134 POLYNESIAN RESEARCHES. 
of things would be permanent; and after a few 
years, the force of example, and the restraining 
influence of the preceptive parts of Christian truth, 
began to diminish on the minds of those over 
whom it had exerted no decisive power, and who, 
in their altered behaviour, had rather followed 
popular sentiment and practice, than acted from 
principle. When therefore this class of persons 
began to act more according to their true cha¬ 
racter, the chiefs found it necessary to visit their 
delinquency with punishment; and the welfare of 
the nation required that measures should be adopt¬ 
ed for maintaining the order and peace of the 
community. 
Having as a nation embraced Christianity, they 
were unanimous in desiring that their civil and 
judicial proceedings should be in perfect accord¬ 
ance with the spirit and principles of the Christian 
religion. Hence they were led to seek the advice 
of their teachers, as to the means they should 
adopt for accomplishing this object. The Mis¬ 
sionaries invariably told them that it was no part 
of their original design to attempt any change in 
their political and civil institutions, as such; that 
these matters belonged to the chiefs and governors 
of the people, and not to the teachers of the re¬ 
ligion of Jesus Christ. To this they generally 
replied—that under the former idolatrous system 
they should have been prepared to act in any 
emergency, but they were not familiar with the 
application of the principles of Christianity, espe¬ 
cially in reference to the punishment of crime. 
In compliance with these solicitations, the Mis¬ 
sionaries illustrated the general principles of scrip¬ 
ture, that in all the public stations they sustained, 
they were to do unto others as they would that 
