96 A LIBERAL CONTRIBUTOR. especially as he seemed to think his relatives might become violent on account of the step he had taken. I wrote to the superintendent of police, asking him to render me aid in case of need. He immediately gave orders to the constables of the neighbouring stations to be ready if called for; but happily not the slightest attempt was made by any one even to annoy him. His mother came and mourned over him as one dead to her, and his sister came and took away her son, a boy of about fourteen years of age, who was with him, to prevent his becoming a Christian; but no one else has been near, or taken the least notice of him. He was baptized, with his two youngest children, last Wednesday, at the time of the catechists' meeting. Mr. and Mrs. Honiss were present as witnesses for himself and sponsors for his children, the others being Mrs. Clarke and the catechist of Ambasamuttheram, who had exerted himself so much to bring the event about. I preached from Isaiah iv. 3, on the free covenant of grace. Their baptismal names are the same as they had before, viz. Kathar Khan, Masthan Ibraham Khan, Patte Katthu. He is thirty-one years of age. As he cannot for some time return to Kodarankulam, or rather Arianpattarkulam, the name of that part in which his house is situated, and as it is desirable that he should remain here for the education of his wife and children, I have arranged for him to live in the house usually occupied by the native clergymen when they come to Nallur, and have made it comfortable for him. He comes to me every day to read the Scriptures, and at home occupies himself in a similar way. His wife also is learning to read. A LIBERAL CONTRIBUTOR. WE read of the Churches of Macedonia, that, "out of a great trial of affliction, the abundance of their joy, and their deep poverty, abounded unto the riches of their liberality." Christians of this stamp, Macedonian Christians we may call them, are not wanting; but they are not always known, because what they do, they like to do in secret to the Lord, so that their left hand may not know what their right hand doeth. But here is one of them. Under the head of St. John's, Blackburn, appears, in the "Church Missionary Report" for 1864-65, the acknowledgment of a sum, not large in itself, but very large when we consider the source from whence it came. The sum is 12s. 8d. Legacy left by the late John Wallbank, a poor but good, and an interesting old man, who, though blind and upwards of eighty years of age, was one of the most regular and early attendants at St. John's, to which, at the Lord's Table and Sunday school, he was constantly led, until the last week of his life. His minister stated, in his funeral sermon, that all he had to live upon was only from 3s. to 48. a week, and yet out of that he put into the collecting box, 1d. morning and evening for the Church Missionary Society, Pastoral-Aid and Jews' Society, and subscribed to each Society 68. annually! And now we have this further memento of departing worth. Mark xii. 44. 2 Cor. viii. 2 SIERRA LEONE. IN our engraving we place before our readers one of the Sierra Leone stations, now transferred by the Society to the care of the native church -York. It reminds us of the history of this colony, and of the marvellous changes which have been accomplished there in half a century. There our Missionaries had given them, as the materials they were to work upon, the very refuse of humanity-poor slaves, freed from the hold of the slave ships, but bearing upon them the marks of the cruel treatment to which they had been subjected, and in every way degraded, bodily and mentally. And they had also given them, as the means they were to use as the instrument of recovery and improvement, the Gospel. And they were not unbelieving, nor did they deem it incapable of producing the results which God intended: they used it prayerfully and diligently: they taught and preached Jesus Christ. They persevered in this work amidst great discouragement from the work itself, and great sufferings from the unhealthy influence of the climate on the European constitution. Many Missionaries and wives of Missionaries died there. Sierra Leone came to be called the white man's grave. But though many fell, others came forward to supply their place, and the work was carried on. And the blessing came, and came rapidly. Sierra Leone is now a Christian land. It has its parishes and village churches. There, on the Lord's-day, as the bells toll for divine service, the people gather as they do at home. They come as a Christian and intelligent people, neatly dressed, with their Bibles and Prayer-books, to join in the worship and praises of that God, who "so loved the world as to give his only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish, but have eternal life." They have faithful pastors, raised up from amongst themselves; ordained Africans, men of piety and intelligence, sound in doctrine, holy in life, and earnest in their work. Very interesting is it to be present at one of the Lord's-day services, and see and hear a large congregation, joining in the responses, and attentively listening to the word preached. These people appreciate their Christian privileges. They give very decided evidence that they do so. They very willingly pay to maintain them. Where Christian ordinances cost people nothing, it is not so easy to distinguish between those who really value them, and those who take and use them because they come in their way. But when, in order to their continuance, it is necessary that people should contribute, and that liberally, then it is not unusual for some to complain, as though they thought that, if they must needs pay for them, it would be better to be without them. The Sierra-Leone Christians do not think so. They support their own village schools; they repair and help to build their own churches; they meet the expenses that relate to the proprieties of divine service. They maintain nine of their own pastors. After a time, as they feel their way, they will maintain them all. They are of the same mind with David, when he said "Neither will I offer burnt-offerings unto the Lord my God of that which doth cost me nothing." We are persuaded that ordinances thus dealt with yield the more of spiritual good to those who thus heartily identify themselves with them, and that, in this respect, the Scripture declaration is fulfilled—“ With what measure men mete, it is measured to them again "-" and the Lord blessed Obed-Edom, and all his household." DEATH OF THE REV. C. S. VOLKNER. 99 This is a great work which has been accomplished on the west coast of Africa. It is in itself an answer to those who would persuade us that the negro is an inferior race to the European. The knowledge of God is the highest point to which the intellect of man can aspire. When, in the belief of the revelation of God, men come to this knowledge, the knowledge of God as revealed in Christ, and are sanctified thereby, they have risen to the highest dignity of which they are capable on earth. Has the African been found unsusceptible of this knowledge? But there are many Europeans, men of the boasted superior race, who despise and reject it. With whom, then, is the inferiority?" DEATH OF THE REV. C. S. VOLKNER. THE readers of the "Gleaner" will learn with deep regret that one of our Missionaries, the Rev. C. S. Volkner, has been murdered by the natives of New Zealand, under circumstances of extreme barbarity. Some months ago there arose amongst the natives of the western coast a kind of fanaticism, which appears to be a singular mixture of Romanism and heathenism revived. These people call themselves the "Pai Marire," and consider themselves under the special protection of the angel Gabriel and the Virgin Mary. They have resorted to the old heathen custom of preserving human heads-the heads of Europeans whom they have cruelly murdered or slain in battle. These they carry about with them, and, by the use ventriloquism, deceive the people. Professing to be supernaturally assisted, they invite the people to join their standard, that they may drive the white man into the sea, and recover the lands of which they have been deprived; and such is the wide-spread dislike which exists in New Zealand to the English rule, that numbers of the natives have cast off their profession of Christianity, and joined the Pai Marire. Opotiki is a place upon the north shore of the eastern projection of the island. The people there have had very few advantages, having been left for years without a Missionary. Their knowledge of Christianity has been very superficial, and their condition any thing but satisfactory. Mr. Volkner did not come amongst them until after the war had commenced in the Taranaki district, and the whole island had become, in consequence, more or less disturbed. He then exerted himself to the uttermost to restrain them, and prevent them from taking part in the war, but in vain. In attempting to join the insurgents in the interior, they were met on the way by a tribe, friendly to the British Government, defeated, and driven back. This greatly exasperated them. Mr. Volkner, finding that the aspect of affairs looked very threatening, thought it better to remove his family to Auckland, 100 DEATH OF THE REV. C. S. VOLKNER. and, having placed them there in safety, returned to his station, accompanied by another Missionary, the Rev. T. S. Grace, of Taupo. Meanwhile the Pai Marire, under the leading of a chief of bad character named Patara, and a pretended prophet named Kereopa, reached Opotiki. They were received by the people there with great joy. The two churches, the Protestant and Romanist, were used as places of assemblage, and there Mr. Volkner's people, renouncing their Christianity, were initiated into the new faith. A sort of mesmerism seems to have been used, many of them lying on the ground in a state of stupidity, and for days taking neither meat nor drink. Satan now seemed to have entered into them, and they were rife for any mischief. Just at this moment the little bark in which Mr. Volkner and Mr. Grace were passengers, entered the harbour, and was forthwith taken possession of. All the Europeans were then ordered on shore, where they remained for about two hours in the open air, the women gathering round them, and making the most horrid faces and gestures at them. They were then locked up in a house, where they continued all night. The next morning was given to prayer and reading of God's word. Every effort which had been made to induce the natives to liberate them had failed. About ten o'clock the two Missionaries read together the 14th Psalm, and, shortly after, Mr. Volkner was separated from his companion, who saw him no more. They led him out to a spot close to the church where he had so often instructed them, and placed him under a willow tree. They then took from him his coat and waistcoat. He asked for his Prayer-book, which they brought to him, taking it from his coat pocket. He knelt down and prayed. Then, shaking hands with his murderers, he said, "I am ready," when they immediately hoisted him up. After a quarter of an hour they took him down, and cut off his head. The fanatics rushed forward to drink his blood, and, amongst these, some of his own people, who had stood by during all this horrid scene, and made no effort to save him. So died our Missionary Volkner. Mr. Grace remained with them some time, when at length, in the good providence of God, he effected his escape in the following way March 16-I was dressing. Tiwai came to the door, and said, "There is a vessel outside." After dressing, I walked out of the enclosure, and distinctly saw her three masts. At about half-past seven, just as we were commencing breakfast, Captain Levy went on to the top of the house. On coming back, he said, "She has come-to." He left the breakfast, and went out. I heard him say, "Give me a paddle." Immediately I got up, and went to the bank of the river. Saw him and his brother getting into a canoe close below me. I said, "Take me with you." I protested |