POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
265 
tizedj my mind will become easier.’’ I could not reprove 
her 5 I endeavoured^ however^ to impress upon her mind 
the conviction, that the ordinance, though a duty, did 
not itself confer any spiritual benefit, and relieved her 
mind by informing her, that I would baptize the child at 
the close of the evening service. 
In the preceding detail, I have, perhaps, been more 
prolix and minute than the importance of the subject 
may appear to demand; I have been influenced by a 
desire to give that information relative to our proceed¬ 
ings in this respect, to the friends of Missions in general, 
and to the patrons of the South Sea Mission in particu¬ 
lar, to which, from the interest they have taken, and the 
support they have afforded, I have considered them justly 
entitled, and which I cannot but hope will be satis¬ 
factory. 
Although I have only given tke proceedings of one 
station, I believe that, with the exception of some of the 
Missionaries baptizing only such adults as they consider to 
be true Christians, and eligible for church fellowship, the 
procedure has been uniform in all. With us, those were 
baptized who made a credible profession of belief in 
Christ, and a desire to become his disciples, without any 
immediate view to church fellowship, w^hich we consi¬ 
dered a subsequent measure. 
An address on the nature of baptism, and the duties of 
those who had received it, was printed after the first 
administration, and widely circulated, apparently with 
good effect. The weekly meeting for instructing those 
who desired baptism, was continued, and the first dis¬ 
pensing of that ordinance produced an astonishing effect 
upon the people. Multitudes, who had heretofore been 
indifferent, now appeared in earnest about religion, and 
2 M 
rr. 
