World of Religion

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXV, Issue 23037, 14 May 1938, Page 7 (Supplement)

World of Religion

By PHILEMON

THE celebration of the centenary of Samuel Marsden's death brings to mind many remarkable characteristics of the man —his foresight, his devotion, his courage, and not least, his catholicity. He was a native of Yorkshire and, says Dr. J. R. Elder, in his " The Letters and Journals of Samuel Marsden," he was " in common with many others in Yorkshire in the latter years of the 18th century dominated by the spirit of piety born of the new evangelical movement originating in the work of John Wesley; and the mind of the growing boy was thus, from its earliest years, directed to spiritual things." Alexander Strachan, in his " Tho Lifo of tho Rev. Samuel Leigh," who commenced within nine years of Marsden's first arrival tho Methodist Mission to the Maoris, states that Marsdon was " in early lifo a momber of tho Wesleyan Society" in Leeds, and that " by a peculiar train of events ho was led to connect himself with tho Church of England and had assigned to him the chaplaincy of New South Wales." Friendship With Leigh Those wore days when many of the Methodist people, while meeting in their own societies, retained their connection with tho Established Church, the movement being regarded by them as one within that Communion. " This apostolic man," says Strachan, " finding that his own Church was not prepared to respond to his numerous applications for missionaries encouraged by every means in his power the agents of the London Missionary Society on the one hand, and opened the way to New Zealand for tho Wesloyans on the other." Apart from their common indebtedness to Methodism, Marsden and Leigh, the latter of whom had begun the work of tho Methodist Church in Sydney as early as 1815, established most happy relations in New South Wales and maintained a close and unbroken friendship throughout tho following years. Leigh's first visit to New Zealand was undertaken at Marsden's suggestion in 1818 and on his return to Svdnev he reported to his friend on the state of the Anglican Mission at the Bay of Islands. At Whangaroa When Leigh arrived at the Bay in 1822 to establish the Methodist Mission he received a warm welcome from the Church of England people, who then included the Rev. John Butler, and when in the following year he opened his work at Whangaroa, among the tribe that had thero destroyed the Boyd, it.was with the full support of the members of tho Anglican Mission. Marsden's own words, as quoted by Dr. Elder, reveal a most happy co-operation between tho two missions. " The station the Rev. Samuel Leigh has chosen is a very important one and I hope tho mission will succeed in that very spqt where so many of our countrymen* were sacrificed and eaten by the natives ... It appeared to mo very providential that tho Rev. Samuel Leigh had fixed upon this spot for their missionary labours, as they might keep up a communication with the missionaries of tho Church Missionary Society and be of mutual advantage to each other." It was Marsden, who, visiting New Zealand in 1823, proceeded to Whangaroa and completed the securing of the Methodist Mission site. Ho examined tho area, fixed its boundaries, obtained the signatures of the chiefs and carried out the details of the purchase, Leigh being ill at the time. A Splendid Spirit The fraternal interest which he thus showed at the inception of the work continued to the end, for on his last visit to New Zealand in 1837 he was for 13 days tho guest of tho Rev. Nathaniel Turner, at Mangungu,

SAMUEL MARSDEN'S CATHOLICITY

whither the Methodist Mission had been transferred after the sack of the premises at Whangaroa in 1827. All rivalry and competition were foreign to the spirit of those early days. Intercommunion in worship and at the Holy Sacrament was freely permitted on both sides. When Patuone, the protector of the Methodists, became a convert ho was baptised by an Anglican clergyman; and when his brother None, who wan an Anglican, accepted Christianity, he was baptised at the Methodist Mission. " This was arranged," says Morley, "so as not to favour one more than the' other, and was so undei'stood by their fellow-tribesmen." It is true that with the advent of Bishop Selwyn a stricter regime was introduced, but it cannot bo forgotten that, as the Uev. T. G. Hammond records, the bishop refused to consecrate some of the remote country churches so as not to exclude Wesley an missionaries from using them when they visited those outlying places. Service in Auckland

Nor should we willingly let die the beautiful story which Air. Hammond tells of the bishop's last service before leaving for England. The service was held in Auckland and in connection with it ho dispensed the Lord's Supper In the congregation were the Rev. John Hobbs and the Rev. James Wallis, of the Methodist Mission, and after giving the sacred elements to his own people lio took the breud End the wine to these brethren of a sister Church and. serving them, said, May wo meet again at the Marriage Supper of the Lamb." So truly Christian an act carries tho mind back to the catholicity of Marsdon and to the tellowship of the first days. Tho first Free Church pronouncement on the "Scheme for a United Church," recently published in England, is that of the Baptist Union, and it is strongly adverse. The grounds of disapproval •are set out in a clearly-drawn resolution in which tho Union states its inability to accept the scheme because such acceptance would involve (1) recognition of infant baptism as an alternative to believers' baptism, which, the mover said, probably not one of their three thousand churches would accept; (2) admission of tho necessity of Episcopacy, either as a method of government or as a means of imparting validity to the ministry, and (3), acceptance of a sacerdotal interpretation of the pastoral office, which, said the Rev. Hugh Martin, who represented the Union at the Lambeth conversations, would denv the right of laymen to take part in the administration of the sacraments. The Union, however, expressed its willingness to join with other Churches in " exploring the possibilities of a

federation of equal and autonomous Churches " to secure co-operation in carrying out the work of the Church, both at homo and abroad. Influential Message Professor Karl Barth's influence in the modern theological world is so considerable that interest in the man is scarcely less than that in his message. Pictures of him in the press show the strong, independent face of one accustomed to think for himself and to speak his mind. He is described _ as being stoutly built and of medium height, his black hair touched with grey, his complexion dark, his mouth largo and sensitive. His English is limited and his Gif Ford lectures, concluded this year, were given through an interpreter, thus losing much of their force as spoken deliverances. On the platform there is little in his presenco to attract immediate attention, but as he proceeds the animation and passion of the preacher supplant the measured style of the classroom. " I see him again." says Henry Carter, who heard him address a select company of Anglicans and Free Churchmen at the invitation of Lord Noel-Buxton, "swift in gesture and movement, a master of clear-cut, confident statement, a hater of compromise in things of the spirit, springing to bis feet in eager reply to question or challenge."