Te Pipiwharauroa 5

Te Pipiwharauroa 5

No.5

1898/07/01

(Maori Text at PapersPast.)


[1] He Kupu Whakamarama

[2] He Kupu Whakamarama, Number 5, Nelson (Whakatu), July, 1898. Editor: Rev F A Bennett.


THE DEATH OF REV HETARAKA WARIHI

On 10th of this month (July) the Rev Hetaraka Warihi died. He was a minister of the Wesleyan Church. He was born in the Waikato district. As a child he lived at Kawhia.

According to the genealogies of our ancestors, that elder belonged to many tribes – Ngati Maniapoto, Ngati Kinohaki, Ngati Toa, Ngati Koata, Ngati Rarua and others.

After his marriage he was sent to Three Kings College to study for the ministry.

In 1864 he was sent to Wharekauri (Chatham Islands) to minister to the Maori of that island. He spent six years there. When he returned he was made minister to the Wesleyans in the Petone area (Hutt Valley). He lived there for fifteen years. After the death of his wife there, he crossed over to live in Blenheim. He lived in Blenheim for thirteen years and died there. He was seventy-three years old when he died.

CORRESPONDENCE

Kaikohe,
Bay of Islands,
Auckland.
30th March, 1898.

To F A Bennett.

Greetings. I have just received this bird with its words of enlightenment. I was delighted to receive that letter and I am writing a word of thanks for your thoughtfulness in sending it to me. Thank you, because this initiative will bring the full fruition of the work. May God bless and protect and prosper you and your work. I shall try to write again later. This is enough for now.

From your friend,
Matiu Kapa.

Te Pourewa,
Pirongia,
Waikato.
!6th June, 1898.

To the Rev P Peneti.

Greetings to you and to those who are producing this paper which has been appearing over these months. My friend, I am delighted at the clarity of the Words of Enlightenment in this paper.

It will serve very well to awaken the hearts of people, and not only of people in general, but also the hearts of the preachers weighed down by the pressures of work.

If people look at some life-giving words, besides Christ’s encouraging words, they will find hope. He said, ‘My grace is sufficient for you; my power is made perfect in weakness.’ [2 Corinthians 12.9] May he reveal this to his servants and also support the Bird which is helping with his work.

Hence my thanks.

As for the words addressed to the ministers in which you invited them to send accounts of what is being done in the name of the Lord, let me write at some length because you will not be aware of the joy of our work and our stories here.

In 1893 Taimona Hapimana and I were ordained as deacons to be missionaries to Waikato. On 22nd May we set foot in Waikato.

Before the two of us came there was a major dispute between my tribe and Mr Stuart, Bishop of Waiapu, and W L Williams who was Archdeacon at the time. They were arguing that I should stay in my home area. After two days of persistence, the Bishop and Archdeacon got their way since I also wanted to come here to Waikato.

We came here, Taimona from Te Arawa and Ngati Maniapoto, and I from Hauiti, Ngati Porou, Rongowhakaata, Te Aitanga-a-Mahaki, Tolaga Bay and Gisborne.

When we arrived here in Waikato no-one would have anything to do with us. On Sundays they worked at ploughing the land, making fences, [3] and other jobs, which made us sad at heart. The important thing that they complained to us about was the lack of worship, because they were a worshipping people before 1863. The war led them to abandon worship. The reason they abandoned it was this. Paterangi was the Maori pa. The Pakeha side tested it many times but were not able to take it. Then the General’s army left on the Saturday night. On the Sunday morning they arrived at Rangiaohia, the village where the old people, the children and the women were living, and fired on it with guns. Many were burned alive in a single house.

This is the reason why worship of the Great God of Heaven was abandoned.

They said that the Pakeha had preached to them to keep the Sunday holy and to be holy themselves. Then they were struck down on that day. They said that all the things that had been preached to them by their ministers were deceitful. This was the fire which would consume them, that which was spoken of by the ministers as a fire of sulphur on the last day.

In this way the name of God was made a curse amongst the Maori of Waikato and Taranaki.

In September of that year ’93 one of my daughters died. I carried her home in a coffin. Another died as we travelled. When we arrived another died. My tribe stood to embrace me; they said to me to remain because I had suffered such tragedies on the journey. I was left with no children. I replied to them that staying would not compensate for the death of my children. What I wanted to do was to get some fruit for Christ in the hearts of those people where my children died when I went to preach. Then I will be compensated for the death of my children.

In these last three years Waikato has turned to the faith. On 2nd May 1898, Taingakawa Te Waharoa, President of the Kingship, has said that people should not stay idle but should set up worship leaders in all parts of Waikato; and soon after the King’s newspaper, ‘Te Paki o Matariki’, published that statement.

I have told the above story at some length so that people will know that what they hope for in the name of Christ will be fulfilled. For seven years we have seen the birth of my children when there were none. They have now been born. I know that this is something God-given, and it is life-affirming.

It is two years since the publication of the King’s notice to cease working on Sunday. Children have been baptised, the dead have been buried with prayers, and women and men have been married. Taimona and I have been criticised for being away for so long and the complaint is justified, because our parish is so large. We are not able to visit some places in the course of a year.

And we are responsible for Taranaki too.

That is the saddest place. The people have been drawn away by Te Whiti and Tohu, by their distorted teaching of the stories of the Bible. Te Whiti’s teaching is that he is the Messiah; the prophecies about the Christ are about him.

Te Tohu’s line is that he is Jehovah. Those men will not permit anyone, a minister or anyone else, to lead worship there. The preaching of barbarians is better than the preaching of people who know the Bible. Their preachers are given what they have to say, but they speak like parrots. They do not know the meaning of the text. But God knows the time when he will bring back to himself the people of Taranaki. However, to a person’s heart it is a battle and a cause for sorrow. So much for that.

To turn to your invitation to send you any scriptural statements one has difficulty with, mine is this: there is no word of Scripture to explain the three years of the parable of Jesus in Luke 13.6-9. What is the point of the first year, and also of the second year, and of the third?

You said that if we wished to ask for 6 or 10 copies of this paper we were to send for them. I would like you to send me six copies. Why I have not asked sooner is because of the Maori saying:

He ao te rangi ka uwhia he huruhuru te manu ka tau, he rewhi, he Taro ka tu te piko o te4 whakairo.

‘As the clouds deck the heavens so feathers adorn the bird; [?he rewhi sic ?rewha – eyebrows, ?he Taro sic ?tara – rays] complete the ornamentation of the carving.’ [cf. Nga Pepeha 352 and 354]

This is because the heart is eager, but the pocket is weak.

Were the two of us relying on human strength we would achieve nothing.

But it is a time when we have seen the great love of God.

Goodbye.

May God protect us.

Nikora Tautau.

[4]

A HYMN (Tune: Calvary)

[PapersPast prints the music for this hymn.]

The pupils of Te Aute sang this hymn when they arrived at Motueka, Nelson and Blenheim.

Whose is the voice crying on Calvary? It is the gracious Lord who bears the pain.

Chorus
Whose is the voice crying on Calvary? It is the gracious Lord who bears the pain

His hands were pierced with nails, his side was pierced. Blood poured over the cross.

Why was he killed? Why this murder? For whom? For all of us the Messiah died.

His sacred head bowed down. He bore on his back the sins of mankind.

In his great love he came down that people might be saved from their many sins.

[5]

A WORD OF EXPLANATION

By Rev Matiu Kapa about the difficulties of Hone Toia and others.

Distant parts may well be wondering why Ngapuhi, that is, Hone Toia, took up arms against the Pakeha side. Was it perhaps because of anger at the laws of the Colony? No. This is the answer to their question. (1) A false interpretation [?whakaputake sic - ?whakaputa ke] of scripture. (2) A disregarding of Article 23 [The Thirty-nine Articles]. This is like what Theudas and the others did (Acts 5.36-37). This is rather the story. There is a hapu called Ngatihau, Their village is Omanaia, near Hokianga. Formerly their religion was Wesleyan. But their involvement with gum-digging brought them closer to my area – about five miles from me. Because they were critical of the practices of their religion they separated from them and set up a different religion with Hone Toia as President. The snake was declared to be Christ (John 3.14). For three weeks I went to preach to those people to oppose their ideas. In no way would they yield; they were stiff-necked. The duties of the clergy were delegated by the people to those they chose; baptisms, the sacrament, marriages and other activities were taken over by them. Formerly the President had one wife; from the time he became President he took two wives, breaking the Commandment that a man should have only one wife. Someone has said ‘Let the brambles rule over the grapes.’ [Judges 9.7-15] They have condemned the Church and have condemned all the rules given them by the Pakeha. Consequently they will not agree to the laws of this colony and have taken up the gun. The Government taxes are the justification for that rebellion.

Rev Matiu Kapa
Kaikohe,
Auckland.

Tuparoa,
16th July, 1898

To the Rev Perere Peneti, Editor.

My friend, greetings. I have seen your treasure, He Kupu Whakamarama, and it is very good that you have had this idea for spreading some of our Lord’s seeds to the marae and homes of these islands where our people live, Maori and Pakeha too. It may not be that those people whose hearts are full of other things of this world will turn to it, but this is no reason for those who are spreading the word of God to stop sowing, since it is he alone who causes that word to grow. Indeed, it is for you, the people who have learned the teachings of the Scriptures, to make them known to the Maori world so that the blind eyes see, the deaf hear, and hard hearts are softened. My heart is light because we have a canoe to carry our spiritual treasures for the small and the great to hear. God grant that it may work effectively and for a long time. I hope all will support out treasure. If you send me the paper please send it to the Post Office at Tuparoa.

From your friend,
Eruera Kawhia.


THE BOYS OF TE AUTE

Some of the people in a part of Te Waipounamu, the Province of Nelson, thinking to benefit the remnant of the Maori People living in this area, sent our invitation to the teachers and students to come to these parts and travel around.

On 24th June they arrived at Nelson Wharf. The ministers of our churches were waiting for them, the Rev. Chatterton, the Rev. Kempthorne, and the Rev Peneti, along with boys from Nelson College, and other people waiting for the boys.

The party that came consisted of twenty-two people – nineteen pupils and three teachers.

The students came from many hapu – Ngapuhi, Waikato, Te Arawa, Ngati Porou, Ngati Kahungunu, Ngati Awa, Ngat Maniapoto, and others.

The names of these students are: P H Buck, HKohere, R H Balneavis, G McGregor, Wi Paraire, Hamaka O’Brien, W Pohio, J Gerrard, A Mitchell, S Kape, Riwai Hiwinui, B Kena, P Amohau, R Walker, W Delamere, H Wepiha, H Potaka, T Ngatai, and Hare Paaka.

The names of the Teachers are: Mr Thornton, Mr Baker, and Ware Waitai.

When they arrived in Nelson, homes had been arranged for them to stay in. They all stayed in the homes of leading Pakeha in Nelson. Some stayed in the home of the Bishop of Nelson, some at the home of the Judge of this area, some stayed in the home of the leading lawyer; all the students stayed in the homes of the leading people of this area.

[6]

This, friends, is a sign of the affection of the Pakeha towards us when they see how well we are doing things.

On 25th June they played football against the boys of Nelson College. The Maori won 20-0.

On the Sunday we all assembled at our Pakeha church (All Saints) in Nelson for worship. In the middle of the day some of the boys went to speak to the Pakeha children in Sunday School on the coast and inland. At 3 p.m. all the men of the football club gathered for a church service arranged for men only. Some 300 men gathered. The sermon was by Mr Thornton, Head Teacher of Te Aute, and the service was conducted by Rev Chatterton and Rev Peneti.

In the evening (6.30 p.m.) we all met in the Cathedral of this Province. Every space in that building was filled with Pakeha. About 600 or 700 people attended that service. The sermon by the Rev. P. Peneti was a plea by him to the Pakeha to remember the Maori people and to assist with every effort for the betterment of the Maori. The text he preached on was from John 20.17: ‘Go to my brothers and say to them, I go to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’

On the Monday all the Te Aute boys went to Brightwater on their coach. The minister there, Rev. Baker, had arranged food for them. In the evening there was a meeting in the hall. The Maori boys sang. The money given was £5.6s.

In the morning on the Tuesday our whole party travelled by land to Motueka, arriving at 3.30 p.m. When we arrived the Maori of Motueka were on the marae of their church waiting for us.

(To be concluded.)


LAST WORDS

Our paper has been late in coming out this month because all the printers have been suffering from the coughing sickness called ‘Influenza’.

Letters have arrived from Revs. Nikora Tautau, Matiu Kapu, A Williams, A H Rangi, Pererika Peneha, Eruera Kawhia, and Hemi K Taitimu. Some of the matters they raise will be addressed in a later edition.

The money raised by various efforts to make it possible for the Te Aute boys to visit Nelson was £106. The money remaining after the settling of accounts was £35. This money left over is being set aside for projects which will benefit the Maori people of this Province (Nelson).

In one year four million Bibles have been sold. Every year the number of Bibles printed is growing.

Each month information is published about the distant parts of the world. This past month the subject was Africa. This month it is India. These accounts tell us of the Lord’s work expanding in the large countries of the world. (The projected subject in August is India.)

When the Te Aute boys came to Nelson they were photographed. The cost of their photograph is four shillings. If you want it, send me the shillings.

We have received many questions. We will answer the questions in a later edition of the paper.

Dear people, I am looking for a good name for our bird. It will continue to be called He Kupu Whakamarama, but it will also bear that other name. A name is being sought from the elders of Aotearoa. Te Waipounamu gave birth to it. so let Aotearoa give our messenger a name, and let our bird unite with chains of love Aotearoa and Te Waipounamu. Send your names.


THIS MONTH’S CONTRIBUTIONS.

Mrs Brittan, Tauranga, 5/-, Mrs Grant, Pipiriki, 1.1.0; Hon. H Williams, Kawakawa, 5/-; Mr H V Gully, Nelson, 5/-; Ngakiriki Meihana, Takaka, 5/-; Wi Katene, Motueka, 2/-; Karani Katene, 5/-; Hori Karaka, 1/-; Hare Te Ngohi, 2/-; Mr B W Jenkins, Blenheim, 1.0.0; F H S, 1/-.

If you wish to contact me, it is the same address as the publishers. Rev Perere Peneti.

Nelson.


Bond, Finney and Co, Printers, Nelson.