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WESLErAS IF'OEIN .TIISSIONARYI
SOCIETY.
'Tnn annual sermons of the Goolburn nauxiliary of
this society were preached by the i:BRe. A. . Webb
on Sunday morning and evening in the Wecleyan
church, Goldsmith.dtreet. In the afternoon Mr.
Webb delivered an interelsting address to the Son
day.Echool upon Fiji and Life in Fiji. A largo num
ber of scholars and teachers w-ere pres-nt, also
many of the parents and other members of the
congregation.
On IMonday eveniag the aonnal publ;c meeting
was held in the Ifc:are.hall, Goldsmith -i trceet.
. Abont two huondred persons were present, rnd Mr.
WV. Davies presided. The meeting opened with the
singing of the hymn J.rs shall rcige where'er the
Sun, and prayer by the Icv. Mr. Webo.
The Chairman said that tle We c'ya n Mis.
sionary Societiy reas commenced seventy
years ago. That ,aeo not the fbeginmio
of missionary work; Lbefrs that time the We.
loyan church hod missions; but it was in
1817 that this great misrionary society was first
founded. It had for many years asaisted the Wes
leyan cause in BNew Sasth Wales; in fact New
South Wales wan among the first miseion statio.o
started by tile cciety. It appeared to trim to be
almost needlesa to talk about mirsisonary work in
the present day, so much hadbt on said about it, and
he was inclined to ns-: the qoruestion what use arb
public missionary meetliugs, beeonso persons now-a.
days ought to have culItinvatd sduch a love for mis.
Eionary enterprise ,s to bh anrioun to rend mie.ion
literature and be prepared to hsubscribe without the
stimulus of public speaking. Somre years nago he lad
taken occasion to soy at a nmisEionry mpetirg
upon that platform, .hen the late toIe. B. Chap
man was the general eecretary of the mis-ion board
and was present at the meeting, that le conidered
the main reason why their people did not take a
greater interest in missionary enterprise arose from
a lack of knowledge of the work. If people were as
ignorant upon matters pert.ioing to commerce and
other worldly affainirs s mny are upon mission
work, the world woule nost lhave advanced as it sad.
Again, rame circuits irr New South Wales held that
home mieionns shoulssd go first and for:ign missions
second. He was pleased to tlhink tlhat Goulbnrn was
not one of tltese, and thafIt they tad inr tile past
shewn interest in thie wark of tie missions, but lie
feared that thIe romissionary spirit .:5as not seo strong
now as formerly; perlhaps if a cry of "pity New
Guinea" arose it would lave the effect of awakenl ing
a strong missionary spirit, n? the cry of " pity pror
Fiji" had dione in England some fifty yeara go..
The Juvenile Missionary Societies were doing some.
thing, hut tfley did nrot ceam to prSop thie enter.
prise as they shonld do. . large island with smil
lions of people sni:k icl groe leeatiernism lay close
beside them, and ties qestion esnoe horneo to them,
are these to be conerte:d or remalin as they are ?
There were a few miisionaries there, but not Srfli
cent for the work to ie doie. Then there was the
feature to be borne in mind that if tle funds of the
society would bearit, no onee missi~ ,nry arnd hisi w;fo
soould be ent alone, buLt aet lest tWo toieoiooaries
should go togetllher, eo as to be al!ls to consilt and
aid one another wI:oe: diaiculties autd Eichnseeo arose.
Ie had been requested by the ecre.arv to roy that a
new method would be adoit :d in ileturre. that of
taking names of persono willing to subscribe to tile
funds o thie nonili ary monthly intead st a formerly
quarterly, blf-asariTor tnnuaH'i. le s-citlt iw
call upon the secretary to read thle annlual rep-srt of
the society and thle balance.osheet of this auxiliary.
(Applause.)
Mr. J. W. Wombhoy thirea red tie folllowing report :
rhwi osr iile Fear ? -.-lin: Dtmen 3l, 1i , s tiis r,-_rip:? ic,1
reflensoior o tht e i ao-:'e luntheea of ahe olrtiln
TichennIe retaieey n r 1- t sl a o ,d :--olsrnlr t rln
£7:.rs i nnl rub-eriltie-:l- re-, ire I nt the 55 i.0:I r.,lO 17;;
ic4tri i b iii I 11ro un r., i e) .t,'; h n 1 ali,
£7:, 7;'7; N?:? %·,-aL1', £: S3 17'4: ?-rt:?, £1rd3 ?. I; l'ii,
.e, 'eJ2t nil;.z !--i:( lax,,l?j! ,,i r;l:. h75 157 ilntees account,!
£20 140,. -lse ese, useo-ee.-. 07 1ic e
La e sr overpaid? 1 as1 - yer.-.h.- .....,_r ...i.3 . 1rn 14o th?
is Le~s s r ess..............
?TialhelII Rellv. Ill Spar:.i. x¢,r Isiaio:dTric h II cme e liri
nrorldimc'lty throiijh th?· ?,It 1,y r' ?-n it f I'.i:is.tl nr·...:
adoi iw a inroran?hery oflr o Mr. seb:hibst hh tis
othee diatfiliie., ilascl te ,irerh img hat ticep same ton
raened inds iprn,,ie , arrl one n- liellh, hlr, r. H an
tbso- dsiirausiii. eo ael r. ese isy isoehgaou
oheses sosseseraonse in si-ji-sHe-osalt emebe- w
beaatial. bh o isi l, e elt.l E lsrr-::sl s the er e o?.rrtsro.i een a-l
schaioetlas ir ,ee thic. p., Il' i ii, nc.:c tlrsldli the
doa rtionre oc?aossio: lry hnrries:?, n:-d thii s dinilgietl
Miring We-. ss f the :l, csl-its tieore e C yli ,e t - ser hor ,?ien
oant of iatiert alsilr anse lra--sti te-u:, aritl hcy 5 ero
pouylnd vtocrry s the ,oiris lelo lsishe. "ihse c ec lriasin
ehlirrioasb hsoirl i sl podr.etgqle* tolrinea the tee-r Im th
*slnae l ,,rfr-e at tit Ilii--eii:i Iarsiiec, 5lts from th,,C ille'--i i o
me of tile O~tsie Soie , e. i, tbh r?:nas oshe nn insro i
in ecery d,-clhatme:,', rf the ;or. Thwo growing liltlsoi:lr roa
hinerssele saosisuc-h dakei e ists at hoe- ol
Chrpltianito iu aptharc:It ot h_; cry h?:I, o nug to:ir yar one io wary
n?tingo t lave fr Iom d itb want o rout1, alt" tlar-: tiou in th
whistorothin? Iirilh iini. In t-e e - ys oi f c- ishe aseetl i
their wreistle mhr --fs he . w sl,,o their i-lleelye
l-ontrb o?fl t t h ce isai pllu~ sic.l the ity. Urir'e tile
yeatr Ste l s.iii1i. l Is l If t tm C iande he icn . . J. o is.e
-m Ostalo. tLhie Ier. J. e. toey Ifrnn ielanen, tefl the oeL. .i
Ssotrnldssouldieiiu-su them t-oi dacar ass th'ey coulto
Dbrn tIrm t le oie-lst i]ls rc:telie tee peelnial dayrt aley
Inan oyeer o tfaithul teoice. 'Ieh?e iter . ea.n irom che
Zmlsnit, oed th? er5c. i. Worrcw l Irutrel eor t'isoilt ',sle
oent oeto bi u ie Aifrie lat to sepsle soco:-iee., and thien mor
rs-ne mismoluriheas il eio l isliorllllsrt ehi --stir, reole
to eiur Gt t s ukli ill e lee I'c,'ihs. le e e ih dt ,o rcisr -iell
grltitu~ll to (;o~l the hlrql) thl t a I .?llcn te n~l f.1 to thi? calr .'.
bys the oesot il?e?r·etf eti -lieho-tl? lact eS e bct OsSeeciV
Jieof . wre.Hr ~ltch llefness yJ nnd mieyandlet };ina continu.latl
f r50. fTh:ie ,lnoierill llet iere ct, 1s l5 o tienti inli nllt f ,t
tho rtit treo it i ohul Ii ssid tth s t ee' a o eilii atmes, e sth,
tor then lorl they are itserri slcer rist was thiei diui-ty
, asoerd ithnifll t elleieal e in - slic l s riservcel nith s I -, 111rtenr~ illc
tsenicer Tlleir cetoics e i-t leee "¢Thi.h; e esu hldy ctoea ,€n1se- n
attern of Chri:li-i dloeinI ; nnd isoeIIe to :le brliltemlle
as .rodo that sii oney isle t eii ite ilol,:,t l is ,: when ii ts i ll,hioie
sobservien t s I, tirec ieei'rL-st-ei- tir'i kilnstsen tii (;,, c I, w ih oe no,1
piry tht iothir libsesli- iu taiii t-srticuliar ena proloke sery
uauy.
lie also read tele balanceeshet sf the Goulburn
branch os folloes:-s
Filancial Statteenet for 158s of tIe Gooibarn tesleyan
Otli.ioeenry rocieiy. .£ . 4
Corniest byr M~iss OiiersneeS \iiis lisescie.,......c.. 10 10? 0
• .'Miarcf tJoonnt flh MUrr, ?lrtyl! .......... n1J
* ZIlls rowni...................o.........""02 o
5Iias l'qruoa? ..........................O
GoalumSabbath collectrs. ..................cc . 11o C
Pubhio nrileelg..........e........................... 10 0
TirrnofSIirrionnrsy 0ociety...e................. 0 00 0
Ifolt Jcvenileriiotieniunnry o ielsty ....c..c..... 4, 13 o
Mliss Hoteoy, lummrele.......,..........,,.. - 115 0
Lss roi-paiel.tat ,,,roc. .....c.ccc......c. t 14 4.
L.0s0 e 5n5s.,,cc,.c,...,.....c...... .. ,. 005 0
fsO a a
The lir. W. Sporling said he had come there to
newso his brotherly feeling to Mr. Webb aud his
congregation, as they were aiming at the same object
and serving the same Measter as lie was. Mo sons
also desirous to hear Mr. W'obb say something about
his ministrations in Fiji. Ho could remember aheu
he was a boy in England that the interest in a
missiisary meeting eas always increased if they
had a returned missionary preseut, and this being
so he would not detain them long from listening to
'-lia'. Wilb. "If they wished to obey the commnod
'mant" of their Mafster the Lord Jesus Christ, they were
hound to enrry the gospel to the heathen, beceuse
ha had dircoted his apostles to proech the gosp01 to
all nations. Some persons say that the Christian
church is wrotg in seeding missionaries abroad
wehile so much darkness exiets st home. Mo mould
Ssreply to oueh that both ought to be doses. It was
not from the want of ktoowlodlge that many die in
this land in their sits. In the days of the apostles
there were reaoy of the Jews sho were willingly
ignorant of the gospel, but still the truth remains
that St. Poul left them ard went to proclaim the
- gospel to the Gentilos. The state of the heatheu
world should indues them to do all they could to
bring the gospel to it. Soein it the present day say
that thiby oughtt to fence the heathen in their
simplicity, anrd they draw beaultiftl pictures of their
innocent lirro, fut if those who oere listeniesg to
him would pt'selsso Br. Chalhor'o beanutiful bootk
abohL New Guirna, which could be hlad for a small
rum, they would learn Ilhat thet natives there live a
life of wrctohednecs and misery and i continusal
dread of one another. There wns also the faot that
Chriet heel died for teso nofortunete heathen, and
ier the love they here tlheir Master it was their duty
to read tels gospel to threm. Thi aucceos that had
attende;l paot eflorlo onghit also to urge them on,
Failure wras not ,ritlen upon their banners. It was
only one lhundred years sinee the Christian church
went into the mis-ion-field, and there was not a
country on the face of the earth whero some hod not
come to Clhrit. If there were no other proof of
rucces tbut the rep rt juot refd, it oughlt to be
EUfiieont to Ca00E them to g on with t1h Oora. IIO
wirhed that the gocd work of thie scaiety should be
ot:ll lurther inecre:?e;, nnd ha ws gilad to find that
there were goa3 peop!e in SNew Soth Wales who
were willing to asoirt in carrying on the great work
that the st:iety had in view. (Applauser.)
The choir of the church sang the anthem Holy is
the Lord our God.
.Mr. F. Tait wos cxpecefd to be the next speaker,
hut he was not present, and the Chairman explained
that it wao probable he was absent through the pro
troated illness of Mrs. Tail.
The Clhairman said that in lieu of the speech
of Mfr. Tait he would give the audience an im
portant item of news lie had recently read. It was
to the effect that Chiristianity was shortly to fall
with a run, that the march of thought was sweeping
away tile foundationsof religion and the whiole fabric
moet fail. In r ply to that statement he would
direct their attentoon to the progress thle gospel had
made in India, where the attachments of thle people
to old associations are even stronger than they are
in England. Speaking of India, a recent writer had
remarked that there was no book in that country
better read than the Bible, and no name more
reverenced than that of Jesus. A native Eovereigo
hlad said that the future ruler of India would not be
the Queen or King of England, but King Jesue.
(Applause.)
Tie Rev. A. J. Webb said that of the many
missionary meetings he had attended in New South
Wales this, with theezception of theannual meeting
in Sydney held at the time that the conference was
in o?soion, was the largest he had ever seen. He was
prourl of thle circrit. He was paeaking to-night
under a difficulty because the subject he had to deal
with was so large. TdsEaFy nil he could about Fiji
would keep them there to a very unseasonable hour;
however, he would give them a portion tonight,
and if God spared them and himself to be associated
as roLioiter and people for a time, he would give
them more on another occasion. It was not his
intention to give them any atrocious stories that
evening, not becasoe he could not do so, as the first
part of his miessionary life was spent in the
midst of the darkest hleathenism, hbut becaunse he
had Eomething better to tell them. Thank God the
missionary from Fiji could ion relate a story of a
Christian character. He saw by the advertisement
of this meeting, which was well worded by the
ecretary, that he was to give some of his ex.
periences during his stay in Fiji; therefore in Epeak
ing of himself he would receive fulol absolution
from any charge of egotism. He was started for
Fiji in 18t8o; that was not when he first offered to
go, because tho confereoce refused to naccept him for
mission work at first, as they thought that he was
too young and not sufficiently strong for such
arduous nwork. He was sent to Tasmania and many
a time while there he wished that he had not volun.
teered for mission work. He did not draw back,
becneue he felt it was a matter of duty with him to
go, and he was not now sorry that he had kept to his
offer. He hlad spent about nineteen years in the
islands, and would have been there still if the doctor
had not ordered hlim away for his health. Whilst
on Iris station in Tasmania one Saturday afternoon
he was gives a Sydney Morning Herald, and upon
opening it his attention was attracted by a large
headinog which announced the murder of eta European
missionary and six native students in the interior
of Fiji. Thie reading of the account filled him with
ardour to go to tihat part of thle island. Shortly
afterwards the conference appointed him to that
very station. The first invitation he received upon
his arrival in the island was as follows: " Send up
your next whlite missionary and we'll eat him." He
did not accept the invitation, but hedetermined that
upon the fir.t opportunity he would vieit the spot.
He hlad eome dlfficulty in acquiring the language, as
very little was known of the interior by the residents
of the coast districts. After many attempts to ob
tain information he met some native young men
who came down to the coast, and he intimated to
them his desire of visiting the interior. One
of them warned him that their tribes
hoad held a great council and had sworn
that they would not become Christians.
He replied that they ceuld not help themselves, that
they could just as well stop the river from flowing
as God's purrposes towards them from being effected.
The young men were inclinel to scoff, but the next
time he saw them, eome months afterwards whlen
tie succeeded in making a tour in thle hill country,
they were among a hundred natives bowing their
knees in prayer to God. The travelling in the hill
district was very wearisome. In this circuit (Rewan)
there were 25,000 people. He wao stationed there
some rever or eight years, and when he left there
were not more than ift'y avowed heathens in the
circuit. He did not mention this for self-glorifica.
tion, hut to God was the glory of so wonderful a
change. Hie had gone throeugh some strange ex
pnriancea during hris stay in this circuit. On one
occasion he lhad to run tie risk of being taken
prisoer with:b a tribe which he wasn going to visit.
After a tedious walk throughl the mountains he ar
rived at the village to whlich he was going and
found them all armed ready to repclan attack whieh
they expected from a telthen tribe, becauso they
hlad become Christian. He preached in the open
air and his congregation sat around him with their
rifles at full cock, prepared for any emergency that
might arise. Alter service he signified to the chief
his intention of going to anotlher town lower down
tile river and asked him for a canoe to go by water,
as he felt incapable of proceeding any farther over
such rugged country. Thei chief tried to dissuooade
him from going by water, but finding himn resolved
to do so he gave hlim a canoo to go to the next town,
whero his (the chief's) son resided. Upon arrival
there he applied to the young chief for a canoo to
proceed in, and after warning him of his danger
of being taken by the attackling party and finding
him determined to go on, the young chief ordered
ncanuoe aid was so chivalrous as to accompany him,
soaying thlat he could not let the missionary be killed
ill hit territory without accompanuying him and going
thlrough the samru danger as he did. They rcached
the village oe was bound for in safety. The attaeokig
tribe bore thle worsti reputation in Fiji, and shortlly
after his passago down tile river they attackeld one of
the villages flont had become Christian, killed and
ate several chlildreno that had beeno baptised, andu
burnt dowen the church. He afterwards preached
to them, and hefora he left ths district he had heard
them profess to be nominally Christian. Two of
their young men woro students in the college at
Ovalau and would probably become native ministers.
It had been always a matter of satisfaction to him
that he was the first mnissionary that visited portions
of the interior, and he was the first white man that
had gone in one particular district. The later
portion of hlis stay in Fiji was spent in Lovuka,
where his work on Sundays was among the English
inhabitants, and during the week days among the
natives. The report spoke of the successful result
of an examination hleld in Levuka, and the success
of that oeamination was duoe to the labours of a
native minister who went heart and soul into thu
worlo. With regard to the results of missionary
enterprise in Fiji during the fifty years since its
commoucement, he would give them a few figures
whichawould speak for theimselves. There were 1255
places of worship, and not a lheathen temple in tho
land. The Wesleyan church had about 10 missiosn
aries and 53 native ministors ; the latter point ho
(Mr. Webb) was most proud of. There were t4d
catechists, 1019 village pastors, 240 schlool teaehers,
1877 local preachers, and 27.t21 members; this was
as many members as the Wealoyan church had in
the colony of Victoria. There wore 4121 on trial for
memberehip, 2079 catechumens, 2700 Sabbathschsool
teachers, 1474 Sabbath.schools, 42,009 Sabbath.
school soholars, 1845 day schools, 42,698 day sochdOlars,
and 100,151 attending publio worsahip. Every boy,
and girl in Fiji is sent to school. (Applause.) In
conclusion Mr. Webb related an incident in which
MIr. Womboy seat an excellent example to a chief
with whom he came in contuct during his visit to
Fiji a couple of years ago. Mr. Webob's address was
most interesting and was attentively listened to by
the audience, who expressed their pleasure by
frequent applause.
A collection was made, and it amounted to £3 11/ 1,
whichl added to the Sunday collections of £6 15/6,
made a total of £10 6/7 for lthe anniversary services.
Mr. H. Goldsmith proposed that a hearty vote of
of thanuks be toendered to the retiring committoee, the
lady collectors, and the choir. He said the ladioen
were doaervingof thanuks because they did the most
lalorious part of thie workl. Tlhey owed a great deal
to the clhoir for the aid they gave with their beanti.
ful music. Fur his own part, he would like to se,
more musio introduced into their religious services.
He was always pleased to join in singing the praises
of God as woell as in offering prayer to Him. He
thought the adoption of monthly subsoriptions would
be an improvement on the plan of hall-yoarly or
annual contributions, (Applause.)
Sconded by Mr. E. Long and carried.
MIr. L. Railton expressed his opinion that there
wao mere enthusiasm in the missionary meetings
formerly thnu there was now, and he ascribed the
diference to the want of the literature that neused to
be distributed. He moved that the following be
elicte.bearers for the ensuoing year:--Secretary, Mr.
3. W. Wombey; treasurer, Mr. J. Bond; com.
mittee, SIMesrs. W. Davies, J. Lansdosn, C. Colburt,
3I. C. Davies, W. Sibson, J. Bray, W. Oliver, F.
Everett, D. Jones, L. Railton, O. Ilobineon, O.
Purner, W. Lendsdown, E. Long, J. Hodges, and
H. B. Pedley. He considered that much credit was
due to the secretary. He was always at work,
whereas tie committee were only called together
twice a year. (Applausna.)
Seconded by Mr. J. Oliver and carried.
The choir sang the anthem, O Praise the Lord, all
ye Heathen.
Mr. C. Colbort moved a vote of thanks to the
chairman.
Mr. Webb in seconding the motion said the chair.
man was entitled to a vote of thanks for the many
cervices he had rendered theMIethodist body. In re
gard to missionary literature he had a number of
copies of a periodical published in Victoria, which
contained a vast amount of missionary '.ews. He
would give them to the superintendent of tht Bunday.
school for distribution.
The resolution was carried by acclamation.
The Chairman briefly acknowledged the voteto, and
the lev. Hr. Webb closed thebs meeting at ten o'clock
with theb Benediction.
$