36 THE PASTORAL AGE IN AUSTRALASIA 



to form large plans for the spread of missionary efifort 

 in the South Seas. It was in keeping with his efforts 

 for the improvement of the pastoral and agricultural 

 improvement of the Colony that he should conceive 

 a new missionar}^ ideal. He held that missionary zeal 

 should be accompanied with efforts for the promotion 

 of civilisation. It Avas the grand difference between 

 his view of the proper methods of missions and the 

 view of the orthodox missionary. We ma}'^ add that 

 Marsden's plan was the plan of Robert Moffat, David 

 Livingstone, " Mackay of Uganda," and many another 

 successful missionary. 



These are good or splendid examples, and in later 

 years, in several colonies, clergymen have abandoned 

 their profession to become squatters ; ignoring Christ's 

 command, " Feed 3Iy sheep," they have fed their 

 own ; and almost reversed the Divine transformation 

 that had converted fishers of the deep into fishers of 

 men. During the stock-mania of 1826-7 clerg3'men 

 and ministers, reversing the transformation of the 

 prophet Amos, of the commentator, John Brown of 

 Haddington, and of the philosophically minded John 

 Cairns of Berwick, forsook the altar to become " herds- 

 men of cattle " and keepers of sheep. Others, again, 

 burning to be opulent in countries Avhere very many 

 are wealthy, have engaged in speculative land trans- 

 actions that have compromised their character as 

 ministers of the Gospel. Such men, we are assured by 

 an observer, never hesitated to acquire, on favourable 

 terms, landed estates that came \^'ithin their grasp, or 

 were to be seen, armed with carbine or pistol, making 

 their way where such properties were to be secured.* 

 Only a few years ago a Presbyterian minister in VVelhng- 

 ton. New Zealand, died bequeathing almost £30,000 — 

 not to charities. Yet his sole legitimate source of 

 income had been his modest ministerial stipend. 



* Grant, Buah Life, ii. 172-3. 



