the life of william carey-第59章

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elf　faith　as　well　as　a　literary　canon　higher　than　that　of　his　opponent　who　wrote　only　to　〃please〃　his　patrons。　　He　saw　in　these　Methodists　alone　that　which　he　appreciated　as　the　essence　of　true　faith〃that　spirit　of　enthusiasm　by　which　Europe　was　converted　to　Christianity　they　have　in　some　measure　revived；　and　they　have　removed　from　Protestantism　a　part　of　its　reproach。〃　　He　proceeded　to　tell　how　〃this　Mission；　which　is　represented　by　its　enemies　as　so　dangerous　to　the　British　Empire　in　India；　and　thereby；　according　to　a　logic　learnt　from　Buonaparte；　to　England　also；　originated　in　a　man　by　name　William　Carey；　who　till　the　twenty…fourth　year　of　his　age　was　a　working　shoemaker。　　Sectarianism　has　this　main　advantage　over　the　Established　Church；　that　its　men　of　ability　certainly　find　their　station；　and　none　of　its　talents　are　neglected　or　lost。　　Carey　was　a　studious　and　pious　man；　his　faith　wrong；　his　feelings　right。　　He　made　himself　competently　versed　in　Latin；　Greek；　and　Hebrew。　　He　is　now　probably　a　far　more　learned　orientalist　than　any　European　has　ever　been　before　him；　and　has　been　appointed　Professor　of　Sanskrit　and　Bengali　at　the　College　of　Fort　William。〃　　Then　follow　a　history　of　the　Mission　written　in　a　style　worthy　of　the　author　of　the　Life　of　Nelson；　and　these　statements　of　the　political　and　the　purely　missionary　questions；　which　read　now　almost　as　predictions：

〃The　first　step　towards　winning　the　natives　to　our　religion　is　to　show　them　that　we　have　one。　　This　will　hardly　be　done　without　a　visible　church。　　There　would　be　no　difficulty　in　filling　up　the　establishment；　however　ample；　but　would　the　archbishop；　bishops；　deans；　and　chapters　of　Mr。　Buchanan's　plan　do　the　work　of　missionaries？　　Could　the　Church　of　England　supply　missionaries？where　are　they　to　be　found　among　them？　　In　what　school　for　the　promulgation　of　sound　and　orthodox　learning　are　they　trained　up？　　There　is　ability　and　there　is　learning　in　the　Church　of　England；　but　its　age　of　fermentation　has　long　been　over；　and　that　zeal　which　for　this　work　is　the　most　needful　is；　we　fear；　possessed　only　by　the　Methodists。。。

〃Carey　and　his　son　have　been　in　Bengal　fourteen　years；　the　other　brethren　only　nine；　they　had　all　a　difficult　language　to　acquire　before　they　could　speak　to　a　native；　and　to　preach　and　argue　in　it　required　a　thorough　and　familiar　knowledge。　　Under　these　circumstances　the　wonder　is；　not　that　they　have　done　so　little；　but　that　they　have　done　so　much；　for　it　will　be　found　that；　even　without　this　difficulty　to　retard　them；　no　religious　opinions　have　spread　more　rapidly　in　the　same　time；　unless　there　was　some　remarkable　folly　or　extravagance　to　recommend　them；　or　some　powerful　worldly　inducement。　　Their　progress　will　be　continually　accelerating；　the　difficulty　is　at　first；　as　in　introducing　vaccination　into　a　distant　land；　when　the　matter　has　once　taken　one　subject　supplies　infection　for　all　around　him；　and　the　disease　takes　root　in　the　country。　　The　husband　converts　the　wife；　the　son　converts　the　parent；　the　friend　his　friend；　and　every　fresh　proselyte　becomes　a　missionary　in　his　own　neighbourhood。　　Thus　their　sphere　of　influence　and　of　action　widens；　and　the　eventual　issue　of　a　struggle　between　truth　and　falsehood　is　not　to　be　doubted　by　those　who　believe　in　the　former。　Other　missionaries　from　other　societies　have　now　entered　India；　and　will　soon　become　efficient　labourers　in　their　station。　　From　Government　all　that　is　asked　is　toleration　for　themselves　and　protection　for　their　converts。　　The　plan　which　they　have　laid　for　their　own　proceedings　is　perfectly　prudent　and　unexceptionable；　and　there　is　as　little　fear　of　their　provoking　martyrdom　as　there　would　be　of　their　shrinking　from　it；　if　the　cause　of　God　and　man　require　the　sacrifice。　　But　the　converts　ought　to　be　protected　from　violence；　and　all　cramming　with　cow…dung　prohibited　on　pain　of　retaliation　with　beef…tea。

〃Nothing　can　be　more　unfair　than　the　manner　in　which　the　scoffers　and　alarmists　have　represented　the　missionaries。　　We；　who　have　thus　vindicated　them；　are　neither　blind　to　what　is　erroneous　in　their　doctrine　or　ludicrous　in　their　phraseology；　but　the　anti…missionaries　cull　out　from　their　journals　and　letters　all　that　is　ridiculous　sectarian；　and　trifling；　call　them　fools；　madmen；　tinkers；　Calvinists；　and　schismatics；　and　keep　out　of　sight　their　love　of　man；　and　their　zeal　for　God；　their　self…devotement；　their　indefatigable　industry；　and　their　unequalled　learning。　　These　low…born　and　low…bred　mechanics　have　translated　the　whole　Bible　into　Bengali；　and　have　by　this　time　printed　it。　　They　are　printing　the　New　Testament　in　the　Sanskrit；　the　Orissa；　Mahratta；　Hindostan；　and　Guzarat；　and　translating　it　into　Persic；　Telinga；　Karnata；　Chinese；　the　language　of　the　Sieks　and　of　the　Burmans；　and　in　four　of　these　languages　they　are　going　on　with　the　Bible。　　Extraordinary　as　this　is；　it　will　appear　more　so　when　it　is　remembered　that　of　these　men　one　was　originally　a　shoemaker；　another　a　printer　at　Hull；　and　a　third　the　master　of　a　charity…school　at　Bristol。　　Only　fourteen　years　have　elapsed　since　Thomas　and　Carey　set　foot　in　India；　and　in　that　time　have　these　missionaries　acquired　this　gift　of　tongues；　in　fourteen　years　these　low…born；　low…bred　mechanics　have　done　more　towards　spreading　the　knowledge　of　the　Scriptures　among　the　heathen　than　has　been　accomplished；　or　even　attempted；　by　all　the　princes　and　potentates　of　the　worldand　all　the　universities　and　establishments　into　the　bargain。

〃Do　not　think　to　supersede　the　Baptist　missionaries　till　you　can　provide　from　your　own　church　such　men　as　these；　and；　it　may　be　added；　such　women　also　as　their　wives。〃

Soon　after　the　Charter　victory　had　been　gained　〃that　fierce　and　fiery　Calvinist；〃　whose　dictum　Southey　adopted；　that　the　question　in　dispute　is　not　whether　the　natives　shall　enjoy　toleration；　but　whether　that　toleration　shall　be　extended　to　the　teachers　of　Christianity；　Andrew　Fuller；　entered　into　rest　on　the　7th　May　1815；　at　the　age　of　sixty…two。　　Sutcliff　of　Olney　had　been　the　first　of　the　three　to　be　taken　away25　a　year　before；　at　the　same　age。　　The　scholarly　Dr。　Ryland　of　Bristol　was　left　alone；　and　the　home　management　of　the　Mission　passed　into　the　hands　of　another　generation。　　Up　to　Fuller's　death　that　management　had　been　almost　ideally　perfect。　　In　1812　the　Committee　had　been　increased　by　the　addition　of　nineteen　members；　to　represent　the　growing　interest　of　the　churches　in　Serampore；　and　to　meet　the　demand　of　the　〃respectable〃　class　who　had　held　aloof　at　the　first；　who　were　eager　that　the　headquarters　of　so　renowned　an　enterprise　should　be　removed　to　London。　　But　Fuller　prevailed　to　keep　the　Society　a　little　longer　at　Kettering；　although　he　failed　to　secure　as　his　assistant　and　successor　the　one　man　whose　ability；　experience；　and　prudence　would　have　been　equal　to　his　own；　and　have　prevented　the　troubles　that　followedChristopher　Anderson。　　As　Fuller　lay　dying；　he　dictated　a　letter　to　Ryland　wherein　he　thus　referred　to　the　evangelical　doctrine　of　grace　which　he　had　been　the　one　English　theologian　of　his　day　to　defend　from　the　hyper…calvinists；　and　to　use　as　the　foundation　of　the　modern　missionary　enterprise：〃I　have　preached　and　written　much　against　the　abuse　of　the　doctrine　of　grace；　but　that　doctrine　is　all　my　salvation　and　all　my　desire。　　I　have　no　other　hope　than　from　salvation　by　mere　sovereign；　efficacious　grace　through　the　atonement　of　my　Lord　and　Saviour：　with　this　hope　I　can　go　into　eternity　with　composure。　　We　have　some　who　have　been　giving　it　out　of　late　that　if　Sutcliff　and　some　others　had　preached　more　of　Christ　and　less　of　Jonathan　Edwards　they　would　have　been　more　useful。　　If　those　who　talk　thus　had　preached　Christ　half　as　much　as　Jonathan　Edwards　did；　and　were　half　as　useful　as　he　was；　their　usefulness　would　be　double　what　it　is。　　It　is　very　singular　that　the　Mission　to　the　East　originated　with　one　of　these　principles；　and　without　pretending　to　be　a　prophet；　I　may　say　if　it　ever　falls　into　the　hands　of　men　who　talk　in　this　strain　（of　hyper…calvinism）　it　will　soon　come　to　nothing。〃

Andrew　Fuller　was　not　only　the　first　of　Foreign　Mission　Secretaries；　he　was　a　model　for　all。　　To　him　his　work　was　spiritual　life；　and　hence；　though　the　most　active　preacher　and　writer　of　his　day；　he　was　like　Carey　in　this；　that　his　working　day　was　twice　as　long　as　that　of　most　men；　and　he　could　spend　half　of　his　time　in　the　frequent　journeys　all　over　the　kingdom　to　raise　funds；　in　repeated　campaigns　in　London　to　secure　toleration；　and　in　abundant　letters　to　the　missionaries。　　His　relation　to　the　Committee；　up　to　the　last；　was　equally　exemplary。　　In　the　very　earliest　missionary　organisation　in　England　it　is　due　to　him　that　the　line　was　clearly　drawn　between　the　deliberative　and　judicial　function　which　is　that　of　the　members；　and　the　executive　which　is　that　of　the　secretary。　　Wisdom　and　efficiency；　clearness　of　perception　and　promptitude　of　action；　were　thus　combined。　　Fuller's；　too；　was　the　special　merit　of　realising　that；　while　a　missionary　committee　or　church　are　fellow…workers　only　with　the　men　and　women　abroad；　the　Serampore　Brotherhood　was　a　self…supporting；　and　to　that　extent　a　self…governing　body　in　a　sense　true　of　no　foreign　mission　ever　since。　　The　two　triumvirates；　moreover；　consisted　of　giantsCarey；　Marshman；　and　Ward　abroad；　Fuller；　Sutcliff；　and　Ryland　at　home。　　To　Carey　personally　the　death　of　Fuller　was　more　than　to　any　other。　　For　almost　the　quarter　of　a　century　he　had　kept　his　vow　that　he　would　hold　the　rope。　　When　Pearce　died　all　too　soon　there　was　none　whom　Carey　loved　like　Fuller；　while　Fuller's　devotion　to　Carey　was　all　the　greater　that　it　was　tempered　by　a　wise　jealousy　for　his　perfectness。　　So　early　as　1797；　Fuller　wrote　thus　to　the　troublesome　Fountain：〃It　affords　us　good　hope　of　your　being　a　useful　missionary　that　you　seem　to　love　and　revere　the　counsels　of　Brother　Carey。　　A　humble；　peaceful；　circumspect；　disinterested；　faithful；　peaceable；　and　zealous　conduct　like　his　will　render　you　a　blessing　to　society。　　Brother　Carey　is　greatly　respected　and　beloved　by　all　denominations　here。　　I　will　tell　you　what　I　have　foreborne　to　tell　him　lest　it　should　hurt　his　modesty。　　Good　old　Mr。　Newton　says：　'Mr。　Carey　has　favoured　me　with　a　letter；　which；　indeed；　I　accept　as　a　favour；　and　I　mean　to　thank　him　for　it。　　I　trust　my　heart　as　cordially　unites　with　him　as　though　I　were　a　brother　Baptist　myself。　　I　look　to　such　a　man　with　reverence。　　He　is　more　to　me　than　bishop　or　archbishop；　he　is　an　apostle。　　May　the　Lord　make　all　who　undertake　missions　like…minded　with　Brother　Carey！'〃　　As　the　home　administrator；　no　less　than　as　the　theological　controversialist；　Andrew　Fuller　stands　only　second　to　William　Carey；　the　founder　of　Modern　English　Missions。

Fuller's　last　letter　to　Carey　forms　the　best　introduction　to　the　little　which　it　is　here　necessary　to　record　of　the　action　of　the　Baptist　Missionary　Society　when　under　the　secretaryship　of　the　Rev。　John　Dyer。　Mr。　John　Marshman；　C。S。I。；　has　written　the　detailed　history　of　that　controversy　not　only　with　filial　duty；　but　with　a　forgiving　charity　which　excites　our　admiration　for　one　who　suffered　more　from　it　than　all　his　predecessors　in　the　Brotherhood；　of　which　he　was　the　last　representative。　　The　Society　has　lon