Fifty Years of Primitive Methodism in New Zealand Page 1 Fifty Years of Primitive Methodism in New Zealand FIFTY YEARS Of Primitive Methodism in New Zealand. CONTENTS. PREFACE PART I.—INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER I.—NEW ZEALAND. 1. DISCOVERY 2. PIONEERS 3. THE MAORIS 4. MISSION WORK 5. SETTLEMENT CHAPTER II.—PRIMITIVE METHODISM. 1. ORIGIN 2. GROWTH AND DIFFICULTIES 3. CHURCH POLITY AND DOCTRINES PART II.—PRIMITIVE METHODISM IN NEW ZEALAND. CHAPTER I.—TARANAKI 1. NEW PLYMOUTH STATION 2. STRATFORD MISSION CHAPTER II.—WELLINGTON 1. WELLINGTON STATION 2. MANAWATU STATION 3. FOXTON STATION 4. HALCOMBE STATION 5. HUNTERVILLE MISSION CHAPTER III—AUCKLAND 1. AUCKLAND STATION 2. AUCKLAND II. STATION 3. THAMES STATION CHAPTER IV.—CANTERBURY 1. CHRISTCHURCH STATION Page 2 Fifty Years of Primitive Methodism in New Zealand 2. TIMARU STATION 3. ASHBURTON STATION 4. GREENDALE STATION 5. GERALDINE STATION 6. WAIMATE AND OAMARU MISSION CHAPTER V.—OTAGO 1. DUNEDIN STATION 2. INVERCARGILL STATION 3. SOUTH INVERCARGILL MISSION 4. BLUFF BRANCH CHAPTER VI—NELSON 1. WESTPORT AND DENNISTON MISSION CHAPTER VII.—GENERAL EPITOME. 1. CONSTITUTIONAL HISTORY 2. SUMMARY ILLUSTRATIONS. REV. ROBERT WARD MAORIDOM GROUP OF MINISTERS AND LAYMEN DEVON STREET, NEW PLYMOUTH MOUNT EGMONT WELLINGTON GROUP OF MINISTERS QUEEN STREET, AUCKLAND FRANKLIN ROAD CHURCH, AUCKLAND CHRISTCHURCH CAMBRIDGE TERRACE CHURCH, CHRISTCHURCH GROUP OF LAYMEN DUNEDIN DON STREET CHURCH, INVERCARGILL Page 3 Fifty Years of Primitive Methodism in New Zealand PREFACE This book owes its existence to a desire to perpetuate the memory of those pioneer ministers and laymen who founded the Primitive Methodist Connexion in different parts of this Colony. The Conference of 1893 showed its approval of the desire by authorising the publication of a Memorial Volume in connection with our Jubilee Celebrations. In compiling the work the lives of those pioneers were found to be so interwoven with the growth of the Church that the book naturally grew into a history. The Editors have spared no reasonable pains to secure reliable information; but, owing to the limited time at their disposal, and the fact that for so many years no Connexional periodical was published, omissions may have occurred. These can easily be remedied, however, in a second edition. While the book has been going through the press a new Electoral Act has been passed by the Colonial Legislature, which has conferred the franchise upon the women of New Zealand. This Act received the Governor's signature on September 19th. The Editors desire to acknowledge the kindness of the Circuit ministers and many friends in this Colony, also the courtesy of Miss Ward, of Sydney, and the Revs. Joshua Smith and C. Waters, of Australia, for valuable information supplied. Reference has been made for information to the following works: The Connexional Histories, by Petty and Kendall; Rev. J. Buller's "Forty Years in New Zealand;" Rev. R. Ward's "Life Among the Maoris;" Mr. B. Wells' "History of Taranaki;" Moss's "History of New Zealand;" the "New Zealand Official Handbook, 1892;" Willis's "New Zealand Illustrated," etc. The work has been somewhat hurriedly prepared, amidst the constant and varied "claims of busy city pastorates, with a view to place it in the reader's hands at the commencement of the Jubilee Year. The Editors send it forth in the hope that it may stimulate personal piety and Christian enterprise, and still further extend the interests of our Church in this Britain of the South. The profits arising from the sale of the book will be devoted to the Church Loan and Extension Fund. In condensing the table on page 25 from the Government statistics, 1,416 Catholics undefined, 56 Greek Church, and 150 Catholic Apostolic have been included under the general term "Catholics." JAMES GUY. WILLIAM S. POTTER. AUCKLAND, November, 1893. Page 4 Fifty Years of Primitive Methodism in New Zealand OUR PIONEER MISSIONARY (Rev. ROBERT WARD) Page 5 Fifty Years of Primitive Methodism in New Zealand PART I - INTRODUCTION. CHAPTER I — NEW ZEALAND. I. DISCOVERY. A century and a-half ago New Zealand was practically unknown to the civilised world. Before that time hardy voyagers had sailed into the great Pacific, and reported that in its southern latitudes there was a strange land, with lofty mountains and rugged coast line, inhabited by a fierce and stalwart race. Of these early voyagers little is known. They were in all probability either Spaniards or Portuguese: the two great naval powers of the period. Their acquaintance with the islands appears to have been very slight. One William Bleau, a Dutchman, who died in 1638, published an atlas, in which he showed an indistinct coastline, with the name against it, "Zealandia Nova"— a significant hint of the limited knowledge which those early navigators had of these fair isles. The first visit of which we have an authentic record is that of a Dutchman, named Tasman, who, under a commission from Van Diemen, the Governor of the Dutch East India Company, sailed on a voyage of discovery, from Batavia, in 1642. Tasman had command of two small vessels, the "Heemskirk" and the "Zeehaen". He appears to have made the coast of New Zealand at Cape Foulwind, on the west coast of Nelson. Coasting to the northward, he entered Tai Tapu, in Cook Strait, and dropped anchor at sunset on the 18th of December of that year. In the dusk of the evening two Maori canoes came towards the ships. Tasman's journal says, that the natives " called to us in a loud, strong, rough voice; what they said we did not understand; however, we called to them again in place of an answer. They repeated their cries several times, but did not come near us; " and the careful sailor goes on to say: '•' Guns were ready prepared, and small arms for an emergency, and strict watch kept." The weapons were not wanted that night. On the following day seven canoes, well filled with natives, pushed off from the shore and surrounded the "Heemskirk" Tasman, apprehensive of danger, sent a boat from his own ship to warn the captain of the "Heemskirk". As the boat was passing between the vessels the Maoris suddenly paddled towards her, killing several of the crew and wounding another. They dragged the dead body of one of the sailors into their canoe, and carried it in triumph to the shore. Tasman wanted provisions, but, fearing attack, weighed anchor and put out to sea, whereupon a crowd of canoes pushed off from the shore, with war songs and shouts of defiance. The ships turned upon them, and fired a volley from their guns. A number of the Maoris were killed, and the rest fled terror-stricken to the shore. The scene of this bloodshed was called by Tasman Massacre Bay. Leaving the Middle Island, Tasman sailed northwards, sighting Mount Egmont, and a cape, which he called Maria Van Diemen, after the daughter of the Governor of Batavia. He also sighted some islands, which he named the "Three Kings." To the largest of these a boat was sent for provisions; but the sight of "thirty-five natives, of large size, taking prodigious long strides, with clubs in their hands," recalled their previous experience, and the boat's crew returned to their ship Page 6 Fifty Years of Primitive Methodism in New Zealand without landing. Tasman left the new land with an unfavourable impression of its inhabitants; and, with his depar-ture from its hostile shores, New Zealand, for a century and a-half, was lost sight of. There are accounts of other voyagers after Tasman, some of which are doubtful. To Captain Cook belongs the honour of having brought New Zealand fully under the notice of the civilised world. His first visit was paid in the ship "Endeavour", which he anchored in what we now call Poverty Bay, on the 8th of October, 1769. Cook landed at the Turanganui River, close to the present town of Gisborne. The natives rejected all attempts at peaceful intercourse, and in a melee which occurred one of them was shot. Wishing to avoid further hostilities, Cook sailed away, calling the place Poverty Bay, on account of the churlishness of the natives. Nothing daunted, he communicated with the shore at a place further north. There he found the natives friendly, and was able to obtain abundant supplies. This fact he duly notified to the world, by calling the place the Bay of Plenty. He has also left other traces of his visit, whilst his name has been given to the waterway between the North and the Middle Islands. Mercury Bay was so called because he landed there for the purpose of observing the transit of Mercury. Queen Charlotte's Sound he named after the consort of King George III. On the 30th of January, 1770, Cook erected a flagstaff on a hill overlooking the sound, and, after hoisting the Union Jack, took formal possession of the country in the name of the King of England. Between 1769 and 1777 Cook paid five visits to New Zealand, and thoroughly surveyed its coasts, and opened up friendly communications with the natives. He fully appreciated the value of the islands as a future colony of Great Britain, and published complete accounts of his discoveries, which awakened a great interest in the new country amongst men of science and merchants in England. Schemes of colonisation were formed, but they came to nothin"-. In 1788 the islands were spoken of in the British Parliament as suitable for a penal settlement; but the idea was given up because of the savage character of the natives. Cook's intercourse with the Maoris was usually of a friendly character; although, on the occasion of his second voyage, nine men belonging to the "Adventure" were killed and eaten by the natives of Cook Strait.