the life of william carey-第83节

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he　first　to　move　in　this　enterprise　and　to　his　colleagues？〃　　The　Brotherhood　had　hardly　despatched　this　appeal　to　England　with　the　sentence；　〃Our　present　incomes　even　are　uncertain；〃　when　the　shears　of　financial　reduction　cut　off　Dr。　Carey's　office　of　Bengali　translator　to　Government；　which　for　eight　years　had　yielded　him　Rs。　300　a　month。　　But　such　was　his　faith　this　final　stroke　called　forth　only　an　expression　of　regret　that　he　must　reduce　his　contributions　to　the　missionary　cause　by　so　much。　　He　was　a　wonder　to　his　colleagues；　who　wrote　of　him：　〃Though　thus　reduced　in　his　circumstances　the　good　man；　about　to　enter　on　his　seventieth　year；　is　as　cheerful　and　as　happy　as　the　day　is　long。　　He　rides　out　four　or　five　miles　every　morning；　returning　home　by　sunrise；　goes　on　with　the　work　of　translation　day　by　day；　gives　two　lectures　on　divinity　and　one　on　natural　history　every　week　in　the　college；　and　takes　his　turn　of　preaching　both　in　Bengali　and　in　English。〃

When　the　Christian　public　responded　heartily　to　his　appeal　Carey　was　loud　and　frequent　in　his　expressions　of　gratitude　to　God；　who；　〃in　the　time　of　our　great　extremity；　appeared　and　stirred　up　His　people　thus　willingly　to　offer　their　substance　for　His　cause。〃　　With　respect　to　myself；　I　consider　my　race　as　nearly　run。　　The　days　of　our　years　are　three　score　years　and　ten；　and　I　am　now　only　three　months　short　of　that　age；　and　repeated　bilious　attacks　have　weakened　my　constitution。　　But　I　do　not　look　forward　to　death　with　any　painful　anticipations。　　I　cast　myself　on　and　plead　the　efficacy　of　that　atonement　which　will　not　fail　me　when　I　need　it。〃

Dr。　Marshman　gives　us　a　brighter　picture　of　him。　〃I　met　with　very　few　friends　in　England　in　their　seventieth　year　so　lively；　as　free　from　the　infirmities　of　age；　so　interesting　in　the　pulpit；　so　completely　conversible　as　he　is　now。〃　　The　reason　is　found　in　the　fact　that　he　was　still　useful；　still　busy　at　the　work　he　loved　most　of　all。　　He　completed　his　last　revision　of　the　entire　Bible　in　Bengalithe　fifth　edition　of　the　Old　Testament　and　the　eighth　edition　of　the　Newin　June　1832。　　Immediately　thereafter；　when　presiding　at　the　ordination　of　Mr。　Mack　as　co…pastor　with　Dr。　Marshman　and　himself　over　the　church　at　Serampore；　he　took　with　him　into　the　pulpit　the　first　copy　of　the　sacred　volume　which　came　from　the　binder's　hands；　and　addressed　the　converts　and　their　children　from　the　words　of　Simeon〃Lord　now　lettest　Thou　Thy　servant　depart　in　peace；　for　mine　eyes　have　seen　Thy　salvation。〃　　As　the　months　went　on　he　carried　through　the　press　still　another　and　improved　edition　of　the　New　Testament；　and　only　then　he　felt　and　often　said　that　the　work　of　his　heart　was　done。

He　had　other　sources　of　saintly　pleasure　as　he　lay　meditating　on　the　Word；　and　praising　God　for　His　goodness　to　the　college　and　the　mission　stations　increased　to　nineteen　by　young　Sir　Henry　Havelock；　who　founded　the　church　at　Agra。　Lord　William　Bentinck；　having　begun　his　reign　with　the　abolition　of　the　crime　of　suttee；　was；　with　the　help　of　Carey's　old　students；　steadily　carrying　out　the　other　reforms　for　which　in　all　his　Indian　career　the　missionary　had　prayed　and　preached　and　published。　　The　judicial　service　was　reorganised　so　as　to　include　native　judges。　　The　uncovenanted　civil　service　was　opened　to　all　British　subjects　of　every　creed。　　The　first　act　of　justice　to　native　Christians　was　thus　done；　so　that　he　wrote　of　the　college：〃The　students　are　now　eligible　to　every　legal　appointment　in　India　which　a　native　can　hold；　those　who　may　possess　no　love　for　the　Christian　ministry　have　the　prospect　of　a　profitable　profession　as　advocates　in　the　judicial　courts；　and　the　hope　of　rising　to　posts　of　honourable　distinction　in　their　native　land。〃　　The　Hindoo　law　of　inheritance　which　the　Regulating　Act　of　Parliament　had　so　covered　that　it　was　used　to　deprive　converts　to　Christianity　of　all　civil　rights；　was　dealt　with　so　far　as　a　local　regulation　could　do　so；　and　Carey；　advised　by　such　an　authority　as　Harington；　laid　it　on　his　successor　in　the　apostolate；　the　young　Alexander　Duff；　to　carry　the　act　of　justice　out　fully；　which　was　done　under　the　Marquis　of　Dalhousie。　　The　orders　drawn　up　by　Charles　Grant's　sons　at　last；　in　February　1833；　freed　Great　Britain　from　responsibility　for　the　connection　of　the　East　India　Company　with　Temple　and　mosque　endowments　and　the　pilgrim　tax。

His　son　Jonathan　wrote　this　of　him　two　years　after　his　death：

〃In　principle　my　father　was　resolute　and　firm；　never　shrinking　from　avowing　and　maintaining　his　sentiments。　　He　had　conscientious　scruples　against　taking　an　oath；　and　condemned　severely　the　manner　in　which　oaths　were　administered；　and　urged　vehemently　the　propriety　of　altogether　dispensing　with　them。　　I　remember　three　instances　in　which　he　took　a　conspicuous　part　in　regard　to　oaths；　such　as　was　characteristic　of　the　man。　　On　one　occasion；　when　a　respectable　Hindoo　servant　of　the　college　of　Fort　William；　attached　to　Dr。　Carey's　department；　was　early　one　morning　proceeding　to　the　Ganges　to　bathe；　he　perceived　a　dead　body　lying　near　the　road；　but　it　being　dark；　and　no　person　being　present；　he　passed　on；　taking　no　further　notice　of　the　circumstance。　　As　he　returned　from　the　Ganges　after　sunrise；　he　saw　a　crowd　near　the　body；　and　then　happened　to　say　to　one　of　the　watchmen　present　that　in　the　morning　he　saw　the　body　on　the　other　side　of　the　road。　　The　watchman　took　him　in　custody；　as　a　witness　before　the　coroner；　but；　when　brought　before　the　coroner；　he　refused　to　take　an　oath；　and　was；　consequently；　committed　to　prison　for　contempt。　　The　Hindoo　being　a　respectable　person；　and　never　having　taken　an　oath；　refused　to　take　any　nourishment　in　the　prison。　In　this　state　he　continued　a　day　and　a　half；　my　father　being　then　at　Serampore；　but　upon　his　coming　to　Calcutta；　the　circumstances　were　mentioned　to　him。　　The　fact　of　the　man　having　refused　to　take　an　oath　was　enough　to　make　him　interest　himself　in　his　behalf。　　He　was　delighted　with　the　resolution　the　man　tookrather　to　go　to　prison　than　take　an　oath；　and　was　determined　to　do　all　he　could　to　procure　his　liberation。　　He　first　applied　to　the　coroner；　but　was　directed　by　him　to　the　sheriff。　　To　that　functionary　he　proceeded；　but　was　informed　by　him　that　he　could　make　no　order　on　the　subject。　He　then　had　an　interview　with　the　then　chief　judge；　by　whose　interference　the　man　was　set　at　liberty。

〃Another　instance　relates　to　him　personally。　　On　the　occasion　of　his　last　marriage；　the　day　was　fixed　on　which　the　ceremony　was　to　take　placefriends　were　invitedand　all　necessary　arrangements　made；　but；　three　or　four　days　prior　to　the　day　fixed；　he　was　informed　that　it　would　be　necessary　for　him　to　obtain　a　licence；　in　doing　which；　he　must　either　take　an　oath　or　have　banns　published。　　To　taking　an　oath　he　at　once　objected；　and　applied　to　the　then　senior　judge；　who　informed　him　that；　as　he　was　not　a　quaker；　his　oath　was　indispensable；　but；　rather　than　take　an　oath；　he　applied　to　have　the　banns　published；　and　postponed　the　arrangements　for　his　marriage　for　another　three　weeks。

〃The　third　instance　was　as　follows：It　was　necessary；　in　a　certain　case；　to　prove　a　will　in　court；　in　which　the　name　of　Dr。　Carey　was　mentioned；　in　connection　with　the　Serampore　missionaries　as　executors。　　An　application　was　made　by　one　of　his　colleagues；　which　was　refused　by　the　court；　on　account　of　the　vagueness　of　the　terms；　'Serampore　missionaries；'　but　as　Dr。　Carey's　name　was　specifically　mentioned；　the　court　intimated　that　they　would　grant　the　application　if　made　by　him。　　The　communication　was　made：　but　when　he　was　informed　that　an　oath　was　necessary；　he　shrunk　with　abhorrence　from　the　idea；　but　after　much　persuasion；　he　consented　to　make　the　application；　if　taking　an　oath　would　be　dispensed　with。　　He　did　attend；　and　stated　his　objections　to　the　then　chief　judge；　which　being　allowed；　his　affirmation　was　received　and　recorded　by　the　court。

〃The　duties　connected　with　the　College　of　Fort　William　afforded　him　a　change　of　scene；　which　relieved　his　mind；　and　gave　him　opportunities　of　taking　exercise；　and　conduced　much　to　his　health。　During　the　several　years　he　held　the　situation　of　professor　to　the　college；　no　consideration　would　allow　him　to　neglect　his　attendance；　and　though　he　had　to　encounter　boisterous　weather　in　crossing　the　river　at　unseasonable　hours；　he　was　punctual　in　his　attendance；　and　never　applied　for　leave　of　absence。　　And　when　he　was　qualified　by　the　rules　of　the　service　to　retire　on　a　handsome　pension；　he　preferred　being　actively　employed　in　promoting　the　interests　of　the　college；　and　remained；　assiduously　discharging　his　duties；　till　his　department　was　abolished　by　Government。　　The　business　of　the　college　requiring　his　attendance　in　Calcutta；　he　became　so　habituated　to　his　journeys　to　and　fro；　that　at　his　age　he　painfully　felt　the　retirement　he　was　subjected　to　when　his　office　ceased。　　After　this　circumstance　his　health　rapidly　declined；　and　though　he　occasionally　visited　Calcutta；　he　complained　of　extreme　debility。　　This　increased　daily；　and　made　him　a　constant　sufferer；　until　at　length　he　was　not　able　to　leave　his　house。〃

Nor　was　it　in　India　alone　that　the　venerable　saint　found　such　causes　of　satisfaction。　　He　lived　long　enough　to　tha