Te Kopara 8
[1] Te Kopara, Number 8, Gisborne, May 1914.
‘Iti te Kopara, kai takirikiri ana i runga i te Kahikatea.’
Although the Bellbird is small, he plucks at the Kahikatea. [cf Nga Pepeha 908]
ALLOWING THE BIBLE TO BE TAUGHT IN GOVERNMENT SCHOOLS.
One of the major things being promoted in these days is the teaching of the Bible in Government schools. The people running this campaign have sent a petition to the Prime Minister and his Government asking for the issue to be put before the people at large for them to vote on just as they vote on the alcohol issue.
The Government has not yet made known its thoughts on the matter and so the people who presented the petition are waiting for their decision. Since there is to be an election of Members of Parliament this summer the thought comes to mind that perhaps the Government will agree with that petition and will use the issue as a means of gaining votes; if they do not agree with the petition then the Opposition may add it to their platform on which to fight the Government. It is a matter for consideration by both Government and Opposition, and it is right that they decide about this issue because it is increasingly obvious that most New Zealanders favour this cause with only the Roman Catholics and a few from some other Churches standing out against it. On Saturday, 18th April, Canon Garland came to Gisborne. Canon Garland, a minister of this Church from Australia, has made himself familiar with every aspect of this matter and has seen the benefits of the teaching of the Bible in the Australian Government Schools and that it has not been observed that it caused conflicts between Churches. Canon Garland has taught the Bible in Government schools in New South Wales, and he has also taught it in the schools of Western Australia. He is someone who has been invited
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by a Committee here in New Zealand whose members come from all the main Churches in the country except for the Catholics. So the visit of Canon Garland is not just a visit to tell the people of New Zealand that ‘maybe good things will result from this proposal if you agree to it,’ and to share the hope nothing malign will result from the proposal as it affects the Churches; no! this visit is a visit by a man who has seen the good results of the scheme and knows that there is nothing in it which result in divisions between Churches, even though some Pakeha in New Zealand say that there will be trouble if it is agreed to. Canon Garland has been going around New Zealand for a year speaking about the issue and putting the benefits before the people of New Zealand and warding off the objections of the opponents.
It had been advertised that he would arrive here in Gisborne on Saturday, 18th April, his first visit here to speak on this subject. The pulpit of the main Gisborne church was handed over to him only. His text in the morning was taken from the Gospel of Mark 8.13-14. When little children were brought to Christ the disciples were indignant and rebuked those who brought them. The points that Mr Garland chose to explain were these.
First: The disciples of Christ rebuked those who brought the children
Second: Why the disciples rebuked them.
Third: Christ’s rebuke.
1. The disciples of Christ rebuked those who brought the children. Those who did this were the people who had been with Christ for a long time and who had been taught by him the principles of the faith. Similarly, today it is those in the same situation who are opposing the teaching of the Scripture in schools, that is, some Christians who have held the faith for a long time. It is not those who are the enemies of the faith who are objecting to this proposal.
2. There may perhaps have been good reasons why the disciples rebuked those who brought the children. (a) [They may have thought that] it was wasting their time. Many adults were waiting for their many illnesses to be healed and no end of people kept coming. The disciples told the people bringing the children to take them away and to bring them back later; and some of the children were very small and should come back when they were grown up. (b) There were thousands to be fed by Christ and who were weary and hungry because they had travelled from afar. [The disciples may have told them] to take away those youngsters
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because the people sitting there were hungry and now was not the time to bring children. There is no reason to trouble Christ. Wait until he has done miracles. (c) One can hear the voice of Bartholomew saying, ‘Take away those children. This is Christ’s free time, a time he sets apart for praying that his Father will empower the servants he has chosen and send his blessing upon them. Take away those children. They are a nuisance.’
3. Then Christ rebuked his disciples and said, ‘Let the little children come to me,’ etc. We can see from the above instances that the disciples had good but misguided reasons for stopping the little children from being brought to Christ. It was not that they disliked the children or those bringing them. But although, as they saw it, their reasons were good, Christ was angry with them. Most people today are like the disciples, setting out their reasons why the Bible should not be taught in Government schools. They think that their reasons are right but Christ will be to them as he was with his disciples, he will be angry. Amongst the closing words of Canon Garland he said, ‘My words will find a place only in the hearts of those who believe, those who can say that Christ is their Saviour and who have given their bodies and souls to him. Since we are a people who believe in him and who believe that he will come again afterwards to judge, what will each of us say when the account of our doings in the flesh is given to him and what will each of us say about our lack of support for this matter? Perhaps someone will say to him on that day, ‘Lord, I did not think it was right that the school teachers of New Zealand should have to cope with that subject in the schools, and therefore I did not support that proposal.’ Another may perhaps say in answer, ‘Lord, it is for the Government to put the Scriptures into the hands of the prisoners in the gaols. That is their job. But it is not their job to put that treasure into the hands of schoolchildren.’
What will be his response to us on that day? What he said to his disciples is what he will say to us. The Scripture says, ‘Christ is the same, yesterday and today and for ever.’ [Hebrews 13.8] This serves to show us that Christ does not change. Although it is 1900 years since his character was made known to us and his words were uttered, his character remains the same for us and his words apply to us; his character and his words remain the same right up to the day of judgement.
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He will rebuke us no matter how good our excuses or our thoughts are if we have laid one or many stumbling-blocks before our little children to prevent them from coming to him to be blessed by him. On the day of judgement this could be his word to us. ‘Truly I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it for one of these little ones here, you did not do it for me. Depart from me, I do not know you.’ [Matthew 25.45] Lest we are sent away on the day of judgement let us find an answer to Christ’s question about our thoughts on this matter. Now we must give an answer, the answer we will give on the last day when we stand before him. ‘Such was my response to this matter when I gathered my thoughts, and now I have no anxiety about standing in his presence.’
(One of Canon Garland’s sermons is being held over for the next edition of Te Kopara.)
A LETTER SENT TO US.
To the Editor of Te Kopara.
My friend, greetings. This is a matter for you to publish on the marae to which you fly. A hui was held at Parihaka, Taranaki, on 18th March. The purpose of this hui was:
1. The visit of Governor Liverpool to see the tribes of Taranaki.
2. The bringing together of the Tai-hauauru, that is, of Taranaki and Whanganui.
These were the tribes who came to Parihaka: Whanganui, Ngatiapa, Atiawa from Wellington, Ngatiruanui, Taranaki, Waikato, and Atiawa from New Plymouth. Those attending from the Government were Lord Liverpool and his wife, W Herries, Minister for Maori Affairs, Doctor Pomare and some others. There was an unusual thing that happened in connection with this hui. On 11th March the Whanganui people arrived at Waitara. Because those people were arriving by train the local people did not know how many there were. On the day those people arrived no count had been made, [engari ki te tapa noa ake a te ngakau 270 - ? but the gut-feeling was 270]. The local people thought that wagonettes from Waitara and New Plymouth could be used to take those people to Parihaka, because no train was going there. However when those people arrived it was realized that they could not be transported by wagonette and buggy. Then they had the idea of using trains that travel overland to carry the people to Parihaka. Those trains had six trucks. At 10 in the morning they left Waitara. They slept at Puniho. They set out again in the morning. The amazing part of that journey was when the road branched off to Parihaka. There were the trains in front, with four flags fluttering above as they went; after the trains came the motor cars; following
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them were the trucks; and after them came the buggies and the wagonettes. It was a wonderful effort. It was estimated that the whole procession covered a mile of the road. It is also thought that there was never before such a journey and that there will never be another like the journey taken by Whanganui and Te Atiawa. It is thought that the number involved reached 500, more or less. It was thought that it would take five hours to feed this party but it took just one hour. On 18th at 10 in the morning the Governor and his party arrived in five cars. The cars belonged to Maori, four to Waata Hipango and one to Parete Teira. All the drivers were Maori. The drivers all wore Maori cloaks as did the Governor and his wife. The Governor’s retinue was spectacular. The purpose of the Governor’s visit to Parihaka was to give him the opportunity to bring the greetings and message given him by King George V on the day he came to be Governor of this country. This is what King George said, ‘Go to New Zealand, to my Maori People. Do not come back to me having failed as have other Governors before you who neglected to get to know my Maori People and who came back to me feeling guilty.’ So the time will come when the Governor will visit other marae of the Maori People bringing them the greetings of the King. When the Governor arrived on the marae, Waata Hipango welcomed him on behalf of the Maori and Doctor Pomare translated his words into English. When he finished the Governor stood. The main thing the Governor said was, ‘Yes, I will convey your words and your greetings to King George.’ Afterwards the Minister, Mr Herries stood and said, ‘I have heard that Te Whiti said that the corn will not grow if it is left hanging on the stage, but it must be planted in the earth and then it will grow. Likewise what I say to all of us today is similar to what Te Whiti said: Potatoes will not grow if they are left hanging on the stage but if they are planted they will grow and the potatoes will ripen. It is the same with the land. Do not leave it lying idle but work it so that it produces things that ripen. I have another thing to say to you. Let us dig a deep hole. Make it so deep that it reaches the underworld [te reinga]. Then let us scoop up all the bad things into this hole and bury them so that they cannot come back.’ So ended the Pakeha input to this hui. Let me now turn to elaborating on the Maori side, the Maori concerns that I mentioned above. One of the tasks of the hui was to unite the Tai-hauauru, Whanganui and Taranaki. This was discussed and the conclusion was that Whanganui and Taranaki should unite in (1) electing Doctor Pomare as Member of Parliament in this year’s election; and (2) dealing with the threats to their lands whether in Taranaki or Whanganui, looking to Parliament to help; and (3) that Whanganui should set up its own Union Committee like the Taranaki Committee which has brought the region from Waitotara to Pukearuhe under the mana of the Federated Farmers. These proposals were agreed. Such is my account of the proposals of the hui.
Hone Rawiri.
Waitara,
22nd April, 1914.
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THE MORMON RELIGION.
(By D H C Bartlett BA.)
The Birth of the Mormons.
In the middle of the last century (19th century), in the days when gold was discovered, many men went to California, and in the last days of that century many men went to Klondike. Likewise in the years at the beginning of that century, a time of ignorance, many people migrated between Mount Oregon and the Mississippi River. No Churches followed these many people to teach them but individuals made up their own religions and the result was a variety of very different religions. At that time, in this fashion, in this land the Mormon religion was born. But how was it born?
Solomon Spaulding.
Solomon Spaulding, an officiant in the Presbyterian Church and a man suffering from tuberculosis, according to Doctor [Peneha], decided to write a fictitious story – a mythical story – in order to make money. This man lived in Conneaut, Ohio.
The Book is Found.
There were in that area some mounds made by the ‘Redskin’ people. Many Pakeha excavated those mounds in order to find some buried treasures of the ancient people of America. Spalding had the idea of making up a story that he had found under one of these mounds a book. Then Spaulding wrote his work of fiction and named the story, ‘The Discovered Book’. At this time Spaulding moved to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He showed his book to his friends and sent it to Patterson and Lamdin, printers of Pittsburgh, to be printed. But Spaulding died in 1816 and his book was not completed.
Sydney Rigdon.
At this time there was a man living in Pittsburgh called Sydney Rigdon. He worked in the printing house of Patterson and Lamdin. He found Spaulding’s book lying in the cupboard. He thought he had found a treasure and set about re-writing it, inserting verses of Scripture to make that book like the Bible.
The Parents of Joseph Smith.
On 23rd December, 1805, Joseph Smith was born in Sharon, Windsor County, Vermont. His parents were ignorant people who drank heavily.
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His father sold [manaakitanga ?charms] and his mother was a deceitful person, a palmist (fortune teller). The following words will show just what the Smiths were like. These words were attested by some notable people of Palmyra on 3rd November, 1833. There were 62 of them. This is what they said.
‘We, whose signatures are appended, knew the Smiths well when they lived nearby to this town. They were known for their [mahi moemoea ? fantasies] and their deceitful practices. One of the things they did was to dig up money from the ground, alleging that there was money in the ground. Joseph Smith, the elder, and his son, Joseph, were very wicked people.’
‘We who names are appended know the family of Joseph Smith well. He produced the bible called the Golden Bible. We say that the Smiths are lazy, drunken, deceitful people, and we were very glad when they departed from amongst us.’ This was signed by eleven leading citizens of Manchester, New York, in 1833.
Joseph Smith.
It would have been a remarkable thing had Joseph Smith the son, the fourth child, not followed the ways of his father. He was a dreamer, a gold-digger, who said that he was able to point out the mounds where there was money. Here is the account given by Edmund B Warfield, DD, LLD, President of Michigan College. ‘In August, 1850, I visited the places in Palmyra and Manchester. I was introduced to three men who had been close friends of Joseph Smith. They spoke plainly and without compulsion – indeed they wanted to speak. They said, “Joseph Smith was a great liar. He was the most heartless man we have come across. His language was dreadful and what he did was disgusting.”’
Smith Meets Rigdon.
As a result of the stories of the [mahi moemoea ?fantasies] of Joseph Smith, Sydney Rigdon heard of Joseph Smith. Rigdon had a crafty idea. He would speak to Joseph Smith, the [moemoea ?fantasist] man, the man who dug money, saying that God had given him an ancient book, that is, that Solomon Spaulding’s book was a bible given by God to be bought by people
Joseph Smith’s Angel, The Gold Plates, and the Spectacles.
When Rigdon visited Joseph Smith that man agreed that it was so. On 18th January, 1827, Joseph Smith married a woman, as instructed by Rigdon, and in that same year,
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on 22nd September, Joseph Smith let it be known that in the middle of the night an angel had stood in his room and he had been carried by that angel to a hill four miles from Palmyra where there was a stone casket, and in the casket were gold plates on which there was writing, and the borders were of gold. Beside the gold tablets were gold spectacles – there were two stones – called by Joseph Smith the Urim and the Thummim. Joseph Smith was an ignorant man and did not know how to read, but when he put the gold spectacles before his eyes he could understand the writings in the gold book and he translated them. Joseph Smith and his gold tablets were concealed behind a screen while he dictated the stories to Martin Harris who copied them out. When Martin became weary Oliver Cowdery undertook the writing and the golden book was completed – the holy bible of the Mormon religion. This is Joseph Smith’s account of the giving of the Mormon bible.
(To be continued.)
A NOTICE.
This is to inform all the Maori clergy that a book has been printed in the Maori language called ‘Confirmation Instruction - a guide for Ministers giving instruction to those wanting the laying-on of hands by the Bishop.’ This book has been put together by one of our elders who is still alive, Bishop Williams. It is not a very large book but in it are fully set out the matters the Bishop thought should be laid down in the book. I have read the whole book and the way the Bishop has arranged his topics is excellent. At the beginning of the book, before each chapter are opening prayers and after each chapter are closing prayers for each session. The Bishop’s explanations (besides the reminders to the Minister and the words of registration) begin with the purposes of Baptism and end with the Holy Communion. Alongside are attached the verses of Scripture which support the statements. I cannot comment on the language: it is written in real Maori, a very beautiful language. Plenty of copies of this book have been printed. Therefore ministers wanting a copy sent to them should inform us. The cost of a single copy is one shilling to pay for the paper and the printing.
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A MORMON SCHOOL.
This story appeared in the Pakeha newspaper called The Dominion, printed in Wellington, on 29th April: On 28th the Schools Committee [Education Board] of the Wellington Province met. Much business was done. After the reading of the Inspector’s reports the Chairman remarked that one of the reports dealt with a school belonging to the Mormons which has seventeen pupils and is in a town close to Wellington [Porirua]. That report said, ‘the teachers have not been trained and did not understand their work.’ Therefore it was for the Board to say whether the school should be acknowledged or whether it should be ignored, and the children required to attend a State school in the district. From the Board’s point of view the school was doing no good work, and it was decided that the school should not be recognized, and that the children be required to attend a State school.
TE RAU COLLEGE.
There are many men at the College this year, more than last year. Last month the old students were arriving along with the new ones, but now that all have arrived we can confirm the numbers. Those attending are:
Wiremu Tureia Puha, Ngati Porou
Tamati Te Kanapu, Tuhoe
Henare Paraone, Ngapuhi
*Wiremu Taratana, Ngapuhi
Metera Aomarere, Ngati Raukawa
Arona Makerika, Ngati Raukawa
Hana Taua, Te Arawa
*Nepia Hotene, Te Arawa
*Ponui Tangotehuna, Ngaiterangi
*Henare Piahanga, Ngaiterangi
Waewae Ratapahi, Ngati Patuai
*Waata Kopae, Ngatiawa
*Karauria Karena, Ngati Kahungunu.
Poihipi Tokoroa, Ngati Maniapoto.
The names marked * are all new students. Te Arawa and its many chiefs have been diligent in filling the College; most of the new students are from there. There is one student from Ngati Kahungunu whom we are delighted to welcome because it is a long time since the fire of Ngati Kahungunu was extinguished here and now it is burning again. We are really thrilled at the arrival of this one student and his wife, both still young people, the remnant of this great tribe of Ngati Kahungunu. But both Ngati Porou and Ngati Kahungunu, these great tribes, have only sent one survivor to Te Rau. It is the case that Tuhoe also have only sent one student here but that tribe is awakening from sleep as a result of the works of our faith. But Tuhoe is on the ascendant since the news of its faith has resounded to all parts, and tomorrow they will put to shame those who are more advanced in the faith [hakani ai]. The people of the College are in very good spirits now despite the extraordinary cold.
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RULES OF THE PAPER.
1. Te Kopara is published monthly.
2. The subscription for the paper is five shillings (5/-) a year paid by postal note or stamps.
3. Anyone wishing to take Te Kopara should send the money with the covering letter.
4. Articles are welcome from all parts of the country, but the Editor reserves the right to decide on what to print. Write clearly.
5. Address all letters to:
Te Kopara,
Te Rau,
Gisborne.
A NOTICE
To those wanting a Prayer Book or Hymn Book. I now have plenty of books. The prices are:
Large, soft cover 2/6
Large, red cover 3/-
Large, hard cover 4/-
Large, superior cover 5/6
Small, soft cover 1/-
Small, red cover 1/6
Small, hard cover 2/6
Small, superior cover 3/6
Prayer Book with Hymns, soft cover 1/6
Prayer Book with Hymns, red cover 1/-
Prayer Book with Hymns, hard cover 3/-
Prayer Book with Hymns, superior cover 4/-
Hymns -/6
Words for the Prayerful Heart 3d
I will pay the postage to send the books to you
H W Williams,
Te Rau, Gisborne
People wanting a Bible or a New Testament should apply to the Bible Depository Sunday School Union, Auckland.
Bible, 2/6, 3/6, 4/6. Enclose a postage stamp for 1/-.
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