BIBLE AND MISSION WOEK IN THE COLONY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XVI, Issue 154, 30 June 1881, Page 4

BIBLE AND MISSION WOEK IN THE COLONY.

In the March number of the Colonies and India a correspondent in New Zealand writes as follows : — " The Lord's work goes on here afc a slow pace among Europeans, and afc a still slower pace among Maoris. A New Zealand chief described the state of things nofc long ago in a meeting at Rangitikei. 'When the Pabekas (English and white people) first came to these islands, religion was everything, and they showed very clearly tbat their God was far beyond our gods, and we put our sods away. We saw rthe hearts of the Pahekas were better than ours and tbeir conduct better; but more Pahekas came, and more and more Pakebaß, and the more the worse, and then it was laud,-land, nofc Q-od afc all, bufc we were deceived on every side, ahd they taught our people worse and worse sins, and drink and wickedness spread over all our tribes.' Even some denominations now try to draw money in the name of Christianity from some gcdless Maoris, and tv q brings scandal on the whole work. U The g " at oiity of tb,e Maoris have really no re^!™ »* all 5, * fe * old people are Christians pna Joi>. K back upon the early days of preaching ( Christ here; but the young have no religion as a rule. They ' are more moral and not so drunken as the worst English, and more polite and far more honest than the low English. They will very seldom touch saddles or tools left on the roadside ; bufc missionary zeal has died out on tbese islands. Of course, I except individual cases j I am talking of tbe work as a whole. We could name some zealous men like Honore of Bangitikei and others, but the zeal of early days is gone, and this wonderful fruit of that zeal blooms of course no longer. '• Some of us pray thafc some gifted and able preachers may arise, among the Maoris themselves. We need — »s Sir William Fcx. the late Premier, said not long ago — ' preaching natives' to reach them now — men not artificially educated, but converted men with average abilities and plenty of zeal and fire, to arise and go among the tribes ; they would be welcomed and do great work. English preachers never know what ifc is almost to live in the pahs with natives j they preach on certain days and then disappear. Preachers should live with them, and endure, thus, some disagreeables truly, but tbey would win the people. These islands know nothing About such revival work as has visited America, England and Scotland since 1856."