1814-1853 - The Missionary Register [Sections relating to New Zealand.] - 1841 - New Zealand--Church Missionary Society, p 415-418

Early in the morning of Thursday, February 11th. the Natives, who had for days been assembling, were engaged in making a semicircular booth. Noble Panakareao's English standard was flying; and another colour on the Church Tower. On the ringing of the bell, portions of about twenty different tribes assembled to witness one of the most interesting sights seen in this land. Once-discordant tribes, who lived in actual malice--hateful and hating one another--now met together to manifest their gratitude to God for the Word of His Grace, by forming themselves into a Branch Society.

The Rev. R. Taylor took the chair; and opened the Meeting by giving out the Hymn, "Salvation, Oh the joyful sound!" in native, and reading the Sixty-seventh Psalm. He then addressed the Meeting as follows:--

My Friends--You are acquainted with the purpose for which we are now met together: you are aware that we have two objects especially in view--the acknowledging of our gratitude unto God for the many mercies which He has shewn, and also to assist in sending the Gospel abroad. Several individuals will address you, and more fully explain the subject. I shall therefore at present only exhort, you to listen with attention and keep silence, that you may the better hear what is said.

That, entertaining a deep sense of the many mercies which we enjoy, and more especially of God's goodness in sending the Gospel to us, we feel it to be our bounden duty to acknowledge the same; and to use every means in our power for diffusing abroad that Gospel, to whose blessed influence we solely ascribe our present happy state.

My Friends--The purpose for which we have all assembled here, is, that you may fully understand the meaning of the proposed Collection, of which you heard a month ago, in a Discourse respecting the Redeemer's Kingdom. For seven years you have heard the sound of the glorious Gospel of Jesus Christ. Many of you are believers, and are enjoying the blessings of God's Word: many of your relations have believed, and have finished their course with joy, and are now in heaven. I think it behoves us all to shew our gratitude to God, for His many mercies; but you especially, that it has pleased Him to send you Missionaries, who have explained to you the unsearchable riches of Christ, and have been the means of your becoming a peaceable people. Consider your former state: you were never at peace; you could not sit still: you could not call any thing your own; but now, you sit down in peace in your own little places, and there is no one to molest you. Consider this, and think of other nations: see whether we cannot help them! How was it that Missionaries were first sent to you? How were their expenses paid? It was by collection. Now, then, let us try what we can do: open your hearts and your little bags, and try if you cannot send a Missionary to some dark part of the world. Now try! This is the first time that you have been taxed; but we are not ashamed, as it is for the Redeemer's Cause. England has sent out Missionaries to all parts of the World: let us be the means of sending out one, if we can: you have all received freely, so freely give. Surely you would not like to be the only hearers of the Gospel! Would you not like that other nations, who arc as dark as you yourselves once were, should receive the same privileges? Yes, I know it ought to be your desire; and I shall see, by your shillings, by-and-bye, that it is your desire. You have been blessed, let others be blessed also.

Do not suppose that this is a new thing; although, perhaps, some of us present may not perfectly understand it. It is not a new thing: read your Testaments, and you will see it is not a new thing: you will find, that, in the time of our Saviour, collections were made for the Temple; and our Saviour told Peter to cast his line into the sea and take the first fish which came to his hand, "And take that which is found in his mouth for me and for thee." That word is as applicable to us, at this present time, as to them. If our Teachers gave us money for believing and being baptized, then it might be said that we were bought by them; or were our Teachers like the Pakeha Maori, then it would be so. Do not stop up your hearts: give liberally: open your hearts. The knowledge of the Lord must go abroad, to complete the work, that all may be believers. Great have been the mercies of the Lord to us; for when we were afflicted with pain, He said, "Look unto me; and I will save you!" We were all very ill with the Influenza, and the Clover Complaint; 1 we prayed to God--He heard, and saved us. A short time ago we were afraid the sun would scorch us up with heat, and we should have but little food: the Lord had mercy upon us, and sent rain, and caused the grass to grow upon the mountains and in the valleys. It had not rained long, before we were afraid the rain would injure our crops: the Lord had mercy on us again; and the sun now shines, and we have our desire. We must pray for a blessing on our offering. When we used to make a large kite, 2 we were very particular in having the wings of the same length, and strong enough to bear the current of air: for if they were not, perchance, while the line was being given out, and we were exulting in our hearts at its steady ascent, and watching for it to be lost in the clouds, it would come in contact with a current of air and get a broken wing, and fall precipitately to the earth, and thus be smashed to pieces. So will it be with us, if we are not united. This is all that I have to say of the Resolution which I hold in my hand.

That we feel we cannot better show our gratitude to God, and our estimation of the Blessings which the Gospel has conferred on us, than by yielding a ready obedience to the command given by our Great Redeemer, Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel. We do, therefore, this day form ourselves into a Missionary society, to be called "The Kaitaia Branch of the Church Missionary Society."

The Resolution which I hold in my hand declares that we have come here this day to shew our gratitude for the good which we have received, and to assist in sending the Gospel to the whole world. My Friends, it would not be right to stop up the water-courses: the water must needs flow into the sea, whence it came. It is the sea which feeds the fogs and clouds; and these, being assisted by the hills and mountains, cause the springs to flow in numberless rivulets; and they, collecting together, form the large river through this place, and return to the sea, their parent. The Lord, in like manner, has caused His abundant goodness to be showered down upon us, in giving us the waters of His grace to refresh us; and we should endeavour to be like the hills and mountains, which do not retain the water for themselves only, but return them to fertilize the valleys and plains: so should we endeavour to send the blessings which we are enjoying ourselves to those dark places of the earth which have not yet heard the Name of Jesus. There are several hundred millions of Heathen who are now in darkness. What shall we do? We must give the light to them. You are not poor men, you are gentlemen: God has given you every blessing. God has given you talents --to some, one; to others, ten--and He will require an account of them. Christ and his Apostles were enabled to go from place to place, preaching the Word, from the assistance which they received from those who ministered unto them. Christ said, The labourer is worthy of his hire. We are advocating no new thing: we want to send Testaments to those who sit in darkness. Now, Testaments do not grow on trees, neither can Missionaries swim across the deep: Captains will not take them across in their ships without payment, and Testaments cannot be printed without expense. It is through the offerings of the Church that you see us here this day, and yourselves in possession of Testaments. The Jews of old contributed gold and silver for the erection of the Temple. God has promised His Son. I will give thee the Heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession.

My Friends, do we indeed understand these things? Perhaps some do; and others do not. In former times, we were all the children of the devil: we were without shelter, like people in the rain; but God moved the hearts of His People in England. Yes, that God, who made the heavens, and earth, and sea, and all things therein, caused persons to give of their earthly goods, to send us, who were in great darkness, the light of the Gospel. We were like persons in the rain. Messrs. Puckey and Matthews found us in sin and misery--no God, no blessing, no comfort--all darkness and despair. But we have received the Gospel, and are now assembled to shew our gratitude to God, by making a Collection, that we may have a part in sending forth Missionaries to some people who have not heard those glad tidings of the Gospel which we have. We have this day come together to make return for the many benefits which we have received; and to send out Missionaries to those parts which have not, as yet, heard the glad tidings of the Gospel. How shall they hear without a preacher? and how shall they preach except they be sent?--This is all that I have to say of this paper which I hold in my hand.

That an Annual Meeting be held in Kaitaia on the Second Thursday in February.

My Friends--It is the desire of all Believers that the number of God's people should increase. Therefore, let us all assemble every year, to give a portion of those things which God has given us, that the Gospel may be sent to those who have not yet heard the blessed things spoken of in that Gospel.

My Friends--Although we have come together to hear, and although we agree to these things, perhaps some persons will deride us: yet those who believe in God will rejoice when they hear of this day's Collection. Though some may deride, others will rejoice: let us also rejoice. Those who have the truth in their hearts will realize the benefit: those who do not join in the battle are sorry afterward, when the victory is gained: therefore I exhort you all to be of one mind; and join together, and be one in heart!

My Friends--You have now had the object of our Meeting fully explained, and the best way of shewing your gratitude to God pointed out. You have received the Gospel: you have professed to be thankful for it: let, then, those whose hearts are large toward God give largely, and those whose hearts are small give accordingly; but what you give, give freely, for God loves the cheerful giver. When David wished to build a Temple to the Lord, he, his princes, and people, brought forth their offerings of gold and silver and precious stones with a willing heart. But remember, my friends, great as was their object, ours is still higher: it is to render the whole earth God's Temple. Our happiness is concerned in God's glorious Kingdom being established: when He reigns, we shall reign also; His glory, honour, and happiness, will be shared by us. Jesus Christ bade his disciples to go and preach the Gospel in all lands: if they had sat still in Jerusalem, the Gospel would not have spread abroad; but they obeyed His word, and went into every kingdom; and you have received it, even in this distant part of the world. Shall it go no further, when there are millions of our fellow-creatures who still remain ignorant of it? The Missionary Society is straitened for want of funds: great as its works are, they must be greater, to evangelize the world. Remember, you may now be the means of sending a Missionary to a new Station, and thus contribute to dispel the darkness of the world. Come forward then, my friends, and present your offerings to the Lord!

I rejoice to behold the first-fruits of our labours among you: and fervently do I pray that a blessing may attend this your offering. As David blessed God for having put it into the hearts of his princes and people to contribute willingly to the erection of the Temple at Jerusalem, so do I bless the Lord for having put it into your hearts to come forward as you have just now done: and most earnestly do I hope that this day's proceedings may be instrumental in founding a New Mission in one of the still dark spots of the world. Your contributions shall be immediately forwarded to Port Jackson; from whence the amount will be transmitted to the Parent Society in England.