the life of william carey-第13章

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〃3。　As　such　an　undertaking　must　needs　be　attended　with　expense；　we　agree　immediately　to　open　a　subscription　for　the　above　purpose；　and　to　recommend　it　to　others。

〃4。　Every　person　who　shall　subscribe　ten　pounds　at　once；　or　ten　shillings　and　sixpence　annually；　shall　be　considered　a　member　of　the　society。

〃5。　That　the　Rev。　John　Ryland；　Reynold　Hogg；　William　Carey；　John　Sutcliff；　and　Andrew　Fuller；　be　appointed　a　committee；　three　of　whom　shall　be　empowered　to　act　in　carrying　into　effect　the　purposes　of　this　society。

〃6。　That　the　Rev。　Reynold　Hogg　be　appointed　treasurer；　and　the　Rev。　Andrew　Fuller　secretary。

〃7。　That　the　subscriptions　be　paid　in　at　the　Northampton　ministers'　meeting；　October　31；　1792；　at　which　time　the　subject　shall　be　considered　more　particularly　by　the　committee；　and　other　subscribers　who　may　be　present。

〃Signed；　John　Ryland；　Reynold　Hogg；　John　Sutcliff；　Andrew　Fuller；　Abraham　Greenwood；　Edward　Sherman；　Joshua　Burton；　Samuel　Pearce；　Thomas　Blundel；　William　Heighton；　John　Eayres；　Joseph　Timms；　whose　subscriptions　in　all　amounted　to　？3：2：6。〃

The　procedure　suggested　in　〃brother　Carey's　late　publication〃　was　strictly　followeda　society　of　subscribers；　2d。　a　week；　or　10s。　6d。　a　year　as　a　compromise　between　the　tithes　and　the　penny　a　week　of　the　Enquiry。　　The　secretary　was　the　courageous　Fuller；　who　once　said　to　Ryland　and　Sutcliff：　〃You　excel　me　in　wisdom；　especially　in　foreseeing　difficulties。　　I　therefore　want　to　advise　with　you　both；　but　to　execute　without　you。〃　　The　frequent　chairman　was　Ryland；　who　was　soon　to　train　missionaries　for　the　work　at　Bristol　College。　　The　treasurer　was　the　only　rich　man　of　the　twelve；　who　soon　resigned　his　office　into　a　layman's　hands；　as　was　right。　　Of　the　others　we　need　now　point　only　to　Samuel　Pearce；　the　seraphic　preacher　of　Birmingham；　who　went　home　and　sent　？0　to　the　collection；　and　who；　since　he　desired　to　give　himself　like　Carey；　became　to　him　dearer　than　even　Fuller　was。　　The　place　was　a　low…roofed　parlour　in　the　house　of　Widow　Wallis；　looking　on　to　a　back　garden；　which　many　a　pilgrim　still　visits；　and　around　which　there　gathered　thousands　in　1842　to　hold　the　first　jubilee　of　modern　missions；　when　commemorative　medals　were　struck。　　There　in　1892　the　centenary　witnessed　a　still　vaster　assemblage。

Can　any　good　come　out　of　Kettering？　was　the　conclusion　of　the　Baptist　ministers　of　London　with　the　one　exception　of　Booth；　when　they　met　formally　to　decide　whether；　like　those　of　Birmingham　and　other　places；　they　should　join　the　primary　society。　　Benjamin　Beddome；　a　venerable　scholar　whom　Robert　Hall　declared　to　be　chief　among　his　brethren；　replied　to　Fuller　in　language　which　is　far　from　unusual　even　at　the　present　day；　but　showing　the　position　which　the　Leicester　minister　had　won　for　himself　even　then：

〃I　think　your　scheme；　considering　the　paucity　of　well…qualified　ministers；　hath　a　very　unfavourable　aspect　with　respect　to　destitute　churches　at　home；　where　charity　ought　to　begin。　　I　had　the　pleasure　once　to　see　and　hear　Mr。　Carey；　it　struck　me　he　was　the　most　suitable　person　in　the　kingdom；　at　least　whom　I　knew；　to　supply　my　place；　and　make　up　my　great　deficiencies　when　either　disabled　or　removed。　　A　different　plan　is　formed　and　pursued；　and　I　fear　that　the　great　and　good　man；　though　influenced　by　the　most　excellent　motives；　will　meet　with　a　disappointment。　　However；　God　hath　his　ends；　and　whoever　is　disappointed　He　cannot　be　so。　　My　unbelieving　heart　is　ready　to　suggest　that　the　time　is　not　come；　the　time　that　the　Lord's　house　should　be　built。〃

The　other　Congregationalists　made　no　sign。　　The　Presbyterians；　with　a　few　noble　exceptions　like　Dr。　Erskine；　whose　Dutch　volume　Carey　had　translated；　denounced　such　movements　as　revolutionary　in　a　General　Assembly　of　Socinianised　〃moderates。〃　　The　Church　of　England　kept　haughtily　or　timidly　aloof；　though　king　and　archbishop　were　pressed　to　send　a　mission。　〃Those　who　in　that　day　sneered　that　England　had　sent　a　cobbler　to　convert　the　world　were　the　direct　lineal　descendants　of　those　who　sneered　in　Palestine　2000　years　ago；　'Is　not　this　the　carpenter？'〃　said　Archdeacon　Farrar　in　Westminster　Abbey　on　6th　March　1887。　　Hence　Fuller's　reference　to　this　time：〃When　we　began　in　1792　there　was　little　or　no　respectability　among　us；　not　so　much　as　a　squire　to　sit　in　the　chair　or　an　orator　to　address　him　with　speeches。　　Hence　good　Dr。　Stennett　advised　the　London　ministers　to　stand　aloof　and　not　commit　themselves。〃

One　man　in　India　had　striven　to　rouse　the　Church　to　its　duty　as　Carey　had　done　at　home。　　Charles　Grant　had　in　1787　written　from　Malda　to　Charles　Simeon　and　Wilberforce　for　eight　missionaries；　but　not　one　Church　of　England　clergyman　could　be　found　to　go。　　Thirty　years　after；　when　chairman　of　the　Court　of　Directors　and　father　of　Lord　Glenelg　and　Sir　Robert　Grant；　he　wrote：〃I　had　formed　the　design　of　a　mission　to　Bengal：　Providence　reserved　that　honour　for　the　Baptists。〃　　After　all；　the　twelve　village　pastors　in　the　back　parlour　of　Kettering　were　the　more　really　the　successors　of　the　twelve　apostles　in　the　upper　room　of　Jerusalem。





CHAPTER　III

INDIA　AS　CAREY　FOUND　IT

1793

Tahiti　v。　BengalCarey　and　Thomas　appointed　missionaries　to　BengalThe　farewell　at　LeicesterJohn　Thomas；　first　medical　missionaryCarey's　letter　to　his　fatherThe　Company's　〃abominable　monopoly〃The　voyageCarey's　aspirations　for　world…wide　missionsLands　at　CalcuttaHis　description　of　Bengal　in　1793Contrast　presented　by　Carey　to　Clive；　Hastings；　and　CornwallisThe　spiritual　founder　of　an　Indian　Empire　of　Christian　BritainBengal　and　the　famine　of　1769…70The　Decennial　Settlement　declared　permanentEffects　on　the　landed　classesObstacles　to　Carey's　workEast　India　Company　at　its　worstHindooism　and　the　Bengalees　in　1793Position　of　Hindoo　womenMissionary　attempts　before　Carey'sZiegenbalg　and　SchwartzKiernander　and　the　chaplainsHindooised　state　of　Anglo…Indian　society　and　its　reaction　on　EnglandGuneshan　Dass；　the　first　caste　Hindoo　to　visit　EnglandWilliam　Carey　had　no　predecessor。

Carey　had　desired　to　go　first　to　Tahiti　or　Western　Africa。　　The　natives　of　North　America　and　the　negroes　of　the　West　Indies　and　Sierra　Leone　were　being　cared　for　by　Moravian　and　Wesleyan　evangelists。　　The　narrative　of　Captain　Cook's　two　first　voyages　to　the　Pacific　and　discovery　of　Tahiti　had　appeared　in　the　same　year　in　which　the　Northampton　churches　began　their　seven　years'　concert　of　prayer；　just　after　his　own　second　baptism。　　From　the　map；　and　a　leather　globe　which　also　he　is　said　to　have　made；　he　had　been　teaching　the　children　of　Piddington；　Moulton；　and　Leicester　the　great　outlines　and　thrilling　details　of　expeditions　round　the　world　which　roused　both　the　scientific　and　the　simple　of　England　as　much　as　the　discoveries　of　Columbus　had　excited　Europe。　　When　the　childlike　ignorance　and　natural　grace　of　the　Hawaiians；　which　had　at　first　fired　him　with　the　longing　to　tell　them　the　good　news　of　God；　were　seen　turned　into　the　wild　justice　of　revenge；　which　made　Cook　its　first　victim；　Carey　became　all　the　more　eager　to　anticipate　the　disasters　of　later　days。　　That　was　work　for　which　others　were　to　be　found。　　It　was　not　amid　the　scattered　and　decimated　savages　of　the　Pacific　or　of　America　that　the　citadel　of　heathenism　was　found；　nor　by　them　that　the　world；　old　and　new；　was　to　be　made　the　kingdom　of　Christ。　　With　the　cautious　wisdom　that　marked　all　Fuller's　action；　though　perhaps　with　the　ignorance　that　was　due　to　Carey's　absence；　the　third　meeting　of　the　new　society　recorded　this　among　other　articles　〃to　be　examined　and　discussed　in　the　most　diligent　and　impartial　mannerIn　what　part　of　the　heathen　world　do　there　seem　to　be　the　most　promising　openings？〃

The　answer；　big　with　consequence　for　the　future　of　the　East；　was　in　their　hands；　in　the　form　of　a　letter　from　Carey；　who　stated　that　〃Mr。　Thomas；　the　Bengal　missionary；〃　was　trying　to　raise　a　fund　for　that　province；　and　asked　〃whether　it　would　not　be　worthy　of　the　Society　to　try　to　make　that　and　ours　unite　with　one　fund　for　the　purpose　of　sending　the　gospel　to　the　heathen　indefinitely。〃　　Tahiti　was　not　to　be　neglected；　nor　Africa；　nor　Bengal；　in　〃our　larger　plan；〃　which　included　above　four　hundred　millions　of　our　fellowmen；　among