MAORILAND'S EARLY MISSIONERS.

NZ Truth, Issue 105, 22 June 1907, Page 3

MAORILAND'S EARLY MISSIONERS.

Blatant Bunkum at a Napier Meeting.

TO THE EDITOR.

Sir,—At a great meeting of parsons, prelates, and people held m Napier one night last week the glibtonguecl parson of the present day said a lot of nice things aboxit the parsons of a former day. When a parson speaks about John Norton's "Truth" he's usually not particular as to the veracity of his statements, but when he speaks about moral Maori missioners of the early days of New Zealand—well just judge from the follpwing. Tom Tanner, Esq., was m the chair, and Na pier's Theatre Royal was crowded. Instead of saying a few prayeus for Felix of that ilk, Tom Tanner said a lot of nice things about "arsons m general, but it remained for the Bishop of Waiapu (with the emphasis ort the last; syllable) to call the Rev. Samuel Marsden "the hoiv missioner," and the "Apostle of New Zealand." The R.cv. Dr. Williams then -got. on to-^speak-of.--tlie ReV;-" Henry Williams and many other parr, sons of the. earlier ddys, whose sons andf grandsons now think themselves the salt of creation. But, kind. reader, listen once again to the voice of" <'Truth'"! The Rev. Dr, Lang (Presbyterian) m his history, "New Zealand m 1839," page 30, says : "I have here, a manuscript account which I drew up myself from unquestionable authority., so early as the year 1824, of every, missionary that had set foot m New Zealand up to that period," and so on. Well, now, it is not often that history is written by a witness at once so competent and impartial, and it is impossible not to anticino.tc with some curiosity the results of such careful observation. He thus goes on writing to Lord Durham : "Divine Providence appears to have frowned upon the New Zealand Mission all along;, and blighting and blasting from heaven seem to have rested upon it until now," and, still on page 3Q, adds : "The first head of the New /Zealand Mission was dismissed for adultery, the second for drunkenness ; and the third, so lately as the year 183G, for a crime; still more enormous than either." Such is the dark opening of a history which resembles rather the shamful record of a criminal calendar than, -the annals of Christian' missionaries.. Yet priggish, prurient parsons can put their hands, together, raise their eyes to heaven, and call down vengeance upon a paper like "Truth." The parsons of Napier are not much better than the parsons of .any other place, and the other night their glorification' of the Rev. Samuel Marsden was in' their best and most truthful style. To their mind Sam was a holy angel, permitted by a beneficent God to remain on earth for a few short years. But who was this "holy Apostl-o Sam Marsden ? Was he the same Sam Marsden who brutally beat a poor old convict to within an inch of his life m the early days of New South Wales ? We shall see." "He was- originally," vide, "The Gospel m New Zealand," liv. Miss Tucker, eh. iv., p. 36, "brought up as a blacksmith, but became ultimately an Episcopalian minister m New South Wales, where for many years he combined the two functions of preacher and agriculturalist." Sam made a large fortune as a sheep farmer without prejudice to his spiritual character, and as he had acauired a very accurate knowledge of the value of land, of crops, and of a good many other things, Sam paid a visit to New Zealand on behalf of the Church Missionary Society. In his firs,t attempt Sam proved himself a masterpiece. Neither the female form divine of the blithe Maori maid nor the ugly frown of a fierce Maori warrior could keep the Rev. Sam'l Marsden back for "he inaugurated the nascent mission by purchasing 200 acres of land chosen by himself for twelve axes."—Vide "New Zealand," by J. L, Nicholas, Esq., Vol 11., eh VII. p. 193.—1 am, etc.. TIPPERARY,