SAMUEL MARSDEN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LVII, Issue 170, 24 December 1914, Page 6

SAMUEL MARSDEN.

| MISSIONARY AND COLONIZER. | WIIAT NICW ZEALAND OWES TO 11111. A period of a hundred years— a ecuton- cf Hons progress—separates us from t-lii' day when Samuel llarsdeiv landed en the si](ires of New Zealand and declared "glad tidings of great joy" to one of the strangest congregations ever addressed by a Christian minister. Coining across from Sydney in the brig Active, he came ashore in the Bav of Islands on December IS), ISI4, and he de--1 livered the lirst sermon ever preached in New Zealand on the following Sunday, which was also Christmas Day. hi this manner was Christianity introduced into New Zealand, and the centenary of Marsdcn's proclamation of the gospel message is to be celebrated by a service to be held on Friday next, Christmas Day, at the foot of the memorial cross erected at Marsdcn's landing place at Oilii, Bay of Islands. ' A PIuNEER OF CIVILISATION. Samuel Marsden was not only a great missionary, he was also a practical coloniser and a pioneer of civilisation. lie was a man of outstanding personality and force of character. As a preacher of his funeral sermon declared, he was "not merely a man who filled up the. place allotted to bin; on earth, and then sank into liis grave; not merely a faithfill minister of Christ, who ioved and served his Saviour and turned maiiy to repentance, but more than either of these. Rightly to estimate his character we must view him as a peculiar man, raised up for an especial purpose." Little is known about Marsdcn's early life. He was born i:i Yorkshire on July 2«, I'tM. He was educated at the village school, the fiv Grammar school of Hull, and at St. d.)l':i's College, Cambridge. He subsequently entered the ministry of the Church of England, and was appointed second chaplain to the settlement in New South Wales by a Royal Commission, bearing date, January 1, irn.'i. 11l March of the following year, he took up his residence in the barracks at Parramatta. Soon after his arrival, the senior chaplain returned to England, and Marsden was left alone to face a situation that might well 1 have filled the bravest with dismay. | The majority of those to whom he was called upon to minister were, criminals, and the moral state of the community was appalling. TROUBLOUS TIMES. As the purpose of this article is to give a sketch of Marsdcn's connection with New Zealand, the story of his work in New South Wales can only be. briefly touched upon. In spite of much opposition and discouragement, lie did his best to improve the lot of the convict. and to raise the moral tone of the settlement. II:s ellorts brought him into conflict with the authorities. He was attacked in the most bitter manner. He was maligned, his motives were misrepresented, and his personal characm t(, r was most brutally assailed. Every I obstacle was put in his way, and at one time the governor even threatened him with a court-martial. But he won through iu the end. Tlis good work was eventually recognised. : ii )( l his character completely vindicated. We are told that the Governor, before leaving for England, '"bore testimony to (he piety, integrity and invaluable'services of the. only man who had dared, patiently vet firmly, to contend with him during a long course of years.'- ° Marsden was a man of b'g ideas and was able to take long view;.. lie saw that Australia was destined to become a great country and had strong faith in the future of New Zealand--and this, his biographer tells us, "at a time when even statesmen had only learned to think of New South Walii as a national prison, and vie ; tliq conversion of New Zealand ..as regarded as a hopeless task even Ity the niajoritf of Christian men, and treated by the world with indifference or scorn." THE MAORI RACE. It was during a two years' visit to England, 1807-180!), that Marsden laid the foundations for his work in New Zealand. He had n high opinion of the Maoris—much higher than that formed by Charles Darwin, who visitod KV\y Zealand in lfi3s. Writing to his fiiend, Marsden said: "The.y arc a noble race vastly superior in understanding than anything you could imagine ; J n a savage nation." ' Several chiefs had been his guests at Parramatta, and the more he learned about the Maori people more desirous he became to visit their countr;. On returning to Sydney from England in ISO!), Marsden discovered 011 the forecastle of the ship a man whose dark slun and sad appearance attracted his attention. It was Ruatara, a Maori chief, who had gone through a series of extraordinary hardships and romantic adventures. Sick and dejected, Ruatara was making his way back to New Zealand. Marsden. befriended him, and ■ he. became "one of the principal instruments in preparing the way for the introduction of the arts of civilisation and the knowledge of Christianity into his native country." ■ Tlw establishment of the New Zeaand Mission was delayed by the burn"iff of the Boyd and the massacre of the ship.i company at the Bay of Islands. Other difficulties had also to be overcome. It ISM, he. was iu a position to make a start, and 011 November l!) of that year he sailed from Sydney iu the brig Active. He caught the first glimpse of i\ew Zealand on December 1.1, and hj» landed at Whangaroa 011 December 10. and one of his first acts was to make' peace between two (Vlitending tribes. Till-; FIRST RELICIOUS SERVICE. Divine service was held in New Zealand lor the first lime on Christmas Day, ISM, Ruatara having made necessary preparations on the previous day. In describing' this memorable service, Marsden writes: "lie (liuafarii) enclosed about ha!f-un-acrc of land with a fence, erected a pulpit and reading-desk in Die eenfre, and covered the whole either with black native cloth or some duck, which lie hail brought with him from Port Jackson. lie also procured some bottoms of old canoes and fixed them up as seats on each .-.'de of the pulpit for the Kurcopeans to sit on. The whole was becoming, anil had a Very solemn appearance. He had erected a on the highest hill ill the village. "On Sunday morning when I was upon deck. 1 saw the English flag living which was a pleading sight in New Zealand. 1 considered it as the signal and I he dawn of civilisation, liberty, and religion iu that dark and benighted land. "About ten o'clock wc prepared to go ashore to publish for the first time the glad news of the Gospel. . . . The inhabitants of the town, with women mid children, formed a circle. A very solemn silence prevailed—the sight was very impressive. 1 rose up and began the service with singing the 'Old Ilundretli' psalm, and felt my very soul

they were in. After reading the service, I during which the natives stood up and sat down at the signal given by Koro lvoro's switch, which was regulated by the movements of the Europeans, it being Christmas Day, I preached from the second chapter of St. Luke's gospel and tenth verse, "Behold 1 bring you glad tidings of great joy," etc. The natives told Ruatara that they could not understand what I meant. He replied that they were not to mind that now, for they would understand by-and-by, and that he would explain any meaning as far as lie could In this manner the Gospel has been introduced j into New Zealand, and I fervently pray, that the glory of it may never depart from its inhabitants till time shall be 110 more." BEGINNINGS OF THE WOOL EXPORT TRADE. Marsden made seven visits to New Zealand between the years ISM and 1837. He won the affection of the savage cannibal tribes in a marvellous way, and he never lost his hold over them. He did not know how to be afraid. Like Xavier, he feared God, and he feared nothing else. He quiet confidence and unfailing courage greatly impressed the natives. Besides introducing Christianity into New Zealand, Marsden also laid the foundations of the "arts of civilised life." He taught the Maoris how to cultivate the soil, and to him belongs the honor of having established sheep-farm-ing in this country and our wool export' trade, which has done so much for the prosperity of the Dominion. He brought the first sheep to this country in ISIS, and the first wool shipment was made in 1824, when 11 bags of vt.ol were sent to Sydney, and brought -S (id a pound. CANNIBALISM. He might have obtained almost whatever he liked in the way of land, and timber in exchange for guns and ammunition, but he said he would sooner abandon the whole work than permit barter of this sort. He allowed his smith I to make axes, or hoes, or any other tools, but he would not permit him to repair guns, or other warlike instruments —"No; not even for the greatest chiefs upon the island," and wc are told that lie took an opportunity on all occasions to impress upon the "laoris "the horrors their cannibalism excited; how much their nation was disgraced by it." Writing of his second visit, 1819,Marsden says: "We assembled »n the beach for public worship as there was 110 other place sufficiently spacious to hold the people. ... It was gratifying to bo able to perform worship to the true God in the open air, without fear or danger, when surrounded by cannibals with their spears stuck in the ground, pattoo-pattoos and daggers concealed under their mats." Ilis journal is wonderfully intcrest'n":—■ "We are literally at the ends of tho earth, with relation to our native land," he writes, "surrounded with cannibals whom we knew to have fed on human flesh, and wholly in their power, and yet our minds free from fear of danger, and this excited in my breast, such new, parting and at the same time opposite sensations as . I cannot describe." Such was his daily life during his stay in New Zealand in those pagan times. When he expressed anxiety for tin; missionaries lie was leaving behind him, a chief assured him that they would be all right. "The. flesh of the Maori," said the chief, "is sweeter than that of the European in consequence of the white people eating so "much salt." MARSDEN'S SUCCESSORS. The work began by Marsden and his companions was carried on, as far 11s the Anglican Church was concerned, by the Williams's, George Clarke, Richard Davis, W. G. Puckcy, James Hamlin, Charles Baker, T. Chapman, J. Matthews, B. Y. Ashwell, Alfred Brown, G. A. | Kissling, Robert Maunsell, R. Taylor, Octavius Hadfield, R. Burrows, "and others. Representatives of other churches also did their part, and did it nobly. Those pioneers of Christianity did not spare themselves, and succeeded in commending the Christian faith to the Maoris, both by their preaching and example. They won the hearts of the Maoris by their devotion and self-sac-rifice. In spite of many difficulties and disappointments, the mission which Marsden founded grew and prospered so that when Bishop Selwyn arrived in 1842, he was able to say:— "We see here a whole nation of pagans converted to the faith." Later on came a period of partial eclipse. The growth of the European population brought with it misunderstandings and conflicting interests. Distrust of the white man was followed by distrust of his religion, and there was a great falling away from Christianity. It took many years to restore confidence, and the ill-etl'ects of those days of bitterness and strife have not yet been entirely removed; but the present position is most encouraging, and there is every reason to look forward' to the future with hope and confidence. FINAL PARTING. Describing the scene 011 Waitemata Beach at the conclusion of Marsdcn's final visit to New Zealand, a friend states that, "like Paul at Miletus, we parted with many benedictions, sorrowing most of all that we would see his face 110 more. Many could not bid him adieu. The parting was with many tears." Marsden died in New South Wales on May 12, 183 S. Among a Tew incoherent expressions just before he passed away, was a reference to the New Zealand Mission. DAItW IN'S TESTIMONY. The work done by men like Samuel Marsden provides most ample justification for Christian missions. There was a time when it was the fashion, even among educated people, to deride missionaries and their work. But empirebuilders, scientists, and other intelligent observers, who have been iu a position to speak, from first-hand know-ledge, have given enthusiastic testimony to the splendid work that the pioneers of the Gospel have achieved among savage races. The missionaries have also done, directly and indirectly, "rent things for commerce and industry, for various branches of science, and for the general advancement of civilisation. Charles Darwin has placed on record his very high appreciation of their work, anil this article may be appropriately closed by his impressions of the Maoris and missionaries as he saw them in 1835, 21 years after allrsden's first voyage' to New Zealand. Darwin thus describes his visit to Waitemata:—

''All this is very surprising when it is considered that five years ago nothing but the fern flourished here. Moreover, nathe workmanship, taught by the missionaries, has effected this change the lesson of the missionary is the enchanter's wand. The house iiad been built, the windows framed, the fields ploughed, and even the trees grafted, by the New Zealandor, i.e., the Maori. At the mill a New Zealander was seen

nt v this whole scene, I thought it admirable. It was not merely that England was brought vividly before my mind; yet, as the evening drew to a close, the domestic sounds, the fields of corn, and distant undulating country, with its trees, might have well been mistaken for our fatherland; nor was it the triumphant feeling of seeing what Englishmen could effect; but rather the high hopes thus inspired for the future progress of this fine island." THE MISSIONARY AND THE SCIENTIST. But when lie looked baak over his visit to New Zealand as a. whole, Darwin was not favorably impressed. "I believe we are all glad to have New Zealand," lie writes. "It is not a pleasant place. Amongst the natives there is absent that charming simplicity which is found at Tahiti; and the greater part of the English are the very Refuse of society. Neither is the country itself attractive. I look back to one bright spot, and that is Waimate, with its Christian inhabitants."

Marsden took a much more hopeful view of both the Maori and the country, and the missionary has proved to be a truer prophet than the scientist.