1. By securing the favor of the King and the chiefs, they were sure of gaining almost unlimited influence with the people at large.

2. By the voluntary abandonment of their religion on the part of the islanders, the way was prepared for the Missionaries to introduce a new one; while at the same time they were saved the formidable task of overthrowing a worship rendered sacred by the regard of past ages, or looked upon with veneration in the present.

On the other hand, the people whom they were to instruct were utterly ignorant and barbarous, and sunk in the most odious and hideous vices, the result of the combined depravity of savage and civilized life.

Moreover the determined resistance of the foreigners, both open and secret, in every form, to the influence of the missionaries, is to be considered a very great if not insuperable obstacle to their success.

This was the condition of things which waited the coming of the missionaries. The objects which they proposed to accomplish seemed to be ranged under three general heads.

1. To preach Christianity and through this religion bring about a better state of morals; and also through its influences to civilize the people.

2. To translate the Scriptures and prepare other books for the use of learners, in the language of the Sandwich Islands.

3. To establish schools, teach the people to read and write, and initiate them in the rudiments of arithmetic and some branches perhaps of science.

The thoughts naturally turn upon the chances of success which were open to the missionaries at the commencement of their labors. They had undertaken a great work, one for which men in ancient times had been worshipped as heroes and demigods, the introduction of letters and the civilization of a nation; but more than this, they had risen to the sacred office of the apostle and were to preach the religion of Christ in lands which had never before heard the tidings of salvation; they were to go among rude Heathen to prepare the way of the Lord where all was in darkness and error. We freely acknowledge the grandeur of their enterprise, we esteem, as we ought, the self-sacrificing spirit and the courage with which they undertook it, and the perseverance with which they labored; our feelings have been touched with the recital of their

privations, dangers, and sufferings. We trust that in the account we give of their labors we shall be impartial. If they have failed, we believe it is not owing to want of exertion or a sincere wish to accomplish the great ends proposed; and while we distrust the means employed, and the whole course of proceeding, we still would express our belief in the uprightness, sincerity, and earnest devotion of the missionaries. Stewart and Ellis are honored names; their characters are, as we believe, above reproach. There is however, we are sorry to say, one exception to these remarks, one who has held among the missionaries a high place of power and trust,against whom, grave charges are laid; but we leave him for the present. We know not that similiar charges have been brought against any other missionary.

The first great object of the Missionaries was to christianize the nation, and thus lead them to civilization.

In the instructions given to the first reinforcement which sailed from New Haven, (and we are informed in "The Missionary Herald," that they were essentially the same as those given to the first missionaries,) we find this remarkable passage. "You will never give countenance to the popular error, that men must be civilized before they can receive the gospel."* The plan of operations is distinctly announced. Christianize first, and then civilization will follow. We acknowledge that there is a certain degree of attraction and splendor in thus overcoming the rudeness of a nation. The missionary is captivated by the recital of the immense results which succeeded the preaching of our Saviour and the Apostles, and he longs to follow in their footsteps; he would overcome the minds of men at once with the force of his own eloquence and the power of the Gospel. He would enjoy at once, if we may so express it, the romance of a mission among heathen. But he forgets that his preaching is not with power, as were the words of the great examples he would imitate; he forgets that the heathen of the times of our Saviour were not like the heathen of the present day, in the very lowest state of civilization or even sunk in barbarism. He forgets that it was in the gorgeous Temple of Jerusalem and on the Olive Mount of the holy city that our Saviour's voice was heard; that the words of the Apostle were addressed to the assembled wis

* Missionary Herald, Vol. XVIII. p. 109.

dom of Greece, or the crowds that thronged the forum of the polished, proud, and imperial Rome. We believe the attempt to christianize a nation before it is civilized is an utterly hopeless one; but as our opinion may not be considered of much weight with the patrons of Missions, we will quote the remarks of the missionaries themselves upon this subject. In a letter published in the Boston "Atlas," August 20th, 1835, and dated at Malta, April 2d, 1835, we find the following remarks upon the missionaries at Constantinople, which the writer had visited recently.

"All those, whom I have seen, appear well-disposed, good men, and maintain by their conduct a name and reputation consistent with their profession. The idea of making converts is professedly abandoned by them all; and their labors seem now to be devoted to the instruction of the people, children principally; and to the publishing of the Bible in the language of the country. Mr. Goodel (the chief missionary) is a plain, straight-forward man, with no bigotry about him; and, having a good share of good sense, he conciliates the favor of all those with whom he has intercourse." Again, Young men,' says Mr. Goodel, 'come from America full of fire and enthusiasm, thinking they must run to the market-place and preach and seek to convert; but I tell them, that is all nonsense they must labor and instruct the children; they must not run the risk of getting their necks broke; they must live, and not die for Christianity.'

66 6

The experience of the missionaries at the Sandwich Islands, seems also to confirm these views. We find in a joint letter from Messrs. Thurston and Bishop, dated at Kailua (in Hawaii) Oct. 15th, 1831, the following remarks, the heading of which by the editor of "The Missionary Herald" is "Difficulty of introducing purity of morals among a barbarous people." *

"The habits and modes of life among the Hawaiians are such as peculiarly expose persons to temptations. And though there are many who are improving in civilized habits, still there is so little concern or watchfulness over one another, that persons are never suspected of being deceivers until the evil transpires. Their herding together in the same house at night, without partitions between them, men, women, and children upon the same mat; the unceremonious manner of intercourse between the sexes, without any forms of reserve, or any delicacy of thought and conversation;

* Missionary Herald, Vol. XXVIII. p. 221.

the idle habits of all, especially of the women, and their fondness for visiting from home at night; and above all the force of long established habits, which, after a season of efforts at reform, return upon them with almost resistless force; these, and their inexperience in resisting temptation, when it comes upon them, are some of the sources of so much irregularity among this people. It is long since we have set our faces against these practices as so many avenues to temptation."-" But we conceive the true secret of these evils lies still deeper, and cannot be effectually touched by any outward remedies which have as yet been applied. The total want of family government and discipline lies at the root of every other evil. The vagrant habits of children and members of every family, and the total disregard they show to the injunctions of their parents or others over them, is a melancholy proof of the low state of domestic discipline. Here begin those habits of moral delinquency which grow up and strengthen with their strength. Here then must begin the reforming influence, by introducing family government among their parents. This is an object to which, for some time past, we have been turning our attention. It is to a future generation we must look for proper examples of Christian character. Not that there will be no good examples among the present generation, for there are many already; but there is in those who appear the best, a certain want of quick moral sense of right and wrong, which is the result of their previous habits of life; a bluntness of perception which even grace does not wholly eradicate. Early education alone can instil those feelings of virtuous moral perception which distinguish the enlightened Christian from the untutored savage, and the want of which is so lamentable in the character of a Hawaiian."

These remarks we think will be found to support our position with sufficient distinctness. But the Board of Missions are not satisfied with having a few grand truths preached which belong to Christianity; their religion is not comprehensive enough to embrace Christianity under its various forms however sincere ; pure doctrines of Calvin must be preached and no other. "Man's native sinfulness and wretchedness are to be exhibited," say the Prudential Committee in their instructions; "the pardon of sin is to be proclaimed; the love of Christ displayed; the atonement with all its blessings described; and the destinies of eternity presented to the mind."

the

"No other doctrines, no other moral process, but the preaching of these doctrines, will ever prove a remedy for the diseases of the soul."" Describe the character of man as it is, depraved,

unholy, enslaved to sin; and you need not fear but its likeness will be recognised." *

To those who reflect upon the difficulty with which an uninstructed savage, accustomed to the gross worship of idols, and in whose notions of the character of a Deity moral virtues form no element, who has never risen even to the contemplation of morality in any form, would comprehend even the simplest truths of our religion, the idea of preaching to such a being the doctrines of Calvin with all their mysteries, palpable contradictions, and metaphysical evasions, will seem almost beyond the reach of any person in his senses. Yet such is the truth; such doctrines have been preached, with what success we shall soon perceive. We can hardly think without a smile of the mingled feelings of doubt, amazement, and perplexity, with which an intelligent savage would listen to men whom he is taught to regard as belonging to a superior race, when they are gravely announcing to him statements of this character. One of the missionaries remarks with uncommon naïveté upon the readiness with which their doctrines were received. "At the same time," says he, "it is not a little gratifying to witness the willingness with which they receive our instruction. There is no cavilling or questioning the truth of our doctrines." What a pity that a little more of the same laudable submission to authority is not to be found in civilized nations!

The second grand object of the missionaries was to translate the Scriptures into the language of the Sandwich Islands, and also to prepare other books for the use of schools in the native tongue. Here again there is an imaginary splendor, which seems to dazzle and captivate the minds of these worthy men. The translation of the Scriptures has always been regarded a work of the first moment; the most learned and distinguished scholars have been employed upon it; and the young theologian is properly taught to regard it as the fitting occupation of the giants in his profession ;— there is in this, as in the idea of converting thousands by the word, a mingling of romance, very natural and pardonable it is true, but somewhat adverse to a plain, business-like way of doing things. It seems to us hardly worth while to enter into an examination of the difficulty, or rather we might say, the impossibility, of making

* Missionary Herald, Vol. XVIII. p. 106. + Missionary Herald, Vol. XXV. p. 315.