the life of william carey-第78节

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on　Divinity　School；　in　Lucknow　the　Reid　College；　and　others；　bear　witness　to　the　fruitfulness　of　the　Alma　Mater　of　Serampore。

The　Serampore　College　began　with　thirty…seven　students；　of　whom　nineteen　were　native　Christians　and　the　rest　Hindoos。　　When　the　building　was　occupied　in　1821　Carey　wrote　to　his　son：〃I　pray　that　the　blessing　of　God　may　attend　it；　and　that　it　may　be　the　means　of　preparing　many　for　an　important　situation　in　the　Church　of　God。。。The　King　of　Denmark　has　written　letters　signed　with　his　own　hand　to　Brothers　Ward；　Marshman；　and　myself；　and　has　sent　each　of　us　a　gold　medal　as　a　token　of　his　approbation。　　He　has　also　made　over　the　house　in　which　Major　Wickedie　resides；　between　Sarkies's　house　and　ours；　to　us　three　in　perpetuity　for　the　college。　　Thus　Divine　generosity　appears　for　us　and　supplies　our　expectations。〃　　The　missionaries　had　declined　the　Order　of　the　Dannebrog。　　When；　in　1826；　Dr。　Marshman　visited　Europe；　one　of　his　first　duties　was　to　acknowledge　this　gift　to　Count　Moltke；　Danish　Minister　in　London　and　ancestor　of　the　great　strategist；　and　to　ask　for　a　royal　charter。　The　Minister　and　Count　Schulin；　whose　wife　had　been　a　warm　friend　of　Mrs。　Carey；　happened　to　be　on　board　the　steamer　in　which　Dr。　Marshman；　accompanied　by　Christopher　Anderson；　sailed　to　Copenhagen。　Raske；　the　Orientalist；　who　had　visited　Serampore；　was　a　Professor　in　the　University　there。　　The　vellum　charter　was　prepared　among　them；　empowering　the　College　Council；　consisting　of　the　Governor　of　Serampore　and　the　Brotherhood；　to　confer　degrees　like　those　of　the　Universities　of　Copenhagen　and　Kiel；　but　not　carrying　the　rank　in　the　State　implied　in　Danish　degrees　unless　with　the　sanction　of　the　Crown。　　The　King；　in　the　audience　which　he　gave；　informed　Dr。　Marshman　that；　having　in　1801　promised　the　mission　protection；　he　had　hitherto　refused　to　transfer　Serampore　to　the　East　India　Company；　since　that　would　prevent　him　from　keeping　his　word。　　When；　in　1845；　the　Company　purchased　both　Tranquebar　and　Serampore；　it　could　be　no　longer　dangerous　to　the　Christian　Mission；　but　the　Treaty　expressly　provided　that　the　College　should　retain　all　its　powers；　and　its　Christian　character；　under　the　Danish　charter；　which　it　does。　　It　was　thus　the　earliest　degree…conferring　college　in　Asia；　but　it　has　never　exercised　the　power。　　Christian　VIII。；　then　the　heir　to　the　throne；　showed　particular　interest　in　the　Bible　translation　work　of　Carey。　　When；　in　1884；　the　Evangelical　Alliance　held　its　session　in　Copenhagen；　and　was　received　by　Christian　IX。；28　it　did　well；　by　special　resolution；　to　express　the　gratitude　of　Protestant　Christendom　to　Denmark　for　such　courageous　and　continued　services　to　the　first　Christian　mission　from　England　to　India。

How　Dr。　Carey　valued　the　gift　of　the　King　is　seen　in　this　writing；　on　the　lining　of　the　case　of　the　gold　medal；　dated　6th　November　1823：

〃It　is　my　desire　that　this　medal；　and　the　letter　of　the　King　of　Denmark；　which　accompanied　it；　be　given　at　my　death　to　my　dear　son　Jonathan；　that　he　may　keep　it　for　my　sake。〃

The　letter　of　King　Frederic　VI。　is　as　follows：

〃MONSIEUR　LE　DOCTEUR　ET　PROFESSEUR　WILLIAM　CAREY

C'est　avec　beaucoup　d'int閞阾　que　nous　avons　appris　le　m閞ite　qu'en　qualit？de　membre　dirigeant　de　la　Soci閠？de　la　Mission；　vous　avez　acquis；　ainsi　que　vos　co…directeurs；　et　les　eff鑤s　salutaires　que　vos　louables　travaux　ont　produits　et　partout　o？votre　influence　a　pu　atteindre。　　Particulierement　inform閟　qu'en　votre　dite　qualit？vous　avez　contribu？a　effectuer　bien　des　choses　utiles；　dont　l'閠ablissement　？Fr閐閞icsnagore　a　？se　louer；　et　voulant　vous　certifier　que　nous　vous　en　avons　gr？　nous　avons　charg？le　chef　du　dit　閠ablissement；notre　Lieutenant…Colonel　Kraefting；　de　vous　remettre　cette　lettre；　et　en　m阭e　temps　une　medaille　d'or；　comme　une　marque　de　notre　bienveillance　et　de　notre　protection；　que　vous　assurera　toujours　une　conduite　meritoire。

〃Sur　ce　nous　prions　Dieu　de　vous　avoir　dans　Sa　sainte　et　digne　garde。Votre　affectionn？FREDERIC。

〃Copenhague；　ce　7　Juin　1820。

〃Au　Docteur　et　Professeur　WILLIAM　CAREY；

Membre　dirigeant　de　la　Soci閠？de　la　Mission　？Fr閐閞icsnagore。〃

The　new　College　formed　an　additional　attraction　to　visitors　to　the　mission。　　One　of　these；　in　1821；　was　the　Maharaja　Serfojee；　the　prince　of　Tanjore；　whom　Schwartz　had　tended；　but　who　was　on　pilgrimage　to　Benares。　　Hand　in　hand　with　Dr。　Carey　he　walked　through　the　missionary　workshop；　noticed　specially　the　pundits　who　were　busy　with　translation　to　which　Lord　Hastings　had　directed　his　attention；　and　dilated　with　affectionate　enthusiasm　on　the　deeds　and　the　character　of　the　apostle　of　South　India。　　In　1823　cholera　suddenly　cut　off　Mr。　Ward　in　the　midst　of　his　labours。　　The　year　after　that　Charles　Grant　died；　leaving　a　legacy　to　the　mission。　Almost　his　last　act　had　been　to　write　to　Carey　urging　him　to　publish　a　reply　to　the　attack　of　the　Abb？Dubois　on　all　Christian　missions。　　Another　friend　was　removed　in　Bentley；　the　scholar　who　put　Hindoo　astronomy　in　its　right　place。　　Bishop　Heber　began　his　too　brief　episcopate　in　1824；　when　the　college；　strengthened　by　the　abilities　of　the　Edinburgh　professor；　John　Mack；　was　accomplishing　all　that　its　founders　had　projected。　　The　Bishop　of　all　good　Christian　men　never　penned　a　finer　productionnot　even　his　hymnsthan　this　letter；　called　forth　by　a　copy　of　the　Report　on　the　College　sent　to　him　by　Dr。　Marshman：

〃I　have　seldom　felt　more　painfully　than　while　reading　your　appeal　on　the　subject　of　Serampore　College；　the　unhappy　divisions　of　those　who　are　the　servants　of　the　same　Great　Master！　　Would　to　God；　my　honoured　brethren；　the　time　were　arrived　when　not　only　in　heart　and　hope；　but　visibly；　we　shall　be　one　fold；　as　well　as　under　one　shepherd！　　In　the　meantime　I　have　arrived；　after　some　serious　considerations；　at　the　conclusion　that　I　shall　serve　our　great　cause　most　effectually　by　doing　all　which　I　can　for　the　rising　institutions　of　those　with　whom　my　sentiments　agree　in　all　things；　rather　than　by　forwarding　the　labours　of　those　from　whom；　in　some　important　points；　I　am　conscientiously　constrained　to　differ。　　After　all；　why　do　we　differ？　　Surely　the　leading　points　which　keep　us　asunder　are　capable　of　explanation　or　of　softening；　and　I　am　expressing　myself　in　much　sincerity　of　heart（though；　perhaps；　according　to　the　customs　of　the　world；　I　am　taking　too　great　a　freedom　with　men　my　superiors　both　in　age　and　in　talent）；　that　I　should　think　myself　happy　to　be　permitted　to　explain；　to　the　best　of　my　power；　those　objections　which　keep　you　and　your　brethren　divided　from　that　form　of　church　government　which　I　believe　to　have　been　instituted　by　the　apostles；　and　that　admission　of　infants　to　the　Gospel　Covenants　which　seem　to　me　to　be　founded　on　the　expressions　and　practice　of　Christ　himself。　　If　I　were　writing　thus　to　worldly　men　I　know　I　should　expose　myself　to　the　imputation　of　excessive　vanity　or　impertinent　intrusion。　　But　of　you　and　Dr。　Carey　I　am　far　from　judging　as　of　worldly　men；　and　I　therefore　say　that；　if　we　are　spared　to　have　any　future　intercourse；　it　is　my　desire；　if　you　permit；　to　discuss　with　both　of　you；　in　the　spirit　of　meekness　and　conciliation；　the　points　which　now　divide　us；　convinced　that；　if　a　reunion　of　our　Churches　could　be　effected；　the　harvest　of　the　heathen　would　ere　long　be　reaped；　and　the　work　of　the　Lord　would　advance　among　them　with　a　celerity　of　which　we　have　now　no　experience。

〃I　trust；　at　all　events；　you　will　take　this　hasty　note　as　it　is　intended；　and　believe　me；　with　much　sincerity；　your　friend　and　servant　in　Christ；　REGINALD　CALCUTTA。

〃3rd　June　1824。〃

This　is　how　Carey　reciprocated　these　sentiments；　when　writing　to　Dr。　Ryland：

〃SERAMPORE；　6th　July　1824。

〃I　rejoice　to　say　that　there　is　the　utmost　harmony　between　all　the　ministers　of　all　denominations。　　Bishop　Heber　is　a　man　of　liberal　principles　and　catholic　spirit。　　Soon　after　his　arrival　in　the　country　he　wrote　me　a　very　friendly　letter；　expressing　his　wish　to　maintain　all　the　friendship　with　us　which　our　respective　circumstances　would　allow。　　I　was　then　confined；　but　Brother　Marshman　called　on　him。　　As　soon　as　I　could　walk　without　crutches　I　did　the　same；　and　had　much　free　conversation　with　him。　　Some　time　after　this　he　wrote　us　a　very　friendly　letter；　saying　that　it　would　highly　gratify　him　to　meet　Brother　Marshman　and　myself；　and　discuss　in　a　friendly　manner　all　the　points　of　difference　between　himself　and　us；　adding　that　there　was　every　reason　to　expect　much　good　from　a　calm　and　temperate　discussion　of　these　things；　and　that；　if　we　could　at　any　rate　come　so　near　to　each　other　as　to　act　together；　he　thought　it　would　have　a　greater　effect　upon　the　spread　of　the　gospel　among　the　heathen　than　we　could　calculate　upon。　　He　was　then　just　setting　out　on　a　visitation　which　will　in　all　probability　take　a　year。　　We；　however；　wrote　him　a　reply　accepting　his　proposal；　and　Brother　Marshman　expressed　a　wish　that　the　discussion　might　be　carried　on　by　letter；　to　which　in　his　reply　he　partly　consented。　　I　have　such　a　disinclination　to　writing；　and　so　little　leisure　for　it；　that　I　wished　the　discussion　to　be　viva　voce；　it　will；　however；　make　little　difference；　and　all　I　should　have　to　say　would　be　introduced　into　the　letter。〃

O