the life of william carey-第32节

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　admitted　to　table　with　company；　and　are　universally　treated　by　the　English　as　an　inferior　species　of　beings。　　Hence　they　are　often　shame…faced　yet　proud　and　conceited；　and　endeavour　to　assume　that　honour　to　themselves　which　is　denied　them　by　others。　　This　class　may　be　regarded　as　forming　a　connecting　link　between　Europeans　and　natives。　　The　Armenians　are　few　in　number；　but　chiefly　rich。　　I　have　several　times　conversed　with　them　about　religion：　they　hear　with　patience；　and　wonder　that　any　Englishman　should　make　that　a　subject　of　conversation。〃

While　the　Marshmans　gave　their　time　from　seven　in　the　morning　till　three　in　the　afternoon　to　these　boarding…schools　started　by　Carey　in　1800　for　the　higher　education　of　the　Eurasians；　Carey　himself；　in　Calcutta；　early　began　to　care　for　the　destitute。　　His　efforts　resulted　in　the　establishment　of　the　〃Benevolent　Institution　for　the　Instruction　of　Indigent　Children；〃　which　the　contemporary　Bengal　civilian；　Charles　Lushington；　in　his　History　extols　as　one　of　the　monuments　of　active　and　indefatigable　benevolence　due　to　Serampore。　Here；　on　the　Lancaster　system；　and　superintended　by　Carey；　Mr。　and　Mrs。　Penney　had　as　many　as　300　boys　and　100　girls　under　Christian　instruction　of　all　ages　up　to　twenty…four；　and　of　every　race：〃Europeans；　native　Portuguese；　Armenians；　Mugs；　Chinese；　Hindoos；　Mussulmans；　natives　of　Sumatra；　Mozambik；　and　Abyssinia。〃　This　official　reporter　states　that　thus　more　than　a　thousand　youths　had　been　rescued　from　vice　and　ignorance　and　advanced　in　usefulness　to　society；　in　a　degree　of　opulence　and　respectability。　　The　origin　of　this　noble　charity　is　thus　told　to　Dr。　Ryland　by　Carey　himself　in　a　letter　which　unconsciously　reveals　his　own　busy　life；　records　the　missionary　influence　of　the　higher　schools；　and　reports　the　existence　of　the　mission　over　a　wide　area。　　He　writes　from　Calcutta　on　24th　May　1811：

〃A　year　ago　we　opened　a　free　school　in　Calcutta。　　This　year　we　added　to　it　a　school　for　girls。　　There　are　now　in　it　about　140　boys　and　near　40　girls。　　One　of　our　deacons；　Mr。　Leonard；　a　most　valuable　and　active　man；　superintends　the　boys；　and　a　very　pious　woman；　a　member　of　the　church；　is　over　the　girls。　　The　Institution　meets　with　considerable　encouragement；　and　is　conducted　upon　Lancaster's　plan。　We　meditate　another　for　instruction　of　Hindoo　youths　in　the　Sanskrit　language；　designing；　however；　to　introduce　the　study　of　the　Sanskrit　Bible　into　it；　indeed　it　is　as　good　as　begun；　it　will　be　in　Calcutta。　　By　brother　and　sister　Marshman's　encouragement　there　are　two　schools　in　our　own　premises　at　Serampore　for　the　gratuitous　instruction　of　youth　of　both　sexes；　supported　and　managed　wholly　by　the　male　and　female　scholars　in　our　own　school。　　These　young　persons　appear　to　enter　with　pleasure　into　the　plan；　contribute　their　money　to　its　support；　and　give　instruction　in　turns　to　the　children　of　these　free　schools。　　I　trust　we　shall　be　able　to　enlarge　this　plan；　and　to　spread　its　influence　far　about　the　country。　　Our　brethren　in　the　Isles　of　France　and　Bourbon　seem　to　be　doing　good；　some　of　them　are　gone　to　Madagascar；　and；　as　if　to　show　that　Divine　Providence　watches　over　them；　the　ship　on　which　they　went　was　wrecked　soon　after　they　had　landed　from　it。　　A　number　of　our　members　are　now　gone　to　Java；　I　trust　their　going　thither　will　not　be　in　vain。　　Brother　Chamberlain　is；　ere　this；　arrived　at　Agra。。。We　preach　every　week　in　the　Fort　and　in　the　public　prison；　both　in　English　and　Bengali。〃

Carey　had　not　been　six　months　at　Serampore　when　he　saw　the　importance　of　using　the　English　language　as　a　missionary　weapon；　and　he　proposed　this　to　Andrew　Fuller。　　The　other　pressing　duties　of　a　pioneer　mission　to　the　people　of　Bengal　led　him　to　postpone　immediate　action　in　this　direction；　we　shall　have　occasion　to　trace　the　English　influence　of　the　press　and　the　college　hereafter。　　But　meanwhile　the　vernacular　schools；　which　soon　numbered　a　hundred　altogether；　were　most　popular；　and　then　as　now　proved　most　valuable　feeders　of　the　infant　Church。　　Without　them；　wrote　the　three　missionaries　to　the　Society；　〃the　whole　plan　must　have　been　nipped　in　the　bud；　since；　if　the　natives　had　not　cheerfully　sent　their　children；　everything　else　would　have　been　useless。　　But　the　earnestness　with　which　they　have　sought　these　schools　exceeds　everything　we　had　previously　expected。　　We　are　still　constantly　importuned　for　more　schools；　although　we　have　long　gone　beyond　the　extent　of　our　funds。〃　　It　was　well　that　thus　early；　in　schools；　in　books　and　tracts；　and　in　providing　the　literary　form　and　apparatus　of　the　vernacular　languages；　Carey　laid　the　foundation　of　the　new　national　or　imperial　civilisation。　　When　the　time　for　English　came；　the　foundations　were　at　least　above　the　ground。　　Laid　deep　and　strong　in　the　very　nature　of　the　people；　the　structure　has　thus　far　promised　to　be　national　rather　than　foreign；　though　raised　by　foreign　hands；　while　marked　by　the　truth　and　the　purity　of　its　Western　architects。

The　manifestation　of　Christ　to　the　Bengalees　could　not　be　made　without　rousing　the　hate　and　the　opposition　of　the　vested　interests　of　Brahmanism。　　So　long　as　Carey　was　an　indigo　planter　as　well　as　a　proselytiser　in　Dinapoor　and　Malda　he　met　with　no　opposition；　for　he　had　no　direct　success。　　But　when；　from　Serampore；　he　and　the　others；　by　voice；　by　press；　by　school；　by　healing　the　sick　and　visiting　the　poor；　carried　on　the　crusade　day　by　day　with　the　gentle　persistency　of　a　law　of　nature；　the　cry　began。　　And　when；　by　the　breaking　of　caste　and　the　denial　of　Krishna's　Christian　daughter　Golook　to　the　Hindoo　to　whom　she　had　been　betrothed　from　infancy；　the　Brahmans　began　dimly　to　apprehend　that　not　only　their　craft　but　the　whole　structure　of　society　was　menaced；　the　cry　became　louder；　and；　as　in　Ephesus　of　old；　an　appeal　was　made　to　the　magistrates　against　the　men　who　were　turning　the　world　upside　down。　　At　first　the　very　boys　taunted　the　missionaries　in　the　streets　with　the　name　of　Jesus　Christ。　　Then；　after　Krishna　and　his　family　had　broken　caste；　they　were　seized　by　a　mob　and　hurried　before　the　Danish　magistrate；　who　at　first　refused　to　hand　over　a　Christian　girl　to　a　heathen；　and　gave　her　father　a　guard　to　prevent　her　from　being　murdered；　until　the　Calcutta　magistrate　decided　that　she　must　join　her　husband　but　would　be　protected　in　the　exercise　of　her　new　faith。　　The　commotion　spread　over　the　whole　densely…peopled　district。　　But　the　people　were　not　with　the　Brahmans；　and　the　excitement　sent　many　a　sin…laden　inquirer　to　Serampore　from　a　great　distance。　〃The　fire　is　now　already　kindled　for　which　our　Redeemer　expressed　his　strong　desire；〃　wrote　Carey　to　Ryland　in　March　1801。　　A　year　later　he　used　this　language　to　his　old　friend　Morris　at　Clipstone　village：〃I　think　there　is　such　a　fermentation　raised　in　Bengal　by　the　little　leaven；　that　there　is　a　hope　of　the　whole　lump　by　degrees　being　leavened。　God　is　carrying　on　his　work；　and　though　it　goes　forward；　yet　no　one　can　say　who　is　the　instrument。　　Doubtless；　various　means　contribute　towards　it；　but　of　late　the　printing　and　dispersing　of　New　Testaments　and　small　tracts　seem　to　have　the　greatest　effect。〃

In　a　spirit　the　opposite　of　Jonah's　the　whole　brotherhood；　then　consisting　of　the　three；　of　Carey's　son　Felix；　and　of　a　new　missionary；　Chamberlain；　sent　home　this　review　of　their　position　at　the　close　of　1804：

〃We　are　still　a　happy；　healthful；　and　highly　favoured　family。　　But　though　we　would　feel　incessant　gratitude　for　these　gourds；　yet　we　would　not　feel　content　unless　Nineveh　be　brought　to　repentance。　　We　did　not　come　into　this　country　to　be　placed　in　what　are　called　easy　circumstances　respecting　this　world；　and　we　trust　that　nothing　but　the　salvation　of　souls　will　satisfy　us。　　True；　before　we　set　off；　we　thought　we　could　die　content　if　we　should　be　permitted　to　see　the　half　of　what　we　have　already　seen；　yet　now　we　seem　almost　as　far　from　the　mark　of　our　missionary　high　calling　as　ever。　　If　three　millions　of　men　were　drowning；　he　must　be　a　monster　who　should　be　content　with　saving　one　individual　only；　though　for　the　deliverance　of　that　one　he　would　find　cause　for　perpetual　gratitude。〃

In　1810　the　parent　mission　at　Serampore　had　so　spread　into　numerous　stations　and　districts　that　a　new　organisation　became　necessary。　There　were　300　converts；　of　whom　105　had　been　added　in　that　year。　〃Did　you　expect　to　see　this　eighteen　years　ago？〃　wrote　Marshman　to　the　Society。　〃But　what　may　we　not　expect　if　God　continues　to　bless　us　in　years　to　come？〃　　Marshman　forgot　how　Carey　had；　in　1792；　told　them　on　the　inspired　evangelical　prophet's　authority　to　〃expect　great　things　from　God。〃　Henceforth　the　one　mission　became　fivefold　for　a　time。





CHAPTER　VII

CALCUTTA　AND　THE　MISSION　CENTRES　FROM　DELHI　TO　AMBOYNA

1802…1817

The　East　India　Company　an　unwilling　partner　of　CareyCalcutta　opened　to　the　Mission　by　his　appointment　as　Government　teacher　of　BengaliMeeting　of　1802　grows　into　the　Lall　Bazaar　missionChrist…like　work　among　the　poor；　the　sick；　the　prisoners；　the　soldiers　and　sailors　and　the　nativesKrishna　Pal　first　native　missionary　in　CalcuttaOrganisation　of　subordinate　stationsCarey's　〃United　Missions　in　India〃The　missionary　staff　thirty　strongThe　native　missionariesThe　Beng