the life of william carey-第57章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ed　sister　penniless；　he　loved　Lydia　Grenfell　with　a　pure　passion　which　enriched　while　it　saddened　his　short　life；　and　a　chaplaincy　became　the　best　mode　in　every　way　of　his　living　and　dying　for　India。　　What　a　meeting　must　that　have　been　between　him　and　Carey　when；　already　stricken　by　fever；　he　found　a　sanctuary　in　Aldeen；　and　learned　at　Serampore　the　sweetness　of　telling　to　the　natives　of　India　in　one　of　their　own　tongues　the　love　of　God。　William　Carey　and　Henry　Martyn　were　one　in　origin；　from　the　people；　in　industry；　as　scholars；　in　genius；　as　God…devoted；　in　the　love　of　a　great　heart　not　always　returned。　　The　older　man　left　the　church　of　his　fathers　because　there　was　no　Simeon　and　no　missionary　society；　and　he　made　his　own　university；　he　laid　the　foundation　of　English　missions　deep　and　broad　in　no　sect　but　in　Christ；　to　whom　he　and　Martyn　alike　gave　themselves。

The　names　of　Carey　and　Simeon；　thus　linked　to　each　other　by　Martyn；　find　another　pleasant　and　fruitful　tie　in　the　Rev。　Alexander　Stewart；　D。D。；　Gaelic　scholar　and　Scottish　preacher。　　It　was　soon　after　Carey　went　out　to　India　that　Simeon；　travelling　in　the　Highlands；　spent　a　Sunday　in　the　manse　of　Moulin；　where　his　personal　intercourse　and　his　evening　sermon　after　a　season　of　Communion　were　blessed　to　the　evangelical　enlightenment　of　Stewart。　　Moulin　was　the　birthplace　ten　years　after　of　Alexander　Duff；　whose　parents　previously　came　under　the　power　of　the　minister's　new…found　light。24　Like　Simeon；　Dr。　Stewart　thenceforth　became　a　warm　supporter　of　foreign　missions。　　Finding　in　the　Periodical　Accounts　a　letter　in　which　Carey　asked　Fuller　to　send　him　a　copy　of　Van　der　Hooght's　edition　of　the　Hebrew　Bible　because　of　the　weakness　of　his　eyesight；　Dr。　Stewart　at　once　wrote　offering　his　own　copy。　　Fuller　gladly　accepted　the　kindness。　〃I　with　great　pleasure；〃　writes　Dr。　Stewart；　〃followed　the　direction；　wrote　a　letter　of　some　length　to　Carey；　and　sent　off　my　parcel　to　London。　　I　daresay　you　remember　my　favourite　Hebrew　Bible　in　two　volumes。　　I　parted　with　it　with　something　of　the　same　feelings　that　a　pious　parent　might　do　with　a　favourite　son　going　on　a　mission　to　the　heathenwith　a　little　regret　but　with　much　goodwill。〃　　This　was　the　beginning　of　an　interesting　correspondence　with　Carey　and　Fuller。

Next　to　Andrew　Fuller；　and　in　the　region　of　literature；　general　culture　and　eloquence　before　him；　the　strongest　men　among　the　Baptists　were　the　younger　Robert　Hall　and　John　Foster。　　Both　were　devoted　to　Carey；　and　were　the　most　powerful　of　the　English　advocates　of　his　mission。　　The　former；　for　a　time；　was　led　to　side　with　the　Society　in　some　of　the　details　of　its　dispute　with　Dr。　Marshman；　but　his　loyalty　to　Carey　and　the　principles　of　the　mission　fired　some　of　the　most　eloquent　orations　in　English　literature。　John　Foster's　shrewder　common　sense　never　wavered；　but　inspired　his　pen　alike　in　the　heat　of　controversy　and　in　his　powerful　essays　and　criticisms。　　Writing　in　1828；　he　declared　that　the　Serampore　missionaries　〃have　laboured　with　the　most　earnest　assiduity　for　a　quarter　of　a　century　（Dr。　Carey　much　longer）　in　all　manner　of　undertakings　for　promoting　Christianity；　with　such　a　renunciation　of　self…interest　as　will　never　be　surpassed；　that　they　have　conveyed　the　oracles　of　divine　truth　into　so　many　languages；　that　they　have　watched　over　diversified　missionary　operations　with　unremitting　care；　that　they　have　conducted　themselves　through　many　trying　and　some　perilous　circumstances　with　prudence　and　fortitude；　and　that　they　retain　to　this　hour　an　undiminished　zeal　to　do　all　that　providence　shall　enable　them　in　the　same　good　cause。〃　　The　expenditure　of　the　Serampore　Brotherhood　up　to　that　time；　leaving　out　of　account　the　miscellaneous　missionary　services；　he　showed　to　have　been　upwards　of　？5；000。　　Dr。　Chalmers　in　Scotland　was　as　stoutly　with　Carey　and　his　brethren　as　Foster　was　in　England；　so　that　Marshman　wrote：〃Thus　two　of　the　greatest　and　wisest　men　of　England　are　on　our　side；　and；　what　is　more；　I　trust　the　Lord　God　is　with　us。〃　　What　Heber　thought；　alike　as　man　and　bishop；　his　own　loving　letter　and　proposal　for　〃reunion　of　our　churches〃　in　the　next　chapter　will　show。

Of　all　the　publicists　in　the　United　Kingdom　during　Carey's　long　career　the　foremost　was　William　Wilberforce；　he　was　not　second　even　to　Charles　Grant　and　his　sons。　　Defeated　in　carrying　into　law　the　〃pious　clauses〃　of　the　charter　which　would　have　opened　India　to　the　Christian　missionary　and　schoolmaster　in　1793；　he　nevertheless　succeeded　by　his　persuasive　eloquence　and　the　weight　of　his　character　in　having　them　entered　as　Resolutions　of　the　House　of　Commons。　　He　then　gave　himself　successfully　to　the　abolition　of　the　slave…trade。　　But　he　always　declared　the　toleration　of　Christianity　in　British　India　to　be　〃that　greatest　of　all　causes；　for　I　really　place　it　before　the　abolition；　in　which；　blessed　be　God；　we　gained　the　victory。〃　　His　defeat　in　1793；　when　Dundas　and　the　Government　were　with　him；　was　due　to　the　apathy　of　public　opinion；　and　especially　of　the　dumb　churches。　　But　in　the　next　twenty　years　Carey　changed　all　that。　　Not　merely　was　Andrew　Fuller　ever　on　the　watch　with　pen　and　voice；　but　all　the　churches　were　roused；　the　Established　to　send　out　bishops　and　chaplains；　the　Nonconformist　and　Established　Evangelicals　together　to　secure　freedom　for　missionaries　and　schoolmasters。　　In　1793　an　English　missionary　was　an　unknown　and　therefore　a　much…dreaded　monster；　for　Carey　was　then　on　the　sea。　　In　1813　Carey　and　the　Serampore　Brotherhood　were　still　the　only　English　missionaries　continuously　at　work　in　India；　and　not　the　churches　only；　but　governor…generals　like　Teignmouth　and　Wellesley；　and　scholars　like　Colebrooke　and　H。　H。　Wilson；　were　familiar　with　the　grandeur　and　political　innocency　of　their　labours。　　Hence　this　outburst　of　Wilberforce　in　the　House　of　Commons　on　the　16th　July　1813；　when　he　used　the　name　of　Carey　to　defeat　an　attempt　of　the　Company　to　prevent　toleration　by　omitting　the　declaratory　clauses　of　the　Resolution；　which　would　have　made　it　imply　that　the　privilege　should　never　be　exerted　though　the　power　of　licensing　missionaries　was　nominally　conceded。

〃One　great　argument　of　his　opponents　was　grounded　on　the　enthusiastic　character　which　they　imputed　to　the　missionary　body。　India　hitherto　has　seen　no　missionary　who　was　a　member　of　the　English　Church；　and　imputations　could　be　cast　more　readily　on　'Anabaptists　and　fanatics。'　　These　attacks　Mr。　Wilberforce　indignantly　refuted；　and　well　had　the　noble　conduct　of　the　band　at　Serampore　deserved　this　vindication。　'I　do　not　know；'　he　often　said；　'a　finer　instance　of　the　moral　sublime；　than　that　a　poor　cobbler　working　in　his　stall　should　conceive　the　idea　of　converting　the　Hindoos　to　Christianity；　yet　such　was　Dr。　Carey。　　Why　Milton's　planning　his　Paradise　Lost　in　his　old　age　and　blindness　was　nothing　to　it。　　And　then　when　he　had　gone　to　India；　and　was　appointed　by　Lord　Wellesley　to　a　lucrative　and　honourable　station　in　the　college　of　Fort　William；　with　equal　nobleness　of　mind　he　made　over　all　his　salary　（between　？000　and　？500　per　annum）　to　the　general　objects　of　the　mission。　　By　the　way；　nothing　ever　gave　me　a　more　lively　sense　of　the　low　and　mercenary　standard　of　your　men　of　honour；　than　the　manifest　effect　produced　upon　the　House　of　Commons　by　my　stating　this　last　circumstance。　　It　seemed　to　be　the　only　thing　which　moved　them。'　　Dr。　Carey　had　been　especially　attacked；　and　'a　few　days　afterwards　the　member　who　had　made　this　charge　came　to　me；　and　asked　me　in　a　manner　which　in　a　noted　duellist　could　not　be　mistaken；　〃Pray；　Mr。　Wilberforce；　do　you　know　a　Mr。　Andrew　Fuller；　who　has　written　to　desire　me　to　retract　the　statement　which　I　made　with　reference　to　Dr。　Carey？〃　〃Yes；〃　I　answered　with　a　smile；　〃I　know　him　perfectly；　but　depend　upon　it　you　will　make　nothing　of　him　in　your　way；　he　is　a　respectable　Baptist　minister　at　Kettering。〃　　In　due　time　there　came　from　India　an　authoritative　contradiction　of　the　slander。　　It　was　sent　to　me；　and　for　two　whole　years　did　I　take　it　in　my　pocket　to　the　House　of　Commons　to　read　it　to　the　House　whenever　the　author　of　the　accusation　should　be　present；　but　during　that　whole　time　he　never　once　dared　show　himself　in　the　House。'〃

The　slanderer　was　a　Mr。　Prendergast；　who　affirmed　that　Dr。　Carey's　conduct　had　changed　so　much　for　the　worse　since　the　departure　of　Lord　Wellesley；　that　he　himself　had　seen　the　missionary　on　a　tub　in　the　streets　of　Calcutta　haranguing　the　mob　and　abusing　the　religion　of　the　people　in　such　a　way　that　the　police　alone　saved　him　from　being　killed。　　So；　and　for　the　same　object　of　defeating　the　Resolutions　on　Toleration；　Mr。　Montgomerie　Campbell　had　asserted　that　when　Schwartz　was　in　the　heat　of　his　discourse　in　a　certain　village　and　had　taken　off　his　stock；　〃that　and　his　gold　buckle　were　stolen　by　one　of　his　virtuous　and　enlightened　congregation；　in　such　a　description　of　natives　did　the　doctrine　of　the　missionaries　operate。〃　　Before　Dr。　Carey's　exposure　could　reach　England　this　〃tub〃　story　became　the　stock　argument　of　the　anti…christian　orators。　The　Madras　barrister；　Marsh；　who　was　put　up　to　answer　Wilberforce；　was　driven　to　such　language　as　this：

〃Your　struggles　are　only　begun　when　you　have　converted　one　caste；　never　will　the　scheme　of　Hindoo　conversion　be　realised　till　you　persuade　an　immense　population　to　suffer　by　whole　tribes　the　severest　martyrdom　that　has　yet　been　sustained　for　the　sake　of　religionand　are　the　missionaries　whom　this　bill　will　let　loose　on　India　fit　engines　for　the　accomplishment　of　this　great　revolution？　Will　these　people；　crawling　from　the　holes　and　caverns　of　their　original　destinations；　apostates　from　the　loom　and　the　anvilhe　should　have　said　the　awland　renegades　from　the　lowest　handicraft　employments；　be　a　match　for　the　cool　and　sedate　controversies　they　will　have　to　encounter　should　the　Brahmans　condescend　to　enter　into　the　arena　against　the　maimed　and　crippled　gladiators　that　presume　to　grapple　with　their　faith？　　What　can　be　apprehended　but　the　disgrace　and　discomfiture　of　whole　hosts　of　tub　preachers　in　the　conflict？〃

Lord　Wellesley's　eulogy　of　the　Serampore　mission　in　the　House　of　Lords　was　much　more　pronounced　than　appears　from　the　imperfect　report。　　But　even　in　that　he　answered　the　Brahmanised　member　of　the　House　of　Commons　thus：

〃With　regard　to　the　missionaries；　he　must　say　that　while　he　was　in　India　he　never　knew　of　any　danger　arising　from　their　proceedings；　neither　had　he　heard　of　any　impression　produced　by　them　in　the　way　of　conversion。　　The　greater　number　of　them　were　in　the　Danish　settlement　of　Serampore；　but　he　never　heard　of　any　convulsions　or　any　alarm　produced　by　them。　　Some　of　them；　particularly　Mr。　Carey；　were　very　learned　men；　and　had　been　employed　in　the　College　of　Fort　William。　　He　had　always　considered　the　missionaries　who　were　in　India　in　his　time　a　quiet；　orderly；　discreet；　and　learned　body；　and　he　had　employed　them　in　the　education　of　youth　and　the　translation　of　the　Scriptures　into　the　eastern　languages。　　He　had　thought　it　his　duty　to　have　the　Sacred　Scriptures　translated　into　the　languages　of　the　East；　and　to　give　the　learned　natives　employed　in　the　translation　the　advantage　of　access　to　the　sacred　fountain　of　divine　truth。　　He　thought　a　Christian　governor