EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN N.Z.

NZ Truth, Issue 605, 20 January 1917, Page 3

EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN N.Z.

Samuel Marsden's Successors m the Missioi field : Cleaned from Many Sowce* and Aatiwstk Record*— lßl4-1852 ' - Fftott and Rgores, C«rapil«d by J. BA. Ford*. J Book 6.— Chapter 27 Wart and Rumor* of Wars — Transplanting a College 1846

' We are told that with Bishop Selwyn tke year 1846 was one of hard and peaceful work, although the colony was not free from wars and rumors of •wars^; the waters of strife which had si> long ragejl.were not .likely to be calmed m affew months; ; , indeed the elements of past -collisions wer& atill at work and threatening to lead at any .. time to fresh outbreaKs, but Dr. Selwyn took no active part m s the colonial feuds. In fact his policy seems to have been one of strict neutrality. , • '■ .■• •'■•■■-, ••'■•'.-■. : It was m May,. 1846, that Boulcottfs farm, m the jHutt Valley, garrisoned by an officer and 60 men of the 68th Regiment was surprised, six being "killed and four wounded. "In July, ; T^ Rauparaha's stockade was surrounded by Major Last, 90tb Regiment, Captain Stanley, of the Calliope and party, numbering about 830, and the. chief captured and taken on board the Calliope. In August 1846, Ranglhaeta's forces were finally de- ., feated and dispersed, by friendly Maoris under Wlromu Kingi. ' The. work of transplanting the college from Waimato.to a site five miles from > Auckland, rendered necessary : by a refusal of the Church Missionary Society to grant a lease -of the ground and buildings, was happily accomplished, Bind the gifts of friends m England had provided the bishop with 'leolid stone buildings with noble sea views"; here r "happy party of fifty ot' all ranks, bishop, - archdeacon, priests; students, and boys" was housed .m comfort. A hospital, native school, servants' houses, and a temporary chapel, followed In due course .and absorbed the munificent gift sent from the Mother Church. The disaster at Kororareka had driven fifteen boys to the college, whose ever open doors welcomed them as students. Fencing and cultivating the college estate, added to the cost of removal, had "well-night drained the church account but wrote Bishop Selwyn with that humor which seldom forsook him, "When our swamps are m the same Condition, we shall have bread enough lend to spare." What were the hopes and plans of Or. Selwyn with regard to the college; and with what great patience he awaited their development are revealed m a playful letter written about this time, during the /leisure of a voyage, to a friend m England: "H.M. Hazard, at sea off KapltM Having introduced you to the greater jpart of New Zealand m my customary journals to imy family and other friends, I have now determined to^ confine myself for the future to select morsels of information, lest you should have too much of New Zealand, and wish us again submerged, as we were before the God Maul fixed his fishhook Dpon the mountain Ruapehu, and dragged up my jdlocose from the .bottom of thesea,*an exploit wtiicfiyou, as an experienced angrier will know bow to appreciate. My see may therefore be considered to be* established mix nlgno plscatorls. The old chief, Te Palrata, received one very hospitably, and told one that he altogether disapproved of the war expedition; that he was desirous, of living as a Christian and giving up the practices of the unbelievers. He has several sons, »ne ot whom I selected for the Central Bcnool. My dear friend, can you conceive a more interesting employment lhan hunting m this wild country for hopeful plants to stock my nursery at Auckland. One of my main employ*montH during this Journey has been to collect tho children of the native settlement, nnd examine thorn, and when I any ono who especially pleased ■Iho to invHe his father to bring him 'op to my school. In no caae have I mot with a' refusal, so completely has the- <>vi objection vanished, with which I wan always met whon I proposed the fystrm of bqardlnK-achoolH. that tho natives could not bo induced to part *MUi their children. I havo now sevemo<>n from tho Walmato, throe from T&»»p«">- t'rort or four from KapiU, and v ii:iiv no doubt that I can have as

many as we can afford to rna.lnta.in collected from all parts of the island. My Eton experience, I hope, will be of use to me m this search, for nothing 1 ; used to interest me more than to form . opinion of the character of the boys . from their physiogmony, and then watch them progress through the ; school and the university. I think that I have heard you sa^v as a dahlia fan- ( cier, that Brown, of Slough, is In the' habit of growing thousands of seedlings m the hope of raising one rare and valuable flower; and so I feel that we must gather all the seedlings of > our native people and train them carefully, m the hope of rearing some few who may hereafter be admitted to the ministry. That they have intellectual powers of a high order I' have no ' doubt; what they want la an entita correction of habits," . * * * The work, done at the college appears to have been of some magnitude, notwithstanding' the short time it was m existence. "Connected with the whole group of cellegiate institutions there were now not fewer than 130 persons, English and Maori; ail alike, according to age and ability, labored at the cultivation of the coUege estate, and no task was considered menial . Here was the practical carrying out, with very scanty material resources, of the entire scheme which the bishop had often sketched and insisted on as the true ideal of collegiate life which 1 should be aimed at by ancient foundations at ( home. He hoped to have deacons, 'who should have 'Sunday duties m chapels In the surrounding districts which will soon be sufficiently populated to keep them all m employment', and the whole scheme, he thought, could be accomplished by 'prudence and industry.' " V - ' • • • Two-thirds of all produce of land and increase of stock on the estate of St. Julius College were appropriated m equal proportions to the several Institutions—to the Hospital, to the Visitor for Household and Hospitality, to the Teaching Staff," the Lay Association, the Native Adult School, and the Eng- ! lish Primary School. The whole organisation was started from the first, necessary to a large extent m outline waiting for means and time -to fill up the deficiencies; but this was done advisedly, the bishop being glided by the analogy of regiments of militia whoso staff was kept at headquarters ready at all times for service, even when the regiment was disembodied. (To be continued)