Te Pipiwharauroa 89

Te Pipiwharauroa 89

No. 89

1905/08

(Maori Version at NZETC.)

[1] Te Pipiwharauroa, He Kupu Whakamarama, Number 89, Gisborne, August 1905.

HOLY GROUND

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

I wrote this letter to Te Towa-Whangaroa at the start of the [?whai kaitinga] of this country, 29th July, 1905.

On 18th July my ship anchored having sailed from Auckland to Kororareka, Bay of Islands. This is a small but very interesting town. This is the place where stood the flagpole cut down by Hone Heke. Hone Heke’s party and some of the warriors arrived and found the flag flying on top of the hill.

They hid in the undergrowth. The town was below them. There were Pakeha soldiers there and some were beside the flag. Ngapuhi charged on the place now occupied by the town. There was fighting. Because of the fierceness of the fighting the soldiers on the hill guarding the flag charged down and descended upon the soldiers and Ngapuhi who were fighting there. Then Hone Heke and his companions emerged from the undergrowth. Hone Heke cut down the flagpole. When the flagpole fell, Heke and the others charged to the bottom of the hill The Pakeha were cut down. The Pakeha were defeated there. There was no holding back. This was the first of Hone Heke’s battles against the Pakeha. When battle had been joined one of the officers approached Pumuka and struck at Pumuka with his sword. The blow was parried by Pumuka and instead the sword bit into the post of the fence. The mark, the indentation, of the sword blow is still in the fence post. The post was almost severed. The post is still standing when one passes by. It was not burned by the Pakeha. This skirmish took place in 1845. The bravest man in Hone Heke’s battle was Ruatara Taumoko. That warrior died last February. I saw him in March 1904. There was nothing wrong with him even though he was very old. He guided me to one of the battle sites where the Pakeha were defeated at Kahika. That elder is still active and is able to travel by horse. It is said that he was not afraid of bullets when his musket was sounding. No man could get past him but would be killed. He kept his percussion caps in his mouth so that his tongue could get hold of them and bring them out and his hands could stretch to get them and put them in place. He was very quick at firing. When he died he died naturally and was taken quickly. His house was full of casks of gunpowder and all kinds of Pakeha guns, from flintlocks right up to present day guns with seven explosions from one loading of the cartridges. There were other weapons besides pistols. He was a great warrior, a descendant also of the great chiefs of Ngapuhi.

I stopped at Paihia where my guide was Hirini Katene, son of Wiremu Katene MHR, Member of Parliament.

Paihia is a beautiful place facing the sea. It is warm so that every month of the year is suitable for planting various kinds of potatoes [taewa, riwai, parete, parareka]. When it nears the time for a potato to be harvested (it may be mature in August), once it has been raised the seedlings are spread out on the hill.

I loved that place even though I had only heard about it and never seen it. It is in my heart because it is where the elders were taught. Here the name of the Church was proclaimed. Indeed, I heard in Taranaki and also Te Waipounamu that the Church of England was the Paihia Church. [2] It  was not called there the Church of England and I made every effort to correct its name.

When I saw the wooden memorials to the dead who are buried beside the church, the descendants of the missionaries who brought the Gospel to this country, I felt love and sorrow in my heart. There towards the sea was the Spring, the place where Jesus Christ was first preached to this country.

On 24th December the first missionaries, Marsden and his friends, landed on this island and at dawn on 25th December, Christmas Day, Marsden preached on Luke 2.10-11. It was rendered into Maori, the elder Ruatara being the translator. We know about the Ruatara who visited England but that was not the Ruatara mentioned above. This Ruatara was born 8 years after the arrival of the faith. [Marsden’s Ruatara did indeed visit England. See Encyclopaedia of New Zealand. – Barry Olsen]

Te Kerikeri is within the Spring. I loved the villages right beside the sea, called by the Pakeha the Bay of Islands, part of the sea leading to the mainland. I was moved by this bay and the villages on its shores and likened it to the Holy Land. When I saw the villages the thought came to me.

I thought of the days of the elders and the time when the faith was established amongst Ngati Porou.

One man from Ngati Porou returned and Ngati Porou gathered. That elder stood and this was his sermon. ‘I returned from Te Kerikeri where I have seen Mr Williams the Brother [William Williams].' The people here were in agreement that Te Kerikeri was Heaven and that Mr Williams the Brother was God. This preacher had returned from Heaven and he had seen Mr Williams the Brother, God. After that Hirini Katene and I visited Te Waimate. This is one of the villages where the missionaries lived and some of the missionaries are buried here. The beloved companion, Rev Timoti Kiriwi, who is not forgotten, is buried here. The church here is the largest of all the churches north of Auckland. Rev Wiremu Karatene is the minister now and I stayed in his village. On 20th we went with Rev W Karatene [sic]to Orauta. On 21st we returned to be at Waitangi on 22nd. Hone Peti is the chief and elder of this hapu. On the Sunday there was a congregation of 95 in the Waimate Church and we were at the Ohaeawai Church for the 3 p.m. service. What is Ngapuhi doing about promoting its treasure, the faith? The hymns at Waitangi and Te Waimate were only murmured. On Monday 24th we visited Te Mangonui with Rev W Keretene. This village belongs to Ngawati te Heihei. There is only one family and that is his. Here we saw signs that people were truly committed to the work. The hymn singing was excellent. This village is close to the Spring, the place where the name of Jesus Christ was first proclaimed.

On 25th the two children of that elder, Teri te Heihei and his brother Pakai te Heihei and his cousin Pokai te Heihei, guided us. This elder is highly regarded amongst Ngapuhi for his chiefly blood, for his faith and for his goodness. We slept at Taakou and in the morning on 26th went to Matauri. There one of the chiefs of Ngapuhi came to meet us. He had gathered together the people of the villages in the one place to wait for us – the people of Te Ngaere and Wainui were at Mahinapua awaiting us. On 27th we went with our guides from that village. Hawira Peta the chief of Matauri also went with us to Mahinapua. The kindness from Ngapuhi to us and Rev Keretene was unrestrained, as was the welcome for the Treasure of their parents who had passed away. They strongly urged us to stay two or three nights in each place but we could not because it had been arranged that we would depart on 28th. The chiefs of Mahinapua here came to guide us to Te Towai, Whangaroa. The word Paul spoke surely applies to that man Wiremu Ihaia when he said that he is a minister of God among the chiefs. He came on foot to guide us along with Paora Tira who is one of the chiefs, and an elderly chief. Although it was a long way and across high hills, they came on foot to guide us. The chiefs made much of us. The health of worship amongst Ngapuhi comes from their chiefs holding on to the Treasure handed down by their parents. When we arrived at Te Touwai [sic] we met here one of the elderly chiefs of Ngapuhi, Hemi Tupe, who wasone of the elders when Hongi died, and he was chosen to take over the role of Hongi.He gave us a wonderful welcome and the two of us were not permitted to leave this village. This is where the minister of the parish, Herewini Paerata, lives. [3] The chiefs who had guided us returned from here. They parted aware of the mutual love we felt. Whangaroa, here, is the boundary between Ngapuhi and Te Rarawa On the Monday the two of us headed north and slept at Te Pupuke, the home of the descendants of Hongi. On the Tuesday we entered Te Rarawa to continue our work.

Whangaroa is a beautiful bay. A timber mill supports the town. Here there are some fine hills and at the top of one of them is a stone which looks as if it were placed there by a mountaineer. When one gets to the top there is indeed a stone there. Those hills are called by the Pakeha, Peter and Paul, the two Apostles. We are full of praise for the chiefs who guided us the length of the land. They showed us love on our travels and left us with love as they were taught by God. I shall not forget those Christian chiefs, but should I forget, God will not forget them.

Wiremu Ihaia is a young man but his speaking is that of an elder and when he says something it is not just words for he acts on it.

Editor, if you choose to print this it will give me pleasure since it will inform some people about the place where the faith, the Gospel, was established.

Nikora Tautau.

SOME WORDS TO MOTHERS

The Home and the Husband.

(By Mrs C Northcote, England.)

Now, let us also speak about the home and husbands. We are not only to think about the child. Although our husbands do not cry for us for attention they do need us and they are more grateful than our children. Some people say, ‘A home is not a home with out children.’ I think this is right. When a child is born the character of the home changes. There is happiness and pleasure, but things will go wrong if one devotes all one'nd the dirtiness of their house. This is a bad mistake because the messiness and dirtiness of the house is not good for the children. And what man now does not want everything to be fine and clean when he returns from his work exhausted? And if he does not desire that because he doesn’t pay attention to it, then it is a very bad thing when either wife or husband doesn’t care. It is a good practice if the child does not sleep when it is put down, not to delay but to nurse and rock the child or carry it until it sleeps. It is the same with children who are not unwell when they are treated in this fashion. There are some children who will not sleep and who bellow when their mothers put them to bed but if other people put them to bed they are not heard if they cry. When the husband arrives home from work then the little children should be sent to bed so that he may eat in peace and the wife may give her full attention to her husband. If women are always like this then the husband will want to stay at home in the evenings; but some men are driven out of their homes by the untidiness and the crying of the child and the pestering of its brothers because of their tiredness. It is right that the children should love and honour their father. We have been taught by Christ to pray to God, ‘Our Father in heaven,’ and under the Heavenly Father are the earthly parents, the father and mother, whose words and rules come after those of God. By teaching the child to obey the instructions of its parents you will teach it to keep the laws of God. Some children have not parents but will be nurtured by some loving people and their upbringing will be better than that of some children who have parents.

One of the best things to see in the whole world is the husband returning from his work in the evening and his wife standing waiting at the gate of the house or the marae with her baby in her arms and the children who are older at her feet – all waiting to welcome father. When he arrives he snatches up the little child who is calling out ‘Papa’, happy that he has returned home. Is not this a good thing? Very good! But we have not thoroughly investigated the failure of women to tidy their homes to welcome their husbands. But there is another thing for us to look at not like the first thing. When the father returns [4] the children are hiding and frightened, and the wife wants to hide them if possible. Look at the house. Is it a home the husband would want to return to? No, and perhaps both husband and wife are responsible for what is wrong. But what we are concerned about is the woman's part rather than the man's. The thing we need to consider is our responsibility for holding on to home and husband. Now, look at the state of the house where the wife stood on the marae with her children awaiting her husband. Her house is clean and tidy even though it is the house of a poor person. Believe my words, my friends, if the tablecloth is clean, if everything is laid out nicely, if the fire is lit in winter, even if it is only a small fire, and the food is cooking, then nothing can hinder the happiness of the husband on returning to his house and he will not want to go out. If the wife truly loves her husband she will get great joy out of doing things for her husband, and nothing will hinder the goodness and the love of the thoughtful husband towards his wife after their marriage. But the husband will not take much pleasure in his wife if the wife does not help her husband. Do not allow the children to become a cause of diminishing the wife’s consideration for her husband. If the child becomes sick, one will see the great love of the father in that he will not spare his body. When a man who is charged with looking after trains turns to looking after his child and then falls asleep when he arrives at work, a train is wrecked and many people die. At his trial he replies that he was awake all night looking after his sick child and he went to sleep. Little children have such great power that they can tell a bad person not to go to the pub or not to have bad people as his friends.

My friends, do not let our husbands, the fathers of our children, get exasperated with the state of the house or get fed up with the children, and if we perceive that a man’s desire to be at home is decreasing then we must do our utmost to win him back. You know the state of some houses where the man does not want to return in the evening, and we don’t wonder at it. It is not poverty or a large number of children – although these are burdens; the main reason is that the wife does not know how to manage. Is this not the reason? Have you

not seen two families who receive the same wages, they have the same number of children, they are the same in every way, but the home of one is good and the other is bad. The shilling of one is worth two of the other. Why is this? Because one knows how to use a shilling and the other does not. One thing that drives a husband away so that he does not want to come home is scolding, and I, as a woman, know that this is a fault of women. Many wives scold their husbands. What is the reason for scolding? One reason is that grumpy women wish to fight their husbands and the best weapon for them to use to defend themselves is their tongues. Once the tongue begins to wag it is difficult to stop. Do you not agree with what I say? It is surprising to a man, once an argument is over, that she is powerless to hold her tongue once she has begun to criticize the man and carries on arguing. Perhaps you have heard the story of the woman who was determined to have the last word. One day she and her husband were arguing about how clothes should be cut. The husband said with a knife, the wife said with scissors. They argued back and forth. Presently the husband got angry – they were on a boat – and he threw his wife into the water. But the husband still argued for the knife, the wife still argued for the scissors. When the wife was no longer able to speak because her mouth was full of water and she was drowning she thrust up her hand and made a sign like scissors, calling out, ‘With scissors! With scissors!’ This is an old story and it is probably not a true story, but if you are starting to argue or to scold, look at the scissors to remind you to hold your tongue. Both husband and wife make mistakes and both of them argue, but it is the wife who persists, and, if the husband does not turn to scolding his wife, the wife gets very angry. Keeping silent is something a woman should do when she is in the wrong.

Solomon is right to liken a contentious woman to the dripping of rain. ‘A continual dripping on a rainy day and a contentious wife are alike.’ [Proverbs 27.15] But it is right to argue if the contentious matter is true. But if what one is arguing for is wrong what is the point in arguing, because no good will result, only sorrow. [5] We know that when the sun shines after a storm it is gratifyingly glorious and everyone fells good. Our quarrels should be like that. Fight the good fight, and will not joy and happiness result. By amiability and by the wife’s good management of the home she and her husband will get on well. These things may be difficult when we are being taught them, but the Pakeha have a saying,

‘If at first you don’t succeed.

Don’t get tired of learning.’

Think about the important things and the small things we have to do and see them all as important. According to the saying:

Our small works done in love,

Our small words said in love,

These make our homes

Like Paradise, like Heaven above.

TE MANUHOU

Tipiwhenua

Wherever one goes each place has a story; there is no place without a story. My great desire is for all our Maori stories to be written down, [mo te whaiti rawa ake ki te po i mau ana nga korero], as stories for our descendant after us. It is from stories too that the wisdom of the people is known. So when I spoke about the terrible condition of the road at Waihau, the removal of the flat rocks, Mohi Turei related to me the story of the capsizing of the canoe of Manuhou and his friends. The canoe was at sea beyond Te Kohekohe, a place near Uawa, when disaster struck and it was overturned. When the canoe overturned some clung to it but Te Manuhou and another swam for land. When some saw that they had been left behind they called to Te Manuhou lest they be abandoned. Te Manuhou answered, ‘You must swim. You must swim. It is a [tuhangakino] sea.’ One of those clinging to the canoe urged him, ‘You must came back to me. You must return.’ Te Manuhou called out again, ‘Lad, our canoe has capsized. Our canoe has capsized,’ and kept on swimming. When they reached land Te Manuhou’s friend was angry that they had abandoned their companions and he slapped Te Manuhou. Whereupon he said to the one who had slapped him, ‘You shouldn’t slap me. You should slap the waves.’ Their home was at Waihau amongst the sands. Te Manuhou and his companion were at Te Kohekohe. His companion said, ‘Let’s pray that we may be carried off so that we arrive quickly at the pa.’ Te Manuhou answered quickly, ‘You ought to be praying rather that our friends in the sea should be carried and not us, who are safe.’ His companion left and Te Manuhou stood there. When his companion reached Waihau, Te Manuhou was still standing at Te Kohekohe. The companion was welcomed. When he arrived he was asked why Te Manuhou was still standing there, then the word came to him, ‘I waited to be carried in answer to your prayer but I waited in vain to be lifted up, and so I lifted up myself.’

COLLECTION

Rev E Tamahere has sent £2 1s 3d, the amount collected by Wi Pokiha of Whareponga for the memorial window for Mrs Williams.

From the Parish of Kawakawa £1 7 0

Pare Huna 2 6

Heni Houkamau 4 0

Mere Waihi 2 0

Rawinia Tawhitawhi 2 0

Ani Waitoa 1 0 0

Total amount from Te Kawakawa £2 17 6

NOTICE

We have copies of A Catechism for Children to Learn and The Sunday Prayers. Any clergyman wanting some should contact us and they will be sent free of charge.

[6] 

PREACHING PARTY FROM TE RAU COLLEGE

On Monday, 7th of this month, our party from the College made our way to Uawa. There were eight of us altogether and our leader made nine. We were all young people gathered from all parts of Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu – three from Ngapuhi, one from Ngati Kahungunu, one from Te Waipounamu, one from Te Arawa and two from Ngati Porou. In former times, my friends, the leaders of this community of Te Rau were all elders, now they are all young people who are not yet used to carrying weapons. It is a law for the cat to teach her kittens when they are small, and she starts to drill them so that they know how to carry weapons and kill food for themselves. It is the same with us. We train ourselves now so that when we come to the time when we leave home we will be familiar with carrying weapons.

At seven o’clock in the morning we set out from here and at nine o’clock in the evening we arrived at Uawa. Many of us suffered on the journey. Our thoughts went back to the trials of the Children of Israel in the desert. The first affliction was the coach leaving behind two of the bags of clothes. These bags were very heavy. Some people on horses pursued the coach; most went on bicycles. For the latter travelling was fun, but it was unpleasant for those on horseback as they set out in pursuit of the coach with those heavy bags. Who wouldn’t grumble? After travelling four or five miles one of the people caught up with the coach. When he loaded his bag onto the coach the driver threw it down and the two of them argued. The Maori had called out and said that the boss of the coach should load it but the driver took no notice. Then that Maori abandoned his luggage. When that driver saw that the young man’s actions were right he returned to fetch that bag. Perhaps he was afraid that his boss would be angry with him. This man was Wepiha Wainohu of Ngati Kahungunu. As for one of those bags, when the man whose bag it was arrived at a village it was put down by a gate. Beside that bag of clothes was a ditch. The man left that bag there while he went catch horses for two of them. While he was away a horse came up to the fence. When he got to that bag standing there he mistakenly thought that it was a bag of chaff. He took the bag in his teeth and lifted it inside the fence. The bag hung in space and then fell from the teeth of the horse. When the bag fell it landed in the ditch and all the clothes inside were soaked. The man, whose bag this was, was Wi Paraire. He hastened to chase the coach. He did this because his clothes were on it in another bag and not in the one that had got wet. The coach had gone seven or eight miles before the man who owned the wet bag caught it. Here these people stopped grumbling. Those who were following on horseback now were Wepiha Wainohu and Wi Paraire. There were also Pene Topi and Mutu from Ngapuhi. Those riding bicycles were our leader, Rev Chatterton, and Pine Tamahori from Ngati Porou, Wi Katene from Te Waipounamu, Hone Heke from Ngapuhi, and Matene from Te Arawa. When we had set out the bicycles began to slip and slide about. When we arrived on the beach they began to plunge into the gravel and sea water. A testing time began for those on bicycles. After travelling for thirteen miles we arrived at Pouawa. There we caught our breath and had dinner. We left one of the bicycles there and continued on horseback. The people there showed much kindness to us. We had not gone far before we struck a problem with one of our bicycles. [7] The chain of our leader’s bicycle snapped and the pedal of another broke off. Those on horseback took over and pulled the two of them along the sand with a rope. The bicycles glided along but it was not long before the man and his machine were lying in the gravel. Soon afterwards, while he was still being shaken by the bicycle, one of us sank into the mud. The bicycle was swallowed by the mud which came up to the waist of our leader. When the bicycle had been pulled out and was floating our leader was still sinking. After much effort he emerged into the light of day. We arrived at Pakarae. We left the bicycles there. Those who had been on them got off and walked. Those who were riding horses went on in silence although they were laughing inside. The roads were extremely muddy which is why our bicycles suffered. It is seventeen miles from Pakarae to Uawa. Those on horseback soon arrived but it was not long before those on foot arrived. They were in good shape. When we arrived Te Itanga-Hauiti began their welcome. After the evening meal we held our service. Wepiha Wainohu led the service. Ruakapanga was filled with the Hauiti people sitting and welcoming their visitors from Whakatohea. After the service Hauiti stood to formally welcome their visitors from afar, their new visitors. In the course of the speeches the local people dwelt on the features of the visitors. Following the greetings from the local people, Wi Paraire, Wepiha, and P Topi replied to Hauiti’s welcome. On the evening of Tuesday 8th the mission really began. Wepiha and Hone Heke were the preachers. The first subject was taken from Luke, Chapter 14, the parable of the invitation sent out by a man to others to attend his banquet; those invited did not come and different people were invited. He applied this parable now to Christ calling us to turn to him. If we do not we will stand outside in the place of sorrow, the place where there is gnashing of teeth. It was an invitation to people of those times and it is an invitation now to Hauiti. It is a call to all people that we should turn to him. After Wepiha’s address, Heke stood. His subject was taken from Matthew 18.3. ‘Unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.’ This address expanded on the things said in the first. Seventy people attended this service. On Wednesday night another service was held. Those leading the service on this night were Matene and Wi Katene. Matene’s subject was taken from Genesis 19.17, ‘Flee for your life.’ This was about the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The reason for the destruction of these cities was their sinfulness, particularly of fornication, the sin which afflicts the Maori People today. And so the command is for us, ‘Flee for your life.’ When Matene had finished what he had to say, Wi Katene stood. His text was from Judges 13.14 in which God warns Manoah and his wife not to touch strong drink. The reason for this warning was so that their child, Samson, would be strong when he was born and when he grew up. Manoah and his wife heeded this warning and we know how God endowed Samson. People, let us make our bellies tapu as regards this thing, alcohol, for the sake of our descendants, the generations to come.

Pene Topi and Pine Tamahori were the preachers on Thursday. The first took as his text the Revelation to John 3.17-18. Christ points out there what we are like, poor and naked, and he calls us to anoint our eyes with medicine, [8] this medicine of faith, that we may see and believe in the good things that he holds in his hands for us. The second speaker took his text from John 4, the account of Christ and the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well. We know, people, the story of the woman. The important thing in the story is this, her belief. It did not stop here but she went to preach to others that they should turn to the faith. Maori women, follow the example of this woman.

The speakers on Friday evening were Wi Paraire and Wepiha. Wi Paraire took as his text The Letter to the Hebrews 6.19. There our faith is likened to an anchor. Just as an anchor holds the boat steady lest it be driven onto rocks by the fierce sea winds, so our faith keeps our spirits steady to prevent them being driven onto the rocks of life by the fierce winds of the world, by the enticements of the world, the flesh and the devil, and to attach us to our heavenly Father.

Henare Wepiha used as the basis of his address Revelation 1.12-18. It is made clear there that there is no other Saviour in the end for us except Christ. He has the keys of life and death. People, he is our Saviour.

On Saturday night Te Mutu and Wi Paraire were the speakers. Te Mutu’s text was 1 Timothy 6.12. There Paul exhorts Timothy to fight the good fight of faith. People, fight the good fight of faith. At our baptism words were said on our behalf, and we were signed with the cross as a token that we would henceforth not be ashamed to fight against the world, the flesh and the devil. Wi Paraire spoke about the crossing of the Sea of Galilee. While they were crossing there arose a great wind, the sea was turbulent and the boat was in danger of sinking. Christ was asleep and one of his disciples came to wake him beseeching him, ‘Lord, save us. We are perishing.’ People, when we are oppressed by the troubles of the world, remember that Jesus is always at our side. It is for us to pray to him with faith.

On the Sunday morning Wi Katene led the service in the church. Wi Paraire and Wepiha Wainohu went to the village of Te Moana and Te Watarawi. On the Sunday evening Rev Chatterton spoke to the young people. His address focussed on the battle between God and Satan. He likened it to two football teams battling against each other. But it is clear that God’s side will win. People, this is the side we should belong to.

On Sunday night there were short talks by all the students of the College. That was the end of our work. After 12 o’clock Hauiti began their farewell to their visitors. When their farewell finished the College stood to reply. They were full of praise for Hauiti’s hospitality. We thought that these words were appropriate for Hauiti: ‘I was hungry and you fed me, naked and you clothed me.’ Best wishes, Hauiti. May God bless us and you.

From your servants.

ODD ITEMS

Soon, Lady Constance Knox, the daughter of Lord Ranfurly, the late Governor of New Zealand, is to marry Captain Gaskell, the Aide-de-camp of Lord Havelock, Governor of Tasmania.

The Pakeha of Gisborne are discussing the erection of a stone commemorating the arrival of Captain Cook in Gisborne. They are choosing a place to erect it.

[9] 

A BODY FOR GOD

To the Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

Please publish this article. I have seen your answer to my note in Te Pipi No. 86. My friend, you say that Paora Hopere is hopping about looking for texts that support him in the Old Testament. It seems that you are very afraid of the Old Testament. The reason for this is that it is very clear from what is said that food was cooked for God and his companions by Abraham and his elderly wife, and Jeremiah says that God has bowels. Moses spoke to God face to face, and God and Jacob embraced each other. However since our Editor does not believe in the stories of the Old Testament let me turn to what our Editor says he believes. Christ says in John 4.24, ‘God is spirit.’ Now, friend, this saying is not denied by Christ. If Jehovah has no body there would have been a different response to the statements of the woman of Samaria. In verse 23 he says, ‘but the time is coming, and now is, when true worshippers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth; God seeks such to worship him.’ By these particular words he asserted that God is spirit and those who worship must worship in spirit and in truth. You added your interpretation, that God has no body. But if you persist in saying that God has no body, I ask you this question which I would like you to answer: ‘Is Christ not God, and has he no body?’ Now you must know that the God the Mormons believe in is God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. God the Father has a human body, God the Son likewise, while God the Spirit has neither flesh nor bones. Such is their nature which we call Gods. Now, the spirit says Christ has a physical body (Luke 3.21-22). But your God is not like that spirit: he has no parts to be seen. Now, you say that human beings are like God in that they can think, they can be wise, and they can be holy, but your interpretation is idiosyncratic and your twisting of the Bible is like that of [W Peeti]. [W Peeti] says that we are spiritual beings like God and in this his interpretation differs from yours. Therefore I call upon the people to look carefully at the two of you seeking to draw us into believing in a God who has no body or parts. My friend I feel very sorry for you coming forty miles to preach. God has no ears with which to listen to your prayers and no eyes with which to look. I am very sad to observe that people who have been passed by the universities of New Zealand can be so mistaken. My friend, you should look carefully at the prayer of Cornelius which he made in the presence of God in Acts 10.4. Where was that prayer directed if God has no body – no nose, no eyes, no members? You say also that Mormons are very happy to make Jehovah into a man so that God is like them because of their desire to have many wives for their writings say that God has many wives. My friends, at last I know that the Press is not much use when it states that God has many wives. Indeed the Editor of Te Pipi has done this to ensure that presently he will win the dispute about polygamy, since he has used his paper to explain that God had many wives. As a result of the extensive explanations in their papers it will not be long before their district is full of children without fathers and it is for this reason that we are being spoken of in Parliament.

Paora Hopere

June 19th, 1905

GOD HAS NO BODY

I am perplexed by Paora Hopere: it was a waste of time my going to university, I have learned nothing, while he was taught at Taupiri College and has extensive knowledge. But I am not distressed by my ignorance because I have many ignorant companions, the Church of England, the Church of Rome, the Church of Scotland, the Greek Church, the Wesleyan Church, the Baptist Church, and all the other Churches in the world who believe that God has no body. Paora Hopere says to all these churches and their many members, ‘You don’t know what God is like, even though your bishops went to the universities they are all ignorant, and I alone know, I, Paora Hopere, Taupiri, Waikato, New Zealand. If you want to know about this matter then ask me, Paora Hopere of Taupiri, Waikato, New Zealand.’ Paora Hopere is wasted if the whole world does not know of him; his wisdom is wasted if it is only poured out on Waikato. The Tai Rawhiti is perplexed by Paora Hopere saying that [10] Tai Rawhiti only have illegitimate children. Is Waikato the only territory without illegitimate children? Where does Pari Rekena [Paddy Regan] come from?

That’s enough in answer to Paora Hopere’s ridicule. Let us turn to the dispute between the two of us, or rather between all of us, because I have many allies, namely, the Churches. I shall not write at length. It is clear to thoughtful people that Paora Hopere is mistaken. For example, look at the question he asks, ‘Are you saying to me that Christ is not God and that he has no body?’ This is the informed question from Paora Hopere with which he seeks to knock me down, to stuff up my mouth. This is the most foolish question. Does Paora Hopere not know that Christ is both truly God and truly man? If he were only God he would not have a body, but since he is also man he has a body. If God the Father was only God and God the Holy Spirit was only God and there was no human being, they would not have bodies like God the Son. I wonder at the ignorance of this man. Let him look at John 1.14 and Philippians 2.5-8.

It was perhaps because I am so ignorant that I did not understand the significance of Paora Hopere’s words concerning Christ’s saying that God is spirit (John 4.24). As I read his words he seems to be saying that it is true that Christ said that God is spirit but that the meaning of Christ words is that God is not spirit. Is this not twisting the Scriptures? It seems that Paora Hopere is calling white black and black white. Paora Hopere, let the words of Christ stand as they are, that is, a spirit has neither flesh nor bones. [Luke 24.39] My question is, ‘Does a spirit have a body if it does not have flesh and bones?’ I think it has no body and so God has no body.

I am not afraid of the Old Testament, but I am afraid lest the New Testament be despised for there we find the Good News of Jesus Christ and I am also afraid that people may grasp the Old Testament only. The New Testament clarifies the Old Testament, and a person will not be clear as to the way he should take if he only has the Old Testament to guide him.

I am not saying that God can not make himself appear as a man or a bird or as fire or as the sun or whatever, since when the Spirit came upon Christ it was in the form of a dove. Which is the more important, that a person should be like God outwardly, that is physically, or that a person should be like God in that he is a thinking being and not like the beasts which are not intelligent?

I laughed at Paora’s statement that if God has no ears he cannot hear our prayers. Does Paora Hopere think that God’s ears are like his? Our prayers are heard by God because he is God, not because he has ears. If God’s ears were like those of Paora Hopere then Cornelius’s prayers would not have been heard because Cornelius was praying in Canaan and the listening ears were in Taupiri. Nothing physical can be in many places at the same time, only a spirit can do that. If the god of the Mormons were our God then we would be in trouble because our prayers would not be heard. If it is only by having ears that God hears prayers then how does he hear the unspoken prayers of the heart.

The Editor is not responsible for the publications which say that God has many wives. They are Mormon writings which perhaps the man from Taupiri College has not seen or read.

There may be some people who criticize us for wasting time in answering the silly articles by Paora Hopere, for seemingly casting ourselves at his feet, but, my friends, our desire is to teach the members of our Church. The Mormons and Paora Hopere are unlikely to listen even though it has been shown that he is very ignorant and that he is mistaken about the Godhead and the Incarnation Christ. Paora Hopere will not admit that he is mistaken. Is not the most blind man the one who does not want to see with his eyes.

From the Ignorant Editor of Te Pipiwharauroa.

THE PEACE-MAKING COMMITTEE

The Great Powers have seen the slaughter of people in this war and have set up a council to address the difficulties of the two sides and to bring the fighting quickly to an end. Of these powers, England is on the side of the Japanese and Germany and France on the side of the Russians; America alone stands between the two and so it is good that the President of America has been chosen as chairman for this council. When Russia was finally defeated at sea talks about this gathering began. On 3rd June, Roosevelt the President [11] of America spoke with Count Cassini, the Russian Ambassador in New York, to get his agreement that he should set up the peace committee. On the 5th he communicated with all the ambassadors of the powers there. On the 6th he spoke with Takihara, the Japanese Ambassador. On 9th he received approval from Russia and Japan for his initiative. That day he sent word to Russia and Japan clarifying his objective of making peace.

These were his words: According to the President (Roosevelt), the time has come, with the good of the whole world in mind, for him to use his power to bring this war to an end. America, Russia and Japan are agreed out of compassion and because this great conflict between these great powers is hindering the well-being of the whole world.

The President urges the governments of Russia and Japan, out of concern for the good of the world, to make peace between the two of them. The President also said that they should arrange between the two of them a committee to further this objective, that is, that the two of them alone should set up this gathering and that no other power should participate.

The President urged the governments of Russia and Japan to agree to call this meeting. He was happy to arrange the time and place for this meeting if these two powers wished him to do so. And if they took upon themselves the arrangement of the time and place he would be happy to do other things appertaining to the meeting because he earnestly desires that this meeting should take place, believing as he does that this is desired by the whole world.

Roosevelt’s request was approved by the two governments and the time and place were set although many on both sides repudiated it. It was to be on 11th August at Portsmouth. On 9th of this month M [Sergius] de Witte and Baron [Roman] de Rosen for Russia along with Baron Komura [Jutaro] and Takahira [Kogoro] representing Japan boarded the ship Mayflower and they sailed with Roosevelt to Portsmouth north of New York. On 11th the meeting began at Portsmouth on the [?Pima sic].

These are the demands Japan made of Russia.

1. That Sakhalin be ceded by Russia to Japan.

2. That Russian leases in China be terminated.

3. That Manchuria and all its powers be returned to China, and that it remain open to all the powers.

4. That Japan be given the railway line between Korea and Harbin.

5. That Russia agrees that Japan have the administration of Korea.

6. That Japan have the Russian ships that were captured by them.

7. That Russia reduce the size of its fleet in these waters.

8. That Russia pay Japan the amount spent on this war.

It was clear that M de Witte rejected item 1. During the talks on 14th M de Witte said that Russia was not in a state of preparedness at the beginning of the war, an effort to show that it was not the cause of the war. So Russia was not the cause of Japan using up its money and he would not agree to give up the places demanded by Japan. According to him Russia wanted to end the war just as it was its wish before not to engage in fighting, but the demands of Japan should be reasonable.

During the talks on 15th M de Witte agreed to the demands in 3, 4 & 5. He did not agree to 6.

The discussions will not be completed at this meeting because of the severe demands of the Japanese as perceived by the Russians but in time they will be pursued.

In the discussions on 16th the first demand was not conceded and this demand was rolled over. Item 2 was agreed.

During the discussions on 21st a telegram arrived from the Tsar of Russia to his representative indicating that the meeting was not reaching a conclusion. So Roosevelt had a word with Baron de Rosen indicating that he should concede this meeting to the opposition.

[12]  

CALENDAR : SEPTEMBER 1905

Day 14 ○ 5h 40m a.m. Day 29 ● 9h 30m a.m.

1 F Fast

2 S

3 S Eleventh Sunday after Trinity

Morning Evening

1 Kings 18 1 Kings 19

1 Corinthians 12,28 Mark 8.14-30

& 13

4 M

5 T

6 W

7 Th

8 F Fast

9 S

10 S Twelfth Sunday after Trinity

1 Kings 22.1-41 2 Kings 2.1-16

2 Corinthians 1.23 – Mark 10.1-32

2.14

11 M

12 T

13 W

14 Th

15 F Fast

16 S

17 S Thirteenth Sunday after Trinity Use the collect for Ember Week every day this week.

2 Kings 5 2 Kings 6.1-24

2 Corinthians 9 Mark 14.1-27

18 M

19 T

20 W Ember Day Vigil, Fast

21 Th Matthew, Apostle, Evangelist Athanasian Creed

1 Kings 19.1-15 1 Chronicles 29.1-20

2 Corinthians 12.14 Mark 15.42 & 16

& 13

22 F Ember Day Fast

23 S Ember Day Fast

24 S Fourteenth Sunday after Trinity

2 Kings 9 2 Kings 10.1-32

Galatians 3 Luke 1.1-57

25 M

26 T

27 W

28 Th

29 F Michael and All Angels Fast

Genesis 32 Daniel 10.1-4

Acts 12.5-18 Revelation 14.1-14

30 S

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I will pay the postage to send the books to you

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Te Rau, Gisborne

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