30 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
the child will not lose thereby. No persons will 
be admitted to heaven simply because they have 
been baptized, nor will any be excluded therefrom 
merely because they have not.” “ Yes,” answered 
the mother, “ I know that; yet I do not feel satis¬ 
fied now—but when it has been baptized, my mind 
will become easier.” I could not reprove her; 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 in¬ 
fluenced by a desire to give that information, rela¬ 
tive to our proceedings in this respect, to the 
friends of Missions in general, and to the patrons 
of the South Sea Mission in particular, 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 
satisfactory. 
Although I have only given the 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 ministration 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 im¬ 
mediate view to church fellowship, which we con¬ 
sidered a subsequent measure. 
An address on the nature of baptism, and the 
duties of those who had received it, was printed 
t 
