The Prohibition Of The Flute And Dancing
Is Inveighed Against As Wrong And Foolish; - The More Than
Presbyterian Manner Of Keeping The Sabbath Is Looked At In
A Similar Light.
On these points I will not pretend to offer
any opinion to men who have resided as many years as I
was days on the island.
On the whole, it appears to me that the morality and
religion of the inhabitants are highly creditable. There are
many who attack, even more acrimoniously than Kotzebue,
both the missionaries, their system, and the effects produced
by it. Such reasoners never compare the present state with
that of the island only twenty years ago; nor even with that
of Europe at this day; but they compare it with the high
standard of Gospel perfection. They expect the missionaries
to effect that which the Apostles themselves failed to do.
Inasmuch as the condition of the people falls short of
this high standard, blame is attached to the missionary, instead
of credit for that which he has effected. They forget,
or will not remember, that human sacrifices, and the power
of an idolatrous priesthood - a system of profligacy
unparalleled in any other part of the world - infanticide a
consequence of that system - bloody wars, where the conquerors
spared neither women nor children - that all these have been
abolished; and that dishonesty, intemperance, and licentiousness
have been greatly reduced by the introduction of Christianity.
In a voyager to forget these things is base ingratitude; for
should he chance to be at the point of shipwreck on some
unknown coast, he will most devoutly pray that the lesson of
the missionary may have extended thus far.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 637 of 776
Words from 170736 to 171014
of 208183
