EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN N.Z.

NZ Truth, Issue 606, 27 January 1917, Page 3

EARLY CHRISTIANITY IN N.Z.

Samuel Marsden's Successors is the Mission field (EitßMi from Maay Sources and Atttfaentk Record— lßl4-1852 : Fact* and Figurac, Compiled by J. M.Ford«. , U*k «.— Chapter 27 (Contißned) ■-■■■■ : ■ . ■ ■■ i ■ . Wars and Rumors of Wars— Transplanting a College 1846

' The hospital, as it was the most am-bitions,-so .probably' it was, , next i to the Theological College, the most use-. tisl of all institutions thus groupedf together at j Auckland, and the provi-? Bion which- was. made, for its manage -f znent, shows, how far. Di*. Selwyn was' m advance of ibis contemporaries. "The Crimean War .had riot then revealed; f£e latest talent of .Miss Nightingale, and raised ttie; vocation of a nurse to< the level of a.- Christian, ministry and; •of a high accomplishment." •, > /There; were few hospitals, An Engjand that were not content .with the afe'eyices of Ollreling nurses ' when , Bishop, Selwyn appealed to a\ higher motive than" Wages, and having organised/a. Bro-:: therhood! arid Sisterhood of Si John's, Hospital, framed the following rules" fbr the bre'thern and sisters of the ; Hospital of St.- John: , '■ *j ■1, Tho object of this Association isl to provide for the- religious instruction,*' medical care, and general superintend donee of the patients m the hospital,' without the expenses usually incurred^, m the salaries of chaplains, surgeons,^ nurses and other attendants.; 2 The general principles upon which this community is founded are contained m the following passages of scripture, or may be deduced from ' them: , •••.-■'■■..' "Matt. ; xxv.. 40: Verily, I say unto you, -inasmuch as ye have done it unto ) cine of the least of these my brethren,^ ye have done it unto Me. ;/ . Matt. xxli. 39: 'Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. •■>,■■ '• , Luke x. 37: Go thou and do like-' wise. 1 . -'. . John xlii. 14: 'If I then, your Lord' ami Master, have washed , your sfeet,{ ye aleo ought to wash one another's; feel. I . • , Matt. v. <4C: 'If you love those which. lovo you, what reward have you?. Do not even the publicans do the same?' . / Gnlateans. v. 6: "Faith, which work-. oth by lave.' James 11. 17: 'Faith if It hath not works la dead, being alone.' ■; 1-JoUtv 111. 18: 'Let us not love m word, neither In tongue, but m deed and In truth.' '„-,. Luke xvii. 10: 'When ye shall have d.ono all these things which are com-s inanded you, say, we are unprofitable" servants; we have done that which it wtis our duty to do.'" t3. Tho Brethren and Sisters of St.' John are a community who drsire ;to be entitled by Dl vino Grace, to carry the above scriptural principles into ; effect; and who pledge themselves to

minister, so far., as their health will allow them, to all the wants of the sick of all classed, ■ without respect of persons or reservation of service, m the hope of excluding all hireling assistance from a work which ought, if possible, to be entirely, a labor of love. 4. The Brethren and Sisters of St. John are prohibited from receiving payment for any services performed m the hospital, but will be entitled to expect for themselves and their families, m cases of sickness, the active sympathy and aid of the other members of the community, and the free 'use of such medical advice, and other comforts, as the college can supply. 6. Candidates i for admission into the community must be presented to the bishop, and, m his presence, pledge themselves to follow out (so fax as their health and strength will allow them) the course of duties which may be assigned to them. G. The duties of the community are arranged according to day and night courses, to secure as 'far as possible the constant presence of one superintendent of eachsex, to administer food .and medicine at the hours which may be appointed by the house surgeon. 7. Those members who reside at a distance from the College will be exempt- from the duty of personal attendance, and will be considered to discharge their duties sufficiently by regular contributions of meat, poultry, eggs, milk;, butter, and other necessaries; or by assistance m needle- work, washing an£ the like. 8. A tithe of the 'share of produce and. increase, accruing to the college, will be regularly set apart for the maintenanco-of the hospital, and the greater part, if not the whole, of the proceeds of, the weekly offertory at St. Tliomes's Church. But as these sources of supply,, are not likely to be sufficient, the contributions of all friends and neighbors w;il be most thankfully received, and especially the stated supplies of those have been enrolled as Brethren of St. John. 9. It Is a fundamental principle that all patients, of whatever race, station, or religious persuasion shall receive the same kind and brotherly treatment, without distinction of persous. 10. The usual regulations will be enforced against the admission of patients afflicted with contagious or Infectious disorders. The present hospital not being on a sufficient scale to admit of separate classification. • . • • "As has been said already, CTila year — 184C — was one of quiet and hard work In and around Auckland. Amid all the discouragement caused by the disturbances m the south, the bishop had tho comfort of knowing that Mr. Hadfield, whose life had been prolonged, as It were, by a miracle, was again able to make his influence to be felt In the Interests of peace^ The instances which every day revealed of the good services of the missionaries m keeping up a loyal feeling among tho native fillies were valued as highly by the commanding officers aa by the bishop, although probably on different grounds. Dr. Solwyn saw iho necessity of sending more clergymen Into the districts m which disaffection waa threatened, but just as I his need was greatest his supplies failed; two trusted missionaries were Invalided; othern who had been promised from England 'passed away into other employment^' and nothing was left but to look to his own students, whoso education wu«; of course, a work ot time. While thus unable ! to provldt! lor the outlying .stations l.ho bishop us uauul did 'what ho could.' " * • • The Synod mot ut Auckland and dually rcvl?iod a now vurnlon of lit*? Liturgy before sending it to England U> bo printed. j w • « j Tin* rnuntii of Ortobor found the j 1.. Is hop itKJitn al *' 1 * <I «. Kp'-ntliriK t!:<> com- \ paratlvo k>i»ur<; of thw F'.yiiifj Fi.sh m j l« Ucr-wrlUnK. u> tho great iulv:i:ii.<v;<> ! of ihostj compiling, or from which u>

compile, New Zealand history of the period. To the Countess of Powis, S. Schooner "Flying Fish," at Sea, Oct. 1, 1846. "My Dear Lady Powis, "This being, the first year that I have felt myself settled at home, I have begun to look over all my arrears of gratitude for letters and other proofs of kindness received from my kind friends m England during nearly five years. You may think this is an odd beginning to. a letter dated from sea, but the "Flying Fish" "forms a part of my idea of home, being 'the little vessel of seventeen tons burden, m which I make periodical cruises round my home district, including a half -circle of about fifty miles radius. At present I am on my way to the Thames River, fifty miles from Auckland, to see one of our missionaries, who is said to have returned m very bad health from a. journey into the interior, and for the double purpose of bringing him to Auckland if necessary, and of ■ taking the Chief Justice and Mrs. Martin across the water on an excursion to the Lakes. "With such pleasant companions, and perfectly still water, with the prospect of a long day of calm before me, I naturally feel disposed to multiply the enjoyment of my present position, by adding to the charms of New Zealand air and sceneTy the recollection of scenes and persons most dear to me m England. It is, perhaps, singular that every increase of happiness m this country seems to make me cherish I more warmly than ever the recollection of home friendship, and yet without suggesting a single wish to return. Both Mus. Selwyn and I look forward to nothing with greater satisfaction than to be allowed to remain here with some measure of health and strength to the end of our lives. But this is no hindrance to the fuller sympathy with those whom we have left with a feeling which seems to gain strength from the very causes which, m other ways, separate us so* completely. If you could see the pleasure with which I am arranging oh the deck of the schooner, all the letters which I have received from you, since we reached this country, you would, I think, feel convinced that I have a very, grateful sense of. your kindness m writing, and be encouraged to persevere, I am happy to report that the loom, spinning-wheel, knitting pins, 'yarns, cards, etc., have arrived safely, though I feared that they had been lost m the Tyne; and we are now building a proper place for our machinery. We 'have m our establishment one Dame Bruce, related, I know not m what degree of affinity to the hero of Scots history, belonging to that classSof Scots peasantry 'who, jus she tells me, are m the habit of making their own 'trousseau 1 instead of buying it, a practice most desirable for the undowered maidens of New Zealand, who otherwise could only procure their wedding presents by an unsentimental traffic m potatoes and pigs. Two or three of our missionaries also know how to weave, and with their assistance, before we left the Waimate, we had begun dur manufacturing by putting together the fragments of the old loom sent out by the Church Society. This and its apparatus we left at the mission station for the use of the native schools which were continued there until they were broken up by the war. We have now fifty scholars, men, women and children m our native colle,ge, out of whom we may organise without much difficulty a little body of spinners and weavers." (To be continued.) \