the life of william carey-第75节

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efore　he　left　England。　　I　have　lived　with　him　ever　since　his　arrival　in　India；　and　can　witness　to　his　piety　and　holy　conduct。　　Would　they　exclude　him　from　the　mission？　　Judge　yourself　whether　it　is　comely　that　a　man；　who　has　laboriously　and　disinterestedly　served　the　mission　so　many　yearswho　has　by　his　diligence　and　hard　labour　raised　the　most　respectable　school　in　India；　as　well　as　given　a　tone　to　all　the　otherswho　has　unvaryingly　consecrated　the　whole　of　that　income；　as　well　as　his　other　labours；　to　the　cause　of　God　in　India；should　be　arraigned　and　condemned　without　a　hearing　by　a　few　young　men　just　arrived；　and　one　of　whom　had　not　been　a　month　in　the　country　before　he　joined　the　senseless　outcry？　　Or　would　they　have　his　blood？　　Judge；　my　dear　brother；　yourself；　for　I　am　ashamed　to　say　more　on　this　subject。

〃I　need　not　say　that　circumstances　must　in　a　great　measure　determine　where　missionaries　should　settle。　　The　chief　town　of　each　of　these　countries　would　be　preferable；　if　other　circumstances　permit；　but　sometimes　Government　would　not　allow　this；　and　sometimes　other　things　may　close　the　door。　　Missionaries　however　must　knock　loud　and　push　hard　at　the　door；　and　if　there　be　the　smallest　opening；　must　force　themselves　in；　and；　once　entered；　put　their　lives　in　their　hands　and　exert　themselves　to　the　utmost　in　dependence　upon　divine　support；　if　they　ever　hope　to　do　much　towards　evangelising　the　heathen　world。　　My　situation　in　the　college；　and　Brother　Marshman's　as　superintending　the　first　academy　in　India；　which；　I　likewise　observe；　has　been　established　and　brought　to　its　present　flourishing　state　wholly　by　his　care　and　application；　have　made　our　present　situation　widely　different　from　what　it　was　when　first　engaged　in　the　mission。　　As　a　missionary　I　could　go　in　a　straw　hat　and　dine　with　the　judge　of　the　district；　and　often　did　so；　but　as　a　Professor　in　the　College　I　cannot　do　so。　　Brother　Marshman　is　placed　in　the　same　predicament。　　These　circumstances　impose　upon　us　a　necessity　of　making　a　different　appearance　to　what　we　formerly　did　as　simple　missionaries；　but　they　furnish　us　with　opportunities　of　speaking　to　gentlemen　of　the　first　power　and　influence　in　government；　upon　matters　of　the　highest　importance　to　the　great　work　in　which　we　are　engaged；　and；　as　a　proof　that　our　opportunities　of　this　nature　have　not　been　in　vain；　I　need　only　say　that；　in　a　conversation　which　I　had　some　time　ago　with　one　of　the　secretaries　to　Government；　upon　the　present　favourable　bias　of　government　and　the　public　in　general　to　favour　all　plans　for　doing　good；　he　told　me　that　he　believed　the　whole　was　owing　to　the　prudent　and　temperate　manner　in　which　we　had　acted；　and　that　if　we　had　acted　with　precipitancy　and　indiscretion；　he　had　every　reason　to　believe　the　general　feeling　would　have　been　as　hostile　to　attempts　to　do　good　as　it　is　now　favourable　to　them。

〃I　would　not　wish　you　to　entertain　the　idea　that　we　and　our　brethren　in　Calcutta　are　resolved　upon　interminable　hatred。　　On　the　contrary；　I　think　that　things　are　gone　as　far　as　we　may　expect　them　to　go；　and　I　now　expect　that　the　fire　of　contention　will　gradually　go　out。　　All　the　distressing　and　disagreeable　circumstances　are；　I　trust；　past；　and　I　expect　we　shall　be　in　a　little　time　on　a　more　friendly　footing。　　Much　of　what　has　taken　place　originated　in　England。　Mistakes　and　false　conclusions　were　followed　by　all　the　circumstances　I　have　detailed。　　I　think　the　whole　virulence　of　opposition　has　now　spent　itself。　　Our　brethren　have　no　control　over　us；　nor　we　over　them。　　And；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　each　side　will　soon　acknowledge　that　it　has　gone　too　far　in　some　instances；　and　ultimate　good　will　arise　from　the　evil　I　so　much　deplore。

〃Having　now　written　to　you　my　whole　sentiments　upon　the　business；　and　formerly　to　my　very　dear　Brother　Ryland；　allow　me　to　declare　my　resolution　not　to　write　anything　further　upon　the　subject；　however　much　I　may　be　pressed　thereto。　　The　future　prosperity　of　the　mission　does　not　depend　upon　the　clearing　up　of　every　little　circumstance　to　the　satisfaction　of　every　captious　inquirer；　but　upon　the　restoration　of　mutual　concord　among　us；　which　must　be　preceded　by　admitting　that　we　are　all　subject　to　mistake；　and　to　be　misled　by　passion；　prejudice；　and　false　judgment。　　Let　us　therefore　strive　and　pray　that　the　things　which　make　for　peace　and　those　by　which　we　may　edify　one　another　may　abound　among　us　more　and　more。　　I　am；　my　dear　brother；　very　affectionately；　yours　in　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ；　W。　CAREY。〃

〃14th　May　1828。

〃MY　DEAR　BROTHER　ANDERSONYours　by　the　Louisa；　of　October　last；　came　to　hand　a　few　days　ago　with　the　copies　of　Brother　Marshman's　brief　Memoir　of　the　Serampore　Mission。　　I　am　glad　it　is　written　in　so　temperate　and　Christian　a　spirit；　and　I　doubt　not　but　it　will　be　ultimately　productive　of　good　effects。　　There　certainly　is　a　great　contrast　between　the　spirit　in　which　that　piece　is　written　and　that　in　which　observations　upon　it；　both　in　the　Baptist　and　Particular　Baptist　Magazines；　are　written。　　The　unworthy　attempts　in　those　and　other　such　like　pieces　to　separate　Brother　Marshman　and　me　are　truly　contemptible。　　In　plain　English；　they　amount　to　thus　much'The　Serampore　Missionaries；　Carey；　Marshman；　and　Ward；　have　acted　a　dishonest　part；　alias　are　rogues。　　But　we　do　not　include　Dr。　Carey　in　the　charge　of　dishonesty；　he　is　an　easy　sort　of　a　man；　who　will　agree　to　anything　for　the　sake　of　peace；　or　in　other　words；　he　is　a　fool。　　Mr。　Ward；　it　is　well　known；'　say　they；　'was　the　tool　of　Dr。　Marshman；　but　he　is　gone　from　the　present　scene；　and　it　is　unlovely　to　say　any　evil　of　the　dead。'　　Now　I　certainly　hold　those　persons'　exemption　of　me　from　the　blame　they　attach　to　Brother　Marshman　in　the　greatest　possible　contempt。　　I　may　have　subscribed　my　name　thoughtlessly　to　papers；　and　it　would　be　wonderful　if　there　had　been　no　instance　of　this　in　so　long　a　course　of　years。　　The　great　esteem　I　had　for　the　Society　for　many　years；　undoubtedly　on　more　occasions　than　one　put　me　off　my　guard；　and　I　believe　my　brethren　too；　so　that　we　have　signed　writings　which；　if　we　could　have　foreseen　the　events　of　a　few　years；　we　should　not　have　done。　　These；　however；　were　all　against　our　own　private　interest；　and　I　believe　I　have　never　been　called　an　easy　fool　for　signing　of　them。　　It　has　only　been　since　we　found　it　necessary　to　resist　the　claims　of　the　Committee　that　I　have　risen　to　this　honour。

〃It　has　also　been　hinted　that　I　intend　to　separate　from　Brother　Marshman。　　I　cannot　tell　upon　what　such　hints　or　reports　are　founded；　but　I　assure　you；　in　the　most　explicit　manner；　that　I　intend　to　continue　connected　with　him　and　Serampore　as　long　as　I　live；　unless　I　should　be　separated　from　him　by　some　unforeseen　stroke　of　Providence。　　There　may　be　modifications　of　our　union；　arising　from　circumstances；　but　it　is　my　wish　that　it　should　remain　in　all　things　essential　to　the　mission　as　long　as　I　live。

〃I　rejoice　to　say　that　there　is　very　little　of　that　spirit　of　hostility　which　prevails　in　England　in　India；　and　I　trust　what　still　remains　will　gradually　decrease　till　scarcely　the　remembrance　of　it　will　continue。　　Our　stations；　I　mean　those　connected　with　Serampore；　are　of　great　importance；　and　some　of　them　in　a　flourishing　state。　We　will　do　all　we　can　to　maintain　them；　and　I　hope　the　friends　to　the　cause　of　God　in　Britain　will　not　suffer　them　to　sink　for　want　of　that　pecuniary　help　which　is　necessary。　　Indeed　I　hope　we　shall　be　assisted　in　attempting　other　stations　beside　those　already　occupied；　and　many　such　stations　present　themselves　to　my　mind　which　nothing　prevents　being　immediately　occupied　but　want　of　men　and　money。　　The　college　will　also　require　assistance；　and　I　hope　will　not　be　without　it；　I　anticipate　the　time　when　its　salutary　operation　in　the　cause　of　God　in　India　will　be　felt　and　acknowledged　by　all。

〃These　observations　respecting　my　own　conduct　you　are　at　liberty　to　use　as　you　please。　　I　hope　now　to　take　my　final　leave　of　this　unpleasant　subject；　and　have　just　room　to　say　that　I　am　very　affectionately　yours；　W。　CAREY。〃

Throughout　the　controversy　thus　forced　upon　him；　we　find　Dr。　Carey's　references；　in　his　unpublished　letters　to　the　brethren　in　Calcutta；　all　in　the　strain　of　the　following　to　his　son　Jabez：

〃15th　August　1820。This　week　we　received　letters　from　Mr。　Marshman；　who　had　safely　arrived　at　St。　Helena。　　I　am　sure　it　will　give　you　pleasure　to　learn　that　our　long…continued　dispute　with　the　younger　brethren　in　Calcutta　is　now　settled。　　We　met　together　for　that　purpose　about　three　weeks　ago；　and　after　each　side　giving　up　some　trifling　ideas　and　expressions；　came　to　a　reconciliation；　which；　I　pray　God；　may　be　lasting。　　Nothing　I　ever　met　with　in　my　lifeand　I　have　met　with　many　distressing　thingsever　preyed　so　much　upon　my　spirits　as　this　difference　has。　　I　am　sure　that　in　all　disputes　very　many　wrong　things　must　take　place　on　both　sides　for　which　both　parties　ought　to　be　humbled　before　God　and　one　another。

〃I　wish　you　could　succeed　in　setting　up　a　few　more　schools。。。Consider　that　and　the　spread　of　the　gospel　as　the　great　objects　of　your　life；　and　try　to　promote　them　by　all　the　wise　and　prudent　methods　in　your　power。　　Indeed　we　must　always　venture　something　for　the　sake　of　do