Hawaii Holomua, Volume III, Number 119, 22 May 1894 — Missionaries Ancient and Modern. [ARTICLE]

Missionaries Ancient and Modern.

Tbe Mibjoined letter by the Revd. Rufos Anderson is taken | from a volame of the Hawaiian Rv«ugeli;al Association written nearly 30 years ago is an interesting contribution to the debated I snbject of whether the Hiwaiian ! race bas been or is,worth the missionary etfort that has been expended ■upon them by theirj alleged caristian teachers daricg ' the 70 ; ears of Hawaiian mis siion;iry onterprise. The Utterof Dr. Aaderson to Kmg Kaaiehameha IV, in so far as that devoted missionary deall with the qu08tion of the progress of tbe nation in christian cirilu-

aiion. stands in marked contr«st ito tbe recent ntteranees of 1 OIesoa. Hyde, Bishop, Baker and others of tbe modern ' school, and whieh if trne woald j pr.tve that the modern missioniry b.ts been speodiuz his ;ime . laboring in a vineyard banen iu , all bnt financial resalts to himseif. It is true tbat the members !of the mission were oomfortably fixed in tbis world's goods even i in the time of Kamehameha IV; i bnt the fnli tide of pr >sper;ty |d«d notfl>at in nnlil later when thē science of barter and IandtransUr heeame a fiue art and the native was tanght to chant ; prtise< to the deitv that presided j over the knleana frora whieh he waa henceforth to be sej>erated jbv a mortgage. fhis development juf Cbristian civilization was not by tbe Rev. Dr. Aoderson. | else there migbt have been some reference to it in his letters and addresses: To HisMajesty, K imehameha IV. Sire; As circumstances forbid a private audience with yonr Majesty ; before my departure from the, Islands, I raay p“rhaps be permitted, in view of my peeuliai relations to a verv large bodv of the best friends and benefactors of this nntion, not to leave without my raost respectful alolia to botb your Majesties. Having labored assiduously duringforty years foryour people, and having, iu my old age, visited the Islands for the purpose of j hastening their independeuce of forei<rn aid iu the maiulenanee of, O their religious instistntions, I rejoice in the belief that, with I the kind protection of the Government, thisresnlt is attainable. The iraportant steps lately taken in this direction are perhaps sufficiently indicated in the priuted Address, whioh I bad the honor of sending through the Secretary of Foreign Atiairs, and the receipt of whieh he has duly acknowledged. Iam happy to i inform youi Majesty, that tLe | plan tliere mdicated has siuce j been adopted, and is uow going into etfect, — with the best in- ! Auenee, as I caunot doubt, upon the religious welfare of your people. My visit to the.se Islunds has impressed me. uot on!v with the j strengtb. but also with the; beneficent and paternal cbaracter •of vour governraent. In no 1 ' uation of Christendom is there i | greater security of person and ; iproperty, or more of civil and re!igious liberty. As to the pro- ' gress of the nalion in C'hristian : civiIization. I ara persuaded, and | shall confident!y aliinn on my J retnrn home, that the bistory of j I the Christian Cburch and of the world aflords nothing eqnal to it. And now the Hawaiian Cbris- I tian communitv is so far fcrmed and matured, that the Amenean ; j Board ceases to act any longer !as pnneipal, and becomes an auxiliary; merely aflbrding grants j in aid of the several departroents ; of labor iu building up tue king dom cf Christ iuthese Islands and i also in the Islandsof Micronesia. . The needed grants wo expect will ; dirainish gradnaliy, nntil they j j cea.se altogether. We shall of | course rejoice when that time comes. Meanwhile we regard j this Christian commnnity. thns j assuming tbe leadership and; chief responsibility, as demonstrat;ng the trinmphant success. of the GospeI of onr Lord and ' Savionr Jesus Christ And in this we donbt not your Majesty will rejoice with us Praying God to grant long life and prosperity to yoor Majesties, IJam, with profonnd respect, Your Majesty’s obedient. humble servant, R. A.\debsox, Foreign Secretary of the Ameri-, ean Board of Commissioners ' for Foreign Missions. Honoluln. Jnly C, 1363.