the life of william carey-第88章
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The letter of King Frederic VI。 is as follows:
〃MONSIEUR LE DOCTEUR ET PROFESSEUR WILLIAM CAREY
C'est avec beaucoup d'int閞阾 que nous avons appris le m閞ite qu'en qualit?de membre dirigeant de la Soci閠?de la Mission; vous avez acquis; ainsi que vos co…directeurs; et les eff鑤s salutaires que vos louables travaux ont produits et partout o?votre influence a pu atteindre。 Particulierement inform閟 qu'en votre dite qualit?vous avez contribu?a effectuer bien des choses utiles; dont l'閠ablissement ?Fr閐閞icsnagore a ?se louer; et voulant vous certifier que nous vous en avons gr? nous avons charg?le chef du dit 閠ablissement;notre Lieutenant…Colonel Kraefting; de vous remettre cette lettre; et en m阭e temps une medaille d'or; comme une marque de notre bienveillance et de notre protection; que vous assurera toujours une conduite meritoire。
〃Sur ce nous prions Dieu de vous avoir dans Sa sainte et digne garde。Votre affectionn?FREDERIC。
〃Copenhague; ce 7 Juin 1820。
〃Au Docteur et Professeur WILLIAM CAREY;
Membre dirigeant de la Soci閠?de la Mission ?Fr閐閞icsnagore。〃
The new College formed an additional attraction to visitors to the mission。 One of these; in 1821; was the Maharaja Serfojee; the prince of Tanjore; whom Schwartz had tended; but who was on pilgrimage to Benares。 Hand in hand with Dr。 Carey he walked through the missionary workshop; noticed specially the pundits who were busy with translation to which Lord Hastings had directed his attention; and dilated with affectionate enthusiasm on the deeds and the character of the apostle of South India。 In 1823 cholera suddenly cut off Mr。 Ward in the midst of his labours。 The year after that Charles Grant died; leaving a legacy to the mission。 Almost his last act had been to write to Carey urging him to publish a reply to the attack of the Abb?Dubois on all Christian missions。 Another friend was removed in Bentley; the scholar who put Hindoo astronomy in its right place。 Bishop Heber began his too brief episcopate in 1824; when the college; strengthened by the abilities of the Edinburgh professor; John Mack; was accomplishing all that its founders had projected。 The Bishop of all good Christian men never penned a finer productionnot even his hymnsthan this letter; called forth by a copy of the Report on the College sent to him by Dr。 Marshman:
〃I have seldom felt more painfully than while reading your appeal on the subject of Serampore College; the unhappy divisions of those who are the servants of the same Great Master! Would to God; my honoured brethren; the time were arrived when not only in heart and hope; but visibly; we shall be one fold; as well as under one shepherd! In the meantime I have arrived; after some serious considerations; at the conclusion that I shall serve our great cause most effectually by doing all which I can for the rising institutions of those with whom my sentiments agree in all things; rather than by forwarding the labours of those from whom; in some important points; I am conscientiously constrained to differ。 After all; why do we differ? Surely the leading points which keep us asunder are capable of explanation or of softening; and I am expressing myself in much sincerity of heart(though; perhaps; according to the customs of the world; I am taking too great a freedom with men my superiors both in age and in talent); that I should think myself happy to be permitted to explain; to the best of my power; those objections which keep you and your brethren divided from that form of church government which I believe to have been instituted by the apostles; and that admission of infants to the Gospel Covenants which seem to me to be founded on the expressions and practice of Christ himself。 If I were writing thus to worldly men I know I should expose myself to the imputation of excessive vanity or impertinent intrusion。 But of you and Dr。 Carey I am far from judging as of worldly men; and I therefore say that; if we are spared to have any future intercourse; it is my desire; if you permit; to discuss with both of you; in the spirit of meekness and conciliation; the points which now divide us; convinced that; if a reunion of our Churches could be effected; the harvest of the heathen would ere long be reaped; and the work of the Lord would advance among them with a celerity of which we have now no experience。
〃I trust; at all events; you will take this hasty note as it is intended; and believe me; with much sincerity; your friend and servant in Christ; REGINALD CALCUTTA。
〃3rd June 1824。〃
This is how Carey reciprocated these sentiments; when writing to Dr。 Ryland:
〃SERAMPORE; 6th July 1824。
〃I rejoice to say that there is the utmost harmony between all the ministers of all denominations。 Bishop Heber is a man of liberal principles and catholic spirit。 Soon after his arrival in the country he wrote me a very friendly letter; expressing his wish to maintain all the friendship with us which our respective circumstances would allow。 I was then confined; but Brother Marshman called on him。 As soon as I could walk without crutches I did the same; and had much free conversation with him。 Some time after this he wrote us a very friendly letter; saying that it would highly gratify him to meet Brother Marshman and myself; and discuss in a friendly manner all the points of difference between himself and us; adding that there was every reason to expect much good from a calm and temperate discussion of these things; and that; if we could at any rate come so near to each other as to act together; he thought it would have a greater effect upon the spread of the gospel among the heathen than we could calculate upon。 He was then just setting out on a visitation which will in all probability take a year。 We; however; wrote him a reply accepting his proposal; and Brother Marshman expressed a wish that the discussion might be carried on by letter; to which in his reply he partly consented。 I have such a disinclination to writing; and so little leisure for it; that I wished the discussion to be viva voce; it will; however; make little difference; and all I should have to say would be introduced into the letter。〃
On the death of Mr。 Ward and departure of Dr。 Marshman for Great Britain on furlough; after twenty…six years' active labours; his son; Mr。 John Marshman; was formally taken into the Brotherhood。 He united with Dr。 Carey in writing to the Committee two letters; dated 21st January 1826 and 15th November 1827; which show the progress of the college and the mission from the first as one independent agency; and closed with Carey's appeal to the judgment of posterity。
〃About seven years ago we felt convinced of the necessity of erecting a College for native Christian youth; in order to consolidate our plans for the spread of gospel truth in India; and; as we despaired of being able to raise from public subscriptions a sum equal to the expense of the buildings; we determined to erect them from our own private funds。 Up to the present date they have cost us nearly ?4;000; and the completion of them will require a further sum of about ?000; which; if we are not enabled to advance from our own purse; the undertaking must remain incomplete。 With this burden upon our private funds we find it impossible any longer to meet; to the same extent as formerly; the demands of our out…stations。 The time is now arrived when they must cease to be wholly dependent on the private donations of three individuals; and must be placed on the strength of public contributions。 As two out of three of the members of our body are now beyond the age of fifty…seven; it becomes our duty to place them on a more permanent footing; as it regards their management; their support; and their increase。 We have therefore associated with ourselves; in the superintendence of them; the Rev。 Messrs。 Mack and Swan; the two present professors of the college; with the view of eventually leaving them entirely in the hands of the body of professors; of whom the constitution of the college provides that there shall be an unbroken succession。
〃To secure an increase of missionaries in European habits we have formed a class of theological students in the colleg