ABOUT LAW.

Maori Messenger : Te Karere Maori, Volume I, Issue 15, 15 October 1861, Page 3

ABOUT LAW.

CHAPTER VI. THE LAWS OF ENGLAND. 1. This is an explanation of that which is called the Law, —the Law of England,—the Law of the Queen. There are two kinds of Law in force in the world; —one is the Divine Law—the other is Human Law. Divine Law is that which is written in the Holy Scripture. This prescribes rules for the spirit and the conscience of a man; it puts a bridle' on his heart to guide and to control it. The Law of God condemns the evil thoughts and evil desires of the heart of which the outward actions are the manifestations. This Law prescribes the punishment of evil, whether hidden within the heart, or manifested in the actions. Those to whom the Divine Law is committed, and whose duty it is to expound it, are the Bishops, Ministers, and Teachers. Human Law lays down rules for the guidance of the bodily and outward actions of men. Man cannot look into the heart ef man, therefore he cannot frame a Law to control the Heart, as he can to control the body. It is the evil acts of men, the mani-

festations of their evil thoughts, which are condemned by human Law. Human Law prescribes punishment for evil deeds. Those to whom the charge of human Law is committed, and whose office it is to administer and expound it are, in England, the Queen,—and here, the' Governor with the Magistrates and those who have been commissioned for that purpose by the Queen. Its Guardians and those who enforce it are all right-thinking men, that is, the People as a body. . Whether the Law be Human or Divine, it ought to have the same fountain, that is, GOD. Divine Law was revealed by God Himself; and good Human Law is built up by man upon Divine Law. That, Divine I Law, was first; this, Human Law, afterwards. That is for within, this is for without. Evil is from within. While yet within, it is seen by GOD, and is condemned by His Law, and will be punished by him. But it must first show itself before it can be seen by man, or be condemned and punished by his Law. . Matters relating to the Divine Law, that is to Christianity, will not be spoken of here. What we desire now to speak of are Human Laws, that is, The Queen's Law, which prescribe rules for the actions of men; j which condemn evil actions and punish them. 2. Formerly, when the ancestors of the Pakeha lived in ignorance, England possessed no good Law. There was then no Restrainer of the wrong. Then a man's own strength was his Law: a law of oppression towards the weak. Men lived then in anarchy and fear. It was a state ©f things like that which prevailed

throu hout ISew Zealand but a short time ago. Men lived in disorder, strife, and mutual aggression;—kill-' ing each other, and doing every evil thing natural to a state of ignorance. After a while, Christianity was brought to England. Then arose the thought in the minds of men to lay down a law to suppress evil, to cause good to flourish, and to secure peace. Thoughtful men saw that without law and order they could never become a great, noble, and wealthy people. So they framed and laid down Laws. The men who framed these laws were the principal Chiefs, the Sages, the Bishops, and men appointed for that purpose by the people. The King was the head, to make sacred and to confirm them. These formed a council for the laying down of laws; and whenever it was desired to make any new law, or to alter an existing one, it was for these councils to do so: and down to this day is the same plan adopted. The councils for framing laws are still engaged upon this work. Therefore all men greatly honour, magnify, uphold, and highly prize their Law. No man may resist that law or trample on it, nor disobey those who administer and guard it, — the magistrates and the constables: the body of the people uphold and strengthen it. No one opposes the Law, which is the parent of men, except the wrong-doer; and the rest of the community will not allow him to have his will. All the people will support the law; and, if the wrongdoer resist, all the people will as it were become constables, and will take him where he will be tried and punished for his offences by the Law.

3. The people of England were not so fortunate in days of old as are the people of New Zealand now. When they began to frame for themselves laws, in generations long past, they had no example to direct them. They had to open for themselves a road through the thick bush ; sometimes right, sometimes wrong; try it here, and find it wrong; try it there; try it on the right hand, if Wrong, try it on the left hand: where should the right road be found? Another difficulty, arising from their ignorance, was that the guides and leaders themselves pulled different ways. One would say, Here is the right path; another would say, Nay, but here: and, after much quarreling, scarcely were they able to settle anything. How could it be otherwise with blind guides'? It was not until after much contention, and many generations had passed, that all were agreed upon one system and were willing to walk in one path. In the present day the Maori is more fortunate. A path has been cleared and opened through the forest: it lies before him: he has but to walk in it. A wise and a generous people, the English, have settled in his land; and this people are willing to teach him, and to guide him in the well-made road which themselves have travelled for so many generations; that is, in the path of the perfected law,—in the path by which themselves have attained to all the good things which they now possess; wisdom, prosperity, quietness, peace, wealth, power, glory, and all other good things which the Pakeha possesses Let there now be no doubt nor hesitation, but be patient and earnest and follow the direction of those who have been appointed to show you the right and the finished path.. If a man seek

to strike out for himself a new path through the fern, ere long he will he exhausted, and will desire to return to the wide and open path, to the path which has beaten hard and firm by travelling.