Ka Leo o ka Lahui, Volume II, Number 219, 19 Iune 1891 — AN UNPLEASANT TRUTH. [ARTICLE]

AN UNPLEASANT TRUTH.

At a leoture given at the Y. M. C. A. Hall, by the Rev. Haminon, oii Africa, the lectum» after giving hia hearers thc benefit hi® ex« ptsrience aod travel, aud iUoatrat-

- ■•>r 1 ■ ■ them with ;i coJlcction of mineral f b:rds aml insects. he related some of the rfefigSsC& kleas prevailing among churchmen in th6 t!ape Colony Settlem/nt. He said, he was onee eautioned by a preacher for shaking hands with a colored mam" On cnquiring the reason, the doctor was told that it was degrading. This feeling, of course, showed the true state with Qiost of our professi ng christia n preachers, whieh is rroticed here in Hawaii. The only difference that we saw with wbat the doctor related , was, that therethey were outspoken and honest in what they felt, while here they dissembled a little. We regret to say these are some missionaries living in Hawaii nei, wbo differ the Divine Example.ni l bis being no respeeter of persons. | If it were not for appearances sake j they probab!y would prefer to hold! intecourse with a kanaka brethen i at the end of a pitchfork. Thf*| lecturer also stated that nearly allj the deacons of the churches there were wholesale liquor and beer dealers. This lie went on to' say l may be suprising to his hearers as I it was to him when he heard of it, j but it was explained to hiui, that j owing to the wealth of this class it | was necessary to admit them asl such. : - !

The church needed their help. When the honest lecturer had said these things, he liUle thought how many felt the rebuke, and how few perhaps was pleased to hear these facts openly stated. The lecturer little knew that men, preacher, have been told in this comniunity not to preach bible truth but to teach what the congrpgat:on thought was proper. i. e., that they preferred the "doctrines of men" to the t\vo-edged words of insmred truths. Here we have m our churcnes for deacons — fat sugar planters, g.ugar. coated agents and melado veneered lawyere, merchant and tradesmen, and oeeas:.onallv a puhliean and sinner. As the learne<l lecturer said, it all depended on the wealth and influenee it brought into the church. What a contrast iudeed between the preaehers of the gospel and $he oflieers of Christ Church's of to-day, and those poor uneducated fisherinen who the Baviour cal!ed. There is quite a difference bet\veen the preaching and example of those who preach for a salary to-day and those who were called to preach salvation with out pnee. We are afraid that the gentlen)an's honest and unafleoted preaching will relegate him, like others of the so:ne stamp before him, to tne more modest field of missionary enterpriße in Fowler's yard.