182 
POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
restoration to the enjoyment of his favour, and 
the blessing of immortality. The death of Christ 
in the place of the sinner, and faith in this atone¬ 
ment, as the sinner’s justification before God, were 
truths most frequently exhibited. The doctrine of 
Divine benevolence, thus displayed, was altogether 
new to the Tahitians ; nothing analogous to it had 
ever entered into any part of their mythology. Its 
impression on their minds was at this time pro¬ 
portionate. The necessity also of Divine influ¬ 
ences, to make the declaration of these truths 
effectual to conversion, and to meeten those who 
believed, for the heavenly state, had ever been 
inculcated in the catechetical and other exercises 
of the school, in the meetings for reading the 
Scriptures and conversation, and in the dis¬ 
courses delivered in their assemblies for public 
worship.* 
* Since the publication of the former edition of this 
work, I have not been a little surprised, as most of 
ray readers may suppose, to find the Missionaries in 
the South Sea Islands classed by Unitarians among the 
teachers of Unitarianism. At the last annual meeting 
of the “ British and Foreign Unitarian Association,” held 
at Manchester, Dr. Carpenter, in a speech published in 
the U Report of the Proceedings” made the following state¬ 
ment :— u The accounts I have heard given by Mr. Ward, 
of his method of instructing the Hindoos, brought nothing 
into view which I should not myself have gladly taught 
them ; and those who have examined the work of Mr. Ellis 
on the South Sea Islands, (Polynesian Researches,) may 
perceive, that in them the simple principles of TJnita- - 
rianism are essentially taught.” The speech, containing 
these affirmations, was made after a public dinner, in con¬ 
nexion with a toast referring to Missionary exertions; a 
subject at all times inappropriately brought forward when 
associated with usages of conviviality, derived not from 
a Christian source, and in the observance of which, good 
old George Herbert’s advice, 
Drink not the third glass,” 
