parts of the Mission field has long been felt by the directors of our Society at home, and attempts have been made in different places to raise such an agency by means of Institutions like this. In Southern Africa a similar establishment has been in existence for some time, and the Rev. Wm« Shaw, General Superintendent of our Missions in that part of the world, bears testimony to its utility in the following language : — "The prosperity of the Society's Missions in Albany and Kaffraria is attri • butable in a great degree to the divine blessing up on the Native agency, which has been brought into more systematic operation during the year than for-

. tr ly, and through the instrumentality of which all i ( Native Establishments in the neighbourhood j Te been visited, and instruction, exhortation, and irntng, of the most efficient character, have been Joinistered by men who, 'in their own tongues,' jelare 'the Wonderful works of God' from a heartIt and happy experience of them in their own jjrts. Tbe beneficial effects of the ' Watson Insti,(io»' are thus beginning to be extensively felt in i e well trained native agency which it is sending [to the field." (See Annual Report, p. 59.) [n the Friendly Islands and Feejee this work has !,a been commenced, and, though in its infancy, lomises to be a valuable auxiliary to the few seated Missionaries who are labouring in those numer11 and populous Islands. The importance of such an Institution has been jog and deeply felt by the New Zealand Mission[iej. Their Circuits are generally so extensive, 3<] their people so widely scattered, that they find impracticable to give to all the various tribes, uttered over a district of 100 or 150 miles, that isioral attention necessary to their moral and spi;loal improvement. And hence they have felt that few well instructed native teachers, placed at the dtposts in the capacity of teachers and schoolmasters, under the superintendency of the regular !!ii6\onary, would be invaluable ; but the way was net properly opened for such an establishment Jl the arrival of tbe Rev. W. Lawry, as General iaperintendent of these Missions. He had been ong impressed with the importance of such an loxiliary, and had urged the measure on the atten* ion of the Parent Society, who instructed him to ike immediate steps toward accomplishing this deirsble object.- On reaching the Colony he consulted he senior Missionaries, who all agreed that the time was now come to commence such a work, and ilrongly urged prompt attention to the subject. A public meeting was held, a subscription was forthrith commenced, and the result was most encourijing. The object the Committee have in view is that of Irsining some of our best native teachers that they may be employed- as -schoolmasters, or assistant Missionaries, as their talents and piety may dictate. The plan of instruction will be, Scripture Reading, Cathechism, Writing, Arithmetic, the English Language, and a course of lectures on the leading ktrines of Christianity. Tbe Committee confidently commend their undertaking to the- prayers and benevolence of their Mends, convinced that by promoting the spread of Kiiptural Christianity, and enlightened civilization, imong the Natives, they will in a very important ifld efficient manner promote the prosperity and happiness of this infant Colony. Xhe Finances are as follows : Dr. Outlay for buildings £80 0 0 Shingles and nailß 10 11 6 Sundries 9 3 0 £99 14 6 Cb. Contributions paid £58 12 0 Ditto promised 12 0 0 £70 12 6 Balance due to Treasurer. 29 2 0 William Naylor, the principal chief of Waingatoa, was then requested by His Excellency to address the meeting, which he did with great energy and native eloquence. The following is the subitance of his speech, as rendered into English bj the Rev. Thog. Buddie :— This is my thought : In old time we had no good, we thought as our fathers lived, so we would live. We did not know the Christ. We were all mistaken. Our fathers were all mistaken. We used to go and fight our friends and relatives, and kill them and eat them ; and our relations used to make war upon us, and kill and eat us. When we first heard of Christ we had two sides. We had a thought towards Christ, and a thought towards Satan. Now, Ibis thought has come, this good thought (meaning Uw Gospel.) You brought it. You shewed us the name of Christ our Saviour ; and we then considered feat the great and true God was with you, and not *ith us. Before, we thought that we had gods of our own, but, when you came, we saw that our gods "ere no gods, and that your God was the true one. wid hence, we consider that it is not of ourselves, kit, by our teachers that we are, what we now are. They told us of Christ and his word, and we began to say to each other, • let us listen to their talk.' And hence, you now see us sitting at peace, and upon the good things ; and I now consider, that if »c do wrong, we do wrong in your presence, who tire taught us the right, and with a knowledge of that is right, and not in ignorance. What the • Governor said about divisions in the wittrcb., was quite eight. We have sometimes been led to think that tbe Church of England was one, ( nd the Wesleyan Church another, that they were opposed to each other ; but lam glad to hear from 'he Governor -that they are one, have one foundation. We have been told that Wesleyans were all •laves, and the members of the Church of England c Mefs, that the steps of the Wesleyans tended to tall, and tbe steps of the other to heaven ; and we don't understand this. It did not originate with us, tut with you Europeans, and we must leave it with you to settle. We always thought there was one foundation, one root, and that the two were branches of tbe same. ; .and 1 am glad to hear from the GovTnor that it is so. This is also my thought : — There is one man at the south, Te Rauparaha, who has been rebellious, but I suppose the Governor has disposed of his •flair, and I- leave him. As for us at Waikato, there » not one of us disposed to rebel. We have evil 'toongst us, it is true, but it is good evil, (meaning Petty quarrels amongst themselves, which will do j little or no harm.) ! There is another, that is "John Heke," his fought is wrong. With his thought mine shall not loin. I cannot say that his thought is straight ; «ad if he were to write to me, and say, '* O WiU j "am, do you turn to me and join me, my way is the Sood and straight way.' I would not listen to him. The thing that is good is, to sit at peace. I won't fight, unless I were to be attacked by others ; then, •should, arise and defend myself. As for John "eke, he is like Bonaparte, who went about fighting toe English till they crushed him at last, and his ,, e Qd was death. So it will be with Heke ; he will ttrsue his course, and the end will be, his death. will not say his thought ib good, for it is bad. **t all the chiefs of Waikato and Manukau listen, j H don't follow his example. If he were to come j

here and attack the Europeans, and the Governor were to request it, we would arise and defend you You have nothing to fear. 1 would not arise of my own accord, but if you were to request our aid, we would arise immediately and defend you, and help you against the rebellious. I approve of this School, as a place where we may receive instruction, and let all who approve of it come to it ; and lam wishful that all the young men should be instructed, for it is by this means that we live. And let John Heke remember the words of Christ in Luke : *No man having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.' This word is not for John Heke alone, but for me, and for all the chiefs. We ought not to embrace religion, and then return to evil, for it is by this new word that we li\e. These are all my thoughts. The Rev. W. Lawry then, on behalf of the Wesleyan Missionary Society, expressed his obligation to His Excellency for his patronage and support, and especially for his valuable grants of land for the purposes of the Institution, and his condescension in favouring the Wesleyan body with his presence on this auspicious occasion. At the same time assuring His Excellency that, from all he had heard from the Missionaries of both Societies in different parts of the Island, that his administration in reference to the Aborigines was fully approved by them, and he considered that their means of forming a correct judgment on the subject were equal to those of any other body of men whatsoever. The benediction was then pronounced, and His Excellency and the Company proceeded to look over the buildings, which reflect great credit on Mr. Vaile, the Architect) whose exertion on behalf of the Institution, and in erecting the necessary buildings, have been mo6t praiseworthy. At 5 o'clock in the Evening, Native service was conducted by the Rev. T. Buddie ; and at £ past 6, the Rev. W. Lawry delivered, to an attentive con- j gregation, an eloquent and impressive sermon, founded on Acts 6 eh. 7 v., on the suitability of the Gospel to meet the moral exigencies of man. showing that the moral effects produced by it in the days of the Apostles still follow the faithful preaching of its doctrines, and that it is equal to all the wants of the Pagan world. Thus ended the interesting services of the day.