A Modern KnightBiography of John Coleridge Patteson, Anglican missionary in Melanesia. |
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apostolic Atkin Auckland Barbarians beach befit Bishop Selwyn black gentlemen boat boat's crew body canoes cast child Christ Christian Church confine ourselves consecration death died divine downright earth England English episcopate Eton evangelization father Fellow felt FOREIGN MISSIONARY SOCIETY friendship fruits gave godliness Gospel grave hand happy heart heathen heavenly heroic hope hour hundred inferior John Coleridge Patteson labor laid languages lay awake little vessel looked martyr Mela Melanesian Islands mercy ministry mission Missionary Bishop Modern Knight Mota naked savages native land never night Norfolk Island once ordained Pacific Paton piti prayer praying principle pupils race reef religion Sarawia says seems Sir John souls Southern Cross speak spirit Stephen stood stumble substratum Tarionara taught tell Thee thing thought trying uncouth visitation Watè words writing YALE FOREIGN MISSIONARY young youth Zealand
Popular passages
Page 34 - As he taught, he confirmed his word with his good life among us, as we all know; and also that he perfectly well helped anyone who might be unhappy about anything, and spoke comfort to him about it; and about his character and conduct, they are consistent with the law of God. He gave the evidence of it in his practice, for he did nothing carelessly, lest he should make anyone stumble and turn from the good way ; and again he did nothing to gain anything for himself alone, but he sought what he might...
Page 29 - ... of houses, in dress, &c., we must get them to adopt, but they are to be Melanesian, not English Christians. We are so far removed from them in matters not at all necessarily connected with Christianity, that unless we can denationalise ourselves and eliminate all that belongs to us as English, and not as Christians, we cannot be to them what a well-instructed fellow-countryman may be. He is nearer to them. They understand him. He brings, the teaching to them in a practical and intelligible form.
Page 14 - How I think of those islands ! How I see those bright coral and sandy beaches, strips of burning sunshine fringing the masses of forest rising into ridges of hills, covered with a dense mat of vegetation ! Hundreds of people are crowding upon them, naked, armed, with wild uncouth cries and gestures ; I cannot talk to them but by signs. But they are my children now ! May God enable me to do my duty to them...
Page 31 - And as we were going to that island where he died, but were still in the open sea, he schooled us continually upon Luke ii. iii. up to vi., but he left off with us with his death. And he preached to us continually at Prayers in the morning, every day, and every evening on the Acts of the Apostles, and he spoke as far as to the seventh chapter, and then we reached that island. And he had spoken admirably and very strongly indeed to us about the death of Stephen, and then he went up ashore on that...
Page 13 - I am less shy than I was, and with real gentlemen feel no difficulty in discussing points on which we differ. It is the vulgar, uneducated fellow that beats me. The Melanesians, laugh as you may at it, are naturally gentlemanly and courteous and well-bred. I never saw a ' gent ' in Melanesia, though not a few downright savages.
Page 23 - Again he says, when speaking of the men who were to be sent out to help him : " A man who takes the sentimental view of coral islands and cocoa-nuts is worse than useless ; a man possessed with the idea that he is making a sacrifice will never do ; and a man who thinks any kind of work
Page 35 - I had gone to bed with the Book of Praise by my side, and Mr. Keble's hymn in my mind ; and now the Mota versions, already familiar to us, of the Angels' Song and of the " Light to lighten the Gentiles," sung too by some of our heathen scholars, took up as it were the strain.
Page 33 - God allowed them to do it. It is very good, because God would have it so, because He only looks after us, and He understands about us, and now He wills to take away us two, and it is well.
Page 21 - I must not forget that I have some islands to visit in the next month or two where the people are very wild, so that I of all people have least reason to speculate about what I may hope to do a year hence.
Page 14 - Hard enough you worked, my dear father, to leave your children so well off. . . . My children now dwell in two hundred islands, and will need all that I can give them. God grant that the day may come when many of them may understand these things, and rise up to call your memory blessed...