302 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
CHAP. XI. 
General view of a Christian church—Uniformity of procedure in the 
different stations—Instructions from England—Preparatory instructions 
—Distinct nature of a Christian church—Qualifications and duties 
of communicants—The sacrament of the Lord’s Supper—Formation 
of the first church of Christ in the Leeward Islands—^Administration 
of the ordinance—Substitute for bread—Order of the service—Character, 
experience, and peculiarities of the communicants—Buaiti — Regard 
to the declarations of scripture—Instances of the power of conscience 
—Manner of admitting church members—Appointment of deacons— 
Great attention to religion. 
While the Lord of Missions was thus thinning our 
ranks, he was shewing us that the work in which we 
were engaged was not ours, but his; that though the 
agent was removed, the agency under which he had acted 
was not thereby impeded. The pleasing change we had 
observed among our people every year, increased during 
the present in an astonishing manner, and we had the 
high satisfaction of witnessing the formation and organi¬ 
zation of the first church of Christ in the Leeward or 
Society Islands. It took place early in the month of 
May, and shortly after the opening of the new chapel. 
Although we did not experience that difficulty which, 
from the peculiar circumstances of the Mission and the 
people, had attended the first administration of baptism, 
we regarded it as a matter requiring grave and prayerful 
