EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN N.Z.

NZ Truth, Issue 579, 22 July 1916, Page 7

EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN N.Z.

Samuel Marsden's Successors m the Mission field Gleaned from Many Sources and Authentic Records—lßl4-1852 F*ct« and Figuro, Compiled by J. M. Fordo. Creation of an Anglican Diocese Book 6.— Chapter 8 (Continued) n. ft.iu.vn «ha First Bishop of New Zealand and the Second m Australasia of^^tabUsheTcKfof ErigUridA Sail, for Mabriland m the Good Ship Tomatiu. ' v

The Tomatin, the ship m which the Bishop and his party were to sail, was detained m the English Chaanelby contrary winds for ««?*■**£• »£££ in* the period of waiting the Bishop was the Vuit of the late Sir Tnomas Syke JkSnd, .of Killerton, near Bkoter. Day by day the Blsho Pf came to Exeter and worshipped at the Cathedral, and on Saturday, December 18, he went to Plymouth. He.^nt to toe early eervice?Veeompaiil«d f by~ttW. clergy and catechists who were going out with him. Each day was declared . to be the day of sailing, and the continued suspense, says Dr. Tucker, was most trying. One by one friends Jind relatives took leave and returned to their own duties, the approaching Christmastlde makin* it absolutely necessary for the clergy to get home to their parishes. Canon Selwyn lert on the 22nd, and to him* oh parting, bis brother gave a Bible, writing on the first page* "Beady to depart on the morrow." Mrs. Selwyn'e brother parted with her on rtlie same day The clergy of Plymouth presented an address, which greatly affected the Bishop. "Everybody was much moved and could not be otherwise, for there were passages In his reply enough to try any heart All crowded around him and besought him to shake hands with them and to bless them Individually, bo that he was some time In making his way back to the vestry. Indeed, It is quite delightful to see the moral influence he has gained In this place within so short a time and how many hearts he has drawn towards him and bis holy cause. Owing .to gome mistake, Mrs, Selwyn did not hear the address presented .and answered, but returned to her lodgings directly the service was over. The Eton brethren all walked home with the Bishop. At two precisely Borne of the party, with the baggage, etc., wont to the Barbican and embarked m the Trinity House cutter with Captain Nelson, while the Bishop, with Abraham, Balston and myself, walked on foot to the Hoe and got aboard the barge of the Caledonia, In which we rowed through a gallant sea to the Tomatin. I watched the last pebble on which the

good man set his foot and picked It up as one of the last reminiscences of his presence amongst us. After Inspecting the ship we dined on board In a manner satisfactory to everyone but I ' , . ■ - ', who was obliged to bolt out of the cabin as soon as he had bolted his Boup. Finding that the wind oontlnued dead against their Bailing that day, we set off m the Trinity House cutter and returned to the shore. We then met Dr. Yqnges, and round his fireside spent three "pleasant hoursTaltbough our numbers gradually diminished by the departure one after another of C. Richardson, Abraham, Balston, Dromford and C. Marriott Thence I accompanied our dear friends to their lodgings and helped them to pack their remaining articles, and took down their last Instructions on several points. We then knelt down once more together In prayer and bade each other good night" (From Rev. Edward Coleridge's diary.) • • • Friday, December 24. — Mr. Coleridge says: After breakfast I went to the Bishop and helped him to prepare for their final embarkation. This done, he and I went to see poor Woof, the Welsh herdsman, who is lying ill at the Boot Inn and cannot accompany them to New Zealand as he wishes. Wo then returned to the house and put Sarah [Mrs. Selwyn]; the nurse and dear baby Into a fly, with parcels Innumerable. We, the males of the party, walked to the Barbican, where we found Captain Nelson awaiting our arrival with boats and the cutter lying off. Sarah, baby and. nurse -were hoisted up In the accommodation chair enveloped m flags. ♦ -.-; "V '■ • • . "After remaining for a little time with my dear friends m their cabin, I returned to shore to fetch my wife and at three we again went off m the agent's boat to' the ship, to which we were followed by Dr. Yonge, who found Mrs. Selwyn so unwell that he urged her to return to the shore, and taking up her abode at his house with us until the wind should become favorable. So the Bishop agreed with us that she would be better on shore than on board.

We brought her off and made her snug and comfortable at my good cousin's, who prescribed for her and sent her early to bed. * * * ''Christmas Day. — Dr. Selwyn had his service on board this morning. While we were at dinner the Bishop arrived and gave us a very enthusiastic account of his first night oh board, of the skill with which he had arranged the cabin, and of the great capabilities which he had discovered m the space allotted to j them for their temporary residence. I He stayed with us until nearly five i o'clock, when I walked with him to the j Barbican and saw him off to the ship, j He is already beginning to get his | fellow- voyagers into some degree of j order, and is arranging' their several j studies and- setting each his most suit- j able lesson, so that I doubt not he will j make the Tomatin one of the first training schools of the world. "Sunday, December 26.— Feast of St. Stephen—Our beloved friends are gone. While we were at breakfast at Dr. Yonge's, the Bishop entered with a cheerful countenance, having come from the ship ,to announce that the wind was favorable and that she would sail immediately after Divine Service on board. Accordingly, we soon collected those of the passengers who were on shore and hastened to the Barbican, where we took boat /and rowed to the ship. We were soon on board, where all was ready for sailing. In a few minutes we all assembled for Divine Service, and the Bishop having given notice of the Holy Communion the next Sunday, concluded after a prayer for the Church militant with a collect for s safe voyage and a blessing. We all remained on our kneed some time after this m perfect silence and m fervent prayer, each for the other's happiness, now that we are about to part, for how long God alone knows. This done, we went to the cabin of our dear friends. The Bishop wrote a few lines to his mother and a few words of affection In my Bible, while they were weighing anchor. It was a dire moment of trial, but we all bore it better than I had expected. At half-past twelve we embraced each other fervently as those who did not expect to see each other again m this world, and we tore ourselves away as the Hhlp waß now on its way. Having bidden farewell to Mrs. Martin, to Cotton, Whytehead. the captain and others of. the crew, , we. were lowered Into the boat, and m a moment the ship, with her . goodly, freight, was on her way. The Bishop, Whytehead and others stood on the poop looking at us and blessing us, the Bishop repeatedly waving hia hat round his honored head. When about a hundred yards off I stood up m the boat and called to him. m a loud voice, 'God! bless you! God bless you! Floreat Btona! Floreat Etona!' After land- I ing, we stood some time on the Hoe looking at the Tomatin as she crowded her sails and glided away from us, becoming smaller . and smaller, but no less an object of intense interest. Surely no ship since that which carried St. Paul has ever gone to. sea with a holier and more precious freight." .•' ' • ■ .-■• "■■■• •• On St Stephen's Day [our Australasian Boxing Day] the Rev. E. Coleridge, whose diary supplies the above extracts, wrote to Professor Selwyn as follows: . . . "Precisely at half-past twelve on this auspicious day, and immediately after Divine Service on board, the Tomatin weighed anchor and sailed. , She Js now twenty miles down the Channel, with a favorable breeze N.N.W. The Bishop, Sarah and baby were all well and In good, spirits. I have sent your mother the very last words he wrote and I have preserved the pen with which he wrote them. God bless them and prosper them on their arduous but noble undertaking." And thus the first Bishop of New Zealand started on hla long voyage to the land of the Moa and the Maori. (To be continued.)