Life of John Coleridge Patteson : Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian IslandsYonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Religion
Life of John Coleridge Patteson : Missionary Bishop of the Melanesian Islands
Yonge, Charlotte M. (Charlotte Mary)
Missions -- Melanesia; Patteson, John Coleridge, 1827-1871
On August 1, while the Bauro scholars were writing answers to questions
on the Lord's Prayer, a party of men and women arrived, headed by a
man with a native scarf over his shoulders. They had come to be taught,
bringing provisions with them, and eating them, men and women together,
a memorable infringement of one of the most unvarying customs of the
Banks inhabitants; and from the conversation with them and with others,
Bishop Patteson found that the work of breaking down had been attained,
that of building up had to be begun. They must learn that leaving off
heathen practices was not the same thing as adopting the religion of
Christ, and the kind of work which external influences had cut short in
Lifu had to be begun with them.
'Soon, I think, the great difficulty must be met in Mota of teaching the
Christian's social and domestic life to people disposed to give up
much of their old practices. This is the point at which I suppose most
Missions have broken down. It is a great blessing indeed to reach it,
but the building up of converts is the harder work. Here, for example,
a population of 1,500 people; at present they know all that is necessary
for the cultivation of yams, &c., they build houses sufficient for the
purpose of their present life, they are giving up fighting, losing-faith
in their old charms and contrivances for compassing the death of their
enemies; they will very likely soon be at peace throughout the whole
island. Well, then, they will be very idle, talk infinite scandal,
indulge in any amount of gluttony; professing to believe our religion,
their whole life will contradict that profession, unless their whole
social and domestic life be changed, and a new character infused into
them. It would be a great mistake to suppose that the English aspect
of the Christian's social life is necessarily adapted to such races
as these. The Oriental tendencies of their minds, the wholly different
circumstances of their lives, climate, absence of all poverty or
dependence upon others, &c., will prevent them from ever becoming a
little English community; but not, I trust, their becoming a Christian
community. But how shall I try to teach them to become industrious,
persevering, honest, tidy, clean, careful with children, and all the
rest of it? What a different thing from just going about and teaching
them the first principles of Christianity! The second stage of a Mission
is the really difficult one.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account