POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
329 
mixed character. Some were influenced by a desire to 
be thought well of by their neighbours ; many wished 
to be baptized without feeling the necessity ofj or more 
earnestly seekings that spiritual purification which it 
signifiedi and others^ perhaps^ considering church-mem¬ 
bership as the highest Christian distinction they could 
gain^ desired to be admitted to the communion^ as an 
end of their profession^ rather than a means of higher 
spiritual attainments. 
Such individuals^ we deemed it^ on all occasions, ne¬ 
cessary to caution with the greatest simplicity and faith¬ 
fulness. But while these were the motives by which 
we have reason to believe many were influenced, there 
were others who certainly acted from different feelings, 
who were unable to rest under a sense of guilt and its 
fearful consequences | who desired to hear more about 
God, his mercy to sinners, and the love of their 
Saviour, that their burden of sin might be removed; while 
some, desirous of expressing their sense of the goodness 
of God, were anxious to be informed what they might do 
to promote his praise. I cannot look back upon this 
period of my Missionary life with indifference; nor can 
I contemplate the state of the people at this time, with¬ 
out believing that the Spirit of God was powerfully 
operating upon the minds of many. Of this, their sub¬ 
sequent lives have afforded satisfactory evidence. In¬ 
stability was one of their prominent traits of character; 
and did we not believe in a higher agency than their 
own purposes or principles, we should fear that many 
would abandon the profession they have made, and return 
to their former course of life. 
Although the advantages resulting from frequent 
meetings for religious conversation, were too obvious to 
ii. 2 u 
