the life of william carey-第70节
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anged 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 could not have done less； and he knew that a British governor ought not to do more。〃
Carey's letters to Fuller in 1810…12 are filled with importunate appeals to agitate； so that the new charter might legalise Christian mission work in India。 Fuller worked outside of the House as hard as Wilberforce。 In eight weeks of the session no fewer than nine hundred petitions were presented； in twenties and thirties； night after night； till Lord Castlereagh exclaimed； 〃This is enough； Mr。 Fuller。〃 There was more reason for Carey's urgency than he knew at the time he was pressing Fuller。 The persecution of the missionaries in Bengal； excused by the Vellore mutiny； which had driven Judson to Burma and several other missionaries elsewhere； was renewed by the Indian Government's secretaries and police。 The Ministry had informed the Court of Directors that they had resolved to permit Europeans to settle in India； yet after five weeks' vacillation the Governor…General yielded to his subordinates so far as to issue an order on 5th March 1812； for the expulsion of three missionaries； an order which was so executed that one of them was conducted like a felon through the streets and lodged in the native jail for two hours。 Carey thus wrote to Ryland on the persecution：
〃CALCUTTA； 14th April 1813。Before this reaches you it is probable that you will have heard of the resolution of Government respecting our brethren Johns； Lawson； and Robinson； and will perhaps have even seen Brother Johns； who was by that cruel order sent home on the Castlereagh。 Government have agreed that Brother Lawson shall stay till the pleasure of the Court of Directors is known； to whom a reference will be made。 Brother Robinson was gone down the river； and was on board a ship bound to Java when the order was issued； he therefore got out without hearing of it； but I understand it will be sent thither after him。 Jehovah reigneth！
〃Since Brother Johns's departure I have tried to ascertain the cause of the severity in Government。 I had a long conversation with H。 T。 Colebrooke； Esq。； who has been out of Council but a few months； upon the matter。 I cannot learn that Government has any specific dislike to us； but find that ever since the year 1807 the orders of the Court of Directors to send home all Europeans not in the service of Her Majesty or the Company； and who come out without leave of the Directors； have been so peremptory and express that Government cannot now overlook any circumstance which brings such persons to notice。 Notwithstanding the general way in which the Court of Directors have worded their orders； I cannot help putting several circumstances together； which make me fear that our Mission was the cause of the enforcement of that general law which forbids Europeans to remain in India without the leave of the Court of Directors。
〃Whether Twining's pamphlet excited the alarm； or was only an echo of the minds of a number of men hostile to religion； I cannot say； but if I recollect dates aright the orders of the Court of Directors ca
