The very fact of fighting, contending, and striving, proves
the presence of an enemy, and a powerful one also, being no
less an one than the prince of this world ; he has his armies,
and far more numerous than those apparently are, which
belong to the Chief Captain of our salvation. Shall we be
surprised if he seeks to make it appear that he is the
conqueror ? In ordinary wars, how common is it for the
losing side to issue false despatches, and to make the public
think it is conquering, when, in reality, it is on the point of
being conquered and destroyed. The world, too, is far
more ready to believe the one than the other; but still,
sooner or later, truth must prevail. The Kingdom of Christ
must be established, and He must reign over it for evermore.
In taking a view of the past state of the New Zealand
Church, it will be necessary first to give a short description
of the state of the Maori race before the Gospel was intro-
duced amongst them. We cannot well picture to ourselves
a race of men more savage and debased, more strongly
bound with an age-rivetted chain, than they were. Killing
was literally no murder, and man regarded his fellow-man as



THE CHUECH. O

his proper food, wMch he was justified in using whenever it
could be procured. Hence, wars never ceased; murders,
rapine, and wrong, were of constant occurrence. And this
was not only the case with tribes, but even with families;
every mane's hand was against his neighbour ; indeed, the
horrid state of society at that time can scarcely be exag-
gerated.
