the life of william carey-第6节

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hich　he　purchased　for　a　few　coppers。　　He　had　the　linguistic　gift　which　soon　after　made　the　young　carpenter　Mezzofanti　of　Bologna　famous　and　a　cardinal。　But　the　gift　would　have　been　buried　in　the　grave　of　his　penury　and　his　circumstances　had　his　trade　been　almost　any　other；　and　had　he　not　been　impelled　by　the　most　powerful　of　all　motives。　　He　never　sat　on　his　stall　without　his　book　before　him；　nor　did　he　painfully　toil　with　his　wallet　of　new…made　shoes　to　the　neighbouring　towns　or　return　with　leather　without　conning　over　his　lately…acquired　knowledge；　and　making　it　for　ever；　in　orderly　array；　his　own。　　He　so　taught　his　evening　school　and　his　Sunday　congregations　that　the　teaching　to　him；　like　writing　to　others；　stereotyped　or　lighted　up　the　truths。　　Indeed；　the　school　and　the　cobbling　often　went　on　togethera　fact　commemorated　in　the　addition　to　the　Hackleton　signboard　of　the　Piddington　nail　on　which　he　used　to　fix　his　thread　while　teaching　the　children。

But　that　which　sanctified　and　directed　the　whole　throughout　a　working　life　of　more　than　half　a　century；　was　the　missionary　idea　and　the　missionary　consecration。　　With　a　caution　not　often　shown　at　that　time　by　bishops　in　laying　hands　on　those　whom　they　had　passed　for　deacon's　orders；　the　little　church　at　Olney　thus　dealt　with　the　Father　of　Modern　Missions　before　they　would　recognise　his　call　and　send　him　out　〃to　preach　the　gospel　wherever　God　in　His　providence　might　call　him：〃

〃June　17；　1785。A　request　from　William　Carey　of　Moulton；　in　Northamptonshire；　was　taken　into　consideration。　　He　has　been　and　still　is　in　connection　with　a　society　of　people　at　Hackleton。　　He　is　occasionally　engaged　with　acceptance　in　various　places　in　speaking　the　Word。　He　bears　a　very　good　moral　character。　　He　is　desirous　of　being　sent　out　from　some　reputable　church　of　Christ　into　the　work　of　the　ministry。　　The　principal　Question　was'In　what　manner　shall　we　receive　him？　by　a　letter　from　the　people　of　Hackleton；　or　on　a　profession　of　faith；　etc。？'　　The　final　resolution　of　it　was　left　to　another　church　Meeting。

〃July　14Ch。　Meeting。　　W。　Carey　appeared　before　the　Church；　and　having　given　a　satisfactory　account　of　the　work　of　God　upon　his　soul；　he　was　admitted　a　member。　　He　had　been　formerly　baptised　by　the　Rev。　Mr。　Ryland；　jun。；　of　Northampton。　　He　was　invited　by　the　Church　to　preach　in　public　once　next　Lord's　Day。

〃July　17。Ch。　Meeting；　Lord's　Day　Evening。　　W。　Carey；　in　consequence　of　a　request　from　the　Church；　preached　this　Evening。　After　which　it　was　resolved　that　he　should　be　allowed　to　go　on　preaching　at　those　places　where　he　has　been　for　some　time　employed；　and　that　he　should　engage　again　on　suitable　occasions　for　some　time　before　us；　in　order　that　farther　trial　may　be　made　of　ministerial　gifts。

〃June　16；　1786。C。M。　The　case　of　Bror。　Carey　was　considered；　and　an　unanimous　satisfaction　with　his　ministerial　abilities　being　expressed；　a　vote　was　passed　to　call　him　to　the　Ministry　at　a　proper　time。

〃August　10。Ch。　Meeting。　　This　evening　our　Brother　William　Carey　was　called　to　the　work　of　the　Ministry；　and　sent　out　by　the　Church　to　preach　the　Gospel；　wherever　God　in　His　providence　might　call　him。

〃April　29；　1787。Ch。　M。　After　the　Orde。　our　Brother　William　Carey　was　dismissed　to　the　Church　of　Christ　at　Moulton　in　Northamptonshire　with　a　view　to　his　Ordination　there。〃

These　were　the　last　years　at　Olney　of　William　Cowper　before　he　removed　to　the　Throckmortons'　house　at　Weston　village；　two　miles　distant。　　Carey　must　often　have　seen　the　poet　during　the　twenty　years　which　he　spent　in　the　corner　house　of　the　market…square；　and　in　the　walks　around。　　He　must　have　read　the　poems　of　1782；　which　for　the　first　time　do　justice　to　missionary　enterprise。　　He　must　have　hailed　what　Mrs。　Browning　calls　〃the　deathless　singing〃　which　in　1785；　in　The　Task；　opened　a　new　era　in　English　literature。　　He　may　have　been　fired　with　the　desire　to　imitate　Whitefield；　in　the　description　of　whom；　though　reluctant　to　name　him；　Cowper　really　anticipated　Carey　himself：

〃He　followed　Paul；　his　zeal　a　kindred　flame；　　His　apostolic　charity　the　same；　　Like　him　crossed　cheerfully　tempestuous　seas；　　Forsaking　country；　kindred；　friends　and　ease；　　Like　him　he　laboured　and；　like　him；　content　　To　bear　it；　suffered　shame　where'er　he　went。〃





CHAPTER　II

THE　BIRTH　OF　ENGLAND'S　FOREIGN　MISSIONS

1785…1792

Moulton　the　Mission's　birthplaceCarey's　fever　and　povertyHis　Moulton　schoolFired　with　the　missionary　ideaHis　very　large　missionary　mapFuller's　confession　of　the　aged　and　respectable　ministers'　oppositionOld　Mr。　Ryland's　rebukeDriven　to　publish　his　EnquiryIts　literary　characterCarey's　survey　of　the　world　in　1788His　motives；　difficulties；　and　plansProjects　the　first　Missionary　SocietyContrasted　with　his　predecessors　from　ErasmusPrayer　concert　begun　in　Scotland　in　1742Jonathan　EdwardsThe　Northamptonshire　Baptist　movement　in　1784Andrew　FullerThe　Baptists；　Particular　and　GeneralAntinomian　and　Socinian　extremes　opposed　to　MissionsMet　by　Fuller's　writings　and　Clipstone　sermonCarey's　agony　at　continued　delayHis　work　in　LeicesterHis　sermon　at　NottinghamFoundation　of　Baptist　Missionary　Society　at　lastKettering　and　Jerusalem。

The　north　road；　which　runs　for　twelve　miles　from　Northampton　to　Kettering；　passes　through　a　country　known　last　century　for　the　doings　of　the　Pytchley　Hunt。　Stories；　by　no　means　exaggerated；　of　the　deep　drinking　and　deeper　play　of　the　club；　whose　gatehouse　now　stands　at　the　entrance　of　Overstone　Park；　were　rife；　when　on　Lady　Day　1785　William　Carey　became　Baptist　preacher　of　Moulton　village；　on　the　other　side　of　the　road。　　Moulton　was　to　become　the　birthplace　of　the　modern　missionary　idea；　Kettering；　of　evangelical　missionary　action。

No　man　in　England　had　apparently　a　more　wretched　lot　or　more　miserable　prospects　than　he。　　He　had　started　in　life　as　a　journeyman　shoemaker　at　eighteen；　burdened　with　a　payment　to　his　first　master's　widow　which　his　own　kind　heart　had　led　him　to　offer；　and　with　the　price　of　his　second　master's　stock　and　business。　　Trade　was　good　for　the　moment；　and　he　had　married；　before　he　was　twenty；　one　who　brought　him　the　most　terrible　sorrow　a　man　can　bear。　　He　had　no　sooner　completed　a　large　order　for　which　his　predecessor　had　contracted　than　it　was　returned　on　his　hands。　　From　place　to　place　he　wearily　trudged；　trying　to　sell　the　shoes。　　Fever　carried　off　his　first　child　and　brought　himself　so　near　to　the　grave　that　he　sent　for　his　mother　to　help　in　the　nursing。　　At　Piddington　he　worked　early　and　late　at　his　garden；　but　ague；　caused　by　a　neighbouring　marsh；　returned　and　left　him　so　bald　that　he　wore　a　wig　thereafter　until　his　voyage　to　India。　　During　his　preaching　for　more　than　three　years　at　Barton；　which　involved　a　walk　of　sixteen　miles；　he　did　not　receive　from　the　poor　folks　enough　to　pay　for　the　clothes　he　wore　out　in　their　service。　　His　younger　brother　delicately　came　to　his　help；　and　he　received　the　gift　with　a　pathetic　tenderness。　　But　a　calling　which　at　once　starved　him；　in　spite　of　all　his　method　and　perseverance；　and　cramped　the　ardour　of　his　soul　for　service　to　the　Master　who　had　revealed　Himself　in　him；　became　distasteful。　　He　gladly　accepted　an　invitation　from　the　somewhat　disorganised　church　at　Moulton　to　preach　to　them。　　They　could　offer　him　only　about　？0　a　year；　supplemented　by　？　from　a　London　fund。　　But　the　schoolmaster　had　just　left；　and　Carey　saw　in　that　fact　a　new　hope。　　For　a　time　he　and　his　family　managed　to　live　on　an　income　which　is　estimated　as　never　exceeding　？6　a　year。　　We　find　this　passage　in　a　printed　appeal　made　by　the　〃very　poor　congregation〃　for　funds　to　repair　and　enlarge　the　chapel　to　which　the　new　pastor's　preaching　had　attracted　a　crowd：〃The　peculiar　situation　of　our　minister；　Mr。　Carey；　renders　it　impossible　for　us　to　send　him　far　abroad　to　collect　the　Contributions　of　the　Charitable；　as　we　are　able　to　raise　him　but　about　Ten　Pounds　per　Annum；　so　that　he　is　obliged　to　keep　a　School　for　his　Support：　And　as　there　are　other　two　Schools　in　the　Town；　if　he　was　to　leave　Home　to　collect　for　the　Building；　he　must　probably　quit　his　Station　on　his　Return；　for　Want　of　a　Maintenance。〃

His　genial　loving…kindness　and　his　fast　increasing　learning　little　fitted　him　to　drill　peasant　children　in　the　alphabet。　〃When　I　kept　school　the　boys　kept　me；〃　he　used　to　confess　with　a　merry　twinkle。　In　all　that　our　Lord　meant　by　it　William　Carey　was　a　child　from　first　to　last。　　The　former　teacher　returned；　and　the　poor　preacher　again　took　to　shoemaking　for　the　village　clowns　and　the　shops　in　Kettering　and　Northampton。　　His　house　still　stands；　one　of　a　row　of　six　cottages　of　the　dear　old　English　type；　with　the　indispensable　garden　behind；　and　the　glad　sunshine　pouring　in　through　the　open　window　embowered　in　roses　and　honeysuckle。

There；　and　chiefly　in　the　school…hours　as　he　tried　to　teach　the　children　geography　and　the　Bible　and　was　all　the　while　teaching　himself；　the　missionary　idea　arose　in　his　mind；　and　his　soul　became　fired　with　the　self…consecration；　unknown　to　Wyclif　and　Hus；　Luther　and　Calvin；　Knox　and　even　Bunyan；　for　theirs　was　other　work。　　All　his　past　knowledge　of　nature　and　of　books；　all　his　favourite　reading　of　voyages　and　of　travels　which　had　led　his　school…fellows　to　dub　h