O PBINCETON, N. J. <f* 
 
 Presented by Mr. Samuel Agnew of Philadelphia, Pa. 
 
 BV 2520 .C8 1842 v.l 
 Cox, F. A. 1783-1853. 
 History of the Baptist 
 
 Missionary Society, 
 
 tr — 
 
HISTORY 
 
 BAPTIST MISSIONAEY SOCIETY, 
 
 FROM 1792 TO 1842. 
 
 BY THE 
 
 Rev. F. A^COX, D. D., LL.D. 
 
 TO WHICH IS ADDED 
 
 A SKETCH OF THE GENERAL BAPTIST MISSION. 
 
 IN TWO VOLUMES, 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 SECOND THOUSAND. 
 
 LONDON: 
 T. WARD & CO., AND G. & J. DYER, 
 
 PATERNOSTER ROW. 
 MDCCCXLIL. 
 
LVNTLEY AND PICK, 
 
 PRINTERS, 
 
 NEW BEOAH STREET COt?RT, LONDON. 
 
ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 The proceedings of the Baptist Missionary Society 
 have hitherto appeared in the form of periodical 
 accounts^ brief narratives, reports, letters, and other 
 minor productions; but it has long been regarded as 
 a desideratum that a diiFerent kind of history should 
 be written. In this attempt, the author has aimed 
 to disentangle the most important facts from the 
 confusion into which they have been thrown — to intro- 
 duce men and things, as they have been familiarised 
 by personal knowledge — to select the most important 
 biographies, European and oriental — to point out the 
 origin, and trace the results of various missionary 
 operations in connexion with the Society — to show the 
 literary as well as religious bearing of the mission — 
 to contemplate its moral effects and public influence 
 — and to mark, at every step, the superintending 
 providence of God. 
 
Tlie author has been induced to add to his work 
 a brief account of the General Baptist Mission^ at the 
 suggestion of some of the friends of that kindred 
 institution. This sketch must, in fact, be regarded as 
 the production of his friend the Rev. J. Peggs, of 
 Ilkeston ; being the abridgment of a manuscript which 
 he has furnished. 
 
 The thanks of the author are hereby presented to 
 Mr. Bernard Barton for having kindly contributed 
 an introductory poem to adorn his volumes. 
 
 Finally, he has to discharge a duty to every reader, 
 by pouring forth a fervent prayer on his behalf, that he 
 may not only peruse with some interest the narrative 
 of events so important, and the sketches of the 
 characters of men so distinguished, but largely par- 
 ticipate the grace of that Holy Spirit whose mighty 
 power has been conspicuously displayed in all the 
 successes of the missionary enterprise. 
 
 Hackney, 
 September 12, 1842. 
 

 INTRODUCTORY VERSES 
 
 BY BERNARD BARTON. 
 
 COMMUNICATED EXPRESSLY FOR THIS WORK. 
 
 These went not forth, as man too oft hath done, 
 
 Braving the ocean billows' wild uproar, 
 In hopes to gather, ere life's sands were run, 
 
 Yet added heaps of mammon's sordid ore ; — 
 The)r went not forth earth's treasures to explore, 
 
 Where sleeps in sunless depths the diamond's ray ; 
 Nor were they urged by love of classic lore, 
 
 Their homage of idolatry to pay 
 Where heroes fought and fell, or poets poured their lay. 
 
VI INTRODUCTORY VERSES. 
 
 They left not home to cross the briny sea, 
 
 With the proud conqueror's ambitious aim. 
 To wrong the guileless, to enslave the free, 
 
 And win a blood-stained wreath of doubtful fame, 
 By deeds unworthy of the christian name ; 
 
 Nor to inspect, with taste's inquiring eye, 
 Temple and palace of gigantic frame, 
 
 Or pyi^amid up -soaring to the sky, 
 Trophies of ai't's rich power in ages long gone by. 
 
 Nor did their fancy nurse the gentle dream 
 
 Of Nature's fond enthusiast, who, intense ♦ 
 
 In admiration of her charms, would seem 
 
 To worship her, forgetful of th' offence 
 Given to her gi-eat and glorious Maker thence ! 
 
 In them the woodland scenery's sylvan thrall, 
 The sunny vale, or cloud-capt eminence. 
 
 The brooklet's murmur, or the cataract's fall, 
 But wakened thoughts of Him whose word had formed 
 them all. 
 
 For they went forth as followers of the Lamb, 
 
 To spread his gospel-message far and wide, 
 In the dread power of Him, the great I AM, — 
 
 In the meek spirit of the Crucified, — 
 With unction from the Holy Ghost supplied, 
 
 To war with error, ignorance and sin, 
 To exalt humihty, to humble pride, 
 
 To still the passions' stormy strife within, 
 Through wisdom from above immortal souls to win ; — 
 
INTRODUCTORY VERSES. VU 
 
 To publish unto those who sat in night 
 
 And death's dark shadow, tidings of glad things ; — 
 How unto them the gospel's cheering Hght 
 
 Was risen, with life and healing on its wings ; — 
 How He, the Lord of glory. King of kings, 
 
 Their souls to save from sin's enthralling yoke, 
 Had left those realms where harps of golden strings. 
 
 By seraphs touched, in heavenly music spoke, 
 And by his mighty power their chains of bondage broke, — 
 
 How he for them upon the cross had died. 
 
 And poured his blood to cleanse their guilt away, — 
 That, plunged beneath its sin-effacing tide. 
 
 Their spirits, made no more the spoiler's prey. 
 Might stand before Him, clothed in white array, 
 
 The Saviour's ransomed and redeemed among, 
 Who worship in His presence night and day. 
 
 And join in that "innumerable throng" 
 Who raise thanksgiving's psalm, salvation's joyful song. 
 
 Such was their errand ! What though they might fare 
 
 Too oft as wanderers on a foreign strand, 
 Or "lonely pUgrims, as their fathers were?" 
 
 They trusted still their Master's guiding hand, 
 And felt, anon, their humble faith expand ; 
 
 For He who sent them forth at times would prove 
 " A rock's vast shadow in that weary land," 
 
 Or give them, in the riches of his love. 
 To drink the way-side brook, and lift their hopes above. 
 
Vlll INTRODUCTORY VERSES. 
 
 Nobly, as followers of the Nazarene, 
 
 Did Carey, Marshman, Ward, perform their part ; 
 And by degrees the blessed fi-uits were seen 
 
 In many a contrite and converted heart ; 
 Fruits which might cause unbidden tears to start 
 
 From eyes unused to weep ; because they told 
 Faith was their pole-star, and God's word their chart ; 
 
 Even that faith, more precious far than g'old, 
 That word of promise sure, whose truths are manifold. 
 
 Amply were these fulfilled ! the chains of caste 
 
 Were broken ; langTiages and tongues made one ; 
 That mighty power, the press, its influence vast 
 
 Lent to the cause, that " they who read, might run ;" 
 And, more to spread the kingdom of his Son, 
 
 God raised up native preachers, men untaught 
 By worldly wisdom, yet surpassed by none 
 
 In simple zeal for Him whose praise they sought, 
 Because his sinless blood their sinful souls had bought. 
 
 Thus, many a sohtary place made glad, 
 
 The vidlderness forgot its earlier doom ; 
 The joyful desert, with new beauty clad, 
 
 Rivalled the rose in its luxuriant bloom ; 
 Thy glory, Lebanon ! was given for gloom, 
 
 To those who sat in darkness and in night ; 
 And they who in the shadow of the tomb 
 
 Before had slept, beheld the radiance briglit 
 Of that arising Sun whose beams are life and light. 
 
INTRODUCTORY VERSES. IX 
 
 Such was their recompense, whose arduous toil 
 
 Had spread through heathen lands Jehovah's name ; 
 Tarriers at home divided, too, the spoil, — 
 
 Their aim, their object, and their hopes the same ; 
 Nor less to be revered their humble fame, 
 
 Though less conspicuously such may have striven, 
 Who fanned at home the missionary flame. 
 
 Whose frequent prayers were like the hidden leaven. 
 As by their household hearths they built their hopes in 
 heaven. 
 
 Hence Sutcliff's, FuLiiER's names are justly dear, 
 
 Ryi^and and Pearce in many a heart inshrined ; 
 With equal zeal and love they laboured here. 
 
 Each filling up the part to each assigned. 
 All in one work of love to all combined ! 
 
 Though Paul may plant, ApoUos water, stiU, — 
 Where both their proper station seem to find. 
 
 And zealously its duties to fulfil, — 
 The blessing is the Lord's — the increase, of his will. 
 
 To Him, then, be the glory ! All renown 
 
 Which man can give to man, must soon decay. 
 Father, before thy throne we cast each crown ; 
 
 Tliine be the honour, thine the praise alway ! 
 Be thou the guard, the guide, the hope, the stay, 
 
 Of all who prize the gospel of thy Son, 
 Whether at home they hear, or preach, or pray, 
 
 Or on thine errands to far regions run ; 
 That so thy kingdom come, thy will on earth be done ! 
 
X INTRODUCTORY VERSES. 
 
 Raise up, and send forth, yet, to heathen lands 
 
 Those who shall spread thy name through every chme ! 
 And oh, may prayerful hearts and holy hands, 
 
 At home uplifted, aid, from time to time. 
 To banish error, ignorance, and crime ; 
 
 Till every tongue confess, and bend each knee ; 
 And, in the words of prophecy subhme. 
 
 Even as the waters cover the wide sea. 
 Earth may itself be filled with knowledge, Lord, of thee ! 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 PART I. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE MISSION FROM ITS COMMENCE- 
 MENT TO THE YEAR 1815. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 CHAPTER I. ORIGIN OF THE MISSION • . . . 1 
 
 CHAPTER II, FROM THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST MISSION- 
 ARIES IN INDIA, TO THEIR SETTLEMENT AT SERAMPORE 28 
 
 CHAPTER III. — FROM THE SETTLEMENT OF THE MISSION- 
 ARIES AT SERAMPORE, TO THE TENTH YEAR AFTER 
 THEIR ARRIVAL IN INDIA 59 
 
 CHAPTER IV. — ACCOUNT of mr, chamberlain's appofnt- 
 
 MENT AND MISSIONARY LABOURS, TO THE PERIOD OF 
 
 HIS SETTLEMENT AT AGRA 105 
 
 CHAPTER V. — GENERAL AFFAIRS OF THE MISSION, FROM 
 1804 TO THE SUCCESSFUL TERMINATION OF THE CON- 
 TROVERSIAL WARFARE IN ENGLAND' . . . .137 
 
 CHAPTER VI. — FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF A MISSION 
 TO BURMAH, IN 1807, TO THE FIRE AT SERAMPORE, 
 
 IN 1812 166 
 
 CHAPTER VII. — FROM THE PIRE AT SERAMPORE TO THE 
 
 DEATH OF MR. FULLER 224 
 
Xll CONTENTS. 
 
 PART 11. 
 FROM THE DEATH OF MR. FULLER TO THE YEAR 1837. 
 
 PAGE 
 CHAPTER I. — HISTORY OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE COM- 
 MITTEE AFTER THE DEATH OF MR. FULLER, AND OF 
 THE DISCUSSIONS WITH THE MISSIONARIES IN INDIA, 
 WHICH TERMINATED IN AN AGREEMENT TO ACT 
 SEPARATELY 269 
 
 CHAPTER IL — PROGRESS of the mission in INDIA, FROM 
 
 1815 to 1817 297 
 
 chapter iii. — separate operations of the serampore 
 
 UNION, FROM 1827 TO 1837 355 
 
 CHAPTER IV. PROCEEDINGS OF THE MISSION IN INDIA IN 
 
 CONNEXION WITH THE SOCIETY ; AND HOME AFFAIRS 
 
 FROM 1827 TO 1837 ....... 404 
 
 CHAPTER V. BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE REUNION OF THE 
 
 SERAMPORE MISSION WITH THE SOCIETY . . . 438 
 

 PEiaCSTOIT 
 H I S T R Y| 
 
 s,-o. \tHI30L0GICi1 
 
 PART I. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE MISSION FROM ITS COMMENCEMENT 
 TO THE YEAR 1815. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 ORIGIN OF THE MISSION. 
 
 The year one thousand seven hundred and ninety-two 
 is memorable as the era of extraordinary events. 
 Portentous clouds had been for a long period gathering 
 in the political horizon, till the thunders of the French 
 revolution exploded, and were heard throughout Europe. 
 Having decreed the abolition of royalty, the Convention 
 summoned the monarch to their tribunal, and consigned 
 him to public execution. The whole country was in a 
 ferment ; massacres were perpetrated, and proscriptions 
 issued every day ; Christianity was denounced, and in 
 the prematm-e predictions of their most celebrated men, 
 was speedily to become extinct. The infection of these 
 sentiments spread ; and, while intestine commotion 
 and foreign war combined to unloose the cords w^hich 
 bound all social existence together, infidelity usurped 
 the dominion of men^s passions, and pom-ed the venom 
 of its mahgnity into all the channels of literature. 
 
 B 
 
2 HISTORY OF 
 
 The immediate results were alarming. A spirit of 
 selfishness, distrust, and hatred, was generated; people 
 were everywhere induced to regard exclusively their 
 personal interests; and the demons of strife stalked 
 abroad over desolated nations. 
 
 These effects were far from being restricted to con- 
 tinental Europe ; our own country largely participated 
 in the revolutionary feelings of the time ; infidelity 
 eclipsed the glory of truth, and spread its pestilential 
 atmosphere amidst the moral darkness and confusion. 
 The nation became warm in politics, and cold in religion. 
 The hallowed excitement of a previous season of revival 
 by the ministrations of Whitfield and the Wesleys, 
 was rapidly subsiding; and, even within the precincts 
 of an orthodox Christianity, the spirit of this world, 
 encom*aged by the absorbing interest taken in public 
 affairs, was fast destroying individual piety. Forms 
 and ceremonies, indeed, there were, — maintained, too, 
 with sufficient vehemence and pertinacity ; but the 
 power of religion was denied. Nothing morally great 
 was achieved ; nothing was attempted. Discord reigned 
 in Europe, perplexity in Britain; and gross darkness 
 covered the face of the world. 
 
 Into this mass of confusion and crime, God put 
 the purifying leaven ; and though at first insignificant, 
 unobserved, slow in operation, encompassed with diffi- 
 culties, and checked by opposition, — ^yet the influence 
 was of a nature to manifest its celestial character, 
 and to ensure its permanency. A missionary feeling 
 being produced in a few, gradually expanded till it 
 affected the heart of the christian church; so that 
 from the humble beginnings about to be recorded. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 
 
 sprung a general zeal for missions, which, we have 
 reason to conclude, will eventually, under God, accom- 
 plish the evangehsation of the world. 
 
 On the second of October, in the year already men- 
 tioned, an anniversary meeting of baptist ministers in 
 Northamptonshire, was held at Kettering. After public 
 worship, the ministers met privately, for the purpose of 
 considering the moral state of the world, and deter- 
 mining their personal obligation with reference to it ; 
 when they came to a solemn and unanimous resolution 
 " to act together in society for the purpose of propa- 
 gating the gospel among the heathen.'' They further 
 resolved that, "as in the present divided state of 
 Christendom, it seems that each denomination, by 
 exerting itself separately, is most likely to accomplish 
 the great ends of a mission, it is agreed that this 
 Society be called, "The particular* Baptist Society for 
 propagating the gospel among the heathen." The 
 Revds. John Ryland, Reynold Hogg, William Carey, 
 John SutclifF, and Andrew Fuller, were constituted a com- 
 mittee; Reynold Hogg being appointed treasurer, and 
 Andrew Fuller secretary. The names of several other 
 persons are recorded, who, though not then appointed 
 as forming part of the executive body, zealously con- 
 curred in the proceedings. These are Abraham Green- 
 wood, Edward Sharman, Joshua Burton, Samuel Pearce, 
 Thomas Blundell, WilHam Heighton, John Eayres, 
 Joseph Timms. 
 
 * This term is simply a doctrinal distinction, describing those 
 who beheve in the election of individuals to eternal hfe. General 
 redemption is the theory of those who are denominated General 
 Baptists. 
 
 b2 
 
4 HISTORY OF 
 
 As illustrative of the spirit of this truly christian 
 confederation, part of an address subsequently circulated 
 by the Association, may here be introduced. " Though 
 this Society honestly acknowledged that its founders 
 were of the particular baptist persuasion, we are sure 
 it was not the interest of a party they wished to 
 promote, but the glory of our divine Lord, and the 
 salvation of immortal souls. Hence it was proposed, 
 at first, if no opening was found for a baptist mission, to 
 have requested the presbyterian and moravian brethren, 
 who had already been employed in labouring among 
 the heathen, to accept some assistance from our sub- 
 scriptions ; for, by the leave of the God of heaven, we 
 were determined to do something towards propagating 
 his gospel in heathen lands." 
 
 The decision of this remarkable day w^as not a mere 
 extemporaneous ebullition of feeling. There were 
 previous and preparatory movements of mind, having 
 all the character of sacred impulses, making it evident, 
 that in the administrations of providence and grace, 
 as well as in nature, the most admirable consequences 
 ensue from small and unpromising commencements. 
 A thought arises in the mind of an individual. 
 There it works secretly, for a time, till it iiTCsistibly 
 demands expression. Then it calls into exercise the 
 sympathies of other minds, till, attaching itself to 
 kindred elements around, it moulds into form, and 
 stimulates into activity a series of efforts. These 
 issue in the salvation of innumerable souls, and by the 
 various combinations of christian benevolence, send 
 down an ever augmenting influence to distant ages. 
 Some of the greatest events, both of secular and eccle- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 5 
 
 siastical history, have been connected with circumstances 
 apparently the most insignificant, or with men the most 
 obscure and unpretending, that " the excellency of the 
 power may be of God, and not of men/' 
 
 The first publication of the Society commences with 
 the following words. " The origin of the Society will 
 be found in the workings of our brother Carey's mind, 
 which, for the last nine or ten years, has been directed 
 to this object with very little intermission. His heart 
 appears to have been set upon the conversion of the 
 heathen, before he came to reside at Moulton, in 
 1786.''* This was penned by Mr. Fuller, with whom 
 congeniality of doctrinal sentiment, and, ultimately, 
 agreement of opinion respecting the necessity and 
 practicability of an attempt to propagate the gospel in 
 foreign countries, had associated him in early and 
 enduring friendship. As corroborative of this state- 
 ment, the author is able to give the testimony of the 
 late Mrs. Short, sister of Mrs. Carey, fi'om whom he 
 has frequently heard that, long before any measures 
 were adopted for the establishment of a foreign mission, 
 she was witness to the extreme anxiety of Mr. Carey on 
 the subject. Again and again has she observed him in 
 the attitude of intense thought, the subject of which, as 
 it afterwards appeared, was the state of the heathen 
 world. She has often seen him standing motionless 
 for an hour or more, in the middle of a path in his 
 garden, abstracted from outward objects by the "work- 
 ings" of a mind that had begun to devote itself to a 
 vast and newly contemplated project. 
 
 * Periodical Accovmts, No. 1, p. 1. 
 
b HISTORY or 
 
 " As to tlie immediate origin of a baptist mission/' 
 says Dr. Ryland, " I believe God himself infused into 
 the mind of Carey that solicitude for the salvation of 
 the heathen^ which cannot fairly be traced to any other 
 source. When he went to Birmingham, to collect for 
 the meeting-house he had built at Moulton, he had 
 mentioned the proposal there. A friend m'ged him to 
 write and print upon it, and offered to give him J810. 
 towards paying the printer. On his return, he met 
 brother Fuller and brother Sutcliff in my study at 
 Northampton, and then pressed one of us to publish 
 on the subject. We approved much of what he urged, 
 yet made some objections, on the ground of so much 
 needing to be done at home, &c. However, when he 
 could not prevail on either of us to undertake the work, 
 he said he must tell the whole truth, — that in the 
 warmth of conversation at Birmingham, he had said 
 that he was resolved to do all in his power to set on 
 foot a baptist mission. ^ Well,' said his friend, 'print 
 upon the subject ; I will help bear the expense.' 
 'That,' he replied, 'he could not do.' ' If you cannot do 
 it as you wish, yet do it as well as you can,' said 
 his friend ; ' you have just now bound yourself to do 
 all you can for this purpose, and I must keep you to 
 yom* word.' Being thus caught through his own zeal, 
 he could get off no other way than by promising that he 
 would write, if he could not prevail on any one more com- 
 petent to undertake it. We then all miited in saying, 
 'Do, by all means, write your thoughts down as soon 
 as you can ; but be not in a hurry to print them. Let 
 us look over them, and see if any thing need be omitted, 
 altered, or added.' Thus encom-aged, he soon applied 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 7 
 
 himself to tlie work^ and showed us the substance of 
 the pamphlet afterwards printed, which, we found, 
 needed very little correction/^ * 
 
 The account given by Dr. Ryland of the conversation 
 at Birmingham, includes only a part of it. The author 
 has obtained the following particulars from Mr. Medley 
 of Chatham, son of the late Rev. Samuel Medley of 
 Liverpool, who was present, and the only person present 
 on the occasion, besides the interlocutors. Those who 
 knew the late Mr. Potts, the friend in question, will 
 recognize the quaint manner of that excellent man. 
 
 Mr. Potts. Pray, friend Carey, what is it you have 
 got into your head about missions ? I understand you 
 introduce the subject on all occasions. 
 
 Mr. Carey. Why, I think. Sir, it is highly important 
 that something should be done for the heathen. 
 
 Mr. Potts. But how can it be done, and who will do it? 
 
 Mr. Carey. Why, if you ask who, I have made up 
 my mind, if a few friends can be found who will send 
 me out, and support me for twelve months after my 
 arrival, I will engage to go wherever providence shall 
 open a door. 
 
 Mr. Potts. But where would you go ? Have you 
 thought of that, friend Carey ? 
 
 Mr. Carey. Yes, I certainly have. Were I to follow 
 my inclination, and 'had the means at command, 
 the islands of the South Seas would be the scene of 
 my labours, and I would commence at Otaheite. If 
 any society will send me out, and land me there, and 
 
 * Ryland's Life of Fuller, pp. 238, 239. The conversation 
 \\ith Mr. Potts will show that he had written it, but was too 
 modest to confess it to Dr, Rvland and Mr. Fuller. 
 
8 HISTORY OF 
 
 allow me the means of subsistence for one year, I am 
 ready and willing to go. 
 
 Mr. Potts. Why, friend Carey, the thought is new, 
 and the religious public are not prepared for such 
 undertakings. 
 
 Mr. Carey. No; I am aware of that; but I have 
 written a piece on the state of the heathen world, which, 
 if it were pubHshed, might probably awaken an interest 
 on this subject. 
 
 Mr. Potts. Why don't you publish it ? 
 
 Mr. Carey. For the best of all reasons, I have not 
 the means. 
 
 3Ir. Potts. We will have it published by all means. 
 I had rather bear the expense of printing it myself, 
 than the public should be deprived of the opportunity 
 of considering so important a subject. 
 
 Mr. Potts afterwards paid the ten pounds. This 
 conversation is recorded with so much care for two 
 reasons, — first, to gratify the feeling of interest that is 
 so common in every circumstance, even the minutest, 
 that belongs to any person or thing which grows from 
 insignificance to ultimate greatness ; and secondly, to 
 to call attention to the remarkable fact, that Mr. Carey 
 contemplated the commencement of his foreign labours 
 among the islands of the South Seas. Had this pur- 
 pose been fulfilled, whatever might have been the result, 
 it is easy to perceive that it would have been not only 
 a far dififerent sphere from that which he did occupy, 
 but of far less importance and appropriateness to his 
 peculiar talents. The providence of God had otherwise 
 designed; wisely frustrating those views which must 
 have greatly restricted his usefulness, and directing 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 9 
 
 him, by an invisible but mighty control, to seek the 
 shores of a country where he was designed, in a won- 
 derful degree, to enlarge the bounds of literatui'e, and 
 extend the influence of religion. He intended to go 
 to Otaheite ; God sent him to India. 
 
 William Carey was, at this period, the pastor of a 
 small village church at Moulton. He was born in 
 obscurity, at Paulerspury, in the county of Northamp- 
 ton, August 17, 1761 ; made a public profession of 
 religion, by baptism, in 1783; and was ordained to the 
 pastoral office in 1787. 
 
 Under the pressure of poverty, and while obliged to 
 support himself and his family, at first as a jom'neyman 
 shoemaker, and afterwards as a village schoolmaster, 
 ]\ir. Carey had acquired several languages. " I, one day,^^ 
 says Dr. Eyland, "had occasion thus to address him, 
 — 'Well, Mr. Carey, you remember I laughed at you 
 when 1 heard of yom* learning Dutch, for I thought 
 you would never have any use for that language ; but 
 now I have the first opportunity of profiting by it. I 
 have received a parcel from Dr. Erskine of Edinburgh, 
 who has long been used to send me any interesting 
 publications which he receives from America, or which 
 have been printed in Scotland, and this parcel contains 
 several of those sorts ; but he says, I shall wonder that 
 he has enclosed a Dutch book. This, he informs me, 
 is a volume of sermons written by a di\dne now living 
 in Holland, at the end of which is a dissertation on the 
 call of the gospel, which, if any friend of mine or 
 Mr. Euller^s understands the language sufficiently to 
 translate it for us, we shall be glad to see. Now,' said 
 I to Mr. Carey, ' if you will translate this dissertation 
 b3 
 
10 HISTORY OF 
 
 for me, I will give you the whole book/ He soon after- 
 wards brought me a good dissertation on the subject, 
 and afterwards an extraordinary sermon on Hosea iii., 
 which, I doubt not, were translated from this book/'* 
 
 With the earliest dawn of missionary purpose in 
 Carey^s mind, was asssociated the study of history and 
 geography. Whether the moral sympathy led to the 
 geographical investigation, or the investigation prompted 
 the sympathy, it may not be easy, and is not important, 
 to determine. They existed together, and were wi'ought 
 into the habitudes of his mind. He addicted himself 
 to the construction of maps of the world. In sketching 
 the outlines of various countries, and noting the chief 
 places and their population, he reflected much on their 
 spiritual destitution. One thought generated another, 
 thought associated with feeling, and feeling with pur- 
 pose and plan. Such were the first " workings '^ of a 
 mind, whose singular capabilities were training, under 
 Divine influence, for a mighty undertaking. 
 
 We must go farther still, however, to reach the 
 spring-head — the primary cause of the missionary 
 excitement in Carey's mind, and its difiusion among 
 the Northamptonshire ministers. At the meeting of 
 the association in 1784, at Nottingham, it was resolved 
 to set apart an hour on the first Monday evening of 
 every month, " for extraordinary prayer for the revival 
 of religion, and for the extending of Christ's kingdom 
 in the world." This suggestion proceeded from the 
 venerable Sutcliff. Its simplicity and appropriateness 
 have since recommended it to universal adoption ; and 
 
 * Ryland's Life of Fuller. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 11 
 
 copious showers of blessing from on higli Lave been 
 poui'ed forth upon the cbui'ches. 
 
 At the different ministers' meetings held between the 
 years 1787 and 1790_, Mr. Carey was incessantly 
 introducing and descanting upon the subject of the 
 importance and practicability of a mission to the 
 heathen, and of his own willingness to engage in it. 
 Few, if any, however, yet sympathized with his views ; 
 some imputed to him an absolute infatuation, de- 
 nouncing his project as wild and hopeless ; and even 
 the most excellent and eminent men hesitated amidst 
 doubts and fears. "Was the time come ? Would the 
 denomination concur? What could be done; or how 
 was any thing to be attempted ? Was not their own. 
 country to be first evangelised? Were the interests 
 of home to be sacrificed (so they regarded it) to foreign 
 and far distant lands ? Such were the questions asked, 
 which seemed more perplexing than the profoundest 
 mathematical problems ; and the negative reply almost 
 as certain as its demonstrations. They saw not that 
 this new Columbus beheld a yet undiscovered world of 
 heathenism; and, inwardly prompted of heaven, felt a 
 holy impatience to cross the ocean, and penetrate its 
 recesses. 
 
 A remarkable illustration of this want of sympathy 
 in his object, occurred, on one occasion, at a meeting 
 at Northampton. Mr. Ryland (father of the late 
 Dr. Ryland) requested one of the younger ministers to 
 propose a topic for discussion. After prolonged silence, 
 Mr. Carey suggested, " the duty of christians to 
 attempt the spread of the gospel among heathen 
 nations." Mr. Eyland expressed great sm-prise, and 
 
12 HISTORY OP 
 
 with his characteristic vehemence^ called him an enthu- 
 siast for entertaining such a notion/^* 
 
 While labouring as a schoolmaster, and preaching as 
 a minister at Moulton, he wrote the essay, which was 
 afterwards published under the title of "An Inquiiy 
 into the obligation of christians to use means for the 
 conversion of the heathen." 
 
 Tliis tract is divided into five sections. The first 
 consists of an inquiry " whether the commission given 
 by our Lord to his disciples be not binding on us." It 
 furnishes a striking evidence of the state of the public 
 mind at that period, to find such a man as Carey, 
 standing in the solitude of his own great missionary 
 conceptions, constrained to plead thus : — " What open- 
 ings in providence do we wait for? We can neither 
 expect to be transported into the heathen world without 
 ordinary means, or to be endowed with the gift of 
 tongues, when we arrive there. These would not be 
 providential interpositions, but miraculous ones. Where 
 a command exists, nothing can be necessary to render 
 it binding, but a removal of those obstacles which 
 render obedience impossible ; and these are removed 
 already. Natural impossibility can never be pleaded, 
 so long as facts exist to prove the contrary. Have not 
 the popish missionaries surmounted all those difficulties 
 which we have generally thought to be insuperable? 
 Have not the missionaries of the Unitas Fratrmrij or 
 Moravian Brethren, encountered the scorching heat of 
 Abyssinia, and the frozen climes of Greenland and 
 Labrador, their difficult languages, and savage manners ? 
 
 * Morris's Memoirs of Fuller. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 13 
 
 Or, have not Englisli traders, for the sake of gain, 
 sui'mounted all those things which have generally- 
 been counted insurmountable obstacles in the way of 
 preaching the gospel? Witness the trade to Persia, 
 the East Indies, China, and Greenland; yea, even the 
 accursed slave trade on the coasts of Africa." Again, 
 ^^It has been said that some learned divines have 
 proved from Scripture, that the time is not yet come 
 that the heathen should be converted ; and that first the 
 witnesses must be slain, and many other prophecies 
 fulfilled. But admitting this to be the case, (which I 
 much doubt,) yet if any objection is made from this 
 against preaching to them immediately, it must be 
 founded on one of these things ; either that the secret 
 purpose of God is the rule of our duty, and then it 
 must be as improper to pray for them, as to preach to 
 them ; or else that none shall be converted in the 
 heathen world, till the universal outpouring of the 
 Spirit in the last days. But this objection comes too 
 late, for the success of the gospel has been very con- 
 siderable in many places already." 
 
 Tlie second section contains " a short review of former 
 undertakings for the conversion of the heathen," in 
 which is given a condensed and very excellent summary 
 of the Acts of the Apostles, and of many of the subsequent 
 facts of ecclesiastical history, to the eighteenth century. 
 
 The third section furnishes a " sm-vey of the present 
 state of the world ;" that is, of the state of it at that 
 period ; it has, of course, been, greatly altered since, by 
 those moral and political changes which are continually 
 occurring. It contains, however, many geographical 
 and statistical representations worth regarding, the 
 
14 HISTORY OP 
 
 collection of wliicli is demonstrative of the zeal and 
 industry of the writer. 
 
 The fourth section consists of " considerations on the 
 practicability of something being done, more than what 
 is done, for the conversion of the heathen/' The 
 impediments to the carrying of the gospel among the 
 heathen, the author considers to be either "their distance 
 from us, their barbarous and savage manner of living, 
 the danger of being killed by them, the difficulty of 
 procuring the necessaries of life, or the unintelligible- 
 ness of their languages,-'^ — all of which objections he 
 satisfactorily refutes. 
 
 The fifth section embraces ^* an inquiry into the duty 
 of christians in general, and what means ought to be 
 used, in order to promote this work.-*' These are, 
 fervent and united prayer, and exerting ourselves in the 
 use of means. Here he suggests the formation of a 
 society such as was afterwards organized. "When a 
 trading company,'^ says Mr. Carey, " have obtained their 
 charter, they usually go to its utmost limits ; and their 
 stocks, their ships, their officers, and men, are so 
 chosen and regulated, as to be likely to answer their 
 purpose; but they do not stop here, for, encoui-aged 
 by the prospect of success, they use every effi)rt, cast 
 their bread upon the waters, cultivate friendship with 
 every one from whose information they expect the 
 least advantage. They cross the widest and most tem- 
 pestuous seas, and encounter the most unfavom-abTe 
 climates ; they introduce themselves into the most 
 barbarous nations, and sometimes undergo the most 
 affecting hardships; their minds continue in a state of 
 anxiety and suspense, and a longer delay than usual 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 15 
 
 in the arrival of their vessels, agitates them with a 
 thousand painful thoughts and foreboding apprehen- 
 sions, which continue till the rich returns are safe 
 arrived in port. But why these fears? Whence all 
 these disquietudes, and this labour ? Is it not because 
 their souls enter into the spirit of the project, and their 
 happiness, in a manner, depends on its success ? 
 Christians are a body, whose truest interest lies in the 
 exaltation of the Messiahs kingdom. Their charter 
 is very extensive, their encouragements exceeding great, 
 and the retm'ns promised infinitely superior to all the 
 gains of the most lucrative fellowship. Let, then, 
 every one in his station, consider himself as bound to 
 act with all his might, and in every possible way, 
 for God." 
 
 He concludes in these emphatic words. ^'We are 
 exhorted to ^ lay up treasure in heaven, where neither 
 moth nor rust doth corrupt, nor thieves break through 
 and steal.^ It is also declared, that ^ whatsoever a man 
 soweth, that shall he also reap.^ These scriptures 
 teach us, that the enjoyments of the life to come, bear 
 a near relation to that which now is ; a relation similar 
 to that of the harvest and the seed. It is true, all 
 the reward is of mere gi'ace; but it is nevertheless 
 encouraging. What a treasm-e, what a harvest must 
 await such characters as Paul, and Elliot, and Brainerd, 
 and others, who have given themselves wholly to the 
 work of the Lord ! What a heaven will it be to see 
 the many myriads of poor heathens, of Britons amongst 
 the rest, who by their labours have been brought to the 
 knowledge of God ! Surely a crown of rejoicing like 
 this is worth aspiring to. Surely it is worth while to 
 
16 HISTORY OF 
 
 lay ourselves out with all our niiglit^ in promoting the 
 cause and the kingdom of Christ." 
 
 This brief analysis of the " Inquiry " has been 
 introduced not only on account of the rarity of the 
 publication^ but more especially because of the important 
 influence it exerted in promoting the missionary enter- 
 prise. Its appeals were heard, and its suggestions 
 speedily adopted. 
 
 In 1788, Mr. Carey removed to Leicester, and became 
 pastor of the chm'ch in Harvey Lane. "While there, his 
 anxiety for the spread of the gospel abroad, increased 
 every day, till it became an habitual and irrepressible 
 passion of the soul. In 1791, after the ministers' 
 meeting at Clipston, he urged forward the discussion, 
 ^' whether it were not practicable and om* bounden duty, 
 to attempt somewhat towards spreading the gospel in 
 the heathen world." The profound impression that 
 was produced by the two sermons preached on the 
 occasion, — the one, by Mr. SutclifF, on "jealousy for 
 the Lord of hosts," (1 Kings xix. 10,) the other, by 
 Mr. Fuller, on "the pernicious influence of delay in 
 matters of religion," (Haggai i. 2,) — tended greatly to 
 promote Mr. Carey^s purpose in the further prose- 
 tion of this subject ; and he seized with eagerness 
 the favourable opportunity. It was then agreed to 
 publish his thoughts (which was afterwards done in the 
 " Inquiry,") in order, as Mr. Fuller has stated, 
 "partly to satisfy brother Carey, and partly to gain 
 time;" for the ministers had hitherto been compelled 
 by his importunities, to consider the subject, but as it 
 was " an unbeaten path," their minds " revolted," and 
 "it seemed to them too great, too much like grasping 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 17 
 
 at an object utterly beyond their reach/' What is new 
 and important has generally something in it appalling 
 even to the sturdiest minds; and^ perhaps^ considering 
 the general state of the world at the time^ it need not 
 excite surprise that even a man like Fullerj on whose 
 brow was written, " Shall such a man as I flee ?" should 
 at first hestitate. 
 
 At the next anniversary of the association at Notting- 
 ham, in May, 1792, Mr. Carey preached a sermon from 
 the second and third verses of the fifty-foui'th chapter of 
 Isaiah, which excited the deepest interest, and induced 
 the ministers to resolve, that at the autumnal meeting at 
 Kettering, a plan for forming a society to spread the 
 gospel among the heathen, should be prepared and 
 submitted for consideration. This discourse was 
 arranged under two hortatory divisions, which,, like 
 the brief, condensed expressions of illustrious men, on 
 the eve of noble enterprises, have ever since become the 
 watchwords of the chiu-ch, — 1, "Expect great things 
 from Godj 2, Attempt great things for God/' ^^If," 
 says Dr. Ryland, "all the people had lifted up their 
 voice and wept, as the childi-en of Israel did at Bochim, 
 (Judges ii.) I should not have wondered at the effect, 
 it would only have seemed proportionate to the cause; 
 so clearly did he prove the criminality of our supineness 
 in the cause of God.''* A resolution was passed, 
 " that against the next minister's meeting at Kettering, 
 a plan should be prepared for the pm'pose of forming a 
 society for propagating the gospel among the heathen." 
 
 At the Kettering meeting, on the second of October, 
 the society was formally incorporated; and the first 
 
 * Life of Fuller. 
 
18 HISTORY OF 
 
 subscription, made on the spot, amounted to £1^. 2s. 6d. 
 This sum, though really small, was comparatively large ; 
 for it was the contribution of a few poor but enlightened 
 servants of Jesus Christ. It was such as to free it from 
 all charge of ostentation in the motive, and yet such as 
 to evince the faith and the self-sacrifice of those who 
 laid it on the altar of God. The warring world was 
 at the time expending millions in sanguinary conflict, 
 which exhausted nations, and terminated in death and 
 desolation ; these men were contributing to enhance 
 the happiness of the earth, and promote the glory of 
 its Redeemer. ^' What," said the objectors at the time, 
 '^ is thirteen pounds the mighty sum with which it i^ 
 proposed to undertake so vast a scheme ?" "And were 
 these the men and the nieans," have said opponents since, 
 in fifty years of reiterated scorn, '^ with which the conver- 
 sion of the world was to be attempted V Precisely so, 
 we reply ; for means are accepted of God, when they are 
 proportionate to possession, and blessed with success, 
 when they are employed in faith. 
 
 After separating in much prayerful solicitude, the 
 ministers reassembled on the thirty-first of the same 
 month, when the Society held its second meeting at 
 Northampton. On this occasion, Mr. Pearce of Birming- 
 ham brought a contribution of seventy pounds from his 
 friends, saying that they had formed an auxiliary society. 
 He was then elected a member of the commtitee. 
 
 At theii' third meeting, held at Northampton, Nov. 13, 
 a letter was received from Mr. Carey, stating that a 
 Mr. Thomas, a surgeon from Bengal, was raising a fund 
 in London for a mission to that country, and was also 
 endeavouring to obtain a companion in his work. He 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 19 
 
 expressed an apprehension lest this should interfere 
 with their more enlarged plan, and a wish to amalga- 
 mate the funds. Mr. Fuller was commissioned to make 
 inquiries respecting Mr. Thomas, — ^his character and 
 proceedings. A curious circumstance was related by 
 the late Mr. Campbell of Kingsland, as having occm'red 
 to himself in relation to Mr. Thomas. He had heard 
 of him by letters from Malda, sent to one of the Scotch 
 bishops who had "an enthusiastic friend, that was 
 always pestering him about the success of the gospel in 
 Bengal, and with questions about religion at home." 
 "The bishop," says Mr. Campbell, "knew little of the 
 religion which the Bible contains. I answered his friend^s 
 questions as well as I could. I then heard nothing 
 more of the affair until 1792, when in London/^ 
 While there, he called on Mr. Abraham Booth, and 
 found a gentleman with him in the garb of a minister. 
 It appears that Mr. Booth had felt some doubt about 
 the claims of this gentleman, and did not know what 
 weight to attach to his testimonials. Mr. Campbell 
 reckoned it providential that he went in "just at the 
 nick of time " to authenticate them ; for upon the con- 
 versation turning upon Malda, he asked, " Did you ever 
 hear of a Mr. Thomas, a surgeon, who began to preach 
 in India?" After allowing him to proceed with some 
 remarks, he said, "I am the man." He was much 
 struck with this coincidence. It was at the time when 
 inquiries were making, and the Society forming its first 
 arrangements. Mr. Campbell was accustomed quaintly 
 to say, " Thus I had a finger in that pie too." * 
 
 * This statement is derived, substantially , from Philip's Life 
 and Times of Campbell. 
 
20 , HISTORY OF 
 
 At tlie meeting in January, 1793, tlie report given 
 by tlie secretary, respecting Mr. Thomas, was highly 
 satisfactory ; and " the committee, being fully of 
 opinion that a door was now open in the East Indies, 
 for preaching the gospel to the heathen, agreed to 
 invite Mr. Thomas to go out under the patronage of 
 the Society ; engaging to furnish him with a companion, 
 if a suitable one can be obtained." Brother Carey 
 was then asked, whether, in case Mr. Thomas should 
 accede to our proposal, he was inclined to accompany 
 him. To this, he readily answered in the affirmative. 
 The same evening, Mr. Thomas himself arrived at 
 Kettering, and fully acceded to all our prosposals.'^* 
 "It was late in the evening," says Mr. Morris, who 
 was an eye-witness, " while they were in full delibera- 
 tion, his arrival was announced. Impatient to behold 
 his colleague, he entered the room in haste, and Mr. 
 Carey rising from his seat, they fell on each other^s 
 necks, and wept. ..... ^ From Mr. Thomas's account, 
 
 we saw,' said Mr. Fuller, ^ there was a gold mine in 
 India, but it seemed almost as deep as the centre of 
 the earth. Who will venture to explore it ? "I wiU go 
 down," said Mr. Carey to his brethren, " but rehiember 
 that you must hold the ropes." We solemnly engaged 
 to do so ; nor while we live, shall we desert him.' " f 
 
 Mr. Thomas had been educated for the medical pro- 
 fession,^ and practised for some years in London ; but 
 ill success compelled him, in 1783, to go to Bengal, as 
 surgeon in one of the East India Company's ships. In 
 1785, he retm-ned to London, joined Dr. Stennett's 
 
 * Period. Ace, No. I. p. 35. t Morris's Mem. of Fuller. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 21 
 
 cliurclij and became a preacher. In 1786, lie again 
 proceeded to Bengal ; and was, for some time, supported 
 by a few pious episcopalians, while he acquired the 
 language, and aimed to instruct the natives. In two 
 or three years, having dissolved this connexion, he 
 returned to England, to seek that encouragement which 
 might enable him to devote the rest of his life to a 
 mission to Bengal. At this crisis, the events of the 
 preceding narrative occurred. 
 
 On avowing his determination, Mr. Carey found 
 himself encompassed with difficulties. His church at 
 Leicester, indeed, with a noble and disinterested zeal, 
 at once relinquished their claim; but his wife was 
 utterly averse to the thought of accompanying him. 
 Still, he considered his duty to God as paramount, and 
 amidst the severest struggles of mind, resolved to go, 
 intending to return for her, as soon as he had secured 
 a footing for the mission. He presumed that she might 
 be persuaded to unite in his undertaking, when no 
 longer required to pursue an untrodden and adven- 
 turous path. She consented, however, to their eldest 
 son Felix being his companion. 
 
 In the mean time, an effort was made in London, by 
 calling a meeting at Devonshire Square, to consider the 
 propriety of forming an auxiliary society. Thirty-one 
 persons were present, of whom eight were ministers. 
 In a letter to Mr. Fuller, the chairman states that some 
 who were invited felt indisposed to attend; and that two of 
 the principal people in a leading church spoke decidedly 
 against the formation of such a society. Tlie objection 
 was sustained by a very long appeal from one of the 
 most distinguished of the ministers. "I asked," says 
 
22 HISTORY OF 
 
 he, " what must be said, in ease any one wants to know 
 the opinion of the meeting/^ It was universal, so far 
 as I observed, that they were wilhng to assist it (the 
 design) as individuals; but if they were formally to 
 take up the Society, they should commit the whole deno- 
 mination. This was the expression used again and 
 again/^ It was also inquired of the particular friends 
 of a weU known individual, whether he would receive 
 subscriptions ; and it was intimated that the probability 
 was he would not, for he had considered it as an " Uto- 
 pian scheme/^ 
 
 This is an instructive, though a melancholy page in 
 our early missionary history. It indicates too plainly 
 the low state of religious feeling, and the general 
 deficiency of that expansive benevolence which ought 
 to distinguish the disciples of Jesus. A comparative 
 estimate of the denomination then and at the present 
 time, will show what an element of moral power the 
 missionary spirit is; how it elevates, purifies, and 
 blesses, — filling the soul with charity, the life with 
 action, and the church with joy ; and how eminently is 
 fulfilled, through its instrumentality, the declaration of 
 Solomon, " there is that scattereth and yet increaseth -/' 
 and the still nobler sentiment of him who was greater 
 than Solomon, "it is more blessed to give than to receive." 
 
 While, however, some who were presumed to possess 
 a leading influence in the metropolis, were afraid of 
 " committing the denomination " by their public acts, 
 many in the rural districts evinced a proper sympathy 
 with the Northamptonshire movement. Mr. Thomas, 
 Mr. Pearce, and others, visited several parts of the 
 kingdom, in which there was a response to their appeal ; 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 23 
 
 and even where some hesitation was manifested at fii'st, 
 both ministers and people speedily concurred. Some 
 curious details are given in private letters, of which the 
 following is a specimen. At Worcester, Mr. Thomas 
 writes, that on his arrival, he had poor encouragement ; 
 but there was speedily a change. After a collection, 
 " one poor woman, who had put five shillings into the 
 plate in the evening, came next morning, with tears in 
 her eyes, and blessings in her mouth, and willingly 
 gave 16s. 6d. more. I asked her name, but she would 
 not have it used ; ' but set me down as worthless dust 
 and ashes ;' which I did." Mr. Thomas displayed con- 
 siderable tact, as well as zeal, in his missionary excur- 
 sions. After getting wet through in a journey from 
 Horsley to Bath, where he arrived at a very late hour, 
 he preached the next morning ; but as they had made 
 it a rule not to have more than one or two cases in a 
 year, and no collections, "I thought," observes he, 
 " that I should have nothing there ; but some woman, 
 after hearing the case, sent in a penny. I thanked 
 them, and said I should set do^\Ti — Bath, one penny ! 
 On farther thinking of it, the emergency of the case, 
 &c., they agreed to a collection, and, at my brother^s 
 table, there was a plate handed round, and £7. 7s. col- 
 lected, which, together with what was collected at the 
 doors, amounted in all to £22. 6s. 8|c?." 
 
 Previously to the departure of the missionaries, a 
 farewell service, of great solemnity, was held at Lei- 
 cester, March 20th, 1793. They soon afterwards pro- 
 ceeded to Ryde, in the isle of Wight, and embarked on 
 board a ship for India. But their joy was almost 
 instantly turned into sorrow, by the reception of an 
 
24 HISTORY OF 
 
 anonymous letter^ addi-essed to the captain, warning 
 him at his peril to proceed with persons who were 
 unhcensed by the Company. Upon this, they re- 
 turned to shore, and Mr. Carey hastened to London, 
 in the deepest distress. Even Fuller quailed at the 
 news, and wrote, "We are all undone." The result, 
 however, proved that it was a providential interference, 
 and intended for good. Mr. Thomas was the most 
 cheerful of the party, though he had reason to suspect 
 that one of his former creditors occasioned this severe 
 disappointment. The interval before the sailing of 
 another vessel, in which they secm-ed a passage, was 
 employed in a visit to Mrs. Carey, with a view to try 
 once more and persuade her, with the rest of the 
 family, to accompany them. She, however, resolutely 
 persisted in a refusal, and they departed for North- 
 ampton. Mr. Thom^as, still anxious for his fi'iend, 
 determined even yet to return and make a final effort. 
 In utter despondency, Mr. Carey endeavom-ed to dis- 
 suade him ; but he was resolved ; and, after renewing 
 his appeals w^th reiterated urgency, enjoyed the high 
 satisfaction of prevailing. On June ISth, 1793, all 
 embarked together in the Kron Princessa Maria, a 
 Danish East ludiaman. In the early morning of their 
 departure, one of them addi'cssed a London minister in 
 the following emphatic words : " The ship is come ; the 
 signal made; the guns are fired; and we are going 
 with a fine, fair wind. Farewell, my dear brethren and 
 sisters, farewell ! May the God of Jacob be om-s and 
 yours, by sea and land, for time and eternity !" 
 
 It is unnecessary to record the incidents of the 
 voyage. With the exception of a storm off Cape des 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 25 
 
 Aquilas, the most southern part of Africa^ in which they 
 were for a short time in extreme danger, the com'se to 
 their "desired habitation^^ was agreeable. Mr. Thomas 
 employed himself on a translation of the book of 
 Genesis into Bengalee. "Brother Carey/^ says he, 
 "helped me out in passages which I could have made 
 nothing of Mdthout him. So let the goldsmith help 
 the carpenter, and the carpenter the goldsmith, that 
 the work of God be done." They arrived in Balasore 
 roads on the 7th of November, and on the 10th went 
 on shore, when Mr. Thomas preached at a bazaar, or 
 market. He was heard with great attention for three 
 hours, and a repetition of the visit earnestly solicited. 
 On the 11th, they proceeded to Calcutta. A Hindoo, 
 named Bam Boshoo, whom Mr. Thomas believed to 
 have been converted by his instrumentality, on a pre- 
 vious visit to India, waited for them on their arrival; 
 but, to their grief, they found he had been bowing 
 again to idols. Mr. Carey soon saw reasoji, however, 
 to entertain a good opinion of him; and, some time 
 afterwards, engaged him as a moonshi, or interpreter. 
 Another convert, also, called Parbotee, who had adhered 
 firmly to his profession, demands more than a passing 
 notice ; the following account of him is condensed from 
 ]\Ir. Thomases narrative of his own labours in India. 
 
 Parbotee was a man of title, a brahmin, a thorough 
 devotee to the Hindoo laws and superstitions. When 
 he heard of the new Shaster, or Bible, he was much 
 displeased ; and required another brahmin, Mohun 
 Chund, who had been conversing with Mr. Thomas, to 
 wash his clothes, on account of the defilement. When 
 this individual gave his hookah, or pipe, to Parbotee, 
 
 c 
 
26 HISTORY OF 
 
 the latter emptied the water out of it, which is a kind 
 of formal disgrace, and a forerunner to losing caste. 
 This being done before witnesses, was a dishonour to 
 Mohun Chund. About two in the morning, however, 
 Parbotee, in the greatest distress of mind, called him 
 up, and desired to hear the gospel, and to be prayed for. 
 They then repaired to the house of Boshoo, where they 
 spent their time till daylight, in reading, praying, and 
 singing. He did not then go to his usual ceremonies ; 
 and, on repeated inquiry, it was found that he had had 
 a remarkable dream, which seemed to be of the natm'e 
 of a Divine admonition. The issue was, he confessed 
 and forsook sin, and professed to believe in the Lord 
 Jesus Christ. Mr. Thomas records a prayer which he 
 offered on one occasion on a journey, just as Parbotee, 
 Mohun Chund, and Boshoo were about to proceed with 
 him along the river, by which they were traversing the 
 country ; and it is worthy of admiration for its simplicity 
 and fervour. 
 
 " I performed the rites of the Ganges ; I called this 
 good. I worshipped wood and stone; I called this 
 good. I heard the Shasters of men, that are all false 
 and vain; I called this good. Lord, I am a most 
 wretched creature to this day; I know nothing — 
 nothing ! I have spent all my days in wickedness, and 
 have not obtained the least knowledge of God. put 
 far from me these evil things ! make them depart 
 far from me ! I have hearkened now to thy word ; I 
 will hear them no more. I will not the least regard 
 the idols of wood and stone any more ; — ^vanity, lies ! 
 Lord, I will hear no more at all these Shasters of the 
 Hindoos ; they are false and vain. Wretched sinner ! 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 27 
 
 Save me ! save, save, save me ! Give — give — give 
 — give, Lord ! Give me to know — hell — what ? 
 heaven — what? Without the blood of Christ, I shall 
 never be saved. Without the flesh of Christ, I shall 
 never live. Lord, what is the meaning of this ? I 
 know not what it is. How can I get the blood of 
 Christ ? teach me ! I will do any thing thou sayest. 
 Caste ! what ? Home ! what ? Friends ! what ? Life ! 
 what ? What is any thing ? All is nothing ; but thee. 
 I want no money ; I want nothing but thee. what 
 a wretched sinner I am ! tell me thy way ! tell 
 me by moonshi ; tell me by the sahaib ! * We are 
 going to Calcutta. Many, many wicked things are 
 there. keep us all while we stay there ! 
 
 " that I had but love ! O that I had but faith ! 
 
 that I had forgiveness ! that I had but those 
 things which thy people have ! Like them — give me 
 like them ! Lord, how many evil things are in my 
 mind every day ! I am a wicked, blasphemous wretch. 
 
 1 have shame in me — ^wicked shame before the people, 
 and wicked fear of men. Far, far away from me, 
 put far away my sins ! Forgive me ; and teach me what 
 I shall do ! I will do any thing. that I did but 
 know what to do ! give — give — give. Lord ! What 
 shall, what can I do ?" 
 
 * Sir. He meant Mr. Thomas. 
 
 c2 
 
28 HISTORY OF 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 FROM THE ARRIVAL OF THE FIRST MISSIONARIES IN INDIA, 
 TO THEIR SETTLEMENT AT SERAMPORE. 
 
 After the arrival of the missionaries in Bengal, they 
 were in great perplexity respecting a place of residence. 
 Three weeks were occupied in the arrangement of their 
 secular affairs in Calcutta, when they proceeded to 
 Bandell, a Portuguese settlement, about thirty miles 
 distant. The inhabitants of that village consisted of 
 catholics and mahometans, but multitudes of Hindoos 
 lived in the populous vicinity. These listened with 
 much attention to the addresses of Mr. Thomas, and 
 were full of inquiry about the way to heaven. Appa- 
 rently there was no opening for usefulness in Calcutta ; 
 but at the earnest solicitation of several brahmins and 
 pundits, and with a view to his own profession as a sur- 
 geon, he rather determined upon remaining there; while 
 Mr. Carey agreed, for the present, to accept of gratui- 
 tous accommodation in the garden-house of a banian at 
 Maniktulla. The reason he assigns for leaving Bandell, 
 is, that it was impracticable to live there as he thought 
 missionaries ought, in association with the people among 
 whom they labour. Having been informed that he 
 might obtain jungle land, rent free, for three years, at 
 or near Deharta, thirty-two miles eastward of the city, 
 whither he had sent a trusty old native to make 
 inquiries, he applied to Mr. Thomas, to whom was 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 29 
 
 intrusted the little money they possessed, for assistance ; 
 but found that through his inconsideration and impro- 
 vidence, all was expended. He determined, therefore, 
 to borrow five hunch-ed rupees, and retire into the 
 wilderness alone. His temporal necessities now began 
 to press heavily on his spirits. Repeated applications 
 to his friend were in vain, and he felt himself indeed a 
 stranger in a strange land. In these circumstances, 
 however, he pursued his purpose of translating the 
 Scriptures with unmitigated ardour ; and finding him- 
 self capable of conversing intelligibly with his moonshi, 
 or interpreter, he writes, on the 21st of January, "we 
 are determined to begin correcting the translation of 
 Genesis to-morrow." 
 
 The offer of a bungalow at Deharta, belonging to 
 the East India Company, till he could provide a resid- 
 ence, induced him, at the beginning of February, 1794, 
 to make preparations for his depai*tm*e. Behold, then, 
 this devoted servant of Christ launching forth in a little 
 boat, scarcely knowing, like Abraham, whither he went, 
 all but totally destitute of the means of subsistence, 
 uncheered by the sweet associations of friendship, 
 uncountenanced by the ruling authorities, caiTjdng 
 with him a reluctant family who thought it hard to be 
 forced from Calcutta, guided only by a native, (Ram 
 Boshoo,) through the salt rivers and lakes, and partly 
 along a river of the Sunderbunds, the habitation of 
 fierce animals, prowling for their prey; — behold him, 
 intent, not on the acquisition of wealth or fame, but 
 solely in a voluntary expatriation to the distance of 
 fifteen thousand miles from his native land, to rescue 
 the wi-etched chikben of men from idolatry and vice ; 
 
30 HISTORY OF 
 
 and more than willing to labour, to suffer, or to die, 
 for their salvation ! What is the glory of ambition to 
 this sublimity of benevolence ? 
 
 As the family party proceeded up the Jubona, they 
 found themselves not only desolate, but in utter desti- 
 tution. Their strength was exhausted, and their pro- 
 visions failed. At this critical juncture, a gentleman 
 was seen walking along the banks of the river, mth a 
 gun in his hand for amusement. The guide. Ram 
 Boshoo, said that a house which they saw, was built 
 after the English fashion, and inhabited by an English 
 gentleman. This led Mr. Carey to think of calling 
 there. At this moment, the gentleman in question, 
 who was the very English resident described by their 
 guide, perceiving the boat, which he saw was occupied 
 by Europeans, approached, and invited the whole party 
 to his mansion. He was fi'ankly informed of their 
 missionary object; but, though he had no sympathy 
 with it, having no regard for religion, he hesitated not 
 to offer them accommodation ; and this he gratuitously 
 continued, and on the most liberal scale, for some 
 months, till they could make arrangements for them- 
 selves. All were deeply affected with this providential 
 interposition; and the name of Charles Short, Esq. 
 was ever afterwards, and justly, held in grateful 
 remembrance.* 
 
 Mr. Carey had been expecting to find land at Hash- 
 
 * This occurrence is related, with slight circumstantial diflfer- 
 ences, by Mr. Fuller, in a small fragment of an intended history 
 of the mission ; but the wi-iter must adhere to the narrative he 
 has given as correct, having had repeated opportunities of veri- 
 fying it. Mr. Carey's sister was afterwards married to Mr. Short. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 31 
 
 nabadj but obtained it very near^ at Collalitullali^ a 
 pleasant situation, with a fine soil. In this locality, he 
 began to erect a house of an humble description ; and 
 was soon much encouraged by being informed that the 
 favourable representations of his moonshi had induced 
 four or five hundred families to think of taking up 
 their abode in his vicinity. The situation was close to 
 the Sunderbunds, the di'cad of whose fierce inhabitants, 
 the tigers and other wild animals, had before diiven the 
 population to a distance ; but the anticipated residence 
 of an Em'opean, induced them to think of returning 
 to that deserted neighbourhood. As soon, therefore, 
 as the language was acquired, an opportunity for useful 
 exertion seemed likely to present itself, both among 
 Hindoos and mussulmen. 
 
 Some time afterwards, another situation invited a 
 settlement, which seemed far preferable to a precarious 
 subsistence in a desolate wilderness. The reasons for a 
 removal were satisfactory to the mind of Mr. Carey, 
 not to say that the call was imperative. A friend of 
 Mr. Thomas, George Udney, Esq., had removed from 
 Calcutta to Malda. A domestic affliction having 
 befallen him, Mr. Thomas hastened, with characteristic 
 ardour, to pay him a visit of sympathy, though at the 
 distance of some hundreds of miles. This led to the 
 renewal of an intercom-se that had been suspended by 
 partial estrangement. Mr. Udney had just begun the 
 erection of two indigo factories ; and not ha\dng been 
 
 At a subsequent period, they visited this country, when the 
 author became intimate with them, and Mrs. Short afterwards 
 joined the church at Clipstone, of which he was then the pastor. 
 
32 HISTORY OF \ 
 
 able to find any persons to superintend them^ a proposal 
 was made that Mr. Thomas should take one under his 
 direction^ and Mr. Carey the other. By this arrange- 
 ment, ample provision would be made for the supply of 
 their temporal necessities, and an extensive field afforded 
 for their evangehcal labours ; each, moreover, would be 
 placed in a situation of direct influence over more than 
 a thousand persons. Accordingly, on the 23rd of May, 
 Mr. Carey proceeded to this distance of 300 miles, which 
 required three weeks to accomplish ; and, in June, took 
 up his abode at Mudnabatty ; while Mr. Thomas went 
 to reside within seventy miles, at Moypauldiggy, the 
 other factory. This neighbourhood was little more than 
 a hundred miles from Thibet. It was supposed that 
 their respective factories would furnish shelter for any 
 person who might lose caste by the reception of the 
 gospel ; and that they might be able to aid the mission 
 by devoting their incomes to its support. These views 
 were sustained by the committee at home, who, how- 
 ever, united caution with their consent, in the follow- 
 ing resolution, — that, "though, upon the whole, we 
 cannot disapprove of the conduct of om' brethren, in 
 their late engagement, yet, considering the frailty of 
 human nature in the best of men, a letter of serious 
 and aff'ectionate caution be addi-essed to them." 
 
 At this period, the life of Mr. Carey was embittered 
 in consequence of a malady which had long afflicted his 
 wife, and which was now increasing to a state of abso- 
 lute mental derangement. His eldest son was ill during 
 several months ; and his third son died. He sufi'ered, 
 also, himself, from two attacks of intermittant fever. 
 
 In a letter, dated Jan. 6th, 1795, Mr. Carey com- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 33 
 
 municated to the Society the assurance of his being 
 able to afford pecuniary aid to the missionary under- 
 taking; and the additional intelligence that he could 
 preach the gospel to the natives, in their vernacular 
 idiom. Already had he visited five villages, where all 
 the inhabitants, though, indeed, they were not nu- 
 merous, had attended his ministry ; and the sphere of 
 exertion was continually enlarging. He refers, also, to 
 twenty Europeans, who were friendly, and disposed to 
 unite in their worship. An attempt was made to esta- 
 blish a school ; but many difficulties were encountered, 
 in consequence of the natives removing their childi'en 
 on the slightest occasion. 
 
 The jom'nals of Mr. Carey, dm'ing the year 1795, 
 show that both he and Mr. Thomas persevered in the 
 diligent discharge of their duties, though uncheered by 
 much success. He mentions, however, addi'essing large 
 assemblies, and expresses peculiar pleasure that many 
 attended who were not their own workmen, and who 
 might, therefore, be presumed to be under other influ- 
 ence than mere motives of self-interest. They had now 
 constituted a christian church. It had only four 
 members, indeed, — themselves and two Europeans ; but 
 they were full of faith that, even in these di'eary wastes 
 of idolatry, the little one might become a thousand. 
 The most that could yet be said of the natives was, that 
 a youth of eighteen, named Cassinut Mookhm-gee, a 
 brahmin, evinced deep concern about salvation; and 
 this had continued uninterruptedly for three months. 
 The labom's of Carey, however, were not so local as 
 might be imagined. He occupied a district of about 
 twenty miles square, within which, besides occasional 
 c3 
 
34 HISTORY OF 
 
 excursions, lie proceeded in perpetual rotation, through 
 two hundred villages, to proclaim the gospel. "My 
 manner of travelling," he says, "is with two small 
 boats ; one serves me to live in, and the other for cook- 
 ing my food. I carry all my fm-niture and food with 
 me from place to place ; namely, a chair, a table, a bed, 
 and a lamp. I walk from village to village, but repair 
 to my boat for lodging and eating." 
 
 The Hindoos, to whose spiritual welfare this eminent 
 man had now devoted his life, are regarded as the 
 aborigines of the country. From the period, however, 
 of the conquest of India by Tamarlane, a.d. 1398, a 
 great part of Hindostan had been under the maho- 
 metan power ; but the Hindoo subjects of the Mogul 
 empire are incomparably more numerous than their 
 conquerors. Their character has been recently described 
 by an eloquent pen, in the following words. "The 
 physical organization of the Bengalee is feeble even to 
 effeminacy. He lives in a constant vapoui* bath. His 
 pursuits are sedentary, his limbs delicate, his move- 
 ments languid. During many ages, he has been 
 trampled upon by men of bolder and more hardy 
 breeds. Courage, independence, veracity, are quahties 
 to which his constitution and his situation are equally 
 unfavourable. His mind bears a singular analogy to 
 his body. It is weak, even to helplessness, for purposes 
 of manly resistance; but its suppleness and its tact 
 move the children of sterner climates to admiration, not 
 unmingled with contempt. All those arts which are 
 the natural defence of the weak, are more familiar to 
 this subtle race than they were to the Ionian of the time 
 of Juvenal, or to the Jew of the dark ages. What the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 35 
 
 horns are to the buffalo, what the paw is to the tiger, 
 what the sting is to the bee, what beauty, according to 
 the old Greek song, is to woman, — deceit is to the 
 Bengalee. Large promises, smooth excuses, elaborate 
 tissues of circumstantial falsehood, chicanery, perjury, 
 forgery, are the weapons, offensive and defensive, of 
 the people of the Lower Ganges. All those milhons 
 do not furnish one sepoy to the armies of the Company. 
 But as usurers, as money-changers, as sharp legal 
 practitioners, no class of human beings can bear a 
 comparison with them. With all his softness, the 
 Bengalee is by no means placable in his enmities, or 
 prone to pity. The pertinacity with which he adheres 
 to his pm'poses, yields only to the immediate pressure 
 of fear. Nor does he lack a certain kind of courage, 
 which is often wanting in his masters. To inevitable 
 evils, he is sometimes found to oppose a passive forti- 
 tude, such as the stoics attributed to their ideal sage. 
 An European warrior, who rushes on a battery of 
 cannon, with a loud hui-rah, will shriek under the 
 surgeon^ s knife, and fall into an agony of despair at the 
 sentence of death. But the Bengalee, who would see 
 his country overrun, his house laid in ashes, his child- 
 ren murdered or dishonoured, without having the spirit 
 to strike one blow, has yet been known to endure 
 tortm'e with the firmness of Mucins, and to mount 
 the scaffold with the steady step and even pulse of 
 Algernon Sydney.* 
 
 It will now be necessary to advert to certain trans- 
 actions at home, which belong to this period of the 
 
 * Edinburgh Review for October, 1841, pp. 1/2, 1/3. 
 
36 HISTORY OF 
 
 mission. In a committee meeting, held at Arnsby, on 
 the 17th of April, 1795, it was resolved that Africa 
 appeared to present a favourable opening for the 
 extension of the kingdom of Christ. This was inferred 
 from the Sierra Leone Reports, which had been recently 
 published. Mr. Jacob Grigg, a student at Bristol, 
 having offered himself as a missionary, and being 
 conditionally accepted, the committee determined to 
 inquire after a suitable companion in labour, upon the 
 avowed principle of regard to the practice of our Lord, 
 in sending out his disciples two and two. At the same 
 meeting, the treasurership changed hands from Mr. 
 Hogg to Mr. Thomas King of Birmingham. In June 
 following, Mr. Rodway, recently a student at Bristol, 
 but then residing at Burton-upon-Trent, was chosen at 
 his own request, to accompany Mr. Grigg to Africa. 
 These young men were publicly designated to their 
 work, on the 16th of September, 1795, at Birmingham; 
 and a recommendatory letter was given them to the 
 church at Sierra Leone, under the pastorate of David 
 George. They left Spithead on the 2nd of November, 
 reached shore at Sierra Leone on the 1st of December, 
 and found a house provided for their reception. Governor 
 Dawes was extremely courteous to them, and took great 
 interest in the mission. They accompanied him to the 
 island of Benunas, distant thirty miles from Free Town, 
 where he recommended one of them to settle, and to 
 Port Logo, about forty miles up the river Sierra Leone, 
 which he deemed eligible for another station. To the 
 latter place, accordingly, Mr. Grigg repaired, and took 
 with him a black settler as a factor ; but this led to 
 unpleasant consequences, being undersold by a slave 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 37 
 
 factor, and induced a return to Free Town at the 
 approach of the rainy season. From this place, the 
 nation of the Simmanies extends about a hundi'ed miles 
 inward towards the East. 
 
 The health of Mr. Rodway was found to be so 
 affected by the climate, that he was quite incapacitated 
 from pursuing his missionary intentions, and by the 
 advice of the surgeon of the colony, returned to Eng- 
 land, in September, 1796. A still more grievous cir- 
 cumstance was, that Mr. Grigg embroiled himself in 
 disputes with a principal person at Sierra Leone; so 
 that, at length, the governor deemed it necessary to 
 insist upon his departure from the colony. The Society 
 was, ultimately, obliged to discard him ; and he with- 
 drew to America. 
 
 The abortive character of this attempt, especially 
 when the Africans evinced a readiness to list^ to the 
 European message of mercy, was deeply affecting to 
 the deliberative body at home ; and they left upon 
 record two remarks upon the subject. — "First: That 
 it is a very mysterious instance of Divine pro\idence, 
 that two young men, who had both engaged — and we 
 verily trusted, after close examination, from the purest 
 motives — in preaching the gospel to the heathen, should 
 both, for the present, be obstructed in their work ; that 
 he who seemed likely to succeed, from the prudence 
 and amiableness of his spirit, should be incapacitated by 
 affliction ; and he who was well able to endure the 
 climate, and whose sprightly powers were equal to the 
 energy of his constitution, should incapacitate himself 
 by the impropriety of his conduct. We are not without 
 apprehension, that our own spiritual defects may have 
 
38 HISTORY OF 
 
 contributed to this affliction. When we sent out our 
 first mission^ it was a work altogether new_, — a path 
 that we had not been used to walk in. We, therefore, 
 trod every step of it with fear and trembling. Our 
 supplications to Heaven were fervent and continued. 
 But, perhaps, having succeeded in the first instance, 
 we were less fearful, and less importunate with God, 
 in undertaking a second. 
 
 " Secondly : It may be the design of God, by covering 
 this undertaking with a cloud for the present, to try 
 us. In undertakings of this kind, we ought to lay 
 our accounts with a portion of disappointment Ex- 
 amples may be permitted, as a warning to other mis- 
 sionaries, that they meddle not in things foreign to 
 their mission. It has fallen to our lot to give the first 
 warning of this kind, we hope, also, it may be the last ; 
 but whether it be or not, we are sure it does not become 
 us to be disheartened. Israel was repeatedly put to 
 flight before Benjamin; and yet they did not desist, 
 and, at last, became victorious. If they could per- 
 severe amidst discouragement, in the execution of 
 justice, we trust we shall not be less disposed to perse- 
 verance in the exercise of benevolence and mercy .^'* 
 
 Among the earliest objections to the institution of a 
 missionary society for distant regions, one was derived 
 from the state of our own country. It was presumed, 
 that, while seeking the good of the heathen, sufficient 
 regard was not had to the spiritual destitution at home. 
 Although this was very justly deemed invalid as an 
 
 * Period. Ace. Vol. I. pp. 259, 260. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 39 
 
 objection to foreign enterprise^ it roused attention to 
 domestic claims ; and^ as the best practical answer, 
 it was determined to devote a portion of the funds to 
 an experimental effort. Accordingly, in the summer of 
 1796, Messrs. SafFery of Salisbury, and Steadman, then 
 of Broughton, undertook a preaching excursion through 
 the county of Cornwall, under the auspices of the 
 Society. In the follomng summer, a similar tour was 
 performed by Messrs. Steadman and Frankhn of Coven- 
 try. These journeys did not appear to produce any very 
 immediate or extensive effects ; though, perhaps, it may 
 be said that they had a preparatory influence with 
 regard to future exertions. 
 
 To retm'n to the general narrative. It having been 
 thought desirable to provide an additional number of 
 missionaries in Hindostan, Mr. John Fountain, a 
 member of the church in Eagle Street, London, was 
 appointed to the work. He set sail in the month of 
 April, 1796, and on the 24th of September, reached 
 Mudnabatty. '' Brother Carey,^^ says he, " most kindly 
 received me. Wlien I entered, his pundit stood by 
 him, teaching him Sungskrit. He labours in the trans- 
 lation of the Scriptures, and has nearly finished the 
 New Testament, being somewhere about the middle 
 of Revelations.'-' Thomas's ardent desire, expressed 
 in the following impassioned language, seemed thus 
 approaching to its accomplishment. "I would give a 
 million pounds sterling, if I had it, to see a Bengalee 
 Bible. most merciful God, what an inestimable 
 blessing will it be to these millions ! The angels of 
 heaven will look down upon it to fill their mouths with 
 
40 HISTORY OF 
 
 new praises and adorations. Methinks all heaven and 
 hell will be moved at a Bible's entering such a country 
 as this. Lord, send forth thy light and thy truth ! " 
 During this year, the publication of the gospel was 
 attended with some little success. A few of the hearers 
 evinced deep concern of soul ; but the night was so 
 dark, and the mists of superstition so thick, that the 
 country seemed all but impenetrable to the evangelical 
 light. But were the missionaries dispirited, or disposed 
 to desist in their efforts ? Far from it ; discouragement 
 did not quench the fire of their zeal, or diminish the 
 energy of their perseverance. In such circumstances 
 of difficulty and depression, we see the grandeur of the 
 missionary principle. Then, indeed, it attains the glory 
 of a moral martyrdom, when success, however encourag- 
 ing, is not essential to sustain the christian labourer in 
 his toil j and defeat, is not able to drive him from the 
 field, or overcome his faith in God. He is thus pre- 
 pared for self-denial and suffering, and learns, for 
 Christ's sake, even to " glory in tribulation." The 
 following extract from a letter of Mr. Carey, addressed 
 to Mr. Pearce, affords a fine illustration of this senti- 
 ment. "Although I have not written in the most 
 encouraging manner, respecting my own labours, yet 
 do not suppose that I am weary of my work. No : I 
 would not, for all the finest^ stations in England put 
 together, abandon the mission to the heathen. I have 
 much within and much without, to lament ; but I am 
 in my element ; nay, I am but, as it were, beginning 
 to enjoy the pleasure of communicating my heart to 
 these people of so very strange speech. I begin to feel 
 a sacred and increasing pleasure in the contemplation 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 41 
 
 of the certain downfall of the kingdom of darkness in 
 this long, long benighted region. The work to which 
 God has set his hand, will infallibly prosper. Christ 
 has begun to bombard this strong and ancient fortress, 
 and will assuredly carry it. It is not the usual way of 
 God, to desert what he has begun in the public work of 
 grace, any more than in his secret work in the souls of 
 individual believers ; and especially in such a time as 
 this, when every thing portends the downfall, the 
 speedy downfall of all that opposes the dear Redeemer's 
 reign." 
 
 Great hopes were entertained respecting three natives 
 of high caste, namely. Ram Ram Boshoo, Mohun Chund, 
 and Parbotee. The first of these, however, at an early 
 period, dishonoured his profession. There were, also, 
 four mussulmans, labom'ing men, who seemed much 
 impressed with the truth and power of Christianity. 
 One of them, named Yarda, was possessed of very good 
 abilities. 
 
 In the early part of the year 1797, Messrs. Carey 
 and Thomas made an excursion to Bootan, an extensive 
 country subject to the Dib Rajah. They w^ere cour- 
 teously and even honourably received among a people 
 quite a contrast to the Hindoos in their athletic frame 
 and fearless character. The Lama Goroo, as they call 
 him, is considered only as a representative of God. 
 They have his image in their houses, about the size of 
 a large man^s thumb. In the report of the journey, it 
 is stated that they "preached Christ in many places 
 where his name was never heard before, and were 
 attended to with great ardour. The name of our Re- 
 deemer has been declared in that unknown country; 
 
43 HISTORY OF 
 
 and we have the greatest encouragement to hope that a 
 mission may he hegun to great advantage in these parts.'' 
 
 The proceedings of this year were chiefly distin- 
 guished hy persevering assiduity, in the preparatory 
 lahour of translation, in the preaching of the gospel, 
 and in frequent conversations with the natives. Upon 
 the whole, the missionaries considered their prospect 
 more pleasing than at any preceding period. There 
 were more hearers of the word, greater attention paid 
 to it, and a door was opened for its entrance into 
 the metropolis of the district. Their school succeeded 
 tolerably, but they were distressed by the extreme 
 ignorance of the people. Mr. Fountain, whose piety 
 and zeal were eminently encouraging, writes to Mr. 
 Fuller, that a Mr. Fernandez, of Dinagepore, had gene- 
 rously erected a brick place of worship in that city, for 
 the purpose of introducing the gospel to its inhabitants. 
 He was a native of Macao in China, of Portuguese or 
 Italian extraction, and was educated for a Roman catholic 
 priest ; but being shocked at the worship of images, after 
 earnest inquiries, ultimately relinquished the church of 
 Rome. He had been twenty- two years in the country. 
 The place of worship he had erected, was opened by Carey, 
 Thomas, and Fountain, on the first sabbath in Novem- 
 ber j and they agreed to supply it in monthly services. 
 
 Mr. Carey describes himself as in good health during 
 the year, but mentions a dangerous fever encountered 
 by Mr. Fountain, from which he recovered ; but a 
 similar attack proved fatal to their schoolmaster. 
 Such a season was scarcely ever remembered. The 
 city of Moorshedabad had been nearly depopulated. 
 The earhest letters of 1798, report that the pro- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 43 
 
 spect brightened, and "hopeful appearances" were 
 visible in several of the natives. The school consisted 
 of nineteen boys, some of whom made considerable 
 progress, especially in writing. A Hindoo, named 
 Hurrjr Charon, and one or two others, were pleasingly 
 inquisitive about salvation. Still the scene was desolate. 
 "To look at present circumstances only," says Mr. 
 Fountain, " would fill the mind with despair ; but 
 standing by faith on the immutable promises of Jehovah, 
 and looking through the telescope of prophecy, a scene 
 presents itself, sufficient to inspire the highest hopes, 
 and to enrapture all the contemplative powers of the 
 soul. In the everlasting covenant, ordered in all things 
 and sure, I see mankind as ^new creatures/ strong- 
 holds are demolished; vain imaginations, and every 
 self-exalted thing, are cast down ; whilst every thought 
 is sweetly captivated in obedience to Christ. I see 
 Hindoo pagodas and mahometan mosques all destroyed. 
 Where they stood, christian temples are erected, in 
 which Jehovah is worshipped in the beauty of holiness. 
 The horrid music is heard no more. The frantic dance 
 has ceased. Instead thereof, the sanctified heart bounds 
 with sacred pleasure, and the tongue is filled with the 
 high praises of God. The di'eadful exploits of devils 
 deified, are no longer the burden of the song ; but the 
 unparalleled exploits of grace divine." This extract 
 will tend to show the excellent character and spirit of 
 the writer. It is the language of a genuine missionary, 
 and evinces that implicit confidence in God, which, by 
 giving to futurity a visible form and a palpable exist- 
 ence, inspires consolation, and quickens to activity, 
 under present discouragements. 
 
44 HISTORY OF 
 
 In another letter, Mr. Fountain furnishes some scrip- 
 tural illustrations, which afford a pleasing evidence of 
 his intelligent and observing mind : " Lately, reading 
 the sixth chapter of Judges, I met with several circum- 
 stances which appear to be illustrated by the customs 
 of this country. The angel's coming and sitting under 
 a tree, answer exactly to the place and position in which 
 travellers rest themselves in India. One may always 
 see somebody sitting in the shade of a great tree. 
 Gideon appears to have been threshing out of doors ; 
 and the same is the practice of this country. They do 
 not make use of a flail as in England ; but, holding the 
 sheaf in both hands, strike it against a board. The 
 present that Gideon prepared for his guest, was just in 
 the manner of this country. In England it is a day or 
 two's work to fetch a sheep, to kill it, and get it ready 
 for the table ; but here a man will take a sheep or a 
 goat, kill it, and cook it, all with his own hands, in the 
 short space of two hours. They cut the meat into 
 little bits to boil, just like pie-meat in England. Thus, 
 it is probable, did Gideon ; and, when it was done, took 
 the pieces of meat, and put them into a basket, and the 
 soup in a pot. Brother Carey and I have often eaten 
 such a dinner as this, under a tree. It is nothing with 
 us now to eat and sleep under a tree, when on a journey. 
 In this country, we are obliged to take with us provisions 
 for ourselves and our beasts ; there being no public inns 
 nor roads for the accommodation of travellers." 
 
 The Bengalee translation was now proceeding with 
 rapidity.* 
 
 * A long and interesting letter from Mr. Fountain to Dr. 
 Ryland, on this subject, has been preserved. It is dated, Mudna- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 45 
 
 In April, the Committee resolved to send paper from 
 England for the pm-pose of printing the New Testa- 
 ment. In October, Mr. Carey states that he had 
 finished the translation of the Pentateuch, Psalms, 
 Isaiah, Jeremiah, part of Ezekiel, and the New Testa- 
 batty, 22nd May, 1798. A few extracts from* it will not only 
 gratify a reasonable curiosity respecting the primary proceedings 
 of the missionaries, in their translations; but perpetuate the 
 memory of the ^M-iter, who was held in the highest estimation 
 during his short and useful career. The words at the foot of 
 each extract, included in brackets, are written by Dr. Ryland. 
 
 " While brother Carey has been translating, I have frequently 
 sat by him and noted down the changes we have either been 
 forced, or judged proper to introduce in certain passages, and 
 the observations that we have made at the time. I think he has 
 submitted some of them to your judgment ; a few others I will 
 now send, wishing for your thoughts and remarks thereon. 
 
 "Gen. i. 21. — 'And God created great whales' The word 
 here rendered whale is, in Exod. vii. 9, 10, and 12, rendered 
 serpent J and in Deut. xxxii. 33, it is rendered dragon j as also, 
 in Psal. cxlviii. 7? where it signifies a sea-monster. In this place 
 of Moses, Parkhurst says, it signifies or seems to include both the 
 crocodile and whale species. — See Heb. Lex. p. 890. [Sea-monster. '] 
 
 "Gen. ii. 3. — 'Which God created and made.' The Hebrew 
 is, which God created to make, or that he might make. Query, 
 Does not creation seem to imply, the bringing of being out of 
 nonentit)^ and making, the sit&c -formation, or bringing it into 
 order ? 
 
 " Ver. 5, 6. — ' For the Lord God had caused it to rain upon 
 the earth, and there was not a man to till the ground : but there 
 went up a mist from the earth, and watered the whole face of 
 the ground." This reading proves nothing; but the Hebrew 
 serves to refute the foolish idea of every thing being produced 
 b}'^ what is called nature j for nature itself (which is nothing but 
 the regular law of Jehovah imposed upon the creatiu-es) existed 
 
46 HISTORY OF 
 
 ment. In November, lie says, " The translation of the 
 Bible may now be looked upon as finished ; as it will 
 be so, before the means of printing it can be conveyed 
 to us. Brother Fountain has begun to translate from 
 Joshua onwards ; and though his translation will neces- 
 sarily require a scrutinous revisal and re-revisal, and 
 the liberal use of the pruning-knife, yet it will much 
 forward the work; and he, being indefatigable in it, 
 will improve/' In the mean time, a printing press was 
 purchased at Calcutta for fom- hundred Sicca rupees, 
 and preparative measures were adopted for procuring 
 types. We afterwards find the following curious record : 
 
 not now. What are now called shrubs and vegetables, were 
 made, before there was rain to fructify, or man to cultivate. The 
 Hebrew says, * The Lord God had not caused it to rain upon the 
 earth, nor was there a man to till the ground, nor a mist ascend- 
 ing from the earth, to water the whole face of the ground.' Thus 
 have we rendered it in the Bengalee. 
 
 "Chap. X. 21. — 'The brother of Japheth the elder. The 
 Hebrew, which we have followed, reads. The brother of Japheth 
 the greater. Thus, a younger one, when speaking of an elder, 
 says, ' My great brother.' 
 
 " Chap. xi. 3. — ' And they had brick for stone, and slime had 
 they for cement.'' We have followed the Hebrew, which reads, 
 ' They had clay for cement.' [Perhaps bitumen.'] 
 
 "Num. X. 21. — ''And the Kohathites set forward, bearing the 
 sanctuary.'' The English idea of a sanctuary is, a holy place ; 
 but place cannot be removed. We have rendered it, the ma- 
 terials of the sanctuary. [Holy tent.] 
 
 "Deut. vi. 8. — 'And they shall be as frontlets between thine 
 eyes.' This circumstance, amongst others, seems to strengthen 
 the opinion, that the Hindoos are the descendants of the dispersed 
 Jews. The memorial between the eyes is, (according to the 
 learned,) what is rendered philactory, Mat. xxiii. 5 ; and they 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 47 
 
 ^^ Sept. ISth, 1798. — This day we set up the printing 
 press at Mudnabatty. Some of the natives, who came 
 in to look at it, went away and said it was a balatle 
 dhourga ; viz. an EngHsh idol !" 
 
 At this crisis, Mr. William Ward presented himself 
 as a candidate for the service of the mission. He was 
 by profession a printer; but, being called to the 
 ministry by the chm'ch in George Street, Hull, of which 
 he was a member, he went to Ewood Hall, near 
 Halifax, for improvement under the tuition of Mr. 
 Fawcett. Having expressed a willingness to proceed 
 
 agree that the Greek word, as well as the Hebrew sign, signifies 
 a distinction. The brahmins (and I beheve some others,) retain 
 to this day a distinguishing mark between the eyes. Those who 
 are worshippers of Beeshnu, call their mark Teetook. It is a 
 straight stroke from the middle of the crown to the end of the 
 nose. Other brahmins put a straight stroke across their fore- 
 heads, called Ireemundul. This is done at their evening worship. 
 Others put a curved line, called, Ohdho Chandes, that is, half 
 moon, across their foreheads, for the same purpose. 
 
 " Indeed, all the Hindoos who know any thing, are addicted to 
 an hyperbolical way of speaking, upon every occasion. They have 
 been accustomed to poetry from the earliest ages, and, perhaps, 
 of that superlative kind to which no other part of the world can 
 make any pretensions. They appear, however, never to have 
 knowTi blank verse. Their shasters, their poorans, and even their 
 grammars are in rhyme. The lowest people remember anything 
 spoken in rhyme, beyond every other manner of speaking. We 
 are daily hearing them, when at work, singing the hymns which 
 we sing in time of worship. Brother Carey has translated into 
 Bengalee, 'Ashamed of Jesus,' &c., '^O'er the gloomy hills of 
 darkness,' and * Salvation, O the joyful sound ! ' he has also 
 composed two (very good ones, I think,) in Bengalee. I have 
 translated them into Enghsh. 
 
48 HISTORY OF 
 
 to India, he was accepted as a missionary at the 
 minister's meeting at Kettering, on the 16th of October. 
 About the same time, Mr. Daniel Brunsdon, from near 
 Pershore in Worcestershire, but then a resident in 
 Bristol, offered himself to the Society. He had been 
 some time a member of the church at Btoadmead, and, 
 being recommended by Dr. Ryland, was placed at 
 Olney, under the instructions of Mr. Sutcliff. A third 
 candidate was found in Mr. William Grant, a member 
 of the same church. His history was remarkable. At 
 the age of sixteen, he had associated himself with a 
 young deist, with whom he read Voltaire's Philoso- 
 phical Dictionary, and united in ridiculing christians 
 as fanatics. Two years afterwards, he was partially 
 reclaimed by Priestley's History of the Corruptions of 
 Christianity; but soon relapsed into his former prin- 
 ciples, and plunged into profanity and vice. He was 
 conscious, however, of the inconsistency of atheistical 
 opinions, became convinced, at length, of their false- 
 hood, and, by an attention to natural philosophy and 
 anatomy, perceived such demonstrations of the intelli- 
 gent Fh'st Cause, that he believed in the being of a 
 God. Soon afterwards, he met with Mr. Marshman, a 
 member also of Broadmead, in a bookseller's shop. 
 Observing him looking at a Latin dictionary, inquired 
 of Mr. Marshman if he understood that language ; and 
 finding that he did, requested some instruction. His new 
 friend and teacher soon heard him sneer at the absurdi- 
 ties of Calvinism, particularly at the atonement. This, 
 with its associate doctrines, became the subjects of fi-e- 
 quent conversation ; till, with other means of grace, he 
 was brought to a saving knowledge of Christ, and made 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 49 
 
 a public profession of his name. Hearing of the mission 
 to India, and reading the periodical accounts, excited 
 a desire of personally engaging in the work ; and he 
 devoted himself to it, with the full approbation of his 
 pastor. Simultaneously with Mr. Grant's wish, was a 
 similar feeling in the heart of his friend Mr. Marsh- 
 man. He had come from Westbury Leigh, where he 
 had received his first impressions of religion ; was 
 chosen master of the Broadmead charity school, and 
 joined the church in June, 1794. While instructing 
 others, he was eager to improve himself, and attended 
 the academy, (now the Bristol College), every day for 
 an hour, where he obtained a tolerable acquaintance 
 with the Latin, Greek, and Hebrew languages. The 
 author was his class-mate, and read with him, ap- 
 propriately enough, Cicero's Treatise " De Naturd 
 Deorum.^^'^ His first inclination to undertake the 
 missionary enterprise, appears to have originated in 
 Mr. Grant's mentioning his own intentions; but, 
 having once determined upon it, he gave himself to 
 the service, at the age of thirty-two, with cheerful 
 disinterestedness and fervent zeal. 
 
 * When, many years afterwards, he was on his visit to England, 
 this early intercourse was adverted to with mutual satisfaction. 
 The author further mentioned to him, that he had adopted, of his 
 own accord, while a student at Bristol, the practice of committing 
 a few words, particularly Greek roots, to memory during his 
 daily walks. Mr. (then Dr.) Marshman replied, "This is a 
 curious coincidence ; I did the same thing at the same time, 
 self-prompted; and have studied mery language I have since 
 attained in the same manner, and have found it the most 
 eflFectual method. 
 
50 HISTORY OF 
 
 In April, 1799, a passage was secured for the mis- 
 sionaries. Ward, Brunsdon, Grant, and Marshman, with 
 their wives, in the Criterion, Capt. Wickes, who was an 
 elder of the presbyterian church at Philadelphia. On 
 the 3rd of May, the two latter were solemnly designated 
 to the work at Bristol ; and the two former on the 7th, 
 at Olney. The absence of Mr. Pearce was universally 
 deplored, especially as it arose from that melancholy 
 illness which, in the end, deprived the christian church 
 of one of its brightest ornaments. He, however, ad- 
 dressed a letter to Mr. Fuller, in which he offered some 
 salutary counsel, and then proceeded with these im- 
 pressive words : — " that the Lord, who is unconfined 
 by place or condition, may copiously pour out upon 
 you all, the richest effusions of his Holy Spirit on the 
 approaching day ! My most hearty love to each mis- 
 sionary and each companion, or intended companion, of 
 a missionary, who may then encircle the throne of grace. 
 Happy men ! happy women ! you are going to be 
 fellow labourers with Christ himself ! I congratulate — 
 I almost envy you; yet I love you, and can scarcely 
 now forbear dropping a tear of love, as each of your 
 names passes across my mind. what promises, are 
 your^, and what a reward ! Surely heaven is filled wdth, 
 double joy, and resounds with unusual acclamations at the 
 arrival of each missionary there. be faithful, my dear 
 brethren, my dear sisters, be faithful unto death, and all 
 this joy is yours ! Long as I live, my imagination will 
 be hovering over you in Bengal ; and should I die, if 
 separate spirits are allowed a visit to the world they 
 have left, methinks mine would be soon at IMudnabatty, 
 watching your labours, your conflicts, and your pleasures. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 51 
 
 whilst you are always abounding in the work of the 
 Lord/' 
 
 The exertions of Mr. Pearce for the mission, were 
 unremitted; and although his desire to be actually 
 engaged as a missionary, had been frustrated, he may 
 be said to have died, partly at least, in consequence 
 of those exertions. A cold which he had caught 
 in returning from the ministers' meeting at Ketter- 
 ing, was probably aggravated by a journey for the 
 mission to Sheapshead, Nottingham, and Leicester. 
 Consumption ensued ; and his valuable life terminated 
 October 10, 1799. 
 
 Samuel Pearce was "a burning and a shining 
 light.'' There was an intensity in his whole mind and 
 character, visible alike in his mental pursuits, his moral 
 sympathies, and his ministerial career. A^Tien general 
 knowledge was his object, his eagerness for acquisition 
 was irrepressible ; when the welfare of others engaged 
 his attention, his philanthropy seemed to stretch to the 
 poles, and circumnavigate the earth, while it acted like 
 light converged into a focus upon every separate point 
 of human necessity; when the salvation of souls was 
 his aim, — and it was his great, his daily, his absorbing 
 aim, — then did the majesty and power of religion 
 appear. In private, he was all sweetness, condescension, 
 and love. His devotion was like a vestal flame, — pure, 
 consecrated, inextinguishable. His pulpit exercises were 
 full of heart, and free in language. They were, indeed, 
 declamatory more than argumentative ; but singularly 
 pathetic and persuasive. At times, he would rise into 
 raptm'es, and glow like a seraph ; and notwithstanding 
 the disadvantage of a voice which failed him in his 
 d2 
 
52 HISTORY OF 
 
 most animated moments, his oratory was iiTesistible. 
 The peculiar character of the man and the minister 
 shines forth in one of his own impassioned exclamations 
 — " to be a Merciu-y, for ever rolling round and near 
 the smi!" 
 
 The author has a distinct and delightful recollection 
 of an incident which, as remarkably illustrative of his 
 character, ought to be recorded. The meeting-house 
 at Guilsborough, in Northamptonshire, ha\ing been 
 rebuilt, after it had been consumed by fii-e, Mr. Pearce, 
 ]\Ir. Fuller, and Mr. Sutchff preached on the occasion. 
 Ax the rural repast in the afternoon, the persons 
 assembled were privately expressing to each other their 
 pleasm-e in Hstening to Mr. Pearce's discourse, till, at 
 length, a gentleman rose at the table, and made a 
 public request to him to preach again the next morn- 
 ing, at an early hour. With equal simplicity and 
 zeal, he replied, " If you will find a congregation, I 
 -^^ill find a sermon. ^^ The hour fixed was five o^clock, 
 in order to accommodate the countiy people. At the 
 breakfast table, Mr. Fuller addressed him thus, "Bro- 
 ther Pearce, I was gratified with yom* discom'se this 
 morning, and hope it will do much good; but I know 
 YOU \nll excuse my freedom if I say, that I thought 
 YOU did not seem to close when you had really 
 finished. I wondered that, contraiy to what is usual 
 with you, you seemed, as it were, to begin again at the 
 end, — how was it ?^^ He replied, "It was so; but I 
 had my reason." " AVell then, come, let us have it." 
 This was all said in a kind of jocular manner which 
 Mr. Fuller would sometimes assume. !Mr. Pearce 
 paused, and a little hesitated; but on being once more 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 53 
 
 entreated, said, "Well, my brotlier, you shall have the 
 secret, if it must be so. Just at the moment I was 
 about to resume my seat, thinking I had finished, the 
 door opened, and I saw a poor man enter, of the work- 
 ing class; and from the sweat on his brow, and the 
 symptoms of his fatigue, I conjectm'ed that he had 
 walked some miles to this early service, but that he had 
 been unable to reach the place till the close. A mo- 
 mentary thought glanced through my mind, — here may 
 be a man who never heard the gospel, or it may be he 
 is one that regards it as a feast of fat things ; in either 
 case, the effort on his part demands one on mine. So 
 with the hope of doing him good, I resolved at once to 
 forget all else, and, in despite of criticism, and the 
 apprehension of being thought tedious, to give him a 
 quarter of an horn*." The impression produced by this 
 simple explanation, which unveiled so much of love to 
 souls, in connexion with the self-sacrificing spirit of the 
 true minister of Christ, may be better imagined than 
 expressed. 
 
 It cannot be supposed that such a man could be 
 lukewarm, while others were feeling for the distant 
 heathen, and planning a missionary enterprise. No; 
 he was just the individual to kindle at once. His 
 reason, his heart, his conscience, his every power and 
 passion, became consecrated to the cause. The 
 materials for the sacred fire were all ready in his mind ; 
 it was only to apply the torch, and he blazed forth, till 
 his zeal consumed him. He joined in consultation 
 with the committee — retm'ned eagerly to Birmingham 
 — preached, prayed, collected, and poured at once 
 seventy pounds into the treasmy. Lovely in spirit, like 
 
54 HISTORY OF 
 
 Jolin; eloquent in appeal, as Apollos; self-sacrificing 
 and active, as Paul; he seemed exactly the agent the 
 newly-projected mission wanted. His ardour and his 
 reputation gave him a kind of ubiquity. As a man and 
 a preacher, he was known, he was felt everywhere. He 
 was truly " one of whom the world was not worthy ;" 
 one, of whom the church and the world, alas ! were but 
 too soon deprived. 
 
 The missionaries Ward, Brunsdon, Grant, and 
 Marshman, were solemnly commended to their work 
 at a public meeting on the 10th of May, held at 
 Prescot Street, when Abraham Booth addressed them, 
 on the interesting, honourable, and arduous nature of 
 their undertaking. On the 25th, the ship dropped 
 down to Gravesend, where SutcliiF, Fuller, and Button, 
 bade them a final adieu. 
 
 The missionaries appear to have been assiduous in 
 their aim to promote the spiritual welfare of the seamen 
 during their voyage ; and, in fact, may be said to have 
 commenced their missionary labour on board ship. In 
 addition to regular preaching and prayer-meetings, they 
 held repeated conversations with the men, and, as they 
 believed, with beneficial effect. They mention, in par- 
 ticular, the hopeful impressions produced on the minds 
 of three of the sailors, Lewis, Spencer, and especially 
 Worcester, who were enabled to endure sneers and 
 ridicule. Several of the crew, also, were induced to 
 read their Testament; some listened to the gospel; 
 and a few began to pray. One or two of the blacks 
 often manifested serious emotions. Having set up a 
 school on board, they had most of the crew, with the 
 boatswain and cook, under tuition. Among them were 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 55 
 
 six negro sailors, who all learned reading, writing, and 
 arithmetic. 
 
 They arrived in India on the 12th of October, and 
 on the 13th, proceeded to Serampore, a village on the 
 banks of the river Hoogly, fifteen miles from Calcutta, 
 described by ]\Ir. Grant as " a beautiful little town, and 
 esteemedthe most healthy spot in all India.'^ It was a 
 Danish settlement, and very much the resort of decayed 
 tradesmen and gentlemen who had been unsuccessful 
 in business at Calcutta. It contained about fifty 
 English houses, and was inhabited by Danes, English, 
 Scots, Germans, Greeks, Armenians, Irish, Bengalees, 
 and Portuguese. There they remained at an inn a few 
 days, awaiting the arrival of Mr. Carey. But a dark 
 cloud overshadowed them. On the 27th, Mr. Grant 
 was prevented from attending the public worship which 
 they conducted, by a cold accompanied with stupor. 
 No serious apprehensions were entertained respecting 
 him, till the morning of the 3 1st, when he departed in 
 peace. He was interred in the Danish burying- ground, 
 and a funeral discom'se was delivered by Mr. Ward ; on 
 which occasion, the governor, with two other gentle- 
 men, mingled with the little band of mourners. " The 
 Lord's dealings,^' observes Mr. Marshman, " strike me 
 with amazement ; that he who was so earnest in the 
 missionary cause, should thus be taken ofi", before he 
 had the least opportunity of doing anything for that 
 cause, appears mysterious. That the Lord should 
 make use of him to stir me up, and loosen me from 
 those many connexions in which I seemed so firmly 
 fixed; and that I should, after seeking to God with 
 many tears, be determined to go immediately, not 
 
56 HISTORY OF 
 
 waiting, as I had at first resolved, till he had gone to 
 India first, and sent me an account how matters stood, 
 in which case, my coming at all might have been pre- 
 vented; — I say, that he should be raised up for this 
 purpose, and then be taken to glory, is to me quite 
 astonishing/' It seemed as though God were training 
 them by disappointments and trials of almost every 
 kind, for an extraordinary career; and as though he 
 were giving a practical lesson to the whole church, on 
 the importance of pursuing missionary undertakings, 
 not only with entire devotedness, but in the spirit of 
 humble dependence on him alone. 
 
 About the middle of November, Messrs. Ward and 
 Fountain went to Mudnabatty, to consult with Mr. 
 Carey respecting the removal of the whole mission 
 family to Serampore. He had found it impracticable 
 to remain at Kidderpore, whither he had removed, as 
 the factory at Mudnabatty had declined ; and, with all 
 the interest he could employ, he was unsuccessful in 
 obtaining permission of the government for the mis- 
 sionaries to settle in the British territory. Besides this 
 necessity, other considerations urged them with great 
 force, to unite in one place. The chief purposes of the 
 mission would thus be best earned on ; the printing 
 of the Scriptures most advantageously effected, as 
 Mr. Ward would then have the inspection of the press ; 
 other missionaries might be allowed to join them at 
 Serampore ; and the population was far more numerous 
 in that district, than in that part of the country which 
 they determined to vacate. In his journey to that 
 place, Mr. Carey thus communicates his feelings to his 
 friend Mr. Yates of Leicester, under date, Gobra, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 57 
 
 Jan. 6tk, 1800. — " You will inquire^ what is become of 
 those nations concerning whom some hopes have been 
 entertained ? What is become of the rising interest at 
 Dinagepore ? and is all preaching given up at Malda ? 
 Is the school dissolved, and all the fruits of five years' 
 labour relinquished at once ? I answer, — none but 
 myself can tell the conflict and the exercises of my 
 mind, on this trying event. But necessity has no law ; 
 our resources are too small to permit us to live sepa- 
 rately, and the work of printing the Bible requires 
 my inspection. I hope well of Sookmun and Hurry 
 Charron. The very last conversation I had with them, 
 gave me much encouragement. Our labours at Dinage- 
 pore have not been in vain. The christians, also, in 
 the neighbourhood of Malda, please me much. AVe 
 hope to visit those places once or twice in the year, 
 besides coiTesponding with our friends by letter. The 
 school at Mudnabatty is necessarily relinquished; 
 though not till we have the pleasure of knowing that 
 about fifty lads have been taught to read and write, 
 who could otherwise have known nothing. The najine 
 and doctrines of Christ are known by many ; so that a 
 foundation is laid for our future efibrts to become 
 effectual.'' 
 
 Mr. Carey arrived at Serampore on the 10/ A of 
 January, 1800, and the next day, on being presented 
 to the governor, was very kindly received. "We 
 have,'^ says Mr. Ward, "purchased of the governor's 
 nephew a large house in the middle of the town, for 
 6000 rupees, or about £800 ; the rent, in four years, 
 would have amounted to the purchase. It consists of 
 a spacious veranda and hall, with two rooms on eaeii 
 
 d3 
 
58 HISTORY OF 
 
 side. Rather more to tlie front, are two other rooms 
 separate ; and on one side, is a storehouse, separate 
 also, which will make a printing office. It stands by 
 the river side, upon a pretty large piece of ground, 
 walled round, with a garden at the bottom, and in the 
 middle a fine tank or pool of water. The price alarmed 
 us, but we had no alternative j and we hope this will 
 form a comfortable missionary settlement. Being near 
 to Calcutta, it is of the utmost importance to our 
 school, om- press, and our connexion with England." 
 
 In a few days, they prepared a set of rules for the 
 government of the family. They were to preach and 
 pray in turn ; one was to superintend the affairs of the 
 family for a month, and then another ; Carey was 
 treasm-er, and had the regulation of the medicine 
 chest ; Fountain was appointed librarian. One of 
 their resolutions was, that " no one should engage in 
 private trade; but that all be done for the benefit 
 of the mission.^^ 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 59 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 FROM THE SETTLEMENT OF THE MISSIONARIES AT SERAM- 
 POREj TO THE TENTH YEAR AFTER THEIR ARRIVAL IN 
 INDIA. 
 
 The perplexities attendant upon the early years of 
 the mission, proved an important discipline to prepare 
 its agents for subsequent usefulness ; and the kind of 
 providential compulsion which led to the transfer of the 
 centre of operation to Serampore, was illustrative of one 
 of those characteristics of the Divine government, by 
 which the best results arise from what is in diametrical 
 opposition to the inclination of those by whom they are 
 to be accomplished; so that both the wrath of sinners, 
 and the reluctance of saints, are made to praise God, 
 The removal from Mudnabatty was entirely opposed, at 
 first, to the views and plans of Mr. Carey. " It was,''^ 
 says he, " so afflicting to my mind, that I scarcely ever 
 remember to have felt more on any occasion whatever ;"* 
 and yet it became afterwards evident that the most im- 
 portant interests of the mission were dependent upon it. 
 
 In the new residence at Serampore, they were encou- 
 raged by the friendship of the Danish governor, whose 
 patronage only ceased at his death. They would have 
 been unable to unite in one establishment, so as to render 
 Kidderpore, as had been contemplated, the seat of the 
 mission, through the jealousy of the British East India 
 
 * Letter to Mr. Fuller. 
 
60 HISTORY OF 
 
 Company ; but here they lived in privileged association 
 together. At that place, the erection of a press for 
 printing would have been, if not impracticable, inefficient, 
 for want of competent aid and convenience of situation ; 
 but at Serampore, all difficulties appeared to be re- 
 moved, especially after the arrival of Mr. Ward. They 
 had now a far more populous neighbom'hood, an un- 
 watched and unobstructed secm-ity, and the advantage 
 of a short distance from the metropolis, with an easy 
 access to it. Thus, outward countenance, internal union, 
 and a stock of valuable experience and disciphne, brought 
 from the wilderness, combined with the accommodations 
 they had procured, though at a somewhat alarming 
 cost, to give a fresh impulse to their undertaking. 
 
 The 17th of March, 1800, is recorded by one of the 
 missionaries in the following words, with an evident 
 delight that will find a chord of respondent sympathy 
 in most christian hearts, — "On this memorable day, 
 the first page of the New Testament was composed for 
 printing in Bengalee. Now, Lord, let the day break 
 and the sun arise !" 
 
 Immediately upon their settlement at Serampore, 
 they commenced a system of itineracy ; and, going out> 
 generally two and two, they preached, and held dis- 
 cussions with the natives, demolishing the false philo- 
 sophy of the brahmins, and exposing the fables of 
 hindooism. Europeans frequently attended the public 
 services, and Mr. Carey repeatedly proclaimed the 
 gospel in the streets. The following incident will 
 illustrate their assiduity and readiness to become all 
 things to all men, if, by any means, they might save 
 some. Mr. Ward is the narrator. " In this country. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 61 
 
 it is common for the lowest of the people to take up 
 the trade of ballad- singers, or beggars, for they have 
 no wi'itten or printed books to sell. This morning, 
 (March 30, 1800,) at a place in the town where four 
 roads meet, brethren Carey, Marshman, and I, made 
 our stand, and begun singing our ballad. People 
 looked out of their houses, some came, and all seemed 
 astonished to see three sahibs turned ballad-singers. 
 This evening, three of us went one way, and three 
 another. The people seemed quite anxious to get the 
 hymns which we give away." This was a proceeding 
 which worldly men may probably ridicule, and which 
 none can appreciate who are unacquainted with that 
 " love of Christ which passeth knowledge." If he who 
 was "the brightness of the Father's glory," became 
 a carpenter's son and a man of sorrow, to promote 
 our salvation, — if he disdained not the humblest 
 occupations of a way-side and village itineracy, to in- 
 struct the people, — well may his disciples descend to 
 the lowliest condition, and employ the simplest instru- 
 mentality, to subserve the same high design. 
 
 On the 24th of April, the missionaries solemnly 
 united together as a chm*ch, Carey being chosen pastor. 
 Fountain and Marshman, deacons. In the evening, 
 Mr. Carey addressed them from those appropriate 
 words in the twelfth chapter of the Romans, " rejoicing 
 in hope." 
 
 On the 26th of May, they began to print the first 
 sheet of the New Testament; 1700 copies were on 
 Patna paper, and 300 on English. About 500 of the 
 gospel of Matthew were struck off in a detached form, 
 to be distributed immediately. " Our labours every 
 
62 HISTORY OF 
 
 day/' says Mr. Ward, "are now regularly arranged. 
 About six o'clock, we rise ; — brother Carey to his gar- 
 den ; brother Marshman to his school (a Bengalee 
 school of forty childi-en) at seven ; brother Brunsdon, 
 Felix (Carey's son), and I, to the printing office. At 
 eight, the bell rings for family worship ; we assemble 
 in the hall, sing, read, and pray. Breakfast. After- 
 wards, brother Carey goes to the translation, or reading 
 proofs, brother Marshman to school, and the rest to the 
 printing office. Our compositor having left us, we do 
 without. We print three half-sheets of 2000 each in 
 a week ; have five pressmen, one solder, and one binder. 
 At twelve o'clock, we take a luncheon ; then most of 
 us shave and bathe, read and sleep before dinner, which 
 we have at three. After dinner, we deliver om' thoughts 
 on a text or question. This, we find to be very pro- 
 fitable. Brother and sister Marshman keep their 
 school till after two. In the afternoon, if business be 
 done in the office, I read and try to talk Bengalee with 
 the brahmin. We drink tea about seven, and have 
 little or no supper. We have Bengalee preaching once 
 or twice in the week, and on Thursday evening we have 
 an experience meeting. On Saturday evening, we 
 meet to compose differences and transact business, after 
 prayer, which is always immediately after tea."* 
 
 The little fraternity was exceedingly gratified, about 
 this time, by the indications of piety in Felix and 
 William Carey, the one fifteen, the other thirteen years 
 of age. These youths engaged in prayer with them 
 once or twice a- week, with great seriousness and sim- 
 
 * Ward's Journal. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 63 
 
 plicity ; and, besides, manifested concern for the perish- 
 ing heathen. 
 
 Affliction, however, soon entered the circle. Mr. 
 Fountain was seized in June, with a violent dysentery, 
 and on the 20th of August, died at Dinagepore. He 
 was only thirty-three years of age ; had just acquired 
 the language ; and, by his various qualifications, gave 
 promise of eminent usefulness. His letters were full 
 of piety and feeling. He had a taste for poetry, of 
 which some specimens remain, and a talent for music. 
 He was the leader of singing in worship, and had a 
 very pleasing voice. His death-bed was a moral 
 triumph; his medical attendant remarked, that he never 
 saw a person so composed, and he wished to die like 
 him. He dictated his own epitaph as follows, — " John 
 Fountain, missionary to the Indies, aged thirty-three, 
 a sinner saved by grace.^' 
 
 Another painful dispensation, but of a different 
 kind, occurred in December. Mr. Thomas fell into a 
 state of temporary insanity. It seems to have been a 
 disease to which he was constitutionally disposed ; for 
 he had been visited by two or three attacks in previous 
 years. This would account for some of those eccen- 
 tricities which disfigured an otherwise bright and useful 
 career. 
 
 The various objects of the mission were pm'sued with 
 great vigour, — the Bengalee school, the distribution of 
 the gospel of Matthew, the circulation of tracts and 
 hymns, and the preaching of the word, both to natives 
 and Em-opeans. Wliile some complained that they 
 were poisoning the minds even of their very children, 
 others of the natives received their gifts with eagerness. 
 
64 HISTORY OF 
 
 and began to maintain a free and friendly intercourse ; 
 while they had the satisfaction of seeing a few emerge 
 from the depths of heathenism into the light and 
 profession of Christianity. At the chm'ch meeting, on 
 the 22nd of December, five individuals, — Gokol, Krishno, 
 his wife, named Rasee, and her sister Joymooni, together 
 with Felix Carey, appeared as candidates for baptism 
 and church communion. "The chain of the caste is 
 broken," said Ward, exultingly, "and who shall be 
 able to mend it V It was, in fact, a great event, and 
 was no sooner " noised abroad," than a commotion was 
 excited in the neighbourhood, and two thousand were 
 supposed to have assembled, who poured their ana- 
 themas on the new converts. Krishno and his family 
 were di'agged before the Danish magistrate; but he 
 dismissed them with commendations. The zeal of their 
 persecutors, however, brought them back upon another 
 charge, — that of his withholding his daughter from the 
 man to whom she had been betrothed. The girl said 
 that she would become a christian with her father ; and, 
 on the bridegroom declaring that he would not abandon 
 heathenism, the governor said that she should not be 
 compelled to marry a heathen against her consent. At 
 the request of the missionaries, he afterwards sent a 
 sepoy to watch Krishno' s house during the night ; and 
 subsequently suggested that she should be removed to 
 the mission premises, till after her baptism, as he 
 apprehended they would murder her. 
 
 On the 29th of December, Mr. Carey ^^Tites to 
 Mr. Sutchff, — " Yesterday was a day of great joy. I 
 had the happiness to desecrate the Gunga, by baptizing 
 the first Hindoo, namely, ^ ' - and my son Felix." 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 65 
 
 In his journal, Mr. Brunsdon says, — "There were a 
 great number of Portuguese, as they are called, and 
 Europeans present, as well as Hindoos. Brother Carey 
 sung, prayed, and preached in Bengalee ; then led down 
 Felix, and baptized him, and afterwards Krishno. To 
 the former he spoke in English, ^ I baptize thee,^ &c. ; 
 to the latter in Bengalee. It was a very pleasant sight 
 indeed.^^ The Danish governor, being present, was 
 affected to tears by the solemnity of the scene. " Ye 
 gods of stone and clay," exclaims one of the mis- 
 sionaries, " did ye not tremble, when, in the name of 
 the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, one of your votaries 
 shook you as dust from his feet !" The great uproar 
 that had been excited, occasioned the dissolution of 
 the school, by the withdrawment of all the Bengalee 
 children. 
 
 On the 1 8th of January, 1801, Mr. Fernandez and 
 Krishno's wife^s sister, Joymooni, were baptized; and, 
 on the 27th, received into the church, which now con- 
 sisted of fourteen persons. They expected, also, his 
 wife, and another of the name of Unno. The English 
 school which they had established, was now yielding 
 them at the rate of £300 a year. Mrs. Marshman had 
 begun a successful school for young ladies. Of the new 
 converts they speak in the highest terms ; particularly 
 of Krishno. He was met in the street by an European 
 stranger, and asked, " what he got by his profession of 
 Christianity?" He answered, "he got nothing but 
 much joy and comfort; it was the work of love." One 
 evening, he said, " his chief thoughts now were about 
 the salvation of others. He addi-essed Christ thus, — 
 'Come, and I will give thee a throne in my breast; 
 
66 HISTORY OF 
 
 there I will worship thee ; and I will invite others to 
 admire thine excellencies »" Joymooni said^ " she had 
 found a treasure in Christ, greater than everything else 
 in the world." On the other hand, the brahmins 
 manifested great inveteracy against them. Fakira, who 
 seemed to have heard Mr. Thomas, whose servant he 
 was, at Beerbhoom, with saving impressions, having 
 spoken before the church, went up the country, but 
 retm-ned not, probably, as they thought, being detained 
 from a public profession by force. Gokol withdrew, 
 under the influence of his wife and father-in-law. 
 
 The missionaries had times, however, of suffering for 
 the sake of Christ. ''Jan. 30, 1801.— For a month 
 past, we have gone into the market-place at Budda- 
 burry, instead of staying at the entrance of the village, 
 and have had a large number of hearers, though some- 
 times a little turbulent. However, to-day, I entered 
 the market-place, while brother Carey went to a brah- 
 min^s house, and met with a much more unpleasant 
 reception than usual. After speaking about ten 
 minutes, a rude fellow began to be very abusive, and, 
 with the help of a few boys, raised such a clamour that 
 nothing could be heard. At length, seeing no hope of 
 their becoming quiet, I retired to the other part of the 
 town. They followed, hallooing and crying, ' Hurree 
 boll I' an exclamation in honour of Veeshno.* They 
 at last began to pelt me with stones and dii-t. One of 
 
 * The Hindoos say, that from God, (whom they call Eshar or 
 Bhogabon, and sometimes by the Persian word Khoda,) pro- 
 ceeded three personal virtues or powers ; namely, Birmmha, or 
 Bruhma, the creator of all ; Veeshno, or Vishnu, the preserver of 
 all ; Seeb, the destroyer of all. The former has scarcely one 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 67 
 
 the men, who knew the house to which brother Carey 
 was gone, advised me to accompany him thither, saying 
 that these people would not hear our words. Going 
 with him, I met brother Carey. We were not a little 
 pleased that the devil had begun to bestir himself, 
 inferring from hence that he suspected danger. ' Think 
 ye,' said our Lord, ' that I am come to send peace upon 
 earth? I came not to send peace, but division.' "* 
 
 On the 7th of February, Mr. Ward writes, — " This 
 day we have finished composing the New Testament ;" 
 which had occupied about nine months. It was a 
 suitable occasion for a meeting of thanksgiving, which 
 the missionaries held accordingly; and the native 
 converts united with them. Copies were presented to 
 the local governor and the governor-general. Soon 
 afterwards, Mr. Carey was appointed by the Marquis 
 Wellesley, teacher of the Bengalee and Sungskrit 
 languages in the college of Fort William. But he did 
 not allow this office to become a source of personal 
 emolument; on the contrary, with the concurrence of 
 his brethren, he resolved to appropriate every temporal 
 advantage that might arise from it to the service of 
 the mission. 
 
 Poor Krishno was again called to suffer fresh trials 
 
 temple ; the brahmins only, in memorial of their descent from 
 Brumha, every morning at sunrise wash in the Ganges, or some 
 sacred tank. In all other respects, his functions and worship 
 seem to be absorbed in that of Veeshno, in whose temples he is 
 sculptured with four heads and fom* arms. — See Maurice^ s 
 Indian Antiquities. 
 
 * Marshman's Jom-nal. 
 
68 HISTORY OF 
 
 respecting Golok, his daughter; but his Christianity 
 prevailed. She was, on the 10th of April,, seized 
 near his house by two men, one of whom was the 
 person to whom she had been early contracted in 
 marriage. Her father followed, and overtook them; 
 but they beat him unmercifully. Three others were 
 sent in pursuit, but in vain. Golok, also, was beaten 
 on their way to Calcutta, whither they were forcibly 
 carrying her ; and, crying out as they passed a police 
 station, the master of police detained them for inquiry ; 
 when she said, " she had heard of the love and suffer- 
 ings of Christ ; these things laid hold of her mind ; 
 she was become a christian from choice, and was not 
 willing to go with this man.^' The next day, the 
 parties appeared before the magistrate, when the man 
 claimed her as his wife. The magistrate said he could 
 not separate them, but would protect her in the exercise 
 of her religion. She was deeply afflicted thus to be left 
 in the hands of idolaters. Krishno at the first consoled 
 himself and his family by remarking, "Perhaps she 
 was taken to Calcutta, that she might speak of Christ 
 there ;" and now, he said, " his chief concern was for 
 Golok to be baptized, and that she might bear a gi*eat 
 testimony to Christ before the thousands of Calcutta." 
 The magistrate disregarded his feelings, and refused 
 him the sight of his daughter, notwithstanding repeated 
 applications. Her husband, evidently much attached 
 to her, some weeks afterwards paid fifty rupees to the 
 brahmins to recover her caste, when a sacrifice was to 
 be offered ; but she nobly refused, exclaiming, that " live 
 or die, she would be Christ^s." At length, her father, 
 accompanied by Mr. Carey, obtained admittance to her ; 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 69 
 
 but he left the house only in time, as he had reason to 
 believe, to escape being murdered. A deposition was 
 made before a magistrate, by the father of the husband, 
 that Krishno had brought three or four Europeans, to 
 remove his daughter by force. This was disbelieved ; 
 but the magistrate told the husband, if Krishno went 
 again, to beat him away. It was proposed to take a 
 house at Calcutta, where Krishno might reside ; which 
 would facilitate alternate visits from the christian 
 women and missionaries to Golok, and perhaps open a 
 door for the gospel ; especially as Mr. Carey was likely 
 to be there during several days of each week, in conse- 
 quence of his professorship. 
 
 Krishno daily evinced a growing devotedness to the 
 interests of Christianity. The chief topic in his conversa- 
 tion with the natives, was the love and death of Christ, and 
 the fruits of faith ; and he often zealously defended the 
 truth against the attacks of Armenians and Europeans ; 
 so that some thoughts were entertained of setting him 
 entirely apart to missionary labour. Hia own views 
 were explained to Mr. Ward. " As I lay musing one 
 night," said he, " I thought thus : — one or two of the 
 missionaries are dead; Mr. Carey is much engaged at 
 Calcutta, Mr. Marshman in the school, and Mr. Ward 
 in the printing office ; Bengal is a large country ; — how 
 shall the people know about Christ ? I would go to 
 the end of the world to make his love known." The 
 method of his intercourse is thus represented. A man 
 says, " Well, Krishno, you have left off all the customs 
 of your ancestors, — what is the reason ?" He replies, 
 " Only have patience, and I will inform you. I am a 
 great sinner. I tried the Hindoo worship, but got no 
 
70 HISTORY OF 
 
 good. After a while, I heard of Christ, — that he was 
 incarnate, laboured much, and at last laid down his 
 life for sinners. I thought, what love is this ! And 
 here I made my resting-place. Now say, if any thing 
 like this love was ever shown by any of your gods. 
 Did Doorga, or Kalee, or Krishna die for sinners ? 
 You know that they only sought their own ease, and 
 had no love for any one.^^ Rasee, Krishno's wife, had 
 the honour of being beaten in the street by the byraggee 
 w^ho owned the house in which Gokol, the fifth Hindoo 
 baptized, was living. The brahmins and bystanders 
 were inveterate. 
 
 Self-prompted, Krishno erected a house for God, 
 immediately opposite to his o\^^l. This was the first 
 native place of worship in Bengal ; and on the 16th 
 of August, Mr. Carey preached in it to about twenty 
 natives, besides the family of the builder. The mis- 
 sionaries aided in the expense. Soon after, they pur- 
 chased a piece of land for sixty-one rupees, upon which 
 they proposed to rear a house for Gokol, a room for 
 Unno, and another for a chapel and school. In October, 
 the adjoining house, with upwards of four acres of 
 land, were purchased for 10,340 rupees. They had 
 now received six Hindoos, "whom," says Marshman, 
 "we esteem more precious than the same number 
 of the most beautiful gems in the universe. Yet we 
 need great prudence in our conduct towards them. 
 We are obliged to encourage, to strengthen, to coun- 
 teract, to advise, to disapprove, to teach; and yet to 
 do all so as to endear the Saviour to them, and retain a 
 place in their warmest affections." 
 
 In the spring, Serampore quietly passed into the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 71 
 
 hands of the EngHsh; and, happily, the missionaries 
 now found themselves as much unmolested as under 
 the Danish government. Not a gun was fired at the 
 capture ; and, after being summoned to the government 
 house, they were informed by Colonel Bie, that they 
 were allowed to proceed with their labours as under his 
 protection, while the English commissioner apologised 
 for the trouble to which they had been put in leaving 
 their occupations.* Mr. Carey refers to it, and his o^vn 
 appointment as professor, in these words. — " Seram- 
 pore is in the hands of the English; but we have 
 nothing to fear. I was appointed Bengalee and Sung- 
 skrit professor in the college of Fort William, by Lord 
 Wellesley, expressly under the character of a missionary. 
 I have now gone through one term.^f 
 
 After referring to several Hindoos who had embraced 
 Christianity, Mr. Carey says, "the brahmins are as full 
 of opposition and strife, as men can well be. They 
 gnash with their teeth, abuse with their tongues, and 
 would do more if they could. This, however, is only 
 the effect which the gospel may always be expected to 
 produce. So long as they could, by any sophistry, make 
 the common people suppose that the gospel harmonised 
 wdth their shasters, all was well ; but now the veil is 
 removed, and some have voluntarily trampled on the 
 honours of their caste, the matter is quite altered, and the 
 harmless Hindoos are as ferocious as Sunderbund tigers." 
 
 This year was mournfully distinguished, like the last, 
 by the removal of a valued member of the missionary 
 band. Twelve months had not elapsed since the decease 
 
 * Ward's Journal, f Letter to Mr. SutcliflP, dated June 24, 1801 . 
 
72 HISTORY OF 
 
 of Mr. Fountain, when Mr. Brunsdon was slain in the 
 high places of the field. At the close of the previous 
 year, he took, as he conceived, a severe cold, by stand- 
 ing on the damp floor of the printing office. This was 
 followed by a cough, accompanied with considerable 
 fever. Mr. Thomas having arrived, ordered a warm 
 bath, which proved of material benefit. In the course 
 of a month or two, he went to Calcutta, and found that 
 his complaint was an enlargement of the spleen. 
 Medical treatment, however, was inefi'ectual ; and, at 
 the commencement of July, after frequent delirium and 
 corporeal sniferings continued almost to the last, he 
 finished his course at the early age of twenty-three. 
 In referring to Mr. Brunsdon^s fatal illness, Mr. Fuller, 
 writing in the name of the Society, remarks, "We 
 cannot but perceive the hand of a wise and merciful 
 Father in all, who, when he tried us with the want of 
 success, preserved your lives and hopes ; and now that 
 success is given, it is accompanied with afflictive be- 
 reavements. Had these afflictions been united, you 
 and we might have sunk under the load ; or had these 
 successes been unaccompanied with thorns in the flesh, 
 we might have been exalted above measure. As it is, 
 we are led to serve the Lord with fear, and to rejoice 
 with trembling." 
 
 Another afflictive dispensation occurred on the 13th of 
 October, in the decease of Mr. Thomas, at Dinagepore, 
 the proximate cause of which, was a cold terminating 
 in flux and fever. He was a man of unquestionable 
 excellence ; warmly attached to the missionary enter- 
 prise ; and ever to be esteemed as the early coadjutor 
 and chief consoler of Carey, in the early years of 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 73 
 
 solitariness and discouragement. Sometimes, indeed, 
 he filled him with great concern and perplexity ; being 
 rather inconstant in action, and thoughtless in the use 
 of money. Still, let his memory be revered, as having 
 struck the first spark of that missionary fii*e that was 
 kindled in India, which will, sooner or later, consume 
 all its superstitions and idolatries. 
 
 " His afflictions and disappointments,^^ observes l\Ir. 
 Fuller, " appear to have led him much to God, and to a 
 realizing application of the strong consolations of the 
 gospel. He seldom w^alked in an even path ; we either 
 saw him full of cheerful and active love, or his hands 
 hanging do^\Ti, as if he had no hope. His sorrows 
 bordered on the tragical, and his joys on the ecstatic. 
 These extremes of feeling rendered him capable of 
 speaking and wTiting in a manner peculiar to himself. 
 Almost all that proceeded from him came directly from 
 the heart. 
 
 ^^ If we were to judge of him by what we heard in 
 England, we should say his talents were better adapted 
 to -WTiting and conversation, than preaching ; but the 
 truth is, his talents were adapted to that kind of preach- 
 ing to which he was called ; a lively, metaphorical, and 
 pointed address on divine subjects, dictated by the cir- 
 cumstances of the moment, and maintained amidst the 
 interruptions and contradictions of a heathen audience. 
 A large company of brahmins, pundits, and others, being 
 assembled to hear him, one of the most learned, whose 
 name was Mahashoi, offered to dispute with him. He 
 began by assei-ting that ^ God was in every thing, — there- 
 fore,^ said he, ^ every thing is God ; you are God, and I 
 am God/ ^ Fie, fie,' Mahashoi, answered Mr. Thomas, 
 
 E 
 
74 HISTORY OF 
 
 'why do you utter such words? Sahib (meaning 
 himself) is in his clothes^ — therefore (pulhng off his 
 hat, and throwing it down), this hat is Sahib ! No, 
 M»hashoi; you and I are dying men; but God ever 
 hveth.^ This short answer confounded his opponent, 
 and fixed the attention of the people ; while, as he says, 
 he ' went on to proclaim one God, one Saviour, one way, 
 one faith, and one caste, without and besides which, all 
 the inventions of men were nothing/ ^^ "There are 
 abundant proofs," observes a writer in the Quarterly 
 Review,* " of a zeal, a warmth of heart, a genius, which, 
 in the Romish church, would have obtained altars for 
 for him, and which, in our own, entitle him to respect 
 and admiration. ' Do not send men of any compassion 
 here,' says Thomas, 'for you will break their hearts/ 
 But with that rapid transition which marks the man 
 of genius, he adds immediately, 'Do send men full 
 of compassion here, where many perish with cold, 
 many for lack of bread, and millions for lack of know- 
 ledge. This country abounds with misery. In Eng- 
 land, the poor receive the benefit of the gospel, in being 
 fed and clothed by those who know by what they are 
 moved ; for where the gospel is generally acknowledged 
 in a land, it puts some to fear, and others to shame ; 
 so that, to relieve their own smart, they provide for the 
 poor. But here, miserable sight ! I have found the 
 pathway stopped up by the sick and wounded people, 
 perishing with hunger, and that in a populous neigh- 
 bourhood, where numbers pass by, some singing, 
 
 * Vol. I. Februar>', 1809. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 75 
 
 others talking, but none showing mercy; as though 
 they were dying weeds, and not dying men/ " 
 
 The visits to different parts of the country, and the 
 distribution of small tracts, to which the missionaries 
 addicted themselves, were soon attended with a bless- 
 ing. Petumber ShingOj or Singhee, a native, of the 
 writer caste, was an evidence of their success. He 
 travelled forty miles from his residence at Footepore, 
 to hear the gospel, and said that one of their papers 
 had brought good news to his mind. He had read 
 many books, and inquired after salvation in vain ; but 
 in these truths he had found the way of life. He 
 was a very respectable and venerable man, about fifty 
 years of age ; of a sober, determined mind, possessed of 
 much gravity, and wxll acquainted with the Hindoo 
 writings. Even the heathens acknowledged him to be a 
 truly honest man. " Heretofore they had taunted at us, 
 because ^ none of the rulers or the pharisees believed / 
 but this conquest of grace has silenced them ; his caste 
 being the most honourable of all among the sooders, 
 though it admits of several degrees of honour.^^* 
 Krishno found him to be a man after his own heart. 
 Hopes were entertained of the decision of others, and 
 of two Roman Catholics, in connexion with the ministry 
 of Mr. Carey at Calcutta. At length, on the third of 
 January, 1802, they had the satisfaction of baptizing 
 Petumber, and appointing him their Bengalee school- 
 master, a situation for which they deemed him well qua- 
 lified. They refer, at the same time, to the hopeful state 
 
 * Letter from Carey to Morris. 
 E 2 
 
76 HISTORY OF 
 
 of Syam Dass, who had frequented the preaching of the 
 gospel in the streets and lanes of Serampore for many 
 months. " There is a brahmin, too," they say, "named 
 Kemol. He has for many years been sick of idolatry, 
 but not of sin universally. He has been hovering round 
 us for more than a year."* Honoured men, how did 
 they watch for souls ! How did they hail every spark 
 of grace, and feel their assiduities repaid in even one or 
 two converted to God ! " When I think of Petumber 
 having been an idolater," writes Mr. Ward,t "and hear 
 him say in prayer, ' Father, God V I cannot help 
 rejoicing over him." 
 
 The appointment of Mr. Carey to the college at 
 Calcutta, occasioned him much employment and 
 anxiety, but presented a favourable opportunity for the 
 extension of his useful influence ; for he availed him- 
 self, with indefatigable zeal, of every interval of business, 
 to converse with any natives to whom he obtained 
 access. He had begun, also, a meeting for prayer and 
 pious conversation, in the house of Mr. Rolt of Calcutta. 
 Many were full of astonishment at seeing the converted 
 Hindoos sit and eat with Europeans. The brahmins 
 were exceedingly * jealous of the exploring eyes of 
 foreigners searching into their sacred shasters ; and 
 consequently, disliked the institution of the college at 
 Calcutta. An idea, however, of the advantage which 
 the friends of Christianity might obtain, by having 
 these " mysterious sacred nothings " exposed to view, 
 partly induced Mr. Carey to write a Sungskrit Gram- 
 mar, and to commence a Dictionary of that language. J 
 
 * Period. Ace. Vol. H. p. 248. 
 t Journal. X Letter from Carey to Sutcliff. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 11 
 
 In their quarterly epistle of this period, they speak of 
 the erection of a school for the board, clothing, and 
 tuition, of twenty native youth, in the principles of 
 Christianity. Petumber Shingo, the Caesto, was, as al- 
 ready stated, Bengalee teacher ; Ferguson, a Portuguese 
 christian, English teacher. Kemol, the brahmin, was 
 to attend the catechumens in their exercises on elemen- 
 tary principles ; while Mr. Carey was to give lectures 
 on geography, astronomy, divinity, and other subjects. 
 
 A new sect having recently sprung up among the 
 Hindoos, under a famous leader, called Dulol, to which 
 Krishno and Gokol had been attached, Mr. Carey, 
 Mr. Marahman, and Krishno, were induced to pay him 
 a visit. A brahmin who hved with him, had been sent 
 to request baptism, with the assurance that he would 
 himself follow, and bring a hundred thousand disciples. 
 To this they paid no attention ; but thought it proper 
 to proceed on a visit of inquiry and instruction, enter- 
 taining the hope that this defection from the supersti- 
 tions of the country might be conducive to the spread 
 of the gospel. About forty years before, a cowkeepcr 
 obtained great reputation by pretending to cure diseases. 
 He gave the people his choron amreeta, or the amreeta 
 of his foot (the water of immortality), accompanying it 
 with his blessing, and inviting them to disregard all 
 debtahs, believe in one God, and obey their gooroo 
 (teacher), that is himself. This leader dying, his 
 widow continued the lucrative pretence, and then the 
 son, Ram Dulol, on his coming of age, settled at Ghos- 
 para, where he lived in the style of a rajah, upon the 
 support afforded by his devotees. The principal tenets 
 he propagated were, that caste is nothing, that the 
 
78 HISTORY OF 
 
 debtahs are notliing, and the brahmins are nothing; 
 and the shocking sentiment was maintained that God 
 being in us, is equally the author of every motion, and 
 consequently of all sin. After a delay occasioned by 
 his absence, the missionaries were at length intro- 
 duced to the crafty impostor in his garden, where chairs 
 were placed for them, and a pink satin cushion for him. 
 Krishno stood behind his old master, with the Testa- 
 ment in his hand. A few select followers of Dulol 
 were also permitted to attend. Mr. Carey stated, that 
 the purpose of their visit was to converse on the subject 
 of salvation. Dulol inquired. What is God ? what is 
 sin ? what is hell ? denying the existence of any such 
 thing j asking, as God was in us, how sin could be there, 
 as none could resist him. Much time was consumed in 
 interrogations on the one side, and explanations on the 
 other. " The moment,^^ observes Mr. Marshman, " was 
 important ; we were not afraid of being confuted, but of 
 his evading us, which would have been construed by him 
 and his party throughout the country, into a triumph over 
 the gospel. We at last said, ' You are a master V ' Yes.' 
 ' If your servants disobey you — what V ^ I punish them.' 
 ' Then God is our master ; if we disobey him, will he not 
 punish V 'God is not like man ; he lives in us.' 'True, 
 God in a sense lives in us ; viz. the life, breath, reason, 
 and understanding which we possess, are his gifts ; but 
 they are given that we may serve him, not that we may 
 disobey him. Suppose you send a servant to Calcutta, 
 with five hundred rupees, to buy a number of articles 
 for your use, and he goes to a house of ill fame, and lives 
 there merely on your money ; any person seeing him, 
 and knowing him to be your servant, might say, What 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 79 
 
 a profligate man is Dulol ! he keeps his servant at a 
 house of infamy. But if any one said this to you^ 
 would you not reply, it is true, he lives there on my 
 money; but I gave it to him for quite a different 
 pur]30se, and will punish him when he comes home.^ 
 Answer. ' God is not like us ; he can sway the mind ; 
 we, therefore, can di-aw no parallel,^ ^We grant it; 
 but, for the sake of argument, we will suppose you 
 equally capable of swaying the mind of your servant. 
 If, then, you, having solemnly warned him of the con- 
 sequences of his disobedience, turn his mind, which 
 was not before disposed to disobedience, and incline 
 him, who was otherwise unwilling, to spend your money 
 in lewdness and intemperance, will not people say. 
 What a villain is his master ! In such a light do you 
 represent God, when you say. He, within us, commits 
 the sins, which he has forbidden under the severest 
 penalties.^ 
 
 " This statement quite disconcerted Dulol. He at- 
 tempted several evasions, but in vain. Brother Carey 
 then told him that God now sent his w^ord hither, to 
 show the true way of salvation, and that we had 
 brought him a copy, presenting it to him. To receive 
 it, was to give up all his pretensions at once. He 
 refused it, saying, ^This is the first time I have seen 
 you : your words are very good ; but we must be fm^ther 
 acquainted before I can receive your book.^ Seeing it 
 was vain to press him, we withdrew it, telling him that 
 we should be happy to see him at Serampore ; that our 
 wish was only to examine in a free and candid manner, 
 for the sake of discovering the truth ; that we had 
 been sick unto death, had found the word of God a 
 
80 HISTORY OF 
 
 sovereign remedy, and, therefore, brouglit it to them, 
 labouring under the same disease. Thus, in mutual 
 good humour, we parted."* 
 
 Amongst the domestic occm'rences of this period, 
 the marriage of Mr. Ward and Mrs. Fountain, on the 
 tenth of May, deserves to be particularly noticed, as 
 the first instance of the ceremony being performed by 
 the missionaries with the concurrence of the civil 
 authorities. Mr. Carey officiated on the occasion. 
 
 The 27th of May was signalized by the arrival of 
 three mussulmans from Jawpoor Chougarea, a village 
 at the distance of about sixty miles, in the district of 
 Jessore, near the river Isamutty, "to inquire about 
 this new wayJ' After remaining a few days, which 
 afforded opportunities of conversation, they solicited 
 a visit, which was promised after the rainy season. 
 Six weeks afterwards, one of them, named Moorad, 
 came again, as a deputation from the rest, to accom- 
 pany any individual who might be appointed to the 
 journey. ' Mr. Marshman accordingly engaged in this 
 service, and took with him Petumber Mittre, a young 
 Hindoo convert of the writer caste, and Bharut, 
 an aged Hindoo of the sooder caste. The people 
 were formerly of various castes, but being con- 
 vinced of the folly and wickedness of both the Hindoo 
 and mussulman faith, they were eager for ftu'ther in- 
 formation. This was an excursion of great interest, 
 and, in many respects, of a satisfactory character. 
 
 On their way, they repeatedly halted, entering into 
 conversation with the people, and distributing tracts 
 
 * Marshman's Journal. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 81 
 
 and New Testaments. At one village, where they were 
 purchasing fish, about twenty people assembled on the 
 banks of the river. Mr. Marshman expresses the 
 gi'atification with which he listened to the addresses of 
 his native companions. Petumber invalidated, in a 
 very striking manner, the Hindoo shasters and worship. 
 Bharut told them what he had : been, and how he had 
 embraced the gospel ; called their attention to their 
 sinfulness, and affirmed that none but Jesus Christ 
 could save them. "His grey hairs and simplicity," 
 says Mr. Marshman, " rendered his addi-ess truly affect- 
 ing. Moorad told them of his hearing the truth, of 
 his going to the missionaries^ of his returning now 
 again to bring the gospel to his own village ; and that 
 it was impossible to be saved in any other way. 
 Several appeared to be impressed, and roused to anxious 
 inquiry." 
 
 When arrived within a short distance of Poncheta- 
 lockphool (called generally Lockphool), Moorad went 
 forward to apprise the people of their approach. Their 
 reception was afiectionate ; and they immediately sat 
 down under a large tree, to declare the purpose of this 
 visit. The people listened attentively to the gospel for 
 half an hour, and subsequently, after a brief refreshment, 
 Mr. Marshman went to the house of his friends, which 
 had two verandahs elevated one above the other, on the 
 outside. It was inhabited by Hindoos and mussulmans 
 conjointly, who, with their neighbour^, assembled to- 
 gether, to the number of fifty. They appeared much 
 struck mth the representation given by the missionar}^, 
 that the hatred of God to sin, was more manifested by 
 the death of his Son, than it would have been in the 
 E 3 
 
82 HISTORY OF 
 
 punishment of the sinner. The Hindoo system^ and 
 the mahometan delusions, were alike exposed; and 
 though they agreed to Mr. Marshman^s retirement to 
 the boat, for two hours, to rest, they followed, and con- 
 tinued the subject by question and answer with Pe- 
 tumber. After a renewed conversation, in which some 
 casuistical objections were obviated, "we adjourned,^^ 
 says Mr. Marshman, " to the verandah, where we spent 
 a most pleasing evening together ; they sitting around, 
 and asking questions about Christ, the resurrection, the 
 death of sin, a future state, and heavenly happiness. 
 We talked of these things till our hearts seemed to 
 grow warm. About nine, I left them, astonished and 
 thankful, on account of what I had seen and heard 
 among them.^^ 
 
 The next day, they went to another village, where a 
 strong discussion arose with the brahmins ; but as they 
 appeared vehemently contentious, it was deemed best 
 to desist. Thence they proceeded about a mile, where 
 they entered a bazar on the market day, near which, 
 part of the ruins of a building furnished an excellent 
 pulpit ; and about three hundred Bengalees attended. 
 In the afternoon, upon a mutual agreement, a cele- 
 brated brahmin came to hold a discussion ; but he 
 retired in the middle of the argument, apprehensive, it 
 was afterwards found, that as several zozomans, or 
 priests, were collecting money for a sacrifice, the ill 
 success of their advocate might prejudice the contribu- 
 tions. In conversing with an aged Hindoo, Mr. Marsh- 
 man discovered that about fourteen years before, he 
 and several others began to doubt about idolatry, and 
 that he and about two hundred others now rejected the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 83 
 
 poojahs and castes. In returning to the boat, they 
 met with an elderly mussulman, named Monoo, who 
 was at the head of a considerable number that renounced 
 mahometanism. He continued conversing with Petum- 
 ber and Bharut till near midnight. The next day, he 
 accompanied them. 
 
 On his return, Mr. Marshman was informed of a 
 person, named Seeb Ram Dass, who had rejected 
 idolatry, with twenty thousand followers. Petumber 
 had been one of them ; and the resolution was taken 
 to turn aside to Juggerdundakatty, and pay him a visit. 
 Their course was difficult, but at length they arrived, 
 and found the old man sitting in the shade, on a blan- 
 ket. He heard the gospel with attention, and seemed 
 to express his approbation to his followers. The con- 
 versation was prolonged till near midnight, with the 
 two native converts. On the next day, a place was 
 prepared in the orchard, where a conference was held, 
 of two hours, to which came two very sensible and 
 agreeable brahmins. Sonaton, the old man^s son, drew 
 a circle around him, and read one of the tracts of twenty 
 pages quite through. About three hundred, with three 
 Testaments, were entrusted to him, for distribution. 
 
 Thus the missionaries retired, with the pleasing hope 
 that these infractions upon the Hindoo system, on the 
 part of the people, might lead to happy results ; and 
 we have recorded the visit, both as a specimen of the 
 kind of labour to which the missionaries were often 
 called, in addition to their other engagements, and 
 of their indefatigable zeal in the discharge of their 
 important commission. It was to be deplored, that 
 about a month afterwards, Moorad went to Serampore 
 
84 HISTORY OF 
 
 with the intelligence that the brahmins at Gobrapore had 
 begun a violent opposition, having torn the pamphlets 
 to pieces that had been distributed, prohibited any to go 
 and hear, and fixed up many scurrilous papers. Soon 
 after this, however, Mr. Ward went to Lockphool, 
 and returned with encoui'aging accounts. The people 
 there were desirous of a school-house being erected, 
 and a place of worship. 
 
 Other events of an interesting character had also 
 occurred. Golok, the eldest daughter of Krishno, having 
 returned to her father's house, was baptized ; others soon 
 followed, and among them, a Miss Rumohr, the daughter 
 of Count Rumohr, whose mother was living at Sleswick, 
 in Germany ; and a greater number of inquirers came 
 than usual to seek the way of life. In the autumn, 
 however, they had to weep over Syam Dass, a simple- 
 hearted christian who had been the instrument of con- 
 verting Bharut. He had joined the church in the 
 spring, and was murdered, as there was reason to be- 
 lieve, on account of his religion. 
 
 About the same time, Mr. Powell died, after a short 
 illness. He was the son of a member of Dr. Stennett's 
 church, in London, and went to India with Mrs. Thomas 
 and her daughter, in 1793. Mr. Thomas was the 
 means of his conversion, and he was baptized by Mr. 
 Carey, at Mudnabatty, in 1795. He took a lively 
 interest in the success of the mission, and held frequent 
 conversations with the natives. " Oh, how did he feel for 
 the guilty heathen, both Hindoos and Europeans ! Ye 
 fields and solitary places of Mudnabatty, Moypauldiggy, 
 and Dinagepore ! ye can witness how often he poured 
 out his soul to God, in behalf of those around him, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 85 
 
 sitting in darkness, and in the land of the shadow of 
 death/^* 
 
 Having found that Petumher the elder had made 
 great advances in knowledge and christian temper, and 
 had acquired universal respect, it was determined to 
 send him to a little distance, where he might rent "a 
 hut, and seek to promote the gospel, by conversation 
 and itineracy. He accordingly chose a place called 
 Sooksauger, and was solemnly designated to this work, 
 on the 22nd of November. Komal was appointed to 
 be his successor, as Bengalee schoolmaster. 
 
 But they were not without their trials, in having to 
 exercise a needful discipline. Gokol was excluded from 
 the church, but afterwards repented; Petumber and 
 Mittre were suspended ; and it required a strong inter- 
 ference to rectify a schism produced by Krishno^s want 
 of temper. They acted under the deep conviction, that 
 the pm-ity of the chm-ch was as important as its exten- 
 sion; and the wonder is, considering the idolatrous 
 practices, which involved detestable vices, to which 
 the heathen were addicted, that the examples of defec- 
 tion were so few, and the religion of some of the 
 native converts so bright. 
 
 In January, 1803, they had the satisfaction of intro- 
 ducing into the church Krishno Presaud, the first of 
 the brahmins who had broken caste, to be baptized in 
 the name of Christ. A native of some distinction 
 attended in his budgerow on the occasion, and it pro- 
 duced great conversation and inquiry among the ' 
 people. Another native convert united in the same 
 
 * Letter from Ward. 
 
86 HISTORY OF 
 
 profession, named Boodheesa. He had come from a 
 distance of eight days' journey, in consequence of 
 seeing one of the tracts. He was a larce, or byraggee, 
 born a mussulman ; but belonged to a people who, as 
 they say, give up the world, in search of the true God, 
 having despaired of finding the way of life among 
 Hindoos or mussulmans. He evinced great anxiety to 
 show his decision, and then to go and make known the 
 tidings of salvation in his own country. 
 
 The 6th of March was another of those memorable 
 days which gladdened the hearts of these self-denying 
 servants of Christ, in the moral wastes of India. In 
 the evening, Petumber preached in Bengalee to a 
 congregation of Hindoos, Mussulmans, Armenians, 
 Feringas, English, and others. " His text,'' says Mr. 
 Ward, "was a small pamphlet of eight pages, of 
 his own writing, which we printed for him. After 
 praying for a short time with fervour and consistency, 
 he sat down ; and, with his hands joined together and 
 stretched out, he craved their attention. He then 
 spoke for an hour with faithfulness and with propriety, 
 and closed the whole with prayer. We were much 
 pleased with this first attempt. He is the first Hindoo 
 who has become a preacher. This is another new era in 
 the mission, for which we have reason to bless God. 
 that he may increase the number of faithful native 
 labourers ! This is the grand desideratum that is to 
 move the Hindoo nation." 
 
 Felix Carey had now been, for a considerable period, 
 not only a professor of religion, but an assistant in the 
 itinerant labours of the missionaries. At the beginning 
 of April, his father had the additional satisfaction of 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 87 
 
 seeing his next son William, together with Sadutsa, a 
 farmer, and Ram Bosheen, a fine young man, and a 
 great inquirer after knowledge, '^put on Christ/' 
 Within two days, (April 5,) the missionaries again 
 triumphed over the caste in a very signal manner, by 
 eating, for the fii'st time, at the house of one of the 
 native brethren. On the day preceding, Krishno 
 Presaud was married to Onunda, Krishno' s second 
 daughter ; and on this, the following evening, they all 
 supped at Krishno's under the shed where the marriage 
 ceremony had been performed. The neighbours looked 
 on with astonishment ; it being a singular sight in a 
 land where the distinctions of clean and unclean are 
 so scrupulously regarded. "We began this wedding 
 supper,'' says Mr. Ward, " with singing, and con- 
 cluded with prayer ; between ten and eleven, we retm'ned 
 home with joy. This was a glorious triumph over the 
 caste. A brahmin married to a sooder in the chris- 
 tian way ! Englishmen eating with a married couple, 
 and this couple at the same table, and in a native 
 house ! Allowing the Hindoo chronology to be true, 
 there has not been such a sight in Bengal these 
 millions of years." 
 
 Soon after this, the native brethren, Krishno Presaud, 
 Ram Roteen, and Neeloo (young Presaud's brother), 
 encountered fierce hostility in preaching the gospel at 
 Buddabatty. They were driven by a mob into the 
 shelter of a house, where they continued to pray, read, 
 and converse. The next day, they were again insulted 
 by every abusive epithet, as feringahs, as destroyers of 
 the caste, as having eaten fowls and eggs. In attempt- 
 ing to return, the mob began to beat them, and thrust 
 
88 HISTORY OF 
 
 them forcibly forward; and one man, though a civil 
 officer, grazed the point of a spear against the body of 
 Krishno Presaud. Perceiving they could not make them 
 angry, they said, " You salla ; you will not be angry, 
 will you ?" They then reviled them afresh, and threw 
 cow-dung, mixed in gonga-water at them; and even 
 threatened them with death, if they repeated their visit. 
 Their reply was, that " even insults, stripes, and death, 
 were good to them ; their only concern was, that God 
 would turn the hearts of their foes, and make them 
 better." This was a severe probation ; but they endured 
 as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. In future itineracies, 
 Mr. Chamberlain frequently accompanied them on 
 their excursions for village preaching, and for the dis- 
 tribution of tracts, as a kind of guard. This was a 
 wise arrangement, till he had acquired the language; 
 for he had a stern air and aspect, well calculated to 
 inspire respect, and, if he aimed at it, di*ead. 
 
 Mr. Fernandez, in his solitary situation at Dinage- 
 pore, afforded a striking instance of the power of Divine 
 grace. He was a blessing to all around him, support- 
 ing and superintending, without any assistance, a 
 school of more than thirty native childi'cn. 
 
 In October, Gokol died. His mind was perfectly 
 tranquil; and he frequently said, with entire com- 
 posure, especially when urged by his neighbours, to 
 have a native doctor, " I am in my Lord^s hands ; I 
 want no other physician." His happy end produced a 
 deep impression. The missionaries had just purchased 
 a piece of ground for a bmying-place, near their house. 
 This was very important, as they could not consent to 
 either of the com'ses commonly adopted, namely, to burn 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 89 
 
 the body, or throw it into the river. They therefore 
 adopted the Enghsh method of interment, and sung a 
 hymn of Krishno^s, " Salvation by the death of Christ/' 
 The native converts were now becoming very ser- 
 viceable to the missionaries, especially whenever they 
 undertook journeys into the country. On one of these 
 occasions, Mr. Marshman thus characterises his com- 
 panions. " I was exceedingly pleased on the journey 
 (into Jessore), with the judicious and sensible discourse 
 of Petumber, Krishno, and Sheetaram, on the nature of 
 the gospel, the prospect of its spreading, the state of the 
 country, &c ; as well as with theii- joining with me in 
 attempting to communicate the gospel to the bearers, 
 while in the boat.'' He afterwards proceeds with the 
 following interesting account : — " Our general method 
 of travelling, whether walking or riding, (the first of 
 which I generally preferred, both for the sake of expe- 
 dition, and to ease the bearers,) is to carry papers in 
 our hands, ready to distribute to all we meet. Thus, 
 — Friend, can you read ? No. Have you any body in 
 your family that can? No. Can any one in youi* 
 village read ? Yes. Then give him this paper, and let 
 him read it to you. It tells you the way of salvation, 
 how your sins can be forgiven, and how you can be 
 happy after death. The poor fellow receives it with 
 r astonishment; and sometimes trembling with fear, 
 lest it should be a trap which Sahib has laid, to bring 
 him into trouble. Sometimes we have opportunity for 
 a few minutes' previous conversation. This afternoon 
 I overtook a countryman, with whom nearly the follow- 
 ing passed. A^Tiere are you going ? Home. Where is 
 your home ? Manpore, about two koss onward. Have 
 
90 HISTORY OF 
 
 you a gooroo ? Yes. Where does he live ? At * * *, 
 about ten koss from Manpore. How often does he 
 visit you ? Once a year. What does he do for you 
 then ? He whispers a muntra in my ear. (This is 
 often the name of an idol; sometimes a Sungskrit 
 sentence.) What good will you get from your muntra ? 
 It will he well for me after death, by repeating it. Do 
 you understand it? No. How can you receive any 
 good from your muntra, if you do not understand it ? 
 Do you give your gooroo any money, when he comes ? 
 Yes. How much, — ten rupees ? No, Sahib ; one 
 rupee, or five siccas, (Ij rupee.) If you were to give 
 him nothing, what then? He would be angry, and 
 come no more. Do not you see, then, that he comes 
 only for your money ? He cares nothing about your 
 welfare. He is like a fisherman; the muntra is the 
 net, and you are the fish. If I were you, I would 
 never give him anything again. He can do you no 
 good ; he is a wicked man himself : do not you see that 
 he is covetous ? Besides, he does not know the way of 
 salvation, nor do any of the brahmins ; they are selfish, 
 angry, and some of them adulterers. If they know, 
 why do not they save themselves ? If I were you, I 
 would go at once to God, and beg him to teach me the 
 right way. He is so merciful, that he will never turn 
 any away ; and he has given his own Son to die for • 
 sinners. Here I told him of the gospel, how we had 
 brought it hither, translated and published the Bible, 
 &c. ; and he seemed, in about half an bourns conver- 
 sation, to get some idea of it. I gave him papers, told 
 him where we lived, and earnestly begged him to go 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 91 
 
 home, and begin praying, which, indeed, he promised 
 to do/' 
 
 On the 8th of January, 1804, John Fernandez, a 
 promising youth, the first-fruits of the school, was 
 baptized. On the morning of the 16th, Mr. Carey, 
 Mr. Fernandez, senior, and all the family that could 
 attend, partook of a friendly repast at the house of Pre- 
 saud. In such a country, and at such a time, this was 
 an event of some consequence ; and hence, in recording 
 it, they say, " two hymns of praise, with an affectionate 
 prayer by brother Carey, all in Bengalee, concluded the 
 pleasing scene, all in the presence of many astonished 
 spectators." 
 
 The evening was signalised by separating Fernandez 
 to the work of the ministry. He had been baptized 
 two years before, and had habituated himself to preach 
 to his servants and scholars. He had a large Bengalee 
 school, which he supported at his own cost. At his 
 ordination, it is said, "a sweet and unusual solemnity 
 seemed to prevail through the whole of the opportunity, 
 while the idea of this being the first event of the kind 
 we have been called to witness in Indiay filled us with 
 joyful hope.'' On the 29th, "intending to call out 
 Krishno shortly, we desired him," writes Mr. Marsh- 
 man, "to preach to our servants. He accordingly 
 delivered what brother Carey calls the best Bengalee 
 sermon he ever heard; fluent, perspicuous, and affec- 
 tionate, in a very high degree. How different does the 
 news of salvation sound in the mouth of a native, 
 whose hope and joy it is, from what it does when 
 delivered in our foreign and uncouth accents ! And 
 
92 HISTORY OF 
 
 what a favour, as well as ground of encom'agement it is, 
 that He who ascended on high, and received gifts for 
 men, should thus vouchsafe them to his infant church 
 in Bengal!" 
 
 The church now consisted of thirty-six members, — 
 fourteen Em-opeans and others, and twenty-two natives, 
 brahmins, mussulmans, and various classes of Hindoos. 
 They had obtained an entrance into Calcutta. The 
 Rev. Messrs. Browne and Buchanan had, of their own 
 accord, solicited them to make a beginning there ; and 
 they were much affected by that fresh instance of 
 their liberality and affection. They accordingly took a 
 house, for the purpose of conducting christian worship 
 both in English and Bengalee. Hitherto, they had 
 been deterred, on the one hand, by the dread, as they 
 express it, of " the higher powers,''^ and on the other, 
 by the apprehension of giving umbrage to much valued 
 friends, by seeming to invade their province. From 
 both these fears, they were released by the assurances of 
 Mr. Browne.* Preaching, therefore, was constantly con- 
 ducted at Calcutta ; tracts everywhere distributed during 
 the itinerating exertions undertaken by them and the 
 native brethren. The press, too, was nobly at work. 
 The New Testament and Pentateuch had been long pub- 
 lished ; and a second edition preparing of the former, 
 under close revision. The psalms, and the prophecies 
 of Isaiah, were also printed. The views of the mis- 
 sionaries began now greatly to expand ; of which the 
 following communication, in a letter addi-essed by 
 Mr. Carey to Dr. Ryland will furnish ample evidence. 
 
 * Names are suppressed in the early printed communications, 
 but the same reasons no lonsrer exist. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 93 
 
 " We have it in our power, if our means would do for 
 it, in the space of about fifteen years, to have the word 
 of God translated and printed in all the languages of 
 the east. Our situation is such as to furnish us with 
 the best assistance from the natives of the different 
 countries. We can have types of all the different 
 4;haracters cast here ; and about seven hundred rupees 
 per month, part of which, I hope, we shall be able to 
 furnish, would complete the work. The languages are 
 the Hindoostanee, Mahratta, Oreea, Felingua, Bhotan, 
 Burman, Chinese, Cochin Chinese, Tonquinese, and 
 Malay. On this great work we have fixed our eyes." 
 
 The committee at home responded at once to this 
 noble design, by resolving to co-operate with them; 
 expressing their persuasion, that the religious public 
 would sustain the effort. 
 
 Some reference has been made already to the sus- 
 pension or exclusion of members of the churches, but 
 this seems to be a proper place to introduce some 
 remarks which have both a retrospective and prospec- 
 tive bearing. Among the most melancholy pages of 
 missionary history, are those which record the incon- 
 sistencies and falls of individuals who seem to be 
 converted, and even make a public profession of religion. 
 It is not surprising, when the character of the Hindoos 
 is considered, that our brethren should have been early 
 and painfully exercised in this way, and that even 
 some who appeared, at first, the most distinguished 
 converts to Christianity, should be inconsistent, and 
 even relapse into heathenism. One cannot but refer, 
 with the greatest grief, to such names as Parbotee, 
 Mohun Chund, and Ram Ram Boshoo, whose goodness 
 
94 HISTORY OF 
 
 was like " tlie morning cloud and early dew^ tliat pas- 
 seth away." The first continued^ for some time^ to 
 afford mucli satisfaction. On one occasion, lie relin- 
 quished a good employment, because his master insisted 
 on his making an idolatrous offering for the souls of 
 his departed relations. Although, as Mr. Carey states 
 in a letter, Mohun Chund had confused ideas of the 
 gospel, yet his attachment to it was long tried in 
 various situations. Of Eam Boshoo he states, that 
 he was a man of fine abilities, well informed in the 
 word of God as the generality of christians in England ; 
 but he fell into gross sin. In a private communication 
 of Mr. Ward to Mr. Fuller, he speaks with great 
 severity respecting these relapses, and censures the 
 introduction of their names into the first volume 
 of the Periodical Accounts with so much distinction. 
 He quotes, also, an old journal of Mr. Fountain's, in 
 which he says that Parbotee admitted that they deceived 
 Mr. Thomas, for their own temporal advantage. 
 
 But surely this is not a proper view of the matter, 
 nor is this a just censure. It would not, indeed, have 
 been noticed here, were it not that some have partici- 
 pated in such objections, and the enemies of religion 
 have made them a ground of reproach to Christianity ; 
 but it may be remarked, that the missionaries were 
 no more endowed than others, with the faculty of 
 searching the hearts of men, and were necessitated 
 to decide, for the time, according to their professions, 
 and corresponding conduct. If these were afterwards 
 falsified, they were not responsible ; they were the last 
 to vindicate moral delinquency, and the first to lament 
 over it. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 95 
 
 Besides, Christianity has nothing to fear, and requires 
 no concealment to secure its influence. Deep as our 
 sorrow is, that Parbotee, Mohun Chund, Boshoo, Sook- 
 man, and others, disgraced themselves, the record of 
 their infamy (which om^ brethren never hesitated to 
 proclaim, as well as their alleged conversion) affects 
 not the character of the religion of Jesus, or of its 
 missionaries. It is the value of the gold that tempts 
 the counterfeit ; and if the objects of these men were 
 merely selfish and worldly, their pretensions were too 
 well sustained, for a season, to admit of the discovery 
 of their inward hypocrisy. Nor is it conceivable that 
 it was mere artifice. There is ample evidence that they 
 were actually and very powerfully affected by the dis- 
 coveries of the gospel, and the simple grandeur of the 
 scheme of salvation it unfolds. If they professed this, 
 and professed it long with corresponding attestations of 
 an altered character, — was it not to be told? We 
 deprecate hasty conclusions, and premature reports, — 
 though great allowance may be made for men whose 
 love to Christ will naturally lead them, amidst unnum- 
 bered discouragements and obstacles, to hail every in- 
 dication of piety, and indulge in joyous anticipations, 
 — but these apparent converts were examined, and 
 watched over with scrupulous care ; and when delin- 
 quency was detected, they were unhesitatingly dismissed. 
 This did but shew the heathen and the world that they 
 understood Christianity, and pursued no sinister methods 
 in its propagation. 
 
 But how high ought to be our estimate of these 
 noble-minded missionaries, when, especially during the 
 earlier years of their enterprise, they are seen toiling 
 
96 HISTORY or 
 
 with a steady perseverance, like tlieir divine Master, in 
 " preaching and teaching the gospel of the kingdom," 
 under the pressure of no ordinary privations, embar- 
 rassed by a tangled wilderness of superstitions, scowled 
 at by European authorities, whose spirit was reflected 
 by their oriental representatives, oppressed not unfre- 
 quently by the deepest sense of their own unworthiness 
 and weakness, and tortured by the relapse of some of 
 their most hopeful converts ! 
 
 Ten years had now elapsed since the commence- 
 ment of missionary labours in Bengal ; and although 
 the degree of success with which they had been attended 
 might not have equalled the sanguine expectations of 
 some of its friends, and may even have been regarded 
 with contempt by most of its enemies; a httle con- 
 sideration will show that many importants ends had 
 been accomplished. In the erection of an edifice, the 
 removal of rubbish, the digging of trenches, the laying 
 of the foundation, are as necessary operations as the 
 rearing of the superstructure, to which they are pre- 
 paratory ; and he who plans is worthy of equal honour 
 with him who executes. The builders of after times 
 must ever be indebted for whatever their enlarged bene- 
 volence may achieve, to the original workmen of Seram- 
 pore ; and the following may be reckoned among the 
 great results, which ensued upon these early years of toil. 
 
 First. The otherwise impervious regions of idolatry 
 and superstition had been penetrated, and a footing 
 obtained for the gospel, by the breaking of caste. We 
 have seen the hallowed joy with w^hich this event was 
 celebrated ; and that joy will appear most appropriate 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 97 
 
 when we reflect on the formidable character of that 
 barrier to Christianity. The caste seems to have been 
 originally a political institution, by which the different 
 classes and avocations of society were kept in perpetual 
 separation ; so that every person was bound to follow 
 the trade or vocation of his forefather; but subse- 
 quently it became interwoven with every circumstance 
 of life. Almost any trifling incident may occasion the 
 loss of caste, as eating or smoking with a person of 
 another nation or caste ; and to lose caste is attended 
 with a dissolution of every connexion in life ; so that 
 relatives and acquaintance will never eat, di'ink, or 
 smoke with such an one again. Nor can he be restored, 
 for the delinquent becomes an outcast and vagabond for 
 ever in general estimation. " The caste," said Mr. 
 Carey, " is a superstition, that no Em*opean can con- 
 ceive of, and is more tenaciously regarded than life." 
 This, and other obstacles to the spread of the gospel, 
 he represented as such, that " if it were not that God is 
 almighty and true, they would be insurmountable." In 
 further explanation of it, on another occasion, he thus 
 writes : — " on account of this unnatural distinction of 
 classes among men, all motives to exertion, inquiiy, or 
 mental improvement are cut off; for the most honour- 
 able actions, the most beneficial discoveries, or \irtuous 
 conduct, would secure no honour or advantage to a per- 
 son of a low caste ; and those of a higher caste being 
 universally revered as a sort of half di\inities, lose no 
 reputation by their being ignorant or vicious. The 
 consequence is, a stupid contentment to remain as they 
 are; a total want of curiosity; and not a thought about 
 the improvement of the mind. Harmless, indifferent. 
 
98 HISTORY OF 
 
 and vacant, they plod on the path of their forefathers ; 
 and even truths in philosophy, geography, astronomy, 
 or any other science, if out of their beaten track, make 
 no more impression on their minds than the sublimer 
 truths of religion. They suppose the different castes 
 to be distinct species of animals, and therefore conclude 
 that it is as possible for them to become some other kind 
 of animal, as to become christians; and that the different 
 forms of worship, and habits of life, observed by par- 
 ticular castes, are as necessary to that caste as eating 
 grass is to the support of an ox, or flesh to tl^e main- 
 tenance of a tiger."* 
 
 Here, then, was a deep-rooted superstition pervading, 
 by its ramifications, the entire mass of society, which 
 precluded the social charities of Christianity, and op- 
 posed its very principle. Like an impregnable wall 
 encompassing a city, it rendered the community inacces- 
 sible to conviction and truth. It destroyed all motive 
 to change in minds so besotted and saturated with the 
 absm-dest error ; while the very first claim of Christianity 
 implied a change, both of character and conduct, the 
 most entire. To become christians, they must at once 
 renounce all, and be estranged from the whole world ; 
 relatives, friends, and gods, must be everlastingly aban- 
 doned. It is not surprising, that calculating philoso- 
 phers at home described the very attempt to accomplish 
 such a moral revolution and to overthrow such long 
 cherished and universal superstitions, by means of a 
 simple ministry of the gospel, as perfectly foolish, hope- 
 less, and fanatical. How could men be convinced to 
 
 * Letter to Mr. Pearee. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 99 
 
 their own ruin ? How could one or two unpatronised 
 and humble men, from a distant land, expect, by their 
 single voice or feeble efforts, to shake the faith of mil- 
 lions, or at all impress the sui'face of a strong, well 
 compacted, powerful and pleasurable idolatry, rooted 
 in the passions as well as in the earliest inwrought pre- 
 judices of the people ? These very questions, so often 
 repeated, and so strenuously urged, only prove the 
 greatness of the work that was accomplished in so 
 short a period, by the instrumentality of the mission- 
 aries. To make a breach in this wall of brass, was more 
 than all human philosophy could have performed, had 
 it even found its disciples possessing the heart to attempt 
 it ; when performed within such a time, and by means 
 so despised, it demanded that expression of gratitude to 
 God, which the feelings of those who were the means 
 of it prompted, and which will be re-echoed by the 
 church in all future ages. "Not unto us, Lord! not 
 unto us, but unto thy name be the glory." 
 
 2. The victory over caste was not, however, more 
 illustrious than the victory over language. It was 
 worthy of the study, the anxiety, and the pecuniary ex- 
 penditure of ten years, had nothing else resulted, to 
 produce the Bengalee Testament. What a present to the 
 shaster-duped millions of that land ! Hitherto, the 
 people had been cursed mth the knowledge of the 
 history of their imaginary deities, and taught the ob- 
 scene mysteries of their worship as religion. For cen- 
 turies they had wandered in error, and rioted in vice. 
 Their land was pervaded with blind teachers and malig- 
 nant demons ; from age to age perpetuating the false- 
 hoods that degraded the rea*n, and cherishing the sins 
 r 2 
 
100 HISTORY OF 
 
 that destroyed the soul. They had three hundred and 
 fifty millions of deities, — ^but no God! Their knowledge 
 was but a diversified ramification of a gross and debasing 
 ignorance; and they followed in utter darkness the 
 train of their debtahs and brahmins to an unknown, 
 unprepared-for eternity. It was a simple, early, and 
 sublime conception to give them the Bible in their 
 vernacular tongue ; for nothing could so efi*ectually 
 " put to silence the ignorance of foolish men." That 
 was the wisdom of heaven, and would work its way 
 when the translators themselves were gone — or rather, 
 pre-eminently, the translator ; for that will be the im- 
 mortal distinction of Carey till the heavens are no 
 more. 
 
 3. The establishment of a printing press, by w^hich 
 the translations were capable of indefinite midtipli- 
 cation, and by means of which, also, tracts or other 
 works would be put into the most extensive circulation, 
 was no mean benefit to India. No sooner was a printer 
 wanted than, in the providence of God, one was pro- 
 vided ; and no sooner was the mighty engine required 
 to pour the streams of life through the channels of 
 every eastern language, than christian benevolence sup- 
 plied the necessity. 
 
 In connexion with this provision, the hand of Pro- 
 vidence was distinctly visible in the setting up of a letter 
 foundry at Calcutta for the country languages, at the 
 precise period when it was needed. The persons en- 
 gaged in this undertaking, could have had no intention 
 to accommodate the missionaries, and probably had no 
 knowledge of their existence ; yet was their proceeding 
 requisite to the printing of*the Scriptures ; for, although 
 
* THE BAPTISF MISSION. 101 
 
 specimens of Bengalee letters were sent to England, in 
 order to obtain a fount of types, tlie extreme difficulty, 
 if not utter impracticability of accomplishing it, became 
 sufficiently apparent. 
 
 4. One of tbe most important effects of missionary 
 exertion, was the conversion of natives and even of 
 brahmins, who evinced a capability of becoming instru- 
 mental in diffusing the gospel among their coun- 
 trymen. Persons born amongst them, of their own 
 blood, speaking their own vernacular language, familiar 
 with all their habits and modes of thinking, — must 
 necessarily have been more, incomparably more, adapted 
 to interest them than foreigners, however in other 
 respects qualified; and we accordingly find every ac- 
 cession of moral strength, by this means, hailed with 
 a just exultation. In a communication of October, 
 1803, from Carey, Marshman, Chamberlain, and Felix 
 Carey, they state that they had five or six native 
 brethren, who possessed, they would not say, minis- 
 terial talents, but a desire to make known the gospel 
 to tlieir perishing fellow-countrymen, according to their 
 ability ; " when you consider," they add, " the advan- 
 tages they possess over the best of us, in language, 
 and in exact knowledge of the manners, customs, ideas, 
 and prejudices of their countrymen, with their oppor- 
 tunity of access where we dm-st not set our foot, — you 
 will agree with us in esteeming this among the most 
 important blessings bestowed on the mission." About 
 the same time, Mr. Ward, being on a journey, writes 
 thus from Saddamahl : — " One of the native brethren 
 with me, a brahmin, has preached boldly the gospel of 
 Christ, under the banian shade, in my presence. What 
 
102 HISTORY OF 
 
 we sung and prayed, therefore, on board tlie ship, has 
 been so far fulfilled/^ He refers to the hymn, written 
 by him just after their embarkation, in which occur the 
 two following verses : — 
 
 " When they shall preach the SaAdom*'s word 
 Beneath the banian's shade. 
 Let the poor Hindoo feel its power, 
 And make his spirit glad. 
 
 " Oh, let the heavenly shaster spread, — 
 Bid the new caste arise. 
 Till brahmins preach the gospel word. 
 And India taste its joys." 
 
 5. Another very important effect of the mission 
 was the spirit which had been produced at home, and the 
 concurrent movement which had been occasioned beyond 
 the precincts of the baptist denomination. The objec- 
 tions started at first by the timid or the selfish among 
 the chm'ches, had considerably abated, and Scotland had 
 almost universally responded to the call for aid. Per- 
 sons of all religious persuasions took a deep interest in 
 the Indian mission, and the visits of the honoured 
 secretary, Mr. Fuller, had not only kindled a mission- 
 ary zeal, but diffused a sympathy of religious feeling. 
 Those visits were always sought with avidity, and hailed 
 with delight; and they still occupy a distinguished 
 place among the pious reminiscences of the land. 
 
 The baptist mission gave birth to another and kindred 
 institution, which, with a more abundant patronage, a 
 more widely extended aim, has ever since ranked as one 
 of the noblest undertakings of the age. 
 
 In saying this, there is no desire to aiTOgate an 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 103 
 
 honour which is not fairly due to the Baptist Society ; 
 but the fact ought to be recorded, not as a matter of 
 boasting, but of grateful praise to God. A few months 
 after the settlement of Dr. Ryland, as president of the 
 academy in Bristol, he received the first letters which had 
 arrived from Carey and Thomas, and was so delighted 
 with the intelligence they contained, that he became 
 immediately anxious to communicate it to Dr. Bogue 
 of Gosport, and Mr. Steven, of the Scotch chm-ch, 
 Covent Garden, London, who were supplying the Taber- 
 nacle in that city. Inviting them, therefore, with a few 
 other friends to his house, he read these letters; and all 
 united in prayer and praise. A conversation arose, in 
 which the two ministers in question expressed theii* 
 wish to set on foot a missionary society in their own 
 connexion; and deliberations were subsequently held 
 with ministers and others, convened in the parlour of 
 the Tabernacle House, which induced the people ever 
 after to designate it, " the cradle of the missionary 
 society .^^ Unquestionably, the attention of Dr. Bogue 
 had been previously tm'ned to the state of the heathen 
 world, and perhaps with more depth of contemplation 
 than had distinguished any other indi\ddual, excepting 
 only Dr. Edward WiUiams, then of Birmingham. 
 Whether the movements of the baptist ministers, in 
 1792, furnished the first suggestive thoughts may not 
 be ascertainable ; but it is certain, that the meeting at 
 Dr. Ryland^s house was the immediately determining 
 stimulus that led ultimately to the formation of the 
 London Missionary Society, in 1795. That again be- 
 came the instrument of impelling other minds and 
 other combinations of christian benevolence ; as in a 
 
104 HISTORY OF 
 
 meclianical contrivance^ the turning of one wheel by 
 touching another, causes it to revolve, and wheel after 
 wheel successively catches the impulse, till the whole 
 machinery is set in motion. 
 
 Other reasons for gratitude and exultation might be 
 enumerated, — such as the disregard which numbers of 
 Hindoos had recently discovered to their own supersti- 
 tions, and the existence of a strong presentiment enter- 
 tained by many of their downfall; the favour which 
 had been obtained by the missionaries, in the eyes of 
 many who at first despised them ; and the distinction 
 conferred on Carey, in particular, by the governor-gene- 
 ral ; together with the moral influence of all these cir- 
 cumstances : but, whatever were the successes and 
 honours of our mission and our missionaries, we lay 
 them down in humble adoration and thanksgivings at 
 our Redeemer's feet, as so many trophies of his victo- 
 ries, — not ours or theirs, — over the prince of darkness. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 105 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 ACCOUNT OF MR. CHAMBERLAIN's APPOINTMENT AND MIS- 
 SIONARY LABOURS, TO THE PERIOD OF HIS SETTLEMENT 
 AT AGRA. 
 
 The superior character of John Chamberlain de- 
 mands that he should be introduced to the readei-^s 
 attention with more than an ordinary notice, and that 
 his first series of missionary efforts should be exhibited 
 consecutively in a detached form. He was born at 
 Welton_, in Northamptonshire, on the 24th of July, 
 1777, of poor, but industrious parents. In 1789, he 
 removed from his father^ s house, to be placed at Market 
 Harborough, in Leicestershire,' with a farmer. After- 
 wards, he went to Braunston, where he derived spiritual 
 benefit from the ministry of Mr. Simmons, and, in 1796, 
 became a member of his church. Having received 
 information of the mission to India, and read the 
 discourses preached at the formation of the London 
 Missionary Society, his spirit instantly kindled with 
 missionary zeal ; but, from an apprehension that there 
 was no probability of his being employed in such a 
 work, he concealed the feeling in his own bosom. In 
 1797, he went to live in the employ of Mr. Haddoii, 
 a farmer at Naseby, and a valuable deacon of the 
 church at Clipstone. There, in the humblest situation, he 
 soon began a career of public usefulness, by influencing 
 the people to establish a Sunday school and to have. 
 f3 
 
106 HISTORY OF 
 
 meetings for prayer, wliicli lie diligently attended. At 
 the instance of his worthy master, the committee held at 
 Northampton, in September, 1798, resolved on accept- 
 ing him as a missionary probationer, and placing him 
 under the tuition of Mr. Sutcliff. His general conduct 
 and his recorded feelings, both before and after this 
 period, show the deep devotion of his mind, and the 
 noble decision of his character. His religious expe- 
 rience, during twelve months' residence at Olney, was 
 of the profoundest kind ; full of solemn searchings and 
 unaffected humility. He was at length informed by 
 Mr. Sutcliff, that the Society determined not to continue 
 him there any longer, which threw a shadow of uncer- 
 tainty over his prospect of going to India. But this dis- 
 appointment could not repress his ardour in preaching 
 the gospel in the villages, whenever opportunity offered ; 
 and it proved a providential discipline, of a correcting 
 and salutary tendency, upon his character. At length, 
 he was sent to the Bristol academy, under the 
 superintendence of Dr. Ryland. There he became a 
 severe student, an early riser, a reader in private of 
 pious books calculated to cherish the religion of the 
 heart; and, though fainting in hope, yet still pursu- 
 ing in desire the missionary enterprise. The author 
 having been his associate, speaks from personal know- 
 ledge and admiration of his devotedness. He was 
 unrivaUed in the intensity of his application to acquire 
 whatever was attainable, and made a rapid progress in 
 several languages, particularly the oriental ; partly 
 from his never abandoned thought of missionary 
 labours abroad. In addition, however, to the usual 
 routine of study, his .holy zeal could no longer be 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 107 
 
 i-estrained ; and the love of souls led him to visit the 
 meanest parts of Bristol^ that in th& cottages and in the 
 streets, he might warn the abandoned, comfort the 
 sorrowful, administer instructive truth^to the dying, and 
 preach to every one the unsearchable riches of Christ. 
 This conduct was the more remarkable, because at first 
 none of his brethren " heartily," as he says, " closed in 
 with his proposal" to adopt extra measures for the 
 benefit of the poor and profligate population ; and he 
 was left to go alone. Their scruples, however, it ought 
 to be stated, were soon dismissed, and he found a 
 vigorous co-operation. The early labours in which he 
 had so disinterestedly and incessantly occupied himself, 
 were not without reward ; and, doubtless another world 
 will evince their character in brighter developments of 
 grace and glory. At the close of the session of 1801, 
 Dr. Ryland put a short question to him, to ascertain 
 whether he were still willing to go abroad as a mis- 
 sionary. Though he had to sever himself from many 
 powerful bands of affection at home, the latent spark of 
 his earliest religious desire at once burst into a flame, 
 and he answered, without hesitation, " I am willing." 
 
 The committee chose him as a missionary, in April, 
 1802, and after a pubHc ordination to the work in 
 London, he and Mrs. Chamberlain (formerly Miss 
 Smith 6f Walgrave) sailed for India, by way of America, 
 in the month of May ; whence, after a short sojourn, 
 they proceeded to their ultimate destination, and 
 reached Serampore on the 27th of January, 1803. 
 " It was an hour," says Mr. Ward, " of great joy. In * 
 the evening, we went to Krishno^s. I catechised the 
 children, and we sung three hymns in Bengalee. 
 
10,8 HISTORY OF 
 
 Brother Chamberlain joined us in ' Doya Koro/* Our 
 native friends made inquiries whether our new brother 
 and sister had left father, mother, brothers, or sisters. 
 I never saw our native friends manifest such attach- 
 ment as on this occasion. Joymooni said, 'They can- 
 not talk our language, but we see that all our hearts 
 are one ; we are united in the death of Christ.' " 
 
 Mr. Chamberlain entered upon the necessary pre- 
 parations for his futm'e ministry, with characteristic 
 zeal. He had wisely desisted from the study of the 
 Bengalee during the voyage, lest he should acquire an 
 erroneous pronunciation, or be afterwards perplexed by 
 the delusory acquisition of false idioms. The conse^ 
 quence was that he not only made unparalleled progress 
 in the language during the first year, which was chiefly 
 devoted to it, but learned to speak in it with a facility 
 and coiTCctness that equalled any, and surpassed most 
 of his contemporaries. Such was his love for souls, 
 that he could not consent to be silent, when only able 
 to utter a few words in conversation with the natives ; 
 and prompted by this feeling, his pleasure in gaining 
 terms and phrases was like " the joy of harvest." " No 
 huntsman," says Mr. Yates, " could be more eager in 
 his chase, than he was in his pursuits; nor could 
 Archimedes himself rejoice more in finding the solution 
 of his problem, than he did, when he found out a way 
 of conveying to the natives an idea which before he 
 had not known how to express. 
 
 " By a happy mixtm'e of exercise with study, he soon 
 overcame the difiiculties of the language, and in about 
 
 * The first words of a favourite hymn. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 109 
 
 one year, was able to preacli tlie gospel with confidence. 
 But lie did not stop here; he was not satisfied with 
 being able to read the best authors, to understand and 
 be understood in conversation, to speak on public 
 occasions, and to compose in common prose; but, 
 knowing how much the natives admire poetry, and that 
 any thing in a poetic dress is doubly interesting to 
 them, because the shasters which they venerate most, 
 are thus adorned, he applied himself diligently to the 
 study of their poetical works, and soon made such 
 attainments in this more difficult branch of literature, 
 as to be able to compose hymns and other religious 
 pieces in various metres; and upon the foundation 
 which he here began to lay, he afterwards raised a con- 
 siderable superstructure." 
 
 While at Serampore, he took a regular share in the 
 duties of the station ; the desire of making full proof 
 of his ministry, induced him to engage in English 
 preaching at Serampore and Calcutta; and, at the 
 former place, he devoted his energies to the instruction 
 of the rising generation. In the evening, he would 
 frequently converse, read, sing, and pray with the 
 native brethren; and often made short excursions to 
 the villages, to carry the tidings of salvation to the 
 poor inhabitants. " The number of places he would 
 visit, together with the number of times he would 
 address different congregations in one day, was truly 
 astonishing. I attended him several times, when he was 
 possessed of far less vigour and strength than at the 
 period of which we are now speaking, and the simple 
 travelling from village to village, and from place to 
 place, in the different villages where he preached, 
 
110 HISTORY OF 
 
 appeared to me a sufficient exertion for one day ; while 
 he, from the hour he set out, ahout eight in the morn- 
 ing, till five in the afternoon, continued to travel and 
 to preach without cessation, allowing himself time to 
 take a little dry provision only as he went from ' one 
 hamlet to another. In this manner, he would visit five 
 or six villages in one day, and in some of them speak 
 at two or three different places, a considerable distance 
 from each other. It must be granted, that his dis- 
 courses were not of a nature to require much study, 
 being, for the most part, a declaration of the same 
 simple truths of the gospel, and an exposure of the 
 same objections and errors which are urged alike in all 
 places by the natives; but to recommend the same 
 truths over and over again with equal fervour and 
 interest, as he did, is by no means one of the smallest 
 of those attainments which constitute the perfection of 
 the missionary character.'^* 
 
 About a year after his arrival, he was appointed to 
 visit Saugur island, whither thousands were daily flock- 
 ing to their annual poojah, or festival. In company 
 with Fehx Carey, Krishno, and Bhyrub, he left Seram- 
 pore on the 9th of January, 1804, to perform this 
 important mission.f A few extracts from the journal 
 
 * Yates's Memoirs of Chamberlain, p. 121. 
 
 t The island of Gunga Saugur, or Gonga Sagor, is situated 
 at the extreme point of the land where the great western, or 
 holiest branch of the Ganges, unites its waters with those of the 
 Indian ocean ; and is so called, from the Sungskrit appellation 
 sagor, or sea, and ganga, or river j the latter term being em- 
 phatically applied to denote the Ganges, the chief of rivers ; as 
 Bible is book, and is used to denote the pre-eminency of the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. Ill 
 
 of Mr. Chamberlain will afford tlie best idea of the 
 place and of the proceedings of the missionaries on the 
 occasion in question. 
 
 word of God. The island is a flat, swampy, and cheerless shore, 
 bordered with forest trees and underwood ; but is the scene of 
 one of the most celebrated places of pilgrimage in India. " Its 
 peculiar sanctity arises from its situation at the junction or point 
 of confluence of the Ganges and the ocean, where the purifying 
 virtue of the waters is believed to be mightily increased. Here 
 there is a ruinous temple, erected in honour of the great sage 
 Kapila, the founder of one of the chief schools of Indian philo- 
 sophy, who is here reverenced as a god. It is usually occupied 
 by a few disciples of the sage, of the class of ascetics, who always 
 keep an arm raised above their heads ; some of whom are every 
 year caiTied off", to furnish a repast to some of their voracious 
 neighbours of the jungle. Twice in the year, — at the full moon 
 in November and January, vast crowds of Hindoos resort to this 
 temple and neighbourhood, to perform obsequies for the good of 
 their deceased ancestors, and to practise various ablutions in the 
 waters of such purifying efiicacy." — Duff's India and Indian 
 Missions, p. 201. 
 
 The reverence with which the Ganges is regarded almost 
 exceeds imagination. At the January festival at Gunga Saugor, 
 hundreds of mothers were accustomed to throw their uncon- 
 scious infants into the turbid waters; and they bewailed the 
 sacrifice as lost, and the gods unpropitiated, if they commissioned 
 not the shark and other monsters of the deep to crush and 
 devour them before their eyes Their sacred writiags abound in 
 imageiy to extol its praises. "In one of them, the sacred stream 
 is thus addressed: — *0 goddess, the owl that lodges in the 
 hollow of a tree on thy banks, is exalted beyond measure ; while 
 the emperor, whose palace is far from thee, though he may 
 possess a milHon of stately elephants, and may have the wives of 
 milhons of conquered enemies, is nothing.' The distant sight 
 of it is declared to be attended with present benefit ; the appli- 
 
112 HISTORY OF 
 
 " Jan. 13. — Yesterday we entered the eastern creek, 
 it being not safe to go down the great river in a small 
 boat. Here are no villages at which we can call ; but 
 
 cation of a few drops of its water may remoVe much pollution ; 
 daily bathing in it is followed with inestimable advantages, both 
 in this hfe, and in that which is to come ; immersion in it on 
 certain auspicious days of the moon, and certain conjunctions of 
 the planets, may wipe away the sins of ten births, or even of a 
 thousand; ablution, accompanied with the prescribed prayers, 
 on particular days of high festival, may entitle to a residence in 
 one of the heavens of the gods, and insure an amount of bless- 
 ings which no imagination can conceive. 
 
 " In the prospect of dissolution, its waters are fraught with 
 pecuhar efficacy in obliterating the stains of transgression. To 
 think intensely of the Ganges at the hour of death, should the 
 patient be far distant, will not fail of a due reward ; to die in the 
 full view of it, is pronounced most holy ; to die on the margin, 
 in its immediate presence, still holier ; but to die partly immersed 
 in the stream, besmeared with its sacred mud, and imbibing 
 its purifying waters, hohest of all. Yea ; such is its transform- 
 ing efficacy, that if one perish in it by accident, or in a state of 
 unconsciousness, he will be happy. And, what is more won- 
 derful still, it is affirmed, that ' if a worm or an insect, or a 
 grasshopper, or any tree growing by its side, die in it, it will 
 attain the highest felicity in a future state.' 
 
 " On the other hand, to die in the house, when within one's 
 power to be carried to the river side, is held to be the greatest 
 misfortime. But if distance or any sudden contingency inter- 
 pose a barrier, the preseiTation of a single bone, for the purpose 
 of committing it at some future time to the Ganges, is believed 
 to contribute essentially to the salvation of the deceased. Hence 
 the origin of many of those heart-rending scenes that are con- 
 stantly exhibited along the banks of the Ganges ; scenes, from 
 the contem})lation of which nature recoils, — scenes, at the 
 recital of which, humanity shudders."— M, pp. 208, 209. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 113 
 
 all is a dismal jungle^ where the savage tigers rage un- 
 molested and uncontrolled, which is a stronger barrier 
 to this country than all the fortifications in the world. 
 * * * * ^^Q are accompanied by many boats full of 
 people, some of whom are the most disgusting sights 
 that can well be imagined. Their hair and beards have 
 been sufi'ered to grow, probably for years, and never 
 once dressed; their bodies covered with the most odious 
 and indecent marks, and their shame scarcely hidden. 
 Some of these most wretched, if not most wicked of 
 men, have come a joui'iiey of three, four, or five months 
 to bathe in Gunga Saugur. 
 
 "Jan. 13, Gunga Saugur. — ^Arrived here this morn- 
 ing. Astonished beyond measure at the sight ! Boats 
 crushed together, row upon row, for a vast extent in 
 length, numberless in appearance, and the people swarm- 
 ing every where ! Multitudes ! multitudes ! Removed 
 from the boats, they had pitched on a large sandbank, 
 and in the jungle. The oars of the boats were set up 
 to support the tents, shops, &c. Words fail to give a 
 true description of this scene. Here an immensely 
 populous city has been raised in a very few days, full of 
 streets, lanes, bazars, &c., many sorts of trade going 
 on, with all the hurry and bustle of the most flourishing 
 city. We soon left the boats, and went among the 
 people. Here we saw the works of idolatry and bhnd 
 superstition. Crowds upon crowds of infatuated men, 
 women, and children, high and low, young and old, 
 rich and poor, bathing in the water, and worshipping 
 Gunga, by bowing, and making salams, and spreading 
 their ofi'erings on the shore, consisting of rice, flowers, 
 cowries, &c., for the goddess to take when the tides 
 
114 HISTORY OP 
 
 arrive. The mud and water of this place are esteemed 
 very holy, and are taken hundi-eds of miles upon the 
 slioulders of men. They sprinkle themselves wdth the 
 water, and daub themselves with the mud ; and this, 
 they say, cleanses them from all sin — this is very great 
 holiness. * * * We gave away a great quantity of 
 papers, but with no small difficulty, the press being so 
 great. Withdrawing to our boat, we were surrounded 
 on all sides, which afforded a pleasing opportunity of 
 speaking to the people, and of distributing tracts. Felix 
 and Krishno talked to the people, and I gave out the 
 tracts and books, and endeavoured to speak as I was 
 able. Never had I greater satisfaction than in this 
 work. The attention of the people to that which was 
 spoken, their eagerness for the books, together with 
 their peculiar circumstances, having never heard of the 
 Saviour before, gave me such satisfaction of mind that 
 I cannot express. I would not change my situation 
 with the greatest lord in the world. I suppose the 
 people were scarcely able to understand me; but one 
 occm'rence encouraged me. Two respectable people 
 came, whom I began to address ; and I was enabled to 
 speak with some liberty respecting the death of our 
 Saviour. They heard with great attention, and seemed 
 much affected : 1 saw tears standing in the eyes of the 
 oldest man, and falling down his cheeks. The lowest 
 computation of the people here is one lack, or 100,000; 
 and perhaps two lacks is nearer the truth. Most of the 
 people to whom we gave books came from parts of the 
 country where the word of life had never been, and the 
 news of salvation never was heard. 
 
 " Jan. 14. — In the afternoon, Bhyrub and I went out. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 115 
 
 wMle Felix and Krishno staid in tlie boat. As we 
 went through the crowd, I felt my spirit moved, and 
 began by giving Hindoostanee papers to some byragees, 
 who speak that language. They did not receive them 
 very freely ; and as we could not converse with them, 
 we left them. Turning to the Bengalees, I interrogated 
 them in this manner : ' On what account are you come 
 hither V ' To bathe in Gunga Saugur, Sahib.' ' By 
 bathing in the Gunga what fruit have you obtained?' 
 ' Holiness,' says one ; ' good for the future,' says an- 
 other. ' Thus you say indeed; but how do you know ? 
 Is not all this without evidence ?' * * * ' Are you 
 so void of reflection as to suppose that Gunga can save 
 you ? What is Gunga ? Is it larger than other rivers ? 
 No ; I have seen larger. Is its water better than other 
 water ? Certainly not. Why do you act so unwisely ? 
 Why are you without understanding ? There is but 
 one God, worship him. Know that your minds are 
 defiled by sin ; which defilement, Gunga, though you 
 should bathe in it a thousand times, can never wash 
 away. Hear, brethren, why we are come hither. Not 
 to bathe in Gunga ; but to pubhsh among you the good 
 news of God. What is this good news ? It is this : 
 God, the maker of the heaven and of the earth, the 
 maker and preserver of us all, seeing us all overwhelmed 
 with sin, hath had very great compassion on mankind, 
 and hath given his own Son to be our Saviour. His 
 name is Jesus Christ. He, leaving his own happiness, 
 came down from heaven, assuming our nature, that to 
 procure our salvation, he might suffer in our stead. 
 Thirty-three years he lived in this world; in the pre- 
 sence of thousands of people, he performed many won- 
 
116 HISTORY OP 
 
 derful works ; to the blind he gave sight, and to the 
 deaf he gave hearing ; the sick he healed, and the dead 
 he raised to life. Afterwards, that he might make 
 satisfaction for our sin, he endm-ed very great sufferings; 
 he gave his own life a ransom for us. He died. After 
 three days he arose from the grave, appeared to his dis- 
 ciples, talked and ate with them ; and at the end of 
 forty days, he ascended into heaven in their presence, 
 fii'st giving them this command, ^' Go ye into all the 
 world, preach the gospel to all men ; he who believeth 
 your word will obtain salvation, but they who believe 
 not mil fall into hell fire." Now he is in heaven, the 
 maker, the preserver, the ruler, the judge of aU. At 
 the last day he will come again, to judge all mankind ; 
 and for this purpose, will he raise all who have died in 
 all ages of the world, and then will all receive according 
 to their works. Then they who, forsaking their sins, 
 have believed in his name, and have received a new and 
 holy mind, shall be received by him into heaven, where 
 they will dwell with God to an endless duration ; there 
 their sorrow will never be any more, their good will be 
 eternal, their pleasure will be boundless. But those 
 who have not believed in his name will he destroy; 
 them will he throw into hell, where they will never 
 obtain happiness ; there, who can describe what misery 
 they will endm'e ! Endless anguish will be their por- 
 tion. That you may not fall into this miserable place, 
 and that you may eternally enjoy the happiness of 
 heaven, we now declare these things unto you. These are 
 not our words, but the words of God. Most certainly 
 we seek your present and eternal good. For this end 
 we are come to this country, and to this place ; nor do 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 117 
 
 we seek any thing else. We do not seek your money ; 
 we want not your lands. Your future, eternal good, — 
 this is all we want. We know that this can be obtained 
 in no other way, than by Jesus Christ. Besides him, 
 there is no remedy. If you will not forsake your sinful 
 ways, your lying, adultery, quarrelling, your idol wor- 
 ship, &c., and believe in Jesus Christ, you never can by 
 any means be saved. But if, forsaking all these, and 
 every sin, you believe in the Saviour, and taking his 
 name, you pray unto God for mercy, most assuredly you 
 will get salvation. God will pardon your sins, and 
 receive you into heaven, to dwell in his presence for 
 ever. Pay attention to these words. Judge in your 
 own minds whether they be good or bad. Know that 
 your shasters are lies ; believe them no longer. Why 
 will you fling your souls into eternal fire ? Why will 
 you destroy yourselves ? Now is the time of salvation. 
 Now has God been very gracious to you, and has sent 
 you the good news of salvation. Believe this good 
 news ; receive it into your hearts. If you do this, Jesus 
 will be your saviour ; but if not, he will be your judge, 
 and you will have to give your account to him at the 
 last day. Now we must go. May you be eternally 
 happy ! May God have compassion on you all ! ^ 
 
 " In this manner, we stopped in four places, sur- 
 rounded by crowds. As I was able, I spake to them, 
 but am afraid I could scarcely be understood. In this 
 work, my joy is great. Give me Bibles, tracts, and 
 ability to speak the language more fluently; then to 
 distribute these and to publish the glad tidings of sal- 
 vation — a greater or a more glorious work, I do not 
 desire. 
 
118 HISTORY OF 
 
 *' Jan. 15. — Left Gunga Saugur this morning. We 
 are in tlie midst of hundreds and hundi'eds of boats^ 
 swarming with men and women, crying, Hurry bol ! 
 Hurry bol ! i. e. Cry Hurry ! Cry Hurry ! Hurry 
 is Krishno, one of their idols. They use this exclama- 
 tion when women are burnt alive." 
 
 At this period, the missionaries projected a plan for 
 the greater enlargement of their operations, which con- 
 sisted in occupying various stations in the country, 
 where christian efforts might be carried on in connection 
 with commercial pursuits. The individual in each sta- 
 tion was to trade with a small capital of two or three 
 hundred pounds, in cloth, indigo, or any other commo- 
 dity. He was to receive money and send the goods 
 monthly with accounts to Serampore, to keep a common 
 stock and table as before, to have the same allowance, 
 and to attend an annual meeting there of the whole 
 missionary body. It was supposed that it would secure 
 a more effectual and wider dissemination of the gospel 
 throughout the country, the training up of natives, the 
 preparation of an experienced body of missionaries, 
 who would from time to time introduce others, and the 
 consolidation of the talents of the missionaries and the 
 profits of their labours into one available fund. 
 
 Mr. Ward differed in opinion from his brethren on 
 this subject, thinking that the setting up of a number 
 of single missionaries in business at different and distant 
 parts of the country, was " a dangerous experiment," — 
 so he terms it, — running much risk of faihng in 
 business, and requiring more capital than their funds 
 would be able to bear. His sagacity also intimated 
 other grounds of objection ; still he said that he was 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 119 
 
 " wholly united with his brethren, and they were full 
 of love and indulgence to him/'* 
 
 The perplexity, as well as secularity of this scheme, 
 led to its ultimate failure as a whole, though partially 
 perpetuated in the creation of stations. But Mr. Cham- 
 berlain was induced to accede to the request to make 
 the first experiment, in the hope of extending his use- 
 fulness. It has been supposed that his readiness to 
 undertake this service originated from his disagreeing 
 wdth his brethren in regarcl to some of their proceed- 
 ings ; and that their proposal sprung from dissatisfac- 
 faction at his irritability, which was, indeed, the chief 
 fault of his character. This may be supposed, without 
 impugning in any important degree either the judg- 
 ment or christian worth of either party. It gave 
 occasion, however, for an exhibition of his own pious 
 state of mind, and a testimony to his brethren too 
 valuable to be suppressed. The most distinguished of 
 men have ever been the most prone to self-condemnation. 
 "In some degree," says this eminent missionary, "I 
 hope that I am sensible of my weakness and sinfulness, 
 and consequent unfitness for this great and important 
 work ; and am astonished that one so worthless should 
 be thus employed. I have a world of iniquity within 
 me, and to contend with it, no strength of my own. 
 I have now been at Serampore one year; the re\'iew 
 of which, as it respects myself, gives me no pleasure, 
 but great pain. Instead of living nearer to God^ I 
 have gone farther from him, and have been more 
 indolent in his work, instead of being more active ; and 
 
 * Private communication to Mr. Fuller. 
 
120 HISTORY OF 
 
 instead of advancing in the amiable graces of a chris- 
 tian, I appear to have gone backward. These things 
 are very painful and discouraging to me. The import- 
 ance of keeping the unity of the Spirit in the bond of 
 peace, has been a great weight on my mind, and I hope 
 that I have at least endeavoured to keep it. I am apt 
 to be too precipitate in speaking my mind, which 
 often appears to others unlovely, when I had no such 
 intention. I have, in instances, differed in opinion from 
 my brethren, and have too warmly contended for my 
 own, which has afterwards given me grief; but have 
 always been the most strongly convinced that they have 
 had the good of the mission at heart much more than 
 I, and have therefore hoped that their determinations 
 were for the best. I know not their equals, as it 
 respects fitness for their station, in the whole world. 
 They are indeed men qualified by the Lord.^' 
 
 The arrangements which have been mentioned, fixed 
 Mr. Chamberlain at Cutwa, whither we shall now 
 accompany him. Previously to his settlement there, he 
 had an opportunity of surveying it in the course of a 
 journey to Dinagepore, which furnished him with many 
 opportunities of doing good, as well as of acquiring a 
 more extensive knowledge of the habits and supersti- 
 tions of the people. 
 
 CuTWA is situated on the western bank of the river 
 Hooghly, in the district of Bm-dwan, about seventy-five 
 miles north of Calcutta. It was formerly the scene of 
 severe warfare between the Mahrattas and the mussul- 
 mans, of which many indications still remain. Mr. 
 Chamberlain was much employed during two months 
 in building a house, and making the necessary arrange- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 121 
 
 ments for his residence, but neglected no opportunity 
 of proclaiming the gospel to the people. He procured 
 a spot of ground, about two acres, pleasantly situated 
 by two tanks, and a fine grove of mango trees, at a small 
 distance from the to^^i. It was obtained with difficulty ; 
 having been compelled to leave one situation, after 
 having begun to form a settlement, by the violent 
 opposition of the people, which now ceased ; on which 
 account he gave it the name of Rehoboth, " iov,'' said 
 he, "Jehovah hath made room for us." Kalicundi'a 
 had been recommended to him, as being numerously 
 peopled, having a market t-^ice a-week, and surrounded 
 with villages. He went there on foot, though it was 
 eight koss distant, to survey it ; improving the occasion 
 to converse of the "things of the kingdom," under 
 trees and by the way side. Considering the great 
 advantage of living in a large town, by the river, where 
 thousands resorted from difi'erent quarters every day, 
 he finally determined on remaining at Cutwa. By 
 keeping a horse, he regarded it as an easy and delight- 
 ful work to itinerate twenty or thirty miles round the 
 country, in addition to daily labours at home. From 
 this time, accordingly (the spring of 1804), we find 
 him engaging in this great enterprise alone, with his 
 wife only as a companion, in the midst of the ignorant, 
 the rude, and the gainsaying ; full of faith, of apostolic 
 simplicity, of holy love to Christ and souls ; with inde- 
 fatigable zeal and with undaunted courage, working his 
 way through a tangled wilderness of idolatry. 
 
 No sooner did he commence his efforts, than his 
 journals abounded with interesting details, and displayed 
 in every paragraph the ardour of his spirit. The follow- 
 
 G 
 
122 HISTORY OF 
 
 ing are brief specimens : — " A poor old man expressed 
 much gladness in hearing of the Saviour, which was to 
 me a little encoui-aging. ' These are good words/ said 
 he; 'hearing these, I get knowledge, and my mind 
 gets good, it becomes soft. I am old, — my days are 
 few : hearing you, sahib, I shall get good ; I will hear 
 you as often as I can ; I will come again and hear/ In 
 this manner he spoke, with so much apparent simpli- 
 city and pleasure, that I could not but be encouraged. 
 If this poor man's soul be gained, what a recom- 
 pense'/' Again, "This morning, a number of people, 
 besides the servants, attended worship, and afterwards 
 some stayed with me, and others came ; so that I have 
 been speaking more or less for three or four hours. 
 Some brahmins have just left me, one of whom, an old 
 man, came from ten miles' distance to inquire. He 
 read the gospel with some feeling, and appeared to be 
 sensible of the fatuity of the Hindoo system. Last 
 evening, I had a number of people, to whom I spoke 
 the word of life. to be able to speak to them with 
 all that affection and compassion which were so evident 
 in our dear Lord !" 
 
 He not only devoted himself, immediately upon his 
 settlement, to incessant preaching in the streets and 
 bazars, but kept open house for visitors and inquirers, 
 to whom he unfolded the mysteries of evangelical truth 
 at all hours of the day; and was frequently so em- 
 ployed from morning to night. 
 
 In the month of September, he wrote to Dr. Ryland 
 in the following terms : — " People are continually 
 coming to our house, which prevents my going out. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 123 
 
 Some seem determined to oppose, others appear better 
 inclined. It gives me great pleasure to endeavour to 
 make known to them the word of life ; nor would I 
 change my situation for any worldly advantage. True, 
 we are surrounded with them who know not God ; we 
 have no joyful assemblies of the saints to which we 
 can resort, to unite in the reviving exercises of social 
 worship, — no private families where we can meet and 
 converse to our mutual comfort and encouragement. 
 No, we are strangers, and accounted a strange people : 
 we also dwell among a people of a hitherto strange 
 language, but which is now becoming familiar ; a people 
 self-interested to a proverb, avaricious, proud, cruel, 
 plunged into the depths of iniquity, delighting and 
 wallowing in the vilest sins ; a people than whom none 
 can be more unpersuadable, — fostering self-conceit, and 
 the most delusive opinions, — accounting wood, stone, 
 mud, straw, trees, flowers, rivers, water, &c., God, — 
 and so worshipping these things, together with some 
 of the vilest of men and women, as gods. This is om* 
 situation ; yet, God be praised, we are not hopeless, 
 nor comfortless. We know it is but for Jehovah to 
 display his glorious arm, and then will our eyes be 
 blessed with a wondi'ous sight. I anticipate the time 
 when people shall come fi'om the circumjacent villages 
 and towns, flocking over the extended plains, to hear the 
 word of life at Cutwa, having forsaken their idols, their 
 debtahs, &c., and taken refuge in the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 I anticipate the day when the horrid din of idol music 
 shall give way to the songs of Zion ; when in the place 
 of their filthy, idolatrous songs, shall stand the sweet 
 g2 
 
124 HISTORY OF 
 
 singer of Israel in Bengalee array; when childi'en 
 shall delight to lisp the name of Jesus, and old men 
 join the chorus, Gloiy to God in the highest; when 
 their shasters and vaids, which have so long been the 
 support of this part of Satan^s kingdom, shall melt 
 away like wax before the sun ; and that precious foun- 
 tain of truth, the Bible, shall be the glory of this land, 
 and the confidence, comfort, and support of all the 
 people. These things I anticipate, and am encouraged. 
 Not that I am so sanguine as to suppose that my 
 mortal eyes will behold it ; but my confidence is, that 
 omnipotent truth will fulfil the promises of unerring 
 wisdom and boundless mercy." 
 
 His journals record the great attention with which 
 he was heard, the long disputations he had with the 
 Hindoos about their idols and poojahs, and the hopes he 
 entertained of some individuals. A few, from the dis- 
 tances of ten, fifteen, and twenty miles, repaired to his 
 house for instruction. This has been the frequent 
 experience of missionaries in India ; and though many 
 hopeful impressions, apparently made on such occasions, 
 have passed away, " like the morning cloud and early 
 dew," yet subsequent years have sometimes shown that 
 the good seed remained in the heathen bosom, and 
 ultimately vegetated and brought forth fruit in distant 
 years. He speaks, on one occasion, of the Hindoos 
 being "mad upon their idols," who were then wor- 
 shipping the wicked Doorga. "I was engaged all 
 the afternoon of yesterday in disputation with several 
 Hindoos about their idols and poojahs. After exposing 
 the infamous character of Doorga and Gunga, by a 
 reference to their received history, I assured an old 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 125 
 
 brahmin, who waxed warm in the debate, that were 
 such characters now living, they would certainly be 
 hanged; yea, verily, all of them, without exception. 
 The altercation being ended, I had much conversation 
 with him about the gospel. I gave him some tracts, 
 and he came again yesterday. I read to him the nar- 
 rative of our Lord^s feeding the five thousand, and of 
 his walking on the sea; and the old man confessed 
 that these were the works of God.^^* 
 
 In November, Mr. Chamberlain suffered one of the 
 severest afflictions of his life, in the loss of his beloved 
 partner in her confinement. But though for a season 
 
 * Doorga, or Durga, is considered to be the consort of 
 Shiva or Seeva, the third person of the Hindoo triad, the 
 destroying power. She is beheved to have manifested herself 
 under an immense variety of forms, of which a thousand are 
 mentioned, with as many distinct appellations. The chief are 
 two, Durga and Kali. In the former, she has been said to blend 
 in herself the characters of the Olympian Juno, and the Pallas, 
 or armed Minerva of the Greeks ; but is a far more tremendous 
 personage than both combined. She has been endowed by all 
 the gods with their attributes, and concentrates, in herself, their 
 united power and divinity. Of all the annual festivals, hers is 
 the most extensively celebrated in Eastern India. She is repre- 
 sented with ten arms, into which the gods delivered their respec- 
 tive weapons of war, together with befitting ornaments, of a 
 golden croviTi, robes adorned with jewels, a necklace of pearls, 
 and a wreathed circlet of snakes. Thus she is ever ready to 
 encounter the mightiest giants and most malignant demons. In 
 addition to numberless offerings, at the annual festival bloody 
 sacrifices are presented. Hundreds of families in the Calcutta 
 district alone, sacrifice, severally, scores of animals; many pre- 
 sent their hecatombs ; and some occasionally their . thousands. 
 Each animal is consecrated by a brahmin, who marks its liorns 
 
126 HISTORY OF 
 
 oveiivlielmed with distress, he never sunk into despon- 
 dency, or relapsed into inaction ; the pious ardour of his 
 truly missionaiy soul gave him buoyancy amidst the 
 waves of trouble. He continued to distribute tracts 
 amidst multitudes of people, to meet and converse with 
 them at their places of idolatrous concourse, and to labour 
 "in season and out of season/'' He calculated that 
 within a circle of six miles, there were a hundi-ed thou- 
 sand souls, — a momentous charge ! " The Lord,^^ he 
 exclaims, " help me, and be merciful to me V His 
 hopes were much excited by the state of mind in which 
 he heard some people were, at Jumakundee, a large 
 town about thirty miles distant, where Kangalee was 
 pleading for the gospel. This man had been an idle 
 religious beggar, but when he renounced heathenism, 
 he cheerfully labom-ed with his hands to provide things 
 honest in the sight of all men. 
 
 Fourteen months after his painful bereavement, Pro- 
 vidence supplied him with another help-mate in Mrs. 
 Grant, the widow of that valued missionary who had been 
 so early removed to his eternal rest. But scarcely had 
 she entered upon her useful labours among the native 
 females, and otherwise proved an eminent aid as well as 
 solace to her husband, before she, too, was removed 
 
 and forehead with red lead, sprinkles it, for purifying, with 
 Gunga water, adorns its neck with a necklace of leaves, and its 
 brow with a garland of flowers, and reads various incantations 
 in its ears, adding, " O Durga, I sacrifice this animal to thee, 
 that I may dwell in thy heaven for so many years.'* In addition 
 to this, both young and old smear themselves with the gory dust 
 and mud, and dance about with savage ferocity. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 127 
 
 under circumstances extremely similar to those of her 
 predecessor, leaving her husband to mourn under a 
 second bereavement. 
 
 Notwithstanding his extraordinary trials, Mr. Cham- 
 berlain pm-sued his work with unrelaxing diligence. 
 '"Through the great mercy of God/^ he writes, ^'I 
 am still continued, and enabled, in some degree, to 
 bear witness for Christ in the face of heathen idolatry. 
 Wherever I go, the people are more or less willing to 
 hear the word, and the work of preaching is increasingly 
 pleasant to me. Though secluded from the society of 
 the good, and exposed to the insults of the heathen, 
 with a heavy weight of afflictions upon me, yet I am 
 fully satisfied with my situation, nor would I change it 
 for that of the greatest emperor in the world.'^ 
 
 The brethren at Serampore having furnished him 
 with a horse, he rode about continually to the villages, 
 and, generally collecting people under a tree, he pro- 
 claimed to them the word of life. In these itineracies, 
 the method of instruction was chiefly by conversational 
 discussion, and both in the mode of obviating objections, 
 and enforcing truth, he displayed great sagacity. Joy 
 and sorrow were wonderfully intermingled in almost 
 every day^s experience. In one paragi-aph of his jour- 
 nal, he says, '^ out of many thousands of souls, not one 
 appears, of late, to have embraced the gospel ; the more 
 they understand it, the more their enmity appears:" 
 in the next, he states that " he had the pleasure to con- 
 verse with fifteen inquirers " from a distance. On the 
 following day, a numerous congregation were " solemnly 
 silent, appeai'ed convinced of the truth, and many 
 wept '/' and the day after Seboo Roy and Thakur Dass 
 
128 HISTORY OF 
 
 brouglit inquirers with them. These persons had 
 repeatedly afforded proof of their attachment to the 
 Saviour, though at present they had not made a pubHc 
 profession. The former soon died from the effects of a 
 severe cold, but closed his days in faith and peace. 
 Mr. Chamberlain was indefatigable in visiting the mar- 
 kets, and frequently found favour in the eyes of the 
 people. He particularly refers to the Dewangunje 
 market, where he had a great number of hearers, and a 
 continual congregation for three and four hours toge- 
 ther, whom he addressed with scarcely any intermis- 
 sion. " If it please the Lord," says he, very charac- 
 teristically, "I promise my feet little compassion for 
 some months to come. that my soul may here- 
 after be kept in a preaching frame, that I may preach 
 the crucified Saviour to the perishing heathen, with 
 that spirit which the beloved Paul expresses, Gal. ii. 20, 
 ' I am crucified with Christ !^ " 
 
 The review of his own labours at the end of five 
 years, is thus concisely and impressively given, in a 
 letter addressed to a friend in England : — " It is now 
 upwards of five years since Providence fixed my lot 
 here. I will not trouble you with a detail of my afilic- 
 tions. Fiery trials have tried me severely, and after all, 
 I fear I am not purified. To say much about my 
 exertions at this station would scarcely be interesting 
 to you, as it would little become me. What can I 
 write of the works of God ? They, at present, are not 
 gloriously manifested, yet, — blessed be his name, — 
 through his grace, the word of salvation by the death 
 of the incarnate Jesus, has been published from this 
 place to all parts of Bengal. Millions of the heathen 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 129 
 
 have heard the glorious report^ either from preaching, 
 or from the distribution of upwards of one hundred 
 thousand tracts, and many hundreds of the Scriptures. 
 From these means, the hght is breaking in upon the 
 darkness ; its operations are paradoxical, — impercep- 
 tible, and yet evidently manifest. People hear ; brah- 
 mins dispute, are put to confusion, retire in shame, or, 
 more to their disgrace, raise an uproar. Sober minds 
 judge ; the idols, the shasters, the customs, &c., are 
 brought into judgment by the common people. Now 
 they laugh at idolatry, feeling the force of truth ; now 
 gi'oan in their pains, dreading the consequences of 
 liberty. Some read the Scriptures, some the tracts; 
 many converse on these things. The leaven is at work, 
 though as yet its operations are in silence, and its 
 effects concealed. At present, converts are few, and a 
 missionary has but little encom'agement from them ; 
 but he sees, with gladness of hope, the way preparing 
 for the march of Emmanuel to 'subdue the people 
 under him.^ A spirit of hearing continues; some are 
 beginning to examine, to see whether things are so ; 
 and so they find them. 
 
 '^ It is nearly three years, pemaps more, since a man 
 came to my house to see me, and to hear words from 
 my mouth. He had received some tracts before ; I 
 gave him others. He went home, and read them. 
 He resides about sixty miles west from this place. He 
 returned ; heard very attentively ; after this, sent for 
 the Holy Book. He read it by himself and to others ; 
 they considered things. One great man, who had a 
 house full of idols, heard the word from this man ; took 
 him under his protection, and began to think less of 
 g3 
 
130 HISTORY OF 
 
 his gods. When I paid him a visit this last year, they 
 were in being ; then priest remained to offer to them ; 
 but their master regarded them not. By degrees^ the 
 idols fell into such disgrace^ that to preserve himself 
 from their bad fortune_, the brahmin was glad to leave 
 them to their destiny. They were soon hurled from 
 their high station,, and regarded as the meanest of 
 things. 
 
 " The week before last, I took a journey into Beerb- 
 hoom, to Lakrakoonda, to see how these people were 
 going on. I found them reading the Scriptures. I 
 spent two days amongst them very happily ; and when 
 we were coming away, Krishno Rosh, the owner of the 
 fallen gods, very cheerfully gave me them, to use as I 
 might think proper. We brought four of them in two 
 bags across the baggage poney, all through the country, 
 to the confusion of their deluded votaries. Two remain, 
 to fetch which men are under orders to set out to- 
 morrow morning. I intend to send these idols to 
 Europe and to America, that our brethren may see with 
 their own eyes what God has done, and be encouraged 
 to hope for abundantly better things to come. The 
 idols shall be utterly abolished." 
 
 Another of Mr. Chamberlain^s occasional efforts con- 
 sisted in keeping a native school at Cutwa ; for whose 
 benefit he translated Dr. Watts^s catechism in verse, 
 and composed a number of hymns. There were about 
 forty scholars, and he employed a schoolmaster ; but he 
 had to complain of great neglect during his missionary 
 excursions. Sometimes their prejudices induced parents 
 to remove their children ; then, again, these prejudices 
 appeared to subside, and a conviction of the benefit they 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 131 
 
 obtained led to their restoration. These alternations 
 were natural under the circumstances. In the mean 
 time, the seed of truth was sown for futurity in the 
 minds of these children of idolatry. 
 
 In many respects, the most important of all the 
 labom-s of Mr. Chamberlain, were those in which he 
 engaged at Berhampore. This was a military station, 
 where a brigade of troops were fixed in commodious 
 cantonments, at the distance of forty-five miles from 
 Cutwa. The twenty-second regiment of foot occupied 
 the barracks when this distinguished missionary paid 
 his first visit, in 1808. Having repeatedly visited them, 
 he found that the work of conversion had been pro- 
 gi^essive among the soldiers, and that several were 
 desirous of baptism. Prudential considerations, how- 
 ever, induced him to defer this for a time, while he 
 continued, not only to preach to them, but frequently 
 to a multitude of the natives, with considerable effect. 
 It was the " stir,^' as he calls it, that induced the hesi- 
 tation in question ; and, perhaps, the particular circum- 
 stances might justify this procrastination. During the 
 next visit to Berhampore, in August, where, and in the 
 vicinity, he preached and itinerated for some weeks, he 
 came to the resolution to baptize the converted soldiers ; 
 and accordingly, he first administered this ordinance to 
 seven, then to nine, and subsequently, in different pro- 
 portions, till they amounted to twenty-four. They con- 
 sisted of Englishmen, Irishmen, and Scotchmen, and 
 were all united into a church ; three being constituted 
 ruling elders by the unanimous vote of all. Imme- 
 diately upon their profession, they brought forth fruit 
 to God, subscribing seventy-five sicca rupees to the 
 
133 HISTORY OF 
 
 mission, which they transmitted to the brethren at 
 Serampore and Calcutta. One friend proposed to sub- 
 scribe a gold mohur every three months towards his 
 native school. 
 
 In September, 1809, Mr. Chamberlain was married 
 to his third wife, Miss Underwood, wdth whom he had 
 been acquainted in England, and who was one of 
 the first to direct his mind to missionary ser^dce. On 
 occasion of the next visit to Berhampore, in October, 
 he received three more candidates, and administered 
 the Lord's supper to eighteen, the rest being ill or on 
 duty. The following month, repeating his visit, he 
 baptized nine, and presided at the Lord's table with 
 twenty-seven. The Bible was now put into circulation 
 throughout the barracks, and many were engaged in 
 scriptm-al researches and inquiries. Several had died 
 in the hospital during the year, without having made a 
 public profession, but giving substantial evidence that 
 they had not heard the word in vain. On the 10th of 
 January, 1810, twelve persons were baptized, in the 
 presence of a numerous concourse of spectators. A few 
 of the profane blasphemed, but, in general, the people 
 attended with great seriousness. His description of 
 this newly formed church, under his pastoral superin- 
 tendence, is highly gratifying. Their meetings were 
 crowded. Between the hours of eight and nine, the 
 barracks rang with the songs of Zion. They all walked 
 in love, and were very zealous for the cause of God. 
 They were accustomed to hold a public meeting every 
 evening, and afterwards to spend an hour in social 
 prayer. The elders abounded in simplicity, piety, and 
 sacred gifts. It was not imcommon to find some of 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 133 
 
 them at a prayer meeting before four o'clock in the 
 morning ; and wherever they were called, it was usual 
 for them to take a Bible, or some pious book, to read 
 at every moment's leisure. 
 
 But this pleasing state of things was interrupted by 
 some reverses in the months of March and April. 
 Several, by falling into sin, brought discredit on the 
 church; one, from remorse, afterwards committed 
 suicide ; while others were happily restored. In anti- 
 cipation of Mrs. Chamberlain's confinement, Mr. Cham- 
 berlain took a small bungalow at Berhampore, where 
 he shared with his people their reproach, while he 
 encouraged them by his continual ministrations. At 
 the critical hour in his family, he received an order 
 from the authorities to quit the place ; but in considera- 
 tion of his domestic circumstances, it was somewhat 
 delayed. An order was also issued to interdict the 
 attendance of the soldiers on worship; but this, too, 
 was afterwards modified, and the cloud disappeared; 
 he received four into the church on a profession of 
 faith, and left it for Cutwa, after adding two elders, in 
 a state of progressive comfort. 
 
 Soon after this period, (in August,) the twenty- 
 second regiment received orders to quit Berhampore 
 for the presidency ; whence they were expected to pro- 
 ceed on some distant expedition. Mr. Chamberlain 
 found them, mthout any previous suspicion of the fact, 
 in the act of embarkation, when he arrived on a visit. 
 He convened his beloved people at his bungalow, and 
 celebrated the Lord's supper with them, expecting it to 
 be their last united commemoration on earth. He 
 determined, however, to meet the regiment at Calcutta, 
 
134 HISTORY OP 
 
 where lie once more joined them on the Sabbath in 
 christian worship and fellowship. 
 
 Being on the eve of separation from their valued 
 pastor, the regimental church, after solemn prayer and 
 consultation, chose one of their own number as their 
 future pastor, with whose piety and gifts they were 
 well acquainted. They also appointed two assistant 
 elders. The church consisted of between thirty and 
 forty members, many of whom were men of judgment, 
 piety, and good scriptural knowledge. At Berhampore, 
 they had instituted a school, which they conducted 
 gratis, and in which not only were all the children of 
 the regiment instructed, whose parents could be induced 
 to send them; but many of their adult countrymen 
 were taught to read the word, of whom some were 
 converted. In addition to nearly one hundi*ed pounds, 
 which they expended in Bibles, hymn-books, and other 
 books adapted to promote religion, they transmitted a 
 considerable sum as a present to the mission.* 
 
 The regiment was destined for the Isle of France; 
 but previously to their departure, the pious soldiers 
 addressed the following letter to the missionaries. It 
 received the signature of thirty names. 
 
 '' September', ISIO. 
 
 "It has pleased our heavenly Father, in his wise 
 dispensations, to call us from you on military duty. 
 
 "We have reason, in a peculiar manner, to be 
 thankful for the many benefits we have received since 
 it has pleased the Bishop of our souls to place us under 
 
 * Yates's Memoirs of Chamberlain. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 135 
 
 the ministry of the brethren, which has been wonder- 
 fully blessed among us; particularly the incessant 
 labours of our dear pastor in the Lord, brother Cham- 
 berlain. 
 
 '^ The thought of parting with you, dear brethren, is 
 very painful to us, when we consider the mutual love 
 that has subsisted between us. What consolation in 
 Christ ! what comfort of love ! what fellowship of the 
 Spirit ! what bowels of compassion ! Oh, often have 
 our hearts glowed with that love which passeth all 
 understanding ! 
 
 " Dear brethren, what shall we say ? We cannot find 
 words to express our feelings of love and gratitude 
 towards you. 
 
 ^^ Pray for us, that we may stand fast in the faith of 
 our Lord Jesus Christ, that whether life or death, 
 prosperity or adversity, darkness or light, awaits us, 
 we may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all 
 things. Dear brethren, we now conclude with the 
 ardent desire of our souls, that the love and fellowship 
 of the blessed and glorious Trinity may rest upon you.'^ 
 
 The visit of Mr. Chamberlain to Calcutta on this 
 occasion led to an important change in his situation. 
 The leading missionaries at Serampore being anxious 
 for the extension of the gospel, and the improvement 
 of the translations of the Scriptures made for the Upper 
 Provinces, and having at the time no station beyond 
 Digah, came to the resolution to adopt prompt measures 
 for the accomplishment of both these purposes. " Being 
 assured,^^ as the brethren express it, " of brother Cham- 
 berlain's facility of acquiring languages^ his acquaintance 
 
136 HISTORY OF 
 
 with the original Scriptures, particularly the Hebrew, 
 his tried zeal and experience in missionary work/^ they 
 considered him as exceedingly suited to engage in a 
 mission " where at least two versions of the- Scriptures, 
 the Hindoo and the Shikh, would require to be care- 
 fully examined and improved." He was accordingly 
 invited to undertake this service ; and in humble faith 
 consented to quit his beloved Rehoboth, (so he con- 
 tinued to designate Cutwa,) and proceed to Agra. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 137 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 GENERAL AFFAIRS OF THE MISSION, FROM 1804, TO THE 
 SUCCESSFUL TERMINATION OF THE CONTROVERSIAL 
 WARFARE IN ENGLAND. 
 
 Having related the proceedings of Mr. Chamberlain 
 during his residence at Cutwa, we now resume the 
 general narrative. 
 
 On the 3rd of January, 1804, some additional mis- 
 sionaries, who had been set apart for the work in the 
 previous month, sailed with their wives from Bristol; 
 two of them, Richard Mardon and John Biss, members 
 of the church at Plymouth Dock (now Devonport), 
 under the pastoral superintendence of the Rev. Isaiah 
 Birt ; and one, William Moore, a member of the chm'ch 
 at Stoke-gomer, under the care of the Rev. Robert 
 Humphrey; and one, Joshua Rowe, a member of the 
 church at Salisbury, under the Rev. John Saffery. As 
 they fii'st went to America, and then to Madi*as, they 
 did not reach Bengal till the commencement of the 
 following year. 
 
 In the mean time, the missionary affairs were pro- 
 ceeding successfully in India. The Europeans and the 
 natives were diligently cultivating the field of itinerant 
 labour; two tracts were at this time printed in the 
 Hindoostanee language ; a new edition of the Bengalee 
 New Testament was issued, while the translation of the 
 Old was advancing ; and the press was erected, and the 
 
138 HISTORY OF 
 
 school, which prospered beyond expectation, proved an 
 important support to the mission. In the month of 
 February, two of the Hindoo converts, Petumber 
 Singho and Krishno, were set apart to the ministry. 
 But the pleasures of success were not unmingled with 
 sorrows ; for the missionaries had to lament over some 
 backshders. Still there was a compensation in five others, 
 with reference to whom Mr. Marshman says, — "this 
 cheers our hearts, and makes us look forward for more. 
 Of these is not every one given as a pledge ? What is 
 the intrinsic value to the husbandman of the few first 
 droppings from a cloud richly surcharged with the 
 precious showers of heaven ? But viewed as a sure 
 pledge, with what joy are they beheld!'^* Two new 
 schools were opened ; the one at Arendah, under the 
 tuition of Kobeer; the other at Bishoohurry, under 
 Sheetaram. At the latter place, a number of adult 
 natives attended. In the course of the year, seven- 
 teen were baptized. 
 
 Dinagepore was occupied as a station by Ignatius 
 Pernandez, who preached every week in Bengalee, 
 awaiting the appointment of a missionary to be sent to 
 his aid; and they were now contemplating another station 
 at Sooksauger, where Petumber Singho was to be fixed. 
 The native free schools formed an interesting object of 
 cultivation. Of these, the one at Serampore, under 
 the care of Bydenaut, contained seven or eight Portu- 
 guese boys; that at Arendah, under Kobeer, about 
 twenty or thirty Bengalese ; that at Bishoohurry, nearly 
 twenty; that at Lockphool, under Sookee Behase, 
 
 * Letter to Mr. Fuller. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 139 
 
 eight or ten ; Fernandezes school at Dinagepore, about 
 twenty; Mr. Creighton of Goamalty, near Malda, had 
 several schools, containing from one to two hundi-ed 
 scholars. On a visit which Mr. Ward paid to Jessore, 
 towards the close of the year, he touched at many of 
 these places, and gave an encom*aging report of their 
 general state. 
 
 The impression which some of the self-denying acts 
 of the missionaries, even more than their words, produced 
 on the native mind, may be conceived from an incident 
 mentioned in the journal of Mr. Ward. A native 
 brother named Totaram, having died, they carried the 
 corpse on their shoulders to the grave ; a proceeding, 
 as he remarks, which would shock many of the Euro- 
 peans who heard it ; but the natives said, " This was 
 great love, and showed that we did not forsake those 
 who joined themselves unto us, even to the last.'^ 
 
 Mr. Ward refers, also, with natural and just exulta- 
 tion, to a service in which he, with Felix Carey, Fer- 
 nandez, Caleb Hirons, Krishno Presaud, Ram Rotten, 
 Ram Mohun, and Roop, were engaged at Calcutta. 
 " In the afternoon, we had Bengalee preaching for the 
 first time. First we sung, then Ram Rotten prayed, 
 then we sung again, then Krishno Presaud preached an 
 excellent sermon on the way of salvation, then singing, 
 then prayer by Ram Mohun. We had between thirty 
 and forty Hindoos, mussulmans, and Portuguese ; and 
 two or three Europeans. A brahmin boldly preaching 
 the gospel on the day five years after we had landed in 
 this country, — at Calcutta, the capital of Bengal, and 
 the seat of the government of the company; a brah- 
 min, too, avowing his own conversion, and preaching. 
 
140 HISTORY OF 
 
 to the admiration of Europeans, a consistent gospel 
 sermon, with fluent language; and in that place 
 where, two years before, he was an idolater ! This is 
 the Lord^s doing, and is marvellous in our ejes." 
 
 Instances of persecution were not unfrequent ; and 
 they furnished fine opportunities for the display of 
 christian character in the native converts. " This even- 
 ing," (Nov. 14th, at Bishoohurry,)* ^^Buxoo, a brother 
 who is a servant with us, and Soroop, went to a market 
 in the neighbourhood, where they were discovered to be 
 Yesoo Khreestare Loke (Jesus Christ's people). The 
 whole market was all in a hubbub ; they clapped their 
 hands, and threw dust at them. Buxoo was changing 
 a rupee for cowries, when the disturbance began ; and, 
 in the scuffle, the man ran away with the rupee without 
 giving the cowries." Again, — "Nov. 24. This day 
 Hawnye and Ram Kaunt returned from their village. 
 They relate that our brother Fotick, who lives in the 
 same village, was lately seized by the chief Bengalee 
 man there; dragged from his house; his face, eyes, 
 and ears clogged with cow- dung ; his hands tied ; and 
 in this state confined, several hours. They also tore to 
 pieces all the papers, and the copy of the New Testa- 
 ment which they found in Fotick's house. A relation 
 of these persecutors being dead, they did not molest 
 Hawnye and Ham Kaunt; but the townsfolk would 
 not hear about the gospel ; they only insulted them for 
 becoming christians." 
 
 On the first of January, 1805, a meeting was held to 
 commence subscriptions for a new place of worship at 
 
 * Ward's Journal. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 141 
 
 Calcutta; 4800 rupees were contributed. In March, 
 they made a purchase of extensive premises to the east 
 of their residence, which were walled round, and had 
 many buildings already erected on them. The cost 
 was no less than 14,200 rupees; but they deemed it 
 absolutely necessary for carrjdng out the objects they 
 had in view, while anticipating a continual enlarge- 
 ment of the mission family. In June, they constructed 
 a new printing office, sixty-five feet long by thirty-five 
 broad. The press room, with three presses, and the 
 binding office, were opposite one end of the composing 
 room, and were commodious and extensive buildings. 
 
 The arrival of the fom' missionaries, who had em- 
 barked at the commencement of the previous year at 
 Bristol, was a valuable accession. One of them, Mr. 
 Moore, in writing home, gives a description of the 
 mission house, which places the reader on the spot. 
 " It is pleasantly situated on the banks of a river, about 
 half a mile wide. As soon as we ascend the bank, 
 which is rather steep, we enter a gate, with a green a 
 hundred and twenty feet by ninety. The first room we 
 enter, by ascending steps from the green, is the mu- 
 seum, which is about sixty feet by twenty-four. There 
 is a room at each end, of the same breadth each way. 
 The room for preaching is the same size as the museum, 
 with a room at each end twenty-fom* feet square. The 
 next is the hall, or dining room, ninety-five feet by 
 twenty-one. Brother Carey and Ward^s houses form 
 the two wings in front, joining the hall. We occupy one 
 of the rooms at the end of the museum, and have a full 
 view of Lord Wellesley's park. Brother Marshman's 
 is not quite so large as the mission house, and is about 
 
142 HISTORY OF 
 
 a hundred yards further up the river. The girls^ school 
 is kept in it; the boys' school lies between the two 
 houses, as do also the printing and binding office, and 
 foundry for the types. There are several other build- 
 ings on the premises, which consist of about eight acres 
 of land. Thus hath the Lord blessed this mission, and 
 prospered the labours of his servants." 
 
 At this period, the missionaries were much concerned 
 at the apparently unpromising state of their affairs. 
 Every one who had appeared in the character of an 
 inquirer, had left them in a clandestine manner. In 
 consequence, a day was devoted expressly to humiliation 
 and prayer ; a measure, the beneficial effect of which can 
 scarcely be questioned, in tracing the future successes 
 of the mission. Thus, in October 1805, Mr. Marsh- 
 man writes, — " a most gracious gale seems to have been 
 breathed on the mission, within the last five months. 
 The former part of the year we were called to mourn, 
 and the Lord seems to have inclined his ear.'' Eight 
 natives were added to the church in five weeks, and 
 fifteen in the course of the year, together with some 
 Europeans. They had, besides, a considerable number 
 of inquirers. In his itineracies around Calcutta, 
 Krishno found several persons who had received tracts 
 and New Testaments three years before, which had been 
 fermenting in the mind like leaven. One instance was 
 remarkable. The man had, for many years, been a 
 byraggee, and lived on the gains of his pretended holi- 
 ness. He once visited the temple of Zugunnaf'h 
 Khetre, the grand resort of the pilgrims. The lord of 
 the district offered him land if he would settle there ; 
 but he replied, that, without Gunga water, it was im- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 143 
 
 possible for him to live. To evince his respect, the 
 great man clasped him round the neck, and seated him 
 by his side, in the public assembly. Yet the gospel 
 found its way to the heart of this devotee of Gunga. 
 He gave up his livelihood, threw his byraggee books 
 into the river, and hung up his image of Zugunnat'h in 
 a tree. On one occasion, after his baptism, being short 
 of fuel to boil his rice, with the advice of his wife, he 
 took down the image out of the tree, and cleaving it 
 in two, with one half he supplied the fire to dress his 
 dinner ! 
 
 The important influence of native christians, became 
 continually manifest. The following is a specimen. 
 A poor husbandman, about forty years of age, unable 
 either to read or write, went from the distance of seventy 
 miles, to Serampore, to inquire into the way of salvation. 
 After a time, he was baptized and returned home, 
 where, telling his artless story of what he had " found," 
 two women were so impressed, that they travelled all 
 that distance to hear the gospel. They also believed, 
 and were baptized. Some time subsequently to this, a 
 mussulman received the good news from his lips, and 
 imitated their example. Soon after, a respectable Hin- 
 doo heard the word from him, and repaired to Seram- 
 pore; and, upon his return, took up the cross. This 
 person^ s nephew, in a few months, followed his example. 
 Another poor husbandman, receiving the welcome intel- 
 ligence from the first, renounced all for Christ, and, 
 after working some time in the missionary garden, died 
 in faith. Nor was this the whole extent of his useful- 
 ness ; for he led several others, in a similar manner to 
 the Saviour. This man was Sheetaram, Upon these 
 
144 HISTORY OF 
 
 facts, Mr. Marshman remarks, "a native brother or 
 two can often accompany an European brother even 
 newly arrived; can catch the broken accents from his 
 lips, and explain them with a fervom- and clearness 
 that would surprise you ; while the mere presence of 
 an European brother protects them from insults, and 
 inspires them with boldness. Nor are they useless 
 when sent alone. Though not so well calculated to 
 harangue a multitude, yet they can enter private circles, 
 watch opportunities, and drop an effectual word, where 
 we cannot be heard. They, silent and obscm*e, can 
 penetrate a bigotted city, stay two or three days in a 
 house, and, unsuspected, scatter the precious seed, 
 while only the appearance of one of us would create 
 universal alarm."* 
 
 The indefatigable zeal and perseverance of Carey 
 appeared in every day's transactions. Rival to these, 
 was his deep humility. The following is part of a 
 letter which he addressed to Mr. Sutcliff.t "You 
 may, perhaps, wonder that I WTite no more letters ; but 
 when you see what I am engaged in, you will cease to 
 be sm'prised. I translate into Bengalee; and from 
 Sungskrit into English, (viz. the Ramayunee, — I have 
 also begun an attempt at translating the Vedas,) I 
 must collate copies. Every proof sheet of the Bengalee 
 and Mahratta Scriptures, the Sungskrit Grammar, and 
 the Ramayunee, must go three times, at least, through 
 
 * Letter to Mr. Fuller. 
 t This, with the paragraphs distinguished in the original 
 manuscript by brackets, he requested not to be printed. The 
 interdiction, however, in such cases, is not to be regarded as 
 authoritative at this distant period. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 145 
 
 my hands; a Dictionary of tlie Sungskrit, which is 
 edited by Mr. Colebrooke^ goes once^ at least_, through 
 my hands. I have written and printed a second edition 
 of my Bengalee Grammar wholly new worked over and 
 greatly enlarged, and a Mahratta Grammar ; and col- 
 lected materials for a Mahratta Dictionary. Besides 
 this, I preach twice a-week, frequently thrice, and attend 
 upon collegiate duties. I do not mention this because 
 I think my work a burden, — it is a real pleasure, — but 
 to show that my not writing many letters, is not because 
 I neglect my brethren, or wish them to cease writing 
 to me. The truth is, that every letter I write is at the 
 expense of a chapter of the Bible, which would have 
 been translated in that time.^^ 
 
 In the month of August, the missionary band were 
 much afflicted by the death of the venerable Petumber. 
 Mr. Ward furnished a memoir of him to the Society, 
 of which the following are the principal particulars. 
 
 Petumber Shingee (called also Singgu or Shingo) 
 was born at Jagolee. He was the eldest of four child- 
 ren. When Petumber was six years old, his mother 
 died, and at twelve, his father, — both in a state of 
 idolatry. About the age of sixteen, Petumber married. 
 Before he was twenty, he entered into service, and at 
 one time he was a duruga, or chief constable. After- 
 w^ards, he spent some months with a goraye, or leader 
 among the byraggees, when he read several of the 
 popular books of Hindoo mythology. God seems to 
 have given him wisdom to judge persons by their 
 fruits, even from his youth. Hence the character and 
 conduct of the gods, as exhibited in these books, and 
 his personal observations on the pride and profligacy 
 
146 HISTORY OF 
 
 of the brahmins, opened his eyes to the inefficiency of 
 his reUgion, and gave him a distaste for the muddy 
 waters of heathenism ; but where to get the water of 
 life, he knew not. Though this feehng produces 
 no change of heart, it opens a way for the recep- 
 tion of the gospel, wherever there is an ingenuous 
 mind, as in the case of Petumber, to receive it. 
 During the latter part of his life as an idolater, he 
 wandered about as a byraggee, conversing with those 
 who were supposed to have some knowledge of God, 
 or some revelation of the right way ; and being ac- 
 counted a man of deep knowledge, and of a clear 
 judgment, he became a kind of gooroo, and had disciples 
 who listened to his discourses, prostrated themselves at 
 his feet, and deemed him their oracle. 
 
 In this situation, the gospel found him. In a 
 journey which Mr. Ward took in 1801, through the 
 Sunderbunds, a tract fell into the hands of one of 
 Petumber's companions ; but on showing it to him, 
 Petumber told him to "take it away.^^ He had no 
 idea of holiness coming from an Englishman. In the 
 night, however, he reflected how foolish it was to send 
 the book away without looking at it, and in the morn- 
 ing, he went and obtained it. He read the book, and 
 was convinced at once he had found the true way of 
 salvation. Seeing the word " Serampore^^ on the back 
 of it, he set off for that place. On his arrival, after 
 some conversation and explanation, he seemed pleased, 
 and retired with Krishno, at whose house he lodged. 
 After some examination, he expressed a wish to be 
 baptized; he ate with Krishno, without minding his 
 caste, and seemed decided from the beginning; and 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 147 
 
 after going back to his home, to announce to his wife 
 and friends that he had found Jesus the Saviour, he 
 returned, and was baptized. As teacher of the Ben- 
 galee school, to which situation he was appointed, he 
 gave great satisfaction. Afterwards, it was thought 
 desirable that he should change his field of labour to 
 Sooksaugur, about twenty miles from Serampore, to try 
 how such a man would succeed when removed from 
 the immediate superintendence of missionaries. In 
 this station, he continued, for two or three years, to 
 proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ, adorning 
 the doctrine he professed by his conduct ; but, though 
 his integrity was duly appreciated by his heathen 
 neighbom-s, not a single person received his message. 
 During his residence at Sooksauger, he became afflicted 
 with the asthma, and this, together with his want of 
 success, induced him to return to Serampore, where he 
 was reinstated in the management of the school. This 
 was no longer filled with childi'cn ; the parents, having 
 taken alarm lest they should lose caste, had removed 
 them, and the school must have been abandoned, had 
 not the numerous inquirers who had come to Seram- 
 pore from various parts for religious instruction, given 
 a new and more important direction to the energies 
 of Petumber. From this period, however, he never 
 recovered his former strength, and he rather instructed 
 his inquirers by his patient suffering, firm faith, and 
 conversation, than by his active labours. Dm'ing this 
 part of his life, he on several occasions manifested his 
 concern for the peace of the church. He had learned 
 that love was the essence of religion. Hence, also, he 
 was beloved by his brethren, who frequently consulted 
 h2 
 
148 HISTORY OF 
 
 him, and treated him with a respect more than bor- 
 dering on reverence. He would caution his brethren 
 against launching out into those things which, though 
 not immoral, would prejudice their countrymen against 
 the gospel. For instance, he saw that nothing would 
 more stigmatize the cause of Christ in the eyes of a 
 native, than a convert appearing in an English dress, 
 and therefore warned his younger brethren against it, 
 and against every thing which might become a stum- 
 bling-block to others. On these subjects, he seemed to 
 have entered into the spirit and advice of the apostle 
 Paul, (than whom no man was better acquainted with 
 human nature,) " becoming all things to all men, that 
 he might by all means save some." No person, 
 however, could charge him with dissimulation. His 
 temper naturally was rather unbending than otherwise ; 
 and his abhorrence of falsehood and dishonesty was 
 manifest from the whole of his deportment. In his 
 conversations, writings, and sermons, he had a happy 
 talent of forcible reasoning. His understanding was 
 naturally clear, and his judgment sohd, and when 
 God opened to him the sources of truth, he was a 
 match for the most subtle of the Hindoo pundits. Of 
 this they were aware, and therefore commonly avoided 
 an encounter with him. 
 
 During his sickness, though he was not without 
 the desire of recovery, yet he steadily refused every 
 remedy connected with idolatry. For three or four 
 months before his death, he continued gradually to 
 decline. This last period of his life was truly in- 
 teresting to all the brethren. It was wonderful to 
 behold his patience and resignation increasing more 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION, 149 
 
 and more as his affliction increased. He said once or 
 twice to Mr. Ward, " I am never unhappy that it is so 
 with me ; my spirits are always good.^' He would say 
 w^ith a moving simplicity, " He is my God, and I am 
 his child; he never leaves me; he is always present. ^^ 
 About two months before his death, having perceived 
 in Jugguldhumba, his wife, a change of mind respec- 
 ting the gospel, he earnestly pressed on her to make a 
 profession of it. He warned her against returning to 
 idolatry, or going to a gooroo ; and, above all, entreated 
 her to make Christ her refuge, that ultimately they might 
 both meet again in heaven. These last words seem to 
 have made a strong impression on her, for soon after 
 his death, she was baptized, and became an ornamental 
 member of the church. 
 
 The missionaries had formerly thought Petumber less 
 affected with the unparalleled love and sufferings of 
 Christ than was desirable ; as he seemed to be employed 
 in exhibiting the deformity of vice in the debtahs and 
 brahmins, and the beauties of righteousness in Scripture 
 characters, rather than holding forth Christ as the source 
 of pardon and universal conformity to perfect excellence. 
 But when his own hope for futurity came to be tried in 
 the fire of affliction, he found the Saviour to be pre- 
 cious to him, and his death and mediation the only 
 comfort in the prospect of eternity. The day before 
 he died, he was anxious to see his daughter, that he 
 might make a last effort, after long continued but 
 unsuccessful exertions, for her conversion. Means 
 were used to accomplish this desire, — two native bre- 
 thren were appointed to take a boat and fetch her. 
 Before they could depart, however, he became worse, 
 
150 HISTORY OF 
 
 and forbade their going, intimating that she would only 
 disturb his last moments by her sorrow, and that he 
 was too weak to address any thing to her that could be 
 of use. On the morning of his death, August 21, 1805, 
 he called his brethren to come and sing. "Wliile they 
 were singing a hymn the chorus of which runs, 
 ^^ Eternal salvation through the death of Christ,^^ the 
 tears of joy ran down his dying cheeks ; and in that 
 happy frame of mind he departed, lea\dng a smile upon 
 his countenance which imparted to it so pleasant an 
 aspect, that at first one or two of the missionaries 
 hesitated whether he were indeed dead. 
 
 Petumber was supposed to be about sixty years of 
 age. His happy death produced a good effect on his 
 surviving native friends, who all seemed animated with 
 one sentiment thus expressed, "May our last end be 
 like his !^' 
 
 Among the missionary excursions of the year, a journey 
 was undertaken in September, to Dhacca, by Mr. Moore, 
 W. Carey, Ram Mohun, Bydenaut, and Bhorrutt. In 
 their way, they had many opportunities, as usual, of 
 distributing pamphlets and conversing with the people. 
 On their arrival at the city, the people thronged their 
 boat, to receive their papers, and so eagerly, that they 
 were obliged to put off seven or eight yards from the 
 shore, and even then they followed them into the water. 
 Before making much progress, however, they were 
 interrupted in their city labours and distributions, first 
 by a collector, and afterwards by a magistrate, who 
 demanded their passports, alleging, that "the pam- 
 phlets had created great uneasiness among the people," 
 that is, the brahmins. They were accordingly inter- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 151 
 
 dieted from proeeeding further. On their return, they 
 found in a village a congregation of Hindoo Roman 
 catholics, with whom they had some interesting com- 
 munication but over whose general ignorance and intel- 
 lectual degradation they had reason to mourn. They 
 did not appear, however, to be so strongly wedded to 
 their images as in Europe. In the neighbourhood, 
 there were, as they stated, about five hundred families 
 of Roman catholic christians. 
 
 On the anniversary of the formation of the Society at 
 home, Marshman and Ward were chosen co-pastors 
 with Carey ; and Mardon, Biss, Moore, Rowe, Krishno, 
 and Kj'ishno Presaud were appointed deacons. Mr. Biss 
 was soon afterwards appointed to assist Mr. Fernandez, 
 at Sadamahl, near Dinagepore. 
 
 It is stated, in December, that twenty-one mem- 
 bers had been added during the preceding three 
 months. Some of these endured great opposition 
 from their countrymen ; but they endured it with 
 christian fortitude. The number of persons who 
 had recently come from various parts of the country, 
 to inquire about the gospel, and to unite with the 
 church, provoked the inhabitants of Serampore, while 
 some were awakened to serious thought. " As one of 
 the brethren," says Mr. Biss,* " was coming home the 
 other day, he heard some persons behind him speak- 
 ing to this effect, — ' The people are coming from one 
 place and another to embrace the gospel ; and we, who 
 are living in the midst of it, think nothing seriously 
 about it!"' 
 
 Among those to whom reference has been made, as 
 
 * Letter to Mr. Fuller. 
 
152 HISTORY OF 
 
 recently united to the churchy seven were from Ram 
 Kreeshnopore, and appear to have been the fruits of 
 the tract and Scripture distributions there. Mr. Ward 
 seems, in more than one instance, to have adopted the 
 plan of giving the New Testament to a village, pre- 
 scribing that he who could read the best should possess 
 it, and read it to others. Krishno Dass related to the 
 church, that it was in this way he had obtained tracts 
 and a Testament, which had changed his ideas, induced 
 him to abandon idolatry, and tmst in Christ. Thus 
 was the heavenly seed deposited, and in a manner 
 unknown to the christian sowers, secretly vegetated in 
 the heathen heart ; till, after months and years, it 
 exhibited a spiritual produce. 
 
 On the 27th of January, 1806, a new church was 
 formed at Dinagepore, over which Mr. Fernandez was 
 ordained the pastor. Mr. Carey delivered the charge. 
 Two of the members were the first fruits of that part of 
 the country where he and Mr. Thomas had so long 
 laboured without success. This was the second baptist 
 church constituted in Bengal. 
 
 A bamboo shed having been opened at Calcutta, by 
 Mr. Ward, for the preaching of the gospel in Bengalee, 
 as a temporary accomodation till the chapel should be 
 erected, Jaggernaut and Krishno Dass were stationed 
 there to converse with the natives, and distribute tracts. 
 The cm'iosity of the people was much excited by this 
 proceeding, and multitudes followed them through the 
 streets, clapping their hands, and loading them with 
 abuse. They called them feringas : some called them, 
 in contempt, Yesoo Kreest ; and, bowing to them, said, 
 '^ Salam, Yesoo Kreest:" others said, "There goes 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 153 
 
 Salla, Yesoo Kreest!'' Wlien they saw Mr. Ward, 
 one exclaimed, " That's he — that's the Hindoo Padree : 
 why do you destroy the people's caste ?" Another said 
 to one of the native brethren, " Oh Salla, why did you 
 not come a begging to my house ? I would have given 
 you a morsel to eat, rather than you should have become 
 a feringa ! "* 
 
 A new source of affliction arose in the death of 
 Krishno Presaud, on the 24th of July. Having 
 come from Dayhatta for instruction, he was united to 
 the church in 1803. This afforded peculiar pleasure, 
 as he was the first brahmin who had been baptized. 
 His decision enraged his friends, who, one day when 
 he went to them at Calcutta, broke the hookah they 
 had given him to smoke with, and ordered him 
 away. Soon afterwards, he began to preach the gos- 
 pel, to the great satisfaction of the missionaries; and 
 undertook the Bengalee school. He was associated 
 with Mr. Ward, young Fernandez, and Ram Roteen, 
 in a journey to Dinagepore, during which he laboured 
 indefatigably, and produced considerable effect by his 
 addresses and conversations. In January, 1806, he was 
 chosen a deacon of the church at Serampore. His many 
 excellent qualities and talents seemed to promise well 
 for the future; but he was cut off, after months of 
 illness, in the very flower of his age, and bud of his 
 usefulness. At his own desire, he accompanied Dr. 
 Taylor, Mr. Moore, and Mr. Biss, who were going up 
 the country, thinking the river air would prove ser- 
 viceable to him. They wished him to remain at 
 Cutwa, but yielded to his desire to proceed to Malda, 
 
 * Ward's Journal. 
 1X3 
 
154 HISTOKY OF 
 
 Mr. Chamberlain accompanying him two or three 
 days on the jom^ney; when dropsy and diarrhoea 
 increased upon him, till he breathed no more. His 
 remains were interred in the Em'opean bmying-ground 
 at Berhampore. In a funeral sermon, Mr. Ward cha- 
 racterises him as distinguished by habitual trust and 
 confidence in Christ j as evincing, by a consistent con- 
 duct the sincerity of his profession, manifesting tender- 
 ness of conscience amongst a people who make sin 
 their plaything, and amongst whom the sentiment is 
 universal that sin is the play of the gods. He was a 
 strict observer of the times of preaching, prayer, and 
 other christian duties, a diligent reader of the Scrip- 
 tures, ,and distinguished by an anxious solicitude for 
 the salvation of his relations, and for the spread of the 
 gospel in general. He not only adorned religion by a 
 holy life, but by his patience and fortitude, during a 
 long and trying affliction in 1803, when he had caught a 
 fever. Never was he known to utter the least murmur ; 
 and in his last illness, Mr. Ward remarks that in several 
 conversations, he perceived in him a happy submission 
 to the will of God, founded on a sense of his own 
 deserts, and just views of the glory of the Divine charac- 
 ter. '' Grace triumphed over nature ; the poor idolater, 
 turned from dumb idols to serve the living God, "instead 
 of murmuring against the object of his adoration,* 
 
 * In times of affliction, the Hindoos often use angry expressions 
 against their gods, teUing them they have made so many offerings 
 to them, and yet they have suffered so many afflictions to enter 
 into their famihes. Sometimes they even curse their gods ; and 
 some have even taken their images down, kicked them about, 
 and destroyed them. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 155 
 
 falls into his arnis^ knowing in whom he had believed, 
 and that he w^as able to keep that w4iich he had com- 
 mitted to him against that day ; he smiles amidst the 
 storm, and meets the king of terrors with composm-e. 
 
 "Thus lived and died Krishno Presaud; once a 
 brahmin, — once employed in the bm-ning of poor 
 widows, — once revelling at midnight in the abominable 
 orgies of Kreeshnoo ; but now he is washed, sanctified, 
 and justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by 
 the Spirit of our God ; yes, he hath washed his robes, 
 and made them white in the blood of the Lamb ; there- 
 fore is he before the throne."* 
 
 The attendance at Calcutta was of the most en- 
 couraging description. A congregation of from four to 
 six hundi-ed constantly assembled, and many of the 
 Portuguese and Armenians interested themselves in the 
 Bengalee worship; sometimes even taking an active 
 part in the occasional disputations that arose. 
 
 The missionaries now resolved upon organizing a 
 more regular and extensive plan of itineracy, so as 
 to secure the co-operation of all the native church, 
 and sending them forth, two and two, an elder and 
 a younger, without European assistance. For this 
 purpose, they appointed a committee of management, 
 which was to consist, not merely of missionaries, but of 
 persons chosen from the church. The following were 
 then nominated ; — Krishno Paul ; Sheetaram, then at 
 BishoohmTy; Koovera, at Erinda; Ram Mohun, at 
 Goamaltyj Kingalee, at Cutwa; Fotick, or Futtick, 
 and Gotuck, at Dinagepore; Bhagvat, at Goamalty; 
 
 * Ward's Funeral Sermon. 
 
156 HISTORY OP 
 
 Krishno Dass, Sebukram, Jaggernaut, Deep Cliund, 
 and one or two younger brethren. Others who, while 
 they worked in the office and contributed to the sup- 
 port of the plan, embraced opportunities on the Sabbath 
 of making known the word of Hfe; as Ram Rotten, 
 Kanee, Neeloo, Mittre, and Roop. 
 
 The spirit of intense opposition to missionary effort 
 was, at this period, beginning to display itself in new 
 forms. Mr. Moore and Mr. Taylor had accompanied 
 Mr. Biss and his wife to Dinagepore ; from which place, 
 after leaving the latter at their newly appointed station 
 at Saddamahl, they intended to proceed to Patna and 
 Benares. On their arrival, a servant came from the 
 magistrate, to inquire respecting them ; and, at length, 
 they went to his house. The magistrate informed them, 
 that, if they advanced up the country, they might, 
 possibly, be sent on board a ship, and that his duty 
 required him to send them back again. He added 
 that if Mr. Fernandez, whom he supposed to be an 
 acquaintance, would give his word for their speedy and 
 direct return to Serampore, they might remain for a 
 few days. He further offered to obtain permission 
 for them to pursue their journey ; but deeming this to 
 be inexpedient, they declined it, and obeyed the order 
 to return. 
 
 A few days afterwards, on the 23rd of August 1806, 
 Messrs. Chater and Robinson, with their wives, arrived 
 in an American ship, the Benjamin Franklin, commanded 
 by Captain Wickes. On presenting themselves at the 
 police office, some demur arose as to their being allowed 
 to proceed to Serampore. On Mr. Carey^s apphcation 
 at the office, the next day, one of the magistrates inti- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 157 
 
 mated that a message had come to him, from the 
 governor-general, " that as government did not interfere 
 with the prejudices of the natives, it was his request 
 that Mr. Carey and his colleagues would not.^^ As 
 explained by the magistrates, the message amounted to 
 this, — "They were not to preach to the natives, nor 
 suffer the native converts to preach ; they were not to 
 distribute religious tracts, nor suffer the people to distri- 
 bute them; they were not to send forth converted natives, 
 nor to take any step, by conversation or otherwise, 
 towards persuading the natives to embrace Christianity.^^ 
 Mr. Carey inquired if they had any written com- 
 munication; and being answered in the negative, he 
 retired, saying, that neither he nor his brethren, wished 
 to do any thing disagreeable to the government from 
 which they could conscientiously abstain. In a subse- 
 quent modification of the interdict, it was stated, that 
 ''^ it was not meant to prohibit Mr. Carey, or his bre- 
 thren, from preaching at Serampore, or in their own 
 house at Calcutta ; only, they must not preach at the 
 Lol Bazar. It was not intended to prevent them from 
 circulating the Scriptures, but merely the tracts abusing 
 the Hindoo religion ; and that there was no design to 
 forbid the native christians conversing with theii* coun- 
 trymen on Christianity, only they must not go out under 
 the sanction of the missionaries." Notwithstanding 
 this explanation, an order of council was passed, com- 
 manding Messrs. Chater and Robinson to retm'n to 
 Europe, and refusing Captain Wickes a clearance, unless 
 he took them back with him. The missionaries then 
 represented to the government, that Captain Wickes 
 had cleared out from Rotterdam for Serampore, and 
 
158 HISTORY OP 
 
 that the newly arrived brethren had repaired thither, to 
 the mission family_, under the protection of the king of 
 Denmark. This plea produced immediate inquiry as 
 to the fact. The Danish governor stated, that when 
 the missionaries first settled at Serampore, his prede- 
 cessor had received instructions from Copenhagen, 
 approving of their residence at that place, and requiring 
 him to extend his protection to the mission ; in conse- 
 quence of which, he had now taken Messrs. Chater and 
 Robinson under the protection of his Danish Majesty. 
 Upon this answer, Captain Wickes applied for a clear- 
 ance. At first, he was informed that the order in 
 council had been confirmed ; but the magistrates after- 
 wards sent for him, to hold a friendly conference. He 
 assured them, that the missionaries were willing, rather 
 than oppose the government, to give up their two bre- 
 thren ; adding, that though it might be a serious affair, 
 both with America and Denmark, if he and the mis- 
 sionaries were to be obstinate, yet each of them consi- 
 dered the peace and good understanding of nations to 
 be of such importance, that they would give up almost 
 any thing, rather than be the occasion of interrupting 
 it. The captain was then fui*nished with the necessary 
 papers for his departure; but the government still 
 showed some dissatisfaction with the continuance of the 
 two missionaries at Serampore. It was agreed, there- 
 fore, to adopt measures for keeping them at a distance 
 for the present ; and the brethren Chater and Mardon 
 were accordingly appointed to proceed to Burmah, to 
 ascertain the practicability of establishing a mission in 
 that country. Thus was good educed, by providence, 
 from seeming evil. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 159 
 
 But the hostilities to which our attention has now 
 been turned^ were only expressions of a more extensive 
 and deep-rooted enmity to the missionary enterprise^ 
 that was burning in the hearts of the unholy and infidel 
 part of the Indo-Eui'opean population, which soon 
 kindled a flame of fierce controversy in England. 
 
 An insm'rection in which many British soldiers had 
 been massacred, took place at Vellore in July, 1806 ; 
 the tidings of which reached Calcutta soon after the 
 arrival of Messrs. Chater and Robinson. The circum- 
 stances were these. An order had been issued for 
 altering the turban of the sepoys into something similar 
 to the helmet of our light infantry, and for preventing 
 their wearing on the forehead the distinguishing mark 
 of their caste. This was an outrage on their religious 
 customs which produced extreme irritation; and they 
 revenged themselves on the British soldiers. The dis- 
 satisfaction of the sepoys was general, and their plans 
 were so skilfully prepared, that had the insurrection 
 been longer deferred, the consequences must have been 
 far more dreadful. In December, a proclamation was 
 issued at Madi*as, in which the governor- general stated 
 that an extraordinary agitation had been observed to 
 prevail among several corps of the native army on that 
 coast, and that his lordship had anxiously endeavoui'ed 
 to ascertain the cause ; when it appeared that persons 
 of evil intention had aimed to impress upon the native 
 troops a belief that it was the wish of the British 
 government to convert them, by forcible means, to 
 Christianity, and that such malignant reports had ob- 
 tained credit among them. It was therefore deemed 
 proper in that public manner to repeat to the native 
 
160 HISTORY OF 
 
 troops the assurance that " the same respect which has 
 been invariably shown by the British government for 
 their rehgion and for their customs, will be always 
 continued^ and that no interruption will be given to 
 any native, whether Hindoo or mussulman, in the 
 practice of his religious ceremonies." No inquiries 
 were instituted respecting the originators of this mea- 
 sure; but to conceal them from public notice, it was 
 convenient to make use of a virulent prejudice; and 
 the missionaries were made to suffer the reproach. 
 There was not even the shadow of a probability to 
 sustain this absurd and malignant representation ; for 
 not a missionary was to be found in Mysore, nor had 
 one approached that part of Hindostan. Thus, hatred 
 of religion and political partizanship combined to 
 falsify the plainest facts ; adding to the crimes of iron- 
 hearted usurpation and despotism. 
 
 Leaving, for a time, the affairs of the east, let us 
 advert to proceedings at home, which grew out of these 
 unpropitious circumstances. Mr. Fuller, with the other 
 originators of the mission, had continued from the first to 
 promote this great object with indefatigable zeal. To this 
 holy band others had from time to time been added, who 
 had shown a similar spirit, and laboured with a similar 
 activity, to raise subscriptions, and awaken the dormant 
 energies of the christian church; but whatever of 
 talent and assiduity distinguished them, Mr. Fuller 
 was not only the chief officer, but it may be truly said 
 he was for many years the very soul of the mission ; 
 and in efforts for its advancement he " laboured more 
 abundantly than they all.'' He neglected no oppor- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 161 
 
 tunity, refused no call, and shrunk from no self-denial, 
 by which he might fulfil his original pledge to the work. 
 Not only did he hasten to obey every requirement, as 
 far as it was practicable, which came to him from the 
 extremities of the kingdom, as well as from all its 
 principal towns ; but he paid continual visits to Scot- 
 land, where his public services not only procured for 
 him extraordinary popularity, but produced a hallowed 
 excitement, which is still felt and referred to by sur- 
 viving thousands, who listened to his discom-ses. The 
 consequence was that large contributions flowed from 
 every quarter into the treasmy of the Society. 
 
 When the anti-missionary spirit traversed the mighty 
 waters, by means of gentlemen recently returned from 
 India full of prejudice in favour of Hindooism, and 
 kindled in Britain the fire of hatred to the missionary 
 enterprise, believing, or pretending that it was fraught 
 with danger to om* eastern possessions, Mr. Fuller was 
 naturally regarded as best adapted by station, talent, 
 and conversancy with the subject, to conduct the dis- 
 cussions on behalf of the Society and the friends of 
 missions in general. In order to prejudice the efforts 
 of the servants of Christ in Bengal, attempts were 
 made to work upon the fears of government and the 
 East India Company; and some of their bitterest foes 
 published not only false accusations, but even went so 
 far as to intimate, in no very indistinct manner, the 
 necessity of recalling them. Mr. Thomas Twining 
 published a pamphlet, directed chiefly, indeed, against 
 " the British and Foreign Bible Society ;" but contain- 
 ing various insinuations with regard to undertakings to 
 
162 HISTORY OF 
 
 diffuse Christianity. He expressed a "hope that our 
 native subjects in India will be permitted quietly to 
 follow their own religious opinions/^ Major Scott 
 Waring, in a pamphlet entitled, " Observations on the 
 present state of the East India Company/^ humbly sub- 
 mitted to the consideration of "his majesty^s ministers, 
 the East India Company, and the legislature, a plan for 
 restoring that confidence which the natives formerly 
 reposed in the justice and policy of the British govern- 
 ment, as to the security of their religion, laws, and 
 local customs;'^ which plan comprehended "the im- 
 mediate recal of every English missionary, and a pro- 
 hibition to all persons dependant on the Company from 
 giving assistance to the translation or circulation of 
 our Holy Scriptures." (Pref. xxii.) He afterwards 
 issued a second, then a third pamphlet, replete with 
 invectives. Another, and still more famous publication 
 issued from the press, by a Bengal officer, vindicating 
 the Hindoos, as it is stated, from the aspersions of the 
 Bev. Claudius Buchanan, and containing remarks on 
 an addi-ess from the missionaries in Bengal to the 
 natives. He aimed to show the "excellency of the moral 
 system of the Hindoos, and the danger of interfering 
 with their customs or religion." Among other oppo- 
 nents of missions too, appeared, unhappily, on this 
 occasion, the Edinburgh reviewers, who charged the 
 missionaries with insanity, and described themselves as 
 too pitiful or too busy to stop to "discriminate the 
 finer shades of lunacy." 
 
 These productions were answered by Mr. Fuller in 
 " An Apology for the late Christian Missions to India, 
 in three parts." The first section, issued separately, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 163 
 
 was written in December, 1807, when lie went up to 
 London to watch the enemy j and, as he had said a 
 few months before, when the first intelhgence arrived 
 of the difficulties that occurred in India, '^to sound 
 the depths of the danger." The court at the India 
 House having dismissed Mr. Twining^s proposition, 
 refused to interfere with the propagation of Chris- 
 tianity in India. Mr. Fuller resumed his pen, and 
 sent forth the other pamphlets in quick succession. 
 These productions are characterised by his usual felici- 
 tous method in controversy, and rival, perhaps any 
 from his pen, in calmness, clearness, and point. They 
 did not absolutely and at once silence the adversaries 
 of missions; some of whom. Major Scott Waring, in 
 particular, persevered for a time in their vociferous 
 opposition, through the medium of ephemeral publica- 
 tions ; but it was sufficiently apparent that their efforts 
 to depreciate and destroy the mission only resembled 
 the violent struggles of a dying gladiator, displaying 
 fury and weakness, in pitiable combination. 
 
 Mr. Fuller was desirous that others of his friends 
 should assist in this painful controversy; and he 
 entreated the Rev. Robert Hall to prepare a reply to 
 the strictures of the Edinburgh Review on methodists 
 and missions; well aware that the productions of his 
 splendid mind would obtain attention in quarters where 
 his own would be inaccessible. Mr. Hall felt a deep 
 interest in the mission, and was ever ready to afford it 
 all the assistance in his power. Writing, however, 
 was a painful process to him ; and it was even more 
 painful to make promises. It was not surprising, 
 therefore, that he left ^Ir. Fuller in doubt of his 
 
164 HISTORY OF 
 
 determination; but the hopes of the secretary were never 
 realised.* 
 
 Before the adversaries of the mission were entirely 
 silenced, a writer in the Quarterly Review afforded 
 valuable assistance. The missionaries are thus charac- 
 terised : — " Men who have the zeal and the sincerity, 
 the self-denial and the self-devotement of apostles. 
 Hear Thomas, when he says, 'never did men see their 
 native land with more joy than we left it ; but this is 
 not of nature, but from above.' Hear him also, when, 
 pouring out his heart to one of those relations of whom 
 he had taken leave for ever, he exclaims, ' if it were not 
 for my engagement to the mission, I could come to old 
 England to-morrow, and kiss the ground I trod on, 
 and water it with tears of joy, as the glory of all lands,^ 
 — ^nd then say, if the man who with such feelings 
 abandons his country for ever on such an errand, is to 
 be regarded with contempt or with admiration." 
 
 Speaking of the anti -missionaries, who called them 
 fools, madmen, tinkers, calvinists, and schismatics, 
 keeping out of sight their love of man and zeal for 
 God, their self-devotement, their indefatigable in- 
 dustry, and unequalled learning, the Quarterly reviewer 
 adds, — " These low-born and low-bred mechanics have 
 
 * Soon afterwards, the author of this historj'^ paid a visit to 
 Mr. Hall, who then resided at Enderby, near Leicester, and found 
 that he had begun to write. He seemed much interested in the 
 undertaking, and read about twelve quarto pages of manuscript, 
 which he had prepared. These, for pungency of satire, power 
 of argument, and beauty of composition, certainly equalled, if 
 they did not surpass, any of his writings ; but the manuscript 
 was never published, and in all probability, never completed. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 165 
 
 translated (this was written Feb. 1809) the whole 
 Bible into Bengalee, and have by this time printed it. 
 They are printing the New Testament in the Sanscrit, 
 the Orissa, Mahratta, Hindostanee, and Guzarat, and 
 translating it into Persic, Felinga, Karnata, Chinese, 
 the language of the Seiks and of the Burmans ; and in 
 four of these languages they are going on with the 
 Bible. Extraordinary as this is, it will appear more 
 so, when it is remembered that of these men one 
 was originally a shoemaker, another a printer at Hull, 
 and a third the master of a charity-school at Bristol. 
 Only fourteen years have elapsed since Thomas and 
 Carey set foot in India, and in that time have these 
 missionaries acquired this gift of tongues ; in fourteen 
 years these low-born and low-bred mechanics have 
 done more towards spreading the knowledge of the 
 Scriptures among the heathen, than has been accom- 
 plished or even attempted by all the world besides." * 
 
 * Quarterly Review, Vol. I. pp. 223—225. 
 
166 HISTORY OF 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 FROM THE COMMENCEMENT OF A MISSION TO BURMAH, IN 
 1807, TO THE FIRE AT SERAMPORE, IN 1812. 
 
 At the close of 1806_, the entire number of persons 
 baptized was upwards of one hundi'ed. In tlie course 
 of the previous six years^ thirteen had been excluded, 
 and six removed by death. The native members who 
 remained in the two churches of Serampore and 
 Dinagepore was seventy -five ; to these must be added 
 twenty-five Europeans ; making, therefore, one hundred^ 
 besides three who had gone to Europe. 
 
 Allusion has been made to the appointment of 
 Messrs. Chater and Mardon to undertake a journey to 
 Burmah. They accordingly embarked, Jan. 23, 1807, 
 on board a small brig, and arrived at Rangoon on the 
 10th of February, where they were hospitably received 
 by a Mr. Timmer, to whom they had recommendations, 
 and were unmolested by the people in their religious 
 exercises. The shawbunder, or intendant of the port, 
 promised them every assistance upon their return ; and 
 the catholic priests, with several others, treated them 
 with great civility. In May, they went to Serampore, 
 and communicated much information respecting the 
 manners, customs, and religion of the Burmans. 
 
 In July, a consultation was held on the subject of 
 another visit to that country, when Mr. Chater expressed 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 167 
 
 his willingness to undertake it; but Mr. Mardon 
 declined, on account of the general debility of his con- 
 stitution. It was then resolved, to make the subject a 
 matter of special prayer for fifteen days, concluding 
 that if any one felt disposed to offer himself at the end 
 of that period, it might be regarded as a call from God. 
 Mr. FelLx Carey did so, and was accepted. Having 
 received a solemn charge from his father, the church 
 at Serampore gave them an affectionate dismissal, for 
 the pm-pose of forming a church at Rangoon, under the 
 pastorate of Mr. Chater. "It is in the faith of his 
 promise," say the brethren at Serampore, "who hath 
 never despised the day of small things, and who is able 
 to make a little one become a thousand, that this little 
 society has been formed and organized. To his protec- 
 tion, we commit the tender plant, praying that, in the 
 Burman dominions, it may be as a handful of corn upon 
 the top of the mountains, the fruit whereof shall shake 
 like Lebanon." They were detained a long time, by an 
 embargo on the shipping, which occasioned a degree of 
 impatience ; but it afterwards appeared that, had they 
 gone sooner, they must have fallen into the hands of 
 the Trench privateers. They were received at Rangoon 
 with kindness, by a Mr. Rogers, who introduced them 
 to the maywoon or governor. He inquired if they had 
 wives. Being answered in the affirmative, he smiled, 
 and said, " They were not pungees, that is, priests ; but 
 sorras, that is instructors." They took a house belong- 
 ing to an Armenian gentlemen, which had never before 
 been let for less than iSlSO per annum, houses being 
 excessively expensive; but when they offered to pay 
 him, at the end of a short time, for which they had 
 
168 HISTORY OF 
 
 engaged it, he would take nothing. Mr. F. Carey, having 
 studied medicine, and walked the hospital at Calcutta, 
 introduced the vaccine inoculation into Burmah, which 
 he practised on the children of the governor, and a 
 great number of people in the city. ^' I have visited," 
 says he, " many of the most respectable people, as well 
 as those of the poorer sort ; and among them all, have 
 met with the same kind disposition : their house, and 
 every thing they have, is at your service. When I 
 enter the dwelling of a Burman, the women and children 
 come and sit round me on a mat, and talk to me, 
 though I do not understand them, and offer me any 
 thing they have. If there be any thing I like to eat, 
 they will join me ; but it is quite otherwise in Bengal. 
 This frank and open disposition, and their having no 
 caste, certainly tends to the flourishing of the gospel, 
 when once it begins to spread." 
 
 In 1807, a small chapel was opened for Bengalee 
 worship in Chitpore Road, Calcutta, one of the best 
 parts of the city for collecting a native congregation. 
 
 Mr. Biss having been some time ill, was ordered by 
 his physician to Europe. It had been proposed that 
 he should proceed to Dinagepore to assist Mr. Fer- 
 nandez; and the hope was indulged that the passage 
 by water would fully restore him. It proved other- 
 wise; and he returned and resided a short time at 
 Calcutta, for the sake of medical advice. Pursuing the 
 course prescribed to him, he set sail for America, on 
 his way to England. Though during the first fortnight 
 of his passage, his health appeared to improve, he soon 
 afterwards relapsed, and expired at sea on the 5th of 
 February. He was considerably afflicted at the close of 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 169 
 
 his career, with temptations, and was overtaken, two 
 days before his death, by dehrium. His wife and four 
 childi-en returned to India. 
 
 On the thu'd of May, Mr. Oakey, a serjeant in the 
 artillery at Fort William, was admitted to the church. 
 He afterwards obtained a place in the fort to meet 
 for worship, and induced other soldiers to join him. 
 In the same month. Ram Mohun, a converted brahmin, 
 was set apart to the work of the ministry, and went 
 into Jessore to assist Krishno in a visit to the native 
 chm-ch. Mr. Mardon expresses himself thus on the 
 subject : — " This is what I have long desired to see, as 
 I am fully persuaded that he is well qualified for the 
 office, as to piety, zeal, and knowledge. I knew but 
 little of his abilities till last summer, when I travelled 
 with him between two and three months in the neigh- 
 bourhood of Malda, Rajmahal, &c. From that time I 
 have thought it a great pity that his talents should be 
 bm'ied in obscmity. He applies himself very diligently 
 to the study of the Scriptm'es, and to reading; and 
 speaks very fluently. He was a brahmin of the highest 
 caste; but is now as completely weaned from every 
 Hindoo superstition as it is possible, perhaps, for a man 
 to be.^^ 
 
 Malda, as well as Cutwa and other vicinities, pre- 
 sented a pleasing aspect. Mr. Ward had the satis- 
 faction of receiving a letter signed by twelve of the 
 Portuguese at Calcutta, expressing then- faith in the 
 gospel, and attachment to him as a minister. There 
 were, however, some mournful events. On the 1 2th of 
 October, Mr. Creighton of Goamalty died at Berham- 
 pore ; and on the 27th, Mr. Wilhara Grant, in the same 
 
170 
 
 HISTORY OF 
 
 house. Both had been very useful, and departed in 
 peace. The latter bequeathed 20,000 rupees to the 
 mission. 
 
 The progress of the translations, to the end of 1807, 
 will be seen in the subjoined tabular arrangement. 
 
 
 Translated to 
 
 Printed to 
 
 Sungskrit . . 
 
 II. Thessalonians . . . 
 
 t Actsxx\ii. All printed 
 < except from this to 
 C. Galatians. 
 
 Bengalee . . 
 Mahratta . . 
 
 II. Samuel eh. vi. ... 
 Heb. also Job & Psal. . 
 
 Judges viii. 
 Matt. xxii. 
 
 Orissa . . . 
 
 Nearly the whole New ^ 
 Test., Job, and Psal. S 
 
 John xix. 
 
 Hindostanee 
 
 Mark xii 
 
 Mark i. 5. 
 
 Guzarattee. . 
 
 John XX. 
 
 Matthew i. 5. 
 
 Chinese . . . 
 Seik .... 
 Telinga . . . 
 Kurnata . . . 
 Burman . . . 
 
 John X \ 
 
 John XX / 
 
 John XX y 
 
 John xvii ^ 
 
 Marki 3 
 
 Printing not yet begun, 
 but types are casting 
 as fast as we can get 
 them done. 
 
 Persian . . . 
 
 
 
 It is much to be lamented that insinuations were 
 published to the prejudice of the translations carrying 
 on at Serampore, by parties at home who were engaged 
 in the same general work of missions, and who suffered 
 themselves to be influenced by feelings not in accor- 
 dance with that catholicity of spirit which should pre- 
 vent Ephraim and Judali from envying each other ; and 
 which, were it to prevail in every body of professing 
 christians, would unquestionably tend to the more rapid 
 diffusion of Christianity. In noticing these, in a private 
 letter, Dr. Carey exhibits his own fine temper of mind, 
 and gives some details of the proceedings of the trans- 
 lators which ought not to be withheld. " We do not 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 171 
 
 want the vain name of the men who have translated the 
 Scriptures into this or that language^ but we do want the 
 thing to be done; and we have not yet seen the least 
 probabihty of any one^s doing it besides ourselves. We, 
 however, wish every one to try and do all he can; this is no 
 reason why we who have begun before them all should, 
 to compliment them, throw away all which we have 
 done. It is, perhaps, necessary to obviate the objection 
 founded in our employing natives to assist us, which 
 represents it as if no advantage could be obtained from 
 employing a ^ wicked brahmin.' In the first place, they 
 themselves who make this complaint do the same, and 
 must do it. But, in the second place, we never print a 
 sentence ^vdthout examining it and seeing it through 
 and through. Brother Marshman does this with the 
 Chinese. I translate, and write out with my own 
 hand, the Bengalee, Hindoostanee, and Sungskrit. 
 The two latter (New Testament) I translate imme- 
 diately from the Greek, and every sentence is afterwards 
 compared with the Greek by brother Marshman and 
 myself, as is the Bengalee with the Hebrew. I compare 
 the Mahratta and the Orissa, to the best of my power, 
 and can say that I believe these translations to be good 
 ones. I believe, likewise, that I am as able to judge of 
 them as any person now in India (I am a fool ; they 
 have compelled me). We do employ natives, and avail 
 ourselves of all the help we can ; but we never give up 
 our judgment, in any language, nor ever intend to do 
 so. I have no doubt but there are mistakes, arising 
 from various causes, which mil be gradually corrected 
 in future editions ; but I am persuaded that there are 
 no capital errors in them. In this way we mean to go 
 i2 
 
172 HISTORY OF 
 
 on as long as we can, without giving up anything which 
 we have begun/^* 
 
 On the 28th of January, 1808, Serampore was taken 
 by the Enghsh, hostihties having arisen between Eng- 
 land and Denmark. This circumstance, however, did 
 not affect the situation of the missionaries. 
 
 Mr. Mardon went to Goamalty in February. On his 
 arrival, a church was formed, consisting of seven mem- 
 bers. Another native, Krishno Dass, who had been 
 united to the church at Serampore two years previously, 
 and twelvemonths afterwards elected deacon, was called 
 to the work of the ministry. His public services were 
 exceedingly acceptable both at Calcutta and Goamalty. 
 
 The personal afflictions of Mr. Mardon, who for some 
 time lost the use of his voice, and the illness of his 
 wife, necessitated their removal from the station for a 
 time ; an event which occasioned much lamentation in 
 the infant church. With a characteristic piety of spirit, 
 however, he remarked, that, " to show that success does 
 not depend on the strength and exertions of poor mor- 
 tals, the Lord continued to work among the heathen, 
 for his great name's sake." There were a few additions, 
 and he speaks of others who appeared to him to be 
 hopeful, while two had died under circumstances at 
 once affecting and pleasing. One was an inquirer who 
 had been bitten by a mad jackal. Mrs. Mardon, upon 
 visiting him, found that his situation was becoming 
 extreme; but he was earnest in prayer, not only for 
 himself, but for the church. In every lucid interval, 
 he was either engaged in devotion, or in conversation, 
 
 * Letter to Sutchff. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 173 
 
 respecting the great Kedeemer, and expired with prayer 
 upon his tongue. The other instance was that of a 
 byraggee, named Subhasingha, who was on a pilgrim- 
 age to Juggernaut.* Observing him stop under a tree, 
 Mrs. Mardon requested Krishno Dass to go and converse 
 with him. The poor devotee appeared to feel that the 
 narrative of the Saviour's sufferings for the salvation of 
 sinners possessed a character of peculiar interest, as 
 
 * The most celebrated temple of this monstrous object of 
 worship is in Orissa, Juggernath, Juggernaut, or Juggat-nath, 
 signifies "lordof the world;" and his temple" in Orissa is a huge 
 granite pile, containing an immense block for the idol, with a 
 frightfully grim and distorted visage, placed amidst thousands of 
 massive sculptures, representative emblems of the cruelty and vice 
 which constitute the essence of his worship. When brought fortli 
 on his lofty car, amidst shouts of " Victory to Juggernath our 
 lord," the officiating priest begins the service by a loathsome pan- 
 tomimic exhibition, accompanied with blasphemous and obscene 
 songs to which the multitudes respond ; and as the ponderous 
 machine rolls along slowly, votary after votary throws himseli' 
 beneath the wheels, and is instantly crushed to pieces ; or, as 
 sometimes happens, by being partially crushed, he lies lingering 
 a day or two in unknown agonies. Besides these, numberless 
 austerities are practised around the precincts of the city ; some 
 remaining all day " with their head on the ground, and tlieir 
 feet in the air ; others with their bodies entirely covered with 
 earth ; some cramming their eyes with mud, and their mouths 
 with straw ; while others lie extended in a puddle of water ; here 
 one man lying with his foot tied to his neck, or with a pot of fire 
 on his breast; and there a third enveloped in a net-work of 
 ropes." Along the plain, the barren sands are for ever whitened 
 with the skulls and bones of deluded pilgrims, and hundreds 
 continually die of famine and fatigue on the approach. 
 
 The extent of Juggernath's dominion is scarcely credible. 
 Besides the shrine at Puri, which is the most celebrated, there 
 
174 HISTORY OF 
 
 applicable to his o^m condition ; and lie said that lie 
 would take Christ for his refuge, instead of pursuing his 
 journey to Juggernaut. He was received into the house; 
 of Krishno Dass, where Mr. Mardon and the native 
 christians conversed freely with him, and prayed. He 
 paid the greatest attention. In the evening, he ate with 
 them, threw off his poita and necklace, and seemed 
 regardless of caste. He was very weak, and the next 
 day died. To them, however, it appeared that he was 
 "a brand plucked out of the bm-ning;" and what 
 christian reader will not sympathize with the dehghtful 
 belief? 
 
 In their letter of iVIarch the 35th, the missionaries 
 represent their affairs as discouraging. The state of 
 the church in Jessore, one of the four now formed in 
 Bengal, was the most afflictive ; religion appearing to 
 be at a low ebb, partly on account of the infrequency 
 of the interviews held with each other by the members, 
 
 are, in hundreds and thousands of places, and indeed, almost in 
 every village of Bengal, images and ears without temples, formed 
 after the same model. In Calcutta, are multitudes, of various 
 dimensions, from a few feet to thirty or forty in height. " On 
 the anniversary occasion of the car festival," says Dr. Duff, " all 
 the millions of Bengal are in motion ; so that when the great car 
 at Puri is dra2;2;ed forth amid the shouts and acclamations of 
 hundi-eds of thousands, assembled from all parts of India, on the 
 very same day, at the very same horn*, there are hundi'eds of 
 cars rolled along, throughout the mdely scattered districts, and 
 cities, and villages of the land ; so that there ai-e not only hun- 
 dreds of thousands, but literally millions, simultaneously engaged 
 in the celebration of orgies so stained Avith hcentiousness and 
 blood, that, in the comparison, we might almost pronounce the 
 bacchanaha of Greece and Rome innocent and pure I" 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 1 
 
 /.J 
 
 who were separated by impracticable distances. Dui'in^ 
 the quarter only three members had been received at 
 Serampore. 
 
 On the 25th of April, died the native brother Futtick^ 
 who is spoken of in the highest terms ; and while so 
 many departed from their profession, it is pleasing to 
 dwell upon the exemplary character of such a man, who 
 adorned the doctrines he professed to the last. He 
 was the son of a weaver, and a strict idolater, who lived 
 in a \dllage in Jessore, called Mujgooree. After the 
 death of his father, he lived with his mother and sistei*. 
 At this time, he disregarded the caste in secret, and 
 under the idea of cultivating universal love, used to eat 
 with all other castes who were of the same mind. Still, 
 however, he worshipped Kreeshno, under the name of 
 Huree. He was led away into various idolatries by 
 different deceivers, but found no rest. In this state, a 
 tract written by Petumber fell into his hands, and 
 another \\Titten by Mr. Ward. These he was accus- 
 tomed to read to his mother and sister, and to Dee]) 
 Chund, or Chundra, Kanee, and Kaunta, with whom he 
 had contracted a friendship. At length, he determined 
 to go in search of Serampore, in company with Chun- 
 dra. They could obtain no information respecting the 
 missionaries on their arrival, and proceeded to Calcutta, 
 where, however, they met with some rude treatment, 
 and they returned to their village. After some months, 
 Futtick and two others resumed the search after the 
 missionaries and the new shaster. They were again 
 abused by the people in Serampore; but while they 
 were disputing with a brahmin, Krishno Presaud hap- 
 pened to be going out of his house, and inquiring the 
 
176 HISTORY OF 
 
 cause of the controversy, discovered their object, and 
 took them at once by the hand. They were all 
 astonishment, when they heard of the love of Christ to 
 sinners, and found themselves in the centre of the 
 native converts. They remained a few days, and then 
 went home; but after some time, Futtick returned 
 with Kaunta, and after two months^ residence, was 
 baptized. Others, also, were brought by his influence. 
 He met with much opposition in his own village, but 
 endured it with magnanimous courage, though he 
 was once seized by a mob when at prayer, who 
 bound his hands and dragged him into the road, 
 throwing dust and dirt upon him, covering him with 
 cow-dung; but offering him deliverance, if he would 
 promise to renounce Yesoo Khreest. The mob destroyed 
 his Bengalee Testament, and all the tracts in his house ; 
 and he was kept tied up to the pillar of an idol temple 
 for several hours. 
 
 Desirous, at length, of placing one or two natives at 
 Dinagepore, Futtick readily acceded to the request of 
 the missionaries that he would proceed to that station. 
 Having previously gone to Poojee to sell his little pro- 
 perty, his sister Bhanee was induced to accompany him 
 to Serampore, and thence to the sphere appointed to 
 him ; but she continued in an unconverted state, till the 
 period of another visit to Serampore, when her religious 
 concern commenced, and she made a profession of 
 Christianity. After the lapse of a few months, she died 
 full of the hope of a blessed immortality. 
 
 Poor Futtick himself followed her, after repeated 
 attacks of affliction, in none of which did his faith 
 waver. Whenever opportunity offered, he did not 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 177 
 
 hesitate to warn his fellow-countrymen against perse- 
 vering in the rejection of the gospel. On the evening 
 before his death, he sent for Mr. Ward, who, upon his 
 arrival, found him conversing with his mother on the 
 evil of worldly-mindedness, giving salutary cautions, 
 and urging her to make preparations for death. His 
 remarks were expressive of an eminent degree of reli- 
 gious feeling ; and after singing a hymn with Roop and 
 Krishno, the chorus of which is, " Full salvation by the 
 death of Christ,^^ he almost immediately expired. 
 
 " Futtick was naturally of a wai'm and ardent temper. 
 On his first convictions, he entered into the gospel with 
 his whole heart. Nor did he ever swerve from it, or 
 shrink back when it was to be defended. Before the 
 most learned or the most audacious of the brahmins, 
 he was the same ; he feared none of them ; he avowed 
 himself a christian ; he exhibited to them in undis- 
 guised language the character of their gods, and then 
 would show them the love of Christ and the way of 
 salvation by him. He would say, ' I have gone into 
 all your ways of folly, sin, and shame; I have tried 
 them all. I know where you are, and declare to you 
 that there is no way to heaven, but by Jesus Christ.' 
 His zeal in recommending the gospel was a pleasing 
 trait in his christian character. * * * Who can 
 help admiring the riches of Divine grace in the con- 
 version, perseverance, and blessed end, of a man who 
 was once an enthusiast in idolatry ? This grace will 
 particularly appear, if we think of his former state. 
 An European christian may be a wonder to many; 
 much more a man who has been saved from such a 
 state as that in which Futtick was found by the 
 
 i3 
 
178 HISTORY OF 
 
 Savioui'. There are many obstacles in the way of the 
 salvation of every man; but to all these common 
 obstacles add those in the way of every Hindoo^ arising 
 from his caste, his ignorance, the influence of friends, 
 his prejudices, his aversion and contempt of foreigners, 
 through union vdth whom alone he can hear of the way 
 of salvation ; and then say, is not every converted 
 Hindoo eminently a monument erected to the honour 
 of our Saviour ? No doubt it appears much more easy 
 to a Hindoo female to mount the funeral pile, and 
 embrace the flames which are to burn her to ashes, 
 than to shake hands with an European. But that we 
 may still more admire the riches of the sovereign, all- 
 conquering grace of Christ in the conversion of a 
 Hindoo, let us remember that every power and faculty 
 of the mind, and all the members of his body, have 
 been baptized into idolatry. His mind is filled with 
 the impure stories of the gods, and all his modes of 
 thinking and reasoning are interwoven, like net-work, 
 with every decision of the mind. He can scarcely think 
 at all, except through the medium of the system in 
 which he has been nourished. His hands have been 
 employed in assisting him to repeat the names of the 
 gods, or have been stretched out in indecent motions 
 and gestm'es in dancing before them; his feet have 
 been employed in this, and in carrying him to their 
 temples; his eyes have been inlets to the foul ideas 
 suggested by the rude and indecent figures stuck up 
 wherever he goes ; his ears are full of the sounds of 
 the names of the gods, of their actions, and of the 
 ceremonies of their worship ; his tongue, like the 
 pendulum of a clock, has learned to move regularly in 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 179 
 
 the service of the idols ; the sounds in the mouth of a 
 pan*ot are not more habitual than the names of his 
 deities in his mouth. He has the marks and scars of 
 idolatry indelibly imprinted on his flesh, and must 
 caiTy them to the grave vi^ith him. All he hears, and 
 sees, and practises, after conversion, is new, and to his 
 old nature and habits very strange ; nor can he see all 
 the reasons for these things as he could have done, if 
 he had been taught from his infancy to think and 
 reason in religion by the metaphors, ceremonies, his- 
 tcMies, and doctrines of the Bible. Well may conver- 
 sion in all cases, but especially in such a case, be called 
 a new creation, and a Hindoo christian a new creature 
 in Christ Jesus.'^ * 
 
 The missionaries in Rangoon wrote that they had 
 obtained a person to teach them the language, named 
 Gowngmeng, a very excellent Burman scholar, and 
 moreover capable of reading and speaking Latin, Por- 
 tugese, French, Italian, Spanish, and Ai*menian. He 
 seemed anxious to make them proficients in the lan- 
 guage, and is said to have had a good knowledge of 
 the Bible ; but afterwards there appeared to be some 
 relaxation in his zeal, and the difficulty of the acqui- 
 sition pressed heavily upon them. In consequence of 
 the illness of Mrs. Chater and Mrs. F. Carey, they 
 returned to Serampore in May. In two or three 
 months, Mr. Carey followed them. Mr. Chater, how- 
 ever, persevered in his work, and taught English to the 
 Burman children. Of his own teacher, Gowngmeng, 
 he states that he was what in England would be called 
 
 Ward. 
 
180 HISTORY OF 
 
 a counsellor. " He seems to have a great veneration 
 for Gaudama ; and whatever I say in commendation of 
 our Lord_, he brings immediately something similar to 
 it in commendation of him. One evening, he came in 
 while I was reading in Bengalee one of our Lord^s 
 miracles of feeding the multitude. I endeavoured to 
 give him some idea of it. He so far understood me 
 as to exclaim, ^ Jesus Christ, then, must be God ; he 
 must have created the bread ! ' But he immediately 
 brought an argument to prove the divinity of Gaudama, 
 — he would say to a person, What is this ? It is a 
 candle. A candle ! no, no, it is gold ; — and it became 
 gold immediately." 
 
 An aged Armenian also, by name Babasheen, who 
 occupied a station under government, had been friendly. 
 From the first, he had expressed his pleasure in their 
 going to reside in Burmah, and offered any aid in his 
 power, particularly in acquiring the Armenian and 
 Burman languages. 
 
 On the 22nd of August, Mr. William Carey, jun., 
 was set apart by prayer and the laying on of hands, to 
 the service of the ministry, and joined Mr. and Mrs. 
 Fernandez, who had proceeded to Dinagepore. Sebuk- 
 ram was also set apart on the 23rd. On the 28th, 
 Mr. and Mrs. Moore proceeded to Miniary, the late 
 residence of Mr. Grant ; Carapeit Chator and two 
 other natives went to itinerate in Jessore. Tlie former 
 determined upon making some village near the residence 
 of Sheetaram, his abode. The missionaries had been 
 afflicted with the relapse of Deep Chund, but were 
 afterwards gladdened by his restoration. His own 
 simple and repenting narrative was most satisfactory, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 181 
 
 and he was taken as a compositor in tlie printing office. 
 They had now nine stations occupied as follows : — 
 
 Dinagepore Fernandez. 
 
 Saddamahl W.Carey. 
 
 Goamalty Mardon. 
 
 Miniary Moore. 
 
 Cutwa Chamberlain. 
 
 Jessore Carapeit Aratoon. 
 
 Serampore 7 ^ Carey, Marshman, Ward, 
 
 Calcutta 3 I Krishno, &c. 
 
 Uangoon Chater and F. Carey. 
 
 On the first of January, 1809, the new chapel was 
 opened in Calcutta. At this period, three friends at 
 home, — namely Mr. Burns, of Barbican, Mr. Scott 
 MoncreiiF, sen., Edinburgh, and Mr. and Mrs. Skinner, 
 of Bristol, had, with a laudable and disinterested zeal, 
 engaged to support three native missionaries. This 
 proceeding not only relieved the funds of the mission, 
 but happily tended to strengthen the sjnupathies of 
 England and India, and thus to encourage and facilitate 
 missionary operations. 
 
 In March, a second attempt was made by Mr. Robin- 
 son, accompanied by Mr. W. Carey, Sebukram, and 
 Ghorachund, to form a settlement at Bhotehaut, on 
 the borders of Thibet. On their arrival, they found 
 that a large market was held; and the two native 
 brethren were sent to obtain information. They were 
 treated with the greatest civility, both by the Bengalees 
 and Bhoteeas ; the katma, or chief magistrate, inti- 
 mating that he knew of the presence of the mission- 
 aries, and would facilitate their object. Subsequently, 
 
182 HISTORY OF 
 
 after a conference and exchange of presents, they -under- 
 went the ceremony of being received into friendship. 
 Soon after_, Mr. Carey was obhged to return with the 
 two natives, who were taken ill ; and then Mr. Robinson, 
 being seized with a dangerous fever, was compelled 
 also to return. But although this attempt proved 
 abortive, by a providential counteraction, it afforded 
 the opportunity of ascertaining, both the state of the 
 country, and the disposition of the natives. 
 
 The Orissa New Testament having been prepared for 
 distribution, together with a variety of small tracts, 
 Kreeshno Paul, now called John Peter, formerly of the 
 Armenian church, was invited to go and reside in that 
 country. Mr. Ward describes him as one of the most 
 eloquent and pathetic of the Bengalee preachers ; and 
 it was supposed, that as the Orissa language was very 
 similar to the Bengalee, a very few months would suffice 
 to enable him to speak in it fluently. He promptly 
 complied with this request, and was ordained to the 
 work, at the same time, in October, with Carapeit Ara- 
 toon, appointed to Jessore. The former, however, could 
 not reach the place of his destination, till January of 
 the ensuing year. 
 
 In July, Dr. Carey was attacked with a fever by 
 which his life was endangered ; but, from an apparently 
 hopeless state, he was at length mercifully restored. 
 At the time of his seizure, he had just completed his 
 translation of the Scriptures into Bengalee, and it was 
 believed that the fever was superinduced by the exhaust- 
 ing efforts to accomplish it. " He was laid aside,^' says 
 Mr. Rowe, " on the very day he finished his translation 
 of the whole Bible into the Bengalee language. He 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 183 
 
 diiied at the public table tbe day lie was laid aside, and 
 expressed a great deal of pleasure and thankfulness at 
 the idea of being about to finish a work for God_, which 
 had cost him the labour of about sixteen years. I asked 
 him how much more he thought of doing, if God should 
 spare him. He replied, that he had set his heart upon 
 that which would take him about twenty years, at the rate 
 he now goes on. A day or two after this, we concluded 
 he had done his generation work, and that God was 
 about to take him to himself. It is impossible for 
 me to describe my feelings on this occasion. I fully 
 expected his death, and longed for the delirium which 
 the fever produces to be removed, to have his parting 
 blessing. We got the best medical assistance that could 
 be obtained; and though, for some time, all seemed 
 inefiectual, yet, when it came to the extremity, a Divine 
 blessing was given, and the disorder took a favourable 
 turn."* 
 
 At the close of the year, the plan of a school was 
 formed, and established under the name of ''The 
 Benevolent Institution for instructing the Children of 
 indigent Christians." 
 
 The intelligence from Rangoon was encouraging. 
 Mr. Chater was engaged in translating the sacred 
 volume ; and, in addition to direct missionary labours, 
 Mr. F. Carey found his medical knowledge and practice 
 of great importance. They had become intimate with 
 several of the natives ; and set apart an hour, twice in 
 the week, to converse with them on religion. The 
 Burmans evinced a desire to read the Scriptures ; and a 
 
 * Letter from Rowe to SutcliflP, dated Aug. 15th. 1809. 
 
184 HISTORY OF 
 
 pamphlet, consisting chiefly of Scripture extracts, was 
 judiciously prepared, as a precursor of the entire book 
 of inspiration. The European residents there, though 
 some of them were even conformists to idolatry, were 
 kind to the missionaries. 
 
 It is observable, as Mr. Ward remarks, in a review 
 of the mission to the close of this year, that from the 
 year 1788, when Thomas began to converse with the 
 natives in Bengalee, to the end of December 1800, 
 when Krishno was baptized, the work of God in Bengal 
 made but little apparent progress. Much preparatory 
 work, however, was performed ; but from the time when 
 this, the first native who had ever publicly renounced 
 caste in Bengal, entered the church, the word of the 
 Lord seemed to have a more free course, and was glori- 
 fied. The church at Serampore had now received 190 
 members, by the various modes of admission, in its 
 two branches of Serampore and Calcutta. The number 
 baptized in all the churches in 1809, amounted to 
 sixty-seven ; two or three only having been suspended 
 or excluded.* The cost of the chapel at Calcutta, 
 amounting to between 25,000 and 30,000 rupees, was 
 nearly discharged; many recent additions had been 
 made ; several native itinerants had been sent forth ; 
 and a valuable mission property had been created. At 
 Cutwa, and especially at Berhampore, Mr. Chamberlain, 
 as before related, had been labouring with success for 
 several years. At Goamalty, Mr. Mar don had been 
 assiduous ; but owing to removals and various causes, 
 the state of affairs, at this time, was not prosperous. 
 
 * Letter from Carey to Fuller. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 185 
 
 The church at Saddamahl consisted of fourteen members. 
 Mr. and Mrs. Moore had lately proceeded to Patna, 
 where they commenced a school, and found appearances 
 promising. C. C. Aratoon^s efforts had been successful ; 
 and, in a few months, the Jessore church had increased 
 from a small number to twenty-nine, all natives, Hin- 
 doos and mussulmans. In Burmah, a door of entrance 
 had been opened, and important preparatory measures 
 undertaken. 
 
 The state of the translations was as follows : — In 
 Bengalee, the whole Bible was printed and published, in 
 five volumes. In Sungskrit, the New Testament was 
 published, and part of the Pentateuch printed. In 
 Orissa, the New Testament and the poetical books were 
 printed and published, and a considerable part of the 
 prophetical books printed. In Hindoostanee, the New 
 Testament was printed to the end of Romans. In 
 Mahratta, the New Testament was finished at press as 
 far as the middle of Acts. In the Sikh language, the 
 New Testament was put to press. Besides the progress 
 at press the greater part of the whole Bible was trans- 
 lated into Hindoostanee ; the New Testament and part of 
 the Pentateuch, into the Sikh; the New Testament 
 and nearly all the poetical books, into the Mahratta ; 
 the New Testament and part of the Pentateuch, into 
 the Kurnata and Telinga ; and the blocks for nearly the 
 whole of Matthew were cut, and some sheets of the first 
 part thrown off for revision, in the Chinese. "Thus,^^ 
 says Mr. Ward, "mountains of difficulty, common to 
 first efforts, have been removed; formidable attempts 
 to overturn the work have been rendered abortive; 
 facilities of the most important nature, opened to us ; a 
 
186 HISTORY OF 
 
 number of persons acquainted with the languages of 
 the country have been raised up^ and are at their posts ; 
 access to the people of Hindoostan, Bengal^ Bootan, 
 Orissa, Burmah, and China, obtained by a knowledge 
 of their languages ; the Holy Scriptures are distributing, 
 or are soon to be distributed amongst all these, and 
 other nations, in their own tongues ; the prejudices of 
 the natives of Bengal have greatly subsided, and their 
 knowledge of the pure intentions of the missionaries 
 has removed their fears to the greatest distance; the 
 printing-office, belonging to the mission, contains Sung- 
 skrit, Hindoostanee, Arabic, Persian, Bengalee, Orissa, 
 Telinga, Sikh, Mahratta, Greek, Hebrew, and English 
 types, besides presses, and every other article necessai*y 
 for printing the sacred volume. And now, brethren, 
 has not God completely refuted the notion that all 
 attempts to promote the gospel among the Hindoos are 
 vain ? This happy degree of success, which surprises 
 even us who are on the spot, has been gained within 
 the space of about rdne years ; for it is no more since 
 the baptism of the first Hindoo/^* 
 
 On the part of the missionaries, it was continually 
 and very judiciously urged upon their native converts, 
 that God had converted them, not only for the purpose 
 of fitting them for heaven, but for the sake of their 
 heathen and mahommedan neighbours; and, conse- 
 quently, if they were personally unable to itinerate for 
 the spread of the gospel, they were bound to aid in the 
 maintenance of those who were so capacitated and dis- 
 posed. These intimations were very cordially received 
 
 * Letter to the Society. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 187 
 
 and acted upon with reverence. In the unanimity aud 
 spirit of the church at this period, there was much to 
 remind the christian observer of the character of primi- 
 tive times, ahke in the members, missionaries, and 
 native evangehsts. They were distinguished by exalted 
 piety and unsleeping activity; and besides Carapeit 
 Aratoon and Peter, already sent out, there were several 
 in the church at Calcutta, whose hearts were burning 
 for the service of God. Some of these were Europeans, 
 who had been long in India, as Mr. Leonard the 
 deacon and others* The advantages they possessed 
 were obvious,— accustomed to the country, in some 
 degree acquainted with the language, having a right to 
 reside anywhere, and one or two of them with a little 
 independence of thirty, forty, or fifty pounds a-year. 
 
 In writing to a friend in England, Krishno, the first 
 christian convert, made the following interesting state- 
 ment : — ^' I was an idolater. I lived continually in 
 sin. I was floating in a sea of sin. God, in great 
 grace, made known, in the province of Bengal, the 
 good news of the death of the Lord Jesus Christ ; and 
 is now preparing his chosen ones to perform his service. 
 At present, he hath fixed me in this city (Calcutta) ; 
 and I am now making known, week by week, the good 
 news in the houses of forty-one brethren. I was lately 
 
 preaching at the house of Mr. , when his Hindoo 
 
 servants assembled and heard the word. I was de- 
 claring, that in the whole world there was not one 
 righteous person ; but that all, having broken the law 
 of God, were unclean. One of the servants, an old 
 man, on hearing these words, was full of wrath. 
 ' What ! ' said he, ' is there not one righteous person 
 
188 HISTORY OP 
 
 amongst ns ? Gunga-govinda^ Gour-mullika, and 
 Nimoo-mullika, who are giving immense sums to the 
 poor, are they not righteous V 'Ah, Sir P said I, 'all 
 these things are ineiFectual/ At this they were more 
 enraged. I then made known the way of salvation 
 through the death of Christ, in which the justice and 
 mercy of God harmonized ; and added, ' They who see 
 their sin will come to Christ for salvation/ 
 
 " Formerly it was not known in this country, how 
 men might obtain salvation ; but now, through the 
 great favour of God, in almost every house in the city, 
 men are speaking of these things. Many come to 
 worship, many are hearing and examining, and many 
 are baptized. I preach to the debtors in the jail, and 
 tell them the good news of salvation by the death of 
 Christ. I have also sung, and prayed, and preached, 
 in the house of correction, among the thieves. Many 
 of them have heard the news about Jesus Christ with 
 joy, and were anxious to be instructed. I was ignorant 
 through sin ; through Christ I have obtained the true 
 knowledge.^' 
 
 Mr. Leonard's account of this man's proceedings is 
 of an interesting character. 
 
 "I could not help noticing with admiration the 
 zeal and activity of our truly valuable brother Krishno, 
 who appears to gather strength of body by his unre- 
 mitted labours. He preaches at fourteen different places 
 during the week. He has fifteen families in his circuit ; 
 spares no labour, and shuns no fatigue, but flies wher- 
 ever duty calls. In addition to the above services, he 
 regularly visits twenty-eight private families in the 
 city. Indeed, were you to see him engage, if not well 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 189 
 
 « 
 
 acquainted with his manner, you would suppose him, 
 instead of being wearied in all these visits, to be a 
 young, warm convert, having at the same time the 
 experience of a father/^* 
 
 The labours of Carapeit Aratoon in Jessore were very 
 extensive and successful. Besides his daily efforts, he 
 travelled monthly to four places, distant about thirty 
 miles from each other, where his members resided. 
 On these occasions, he administered the Lord's supper 
 to them, both to save them the expense of a journey, 
 and to afford their neighbours an opportunity of hear- 
 ing the gospel. At his request, a native preacher was 
 appointed to each station. Their names were Seeta- 
 ram, Manik, Pran-krishna, and Manik-sha. And thus 
 a foundation was laid for establishing several churches. 
 He mentions an interview which he had with the rajah 
 at Nubdanga. He had a number of brahmins with 
 him ; and in their presence put many questions respec- 
 ting the gospel. " I continued,^' says he, " conversing 
 with him till the evening, when I took leave of him, 
 and went to brother Punchanun's. I have never heard 
 so much talking about the gospel, as I have in this 
 place to-day. Wherever I went, and whomsoever I 
 saw, all were talking about Jesus Christ. Even child- 
 ren of seven years old were talking to one another about 
 the gospel, and making observations on our being 
 christians as we passed by them. The brethren went 
 among the people, talking of Christ. We were happy 
 to hear that the rajah had formed a favourable opinion 
 of us." Surely it cannot be questioned that an excite- 
 
 * Letter to Marshman. 
 
190 HISTORY OF 
 
 ment of this nature was productive of some lasting 
 good ; and thougli no striking instances of conversion 
 on the spot are recorded, these emotions could not 
 be entirely vain. Ministers at home and missionaries 
 abroad have reason to take encouragement from the 
 thought that what is actually accomplished does not 
 always become visible, and that many a humble cot- 
 tage, and many a distant wilderness, which has been 
 regarded as a fruitless solitude, left in despair, or 
 vanished from memory, will prove to have been a 
 birthplace for souls. 
 
 In referring to the converts in Jessore, Mr. Marsh- 
 man observes that the hardships they endm*ed in 
 embracing the gospel were truly serious. They lived 
 generally by cultivating the soil. Some had forsaken 
 a life of religious mendicity, which was of course 
 abandoned when they embraced the gospel. They 
 could no longer confer blessings and promise heaven 
 in the name of Shiva, by which they had previously 
 obtained an ample, and in the opinion of their idola- 
 trous countrymen, an honourable support. A Hindoo 
 or mussulman farmer could not employ them, after 
 forsaking the religion of their ancestors; and besides 
 this, they became disqualified by refusing to labour on 
 the sabbath. 
 
 " How is it, then," inquires Mr. Marshman, " that 
 these people do subsist in the midst of their country- 
 men, without any European christians near to shelter 
 them from the storm? Truly I can say little more 
 than that it is not by begging, nor by stealing, nor by 
 what they receive from us. He who feeds the ravens 
 when they cry, knows how to feed those who turn to 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 191 
 
 him from the service of dumb idols. The visible means 
 seem to be these. Some of the baptized have a house 
 and a furlong or two of garden ; this they cultivate, 
 and sell its productions, with the fruit perhaps of a few 
 trees, plantains, cocoa-nuts, &c. This serves to subsist 
 a family; and, if they are able, they employ a native 
 brother too, and feed him. Others take a few furlongs 
 of ground, agreeing to pay a part of the produce for 
 rent ; and where a bullock is required to plough the 
 small spot, it is perhaps hired on condition of delivering 
 a certain portion of corn &c. to the owner of it when 
 the crop is ripe. Others may find a less bigotted, and 
 more good-natured neighbour, who being on their own 
 level, and perhaps a former acquaintance, still engages 
 him to labom' in his little field ; and thus, as you will 
 find in the sequel, more nearly viewing at leisure his 
 walk and conversation, feels his groundless aversion 
 subside ; listens to his artless account of the gospel of 
 Christ ; and feels, before he is aware, that he himself 
 has also a soul to be saved. Thus does the wisdom of 
 God tm-n the curse into a blessing, bring good out of 
 evil, fill the mouths of his children with food, and their 
 hearts with joy and gladness.^^ 
 
 In the month of March, 1810, Mr. Robinson went 
 to Barbaree to prosecute the Bootan mission. He 
 speaks of the situation as pleasant and healthful. 
 About two thousand persons attended the market twice 
 a-week, which afforded good opportunity for proclaim- 
 ing the gospel ; while, on the Sabbath, his congregation 
 soon increased from a few to fifty or sixty. Affliction, 
 however, soon visited his habitation; his children 
 became ill of the fever, and his wife died at Dinagepore 
 
192 HISTORY OF 
 
 at the end of July. Besides this, during his absence, 
 thieves broke into his house at Barbaree, and robbed 
 him considerably. He resolved, therefore, under 
 feelings of much discouragement, to visit Serampore. 
 Still his labours had not been altogether ineffectual; 
 for, in about three months, six natives had joined the 
 church. 
 
 When Mr. Robinson went to resume his work at 
 Bootan, he was accompanied by a young man and his 
 wife, Mr. and Mrs. Cornish, members of the chm'ch at 
 Calcutta. They reached Barbaree on the 19th of 
 January, 1811, where they intended to stop for about 
 a fortnight ; but a night or two afterwards, they had a 
 most narrow escape from a large party of fifty or sixty 
 robbers, armed with spears, who attacked the house. 
 The details are appalling, and their escape next to mira- 
 culous. Mr. Robinson was struck at by two men with 
 their spears. He received four wounds, one of which 
 must have been mortal, had not the spear struck against 
 the bone of his breast. Mr. Cornish was preserved, 
 also, from a fatal wound, by the spear terminating on 
 his rib. He remarks, with reference to the wonderful 
 providence that attended their flight, ^^ In that corner 
 of the garden where the stable was there was no gate- 
 way, which at every other corner there was ; and at 
 these three gateways were placed a set of ruffians to 
 watch the entrance ; so that had we gone through any 
 of these, we must, in all probability, have been mur- 
 dered." Mrs. Cornish first ran, in her confusion, 
 towards the stable, and the rest followed. The cook and 
 housekeeper were both murdered, and the washerman 
 soon after died of his wounds. They estimated the loss 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 193 
 
 of property at two thousand rupees, or about two hundred 
 and fifty pounds. After getting over a ditch, they ran 
 towards some adjoining houses, where they knelt to 
 return thanks to God for their deUverance, and seek 
 his farther protection ; and then wandered into the fields, 
 where they sat down under a bush, almost destitute of 
 clothing, in a night of severe cold. The next day, they 
 hastened on their way to Dinagepore, which required 
 two or three days^ hard foot-travelling to reach. On 
 their arrival they were received with the utmost kind- 
 ness by Mr. Fernandez and the family. The result 
 was that Mr. and Mrs. Cornish returned to Serampore ; 
 but Mr. Robinson remained, with the intention of 
 making yet another attempt on Bootan. 
 
 In November, 1809, Mr. F. Carey performed a 
 journey into Pegue. The viceroy ordered three bufi'alo 
 carts for himself and baggage, and men to attend him 
 whenever he wished to go upon the hills of Chittore 
 and Martaban. He considered his journey useful in 
 many respects, particularly as aff'ording an opportunity 
 of enlarging his knowledge of the manners and customs 
 of the people, and facilitating his acquisition of the 
 language. Mr. Chater refers to this as a period of 
 extreme distress in trade, and indifference in regard to 
 religion. The Burmans were determined on war, 
 which produced general trouble and confusion. The 
 Europeans were entirely indisposed to public worship ; 
 for after their new edifice had been opened three or 
 four weeks, not an individual attended. About this 
 time, the whole of Rangoon, excepting a few huts and 
 the houses of the two principal governors, was con- 
 sumed by fire ; nearly all the merchants and tradesmen 
 
194 HISTORY OF 
 
 were ruined; and the missionaries only escaped the 
 conflagration, in consequence of having providentially, 
 and contrary to their first intention, removed previously 
 from the house they had been occupying, and built one 
 out of the town. 
 
 In 1810, they speak of the continued kindness of 
 the authorities. Mr. F. Carey had a singular oppor- 
 tunity of testing their influence with the viceroy. He 
 applied to him on behalf of a poor suffbrer who was 
 condemned to die by crucifixion. Seeing him sus- 
 pended, he repaired instantly to the viceroy^ s house, 
 though orders had been given that no one should be 
 admitted. He entered, therefore, at much hazard to 
 himself, and ventured to present his petition, insisting, 
 according to the Burmese custom, on its being granted 
 before he left the place. The viceroy refused several 
 times; but at length agreed, upon condition of his 
 never interceding for another. To this he could not 
 consent. He was then made to promise that he would 
 accompany the viceroy to Ava, when the boon was 
 granted. After passing through the forms of office, 
 Mr. F. Carey hastened to the spot ; but the attendant 
 officer required even then a reward. To this he found 
 himself compelled to agree, and the man was taken 
 dowTi after having been suspended from three till 
 between nine and ten at night. It is lamentable to 
 add that thankful as he appeared at the moment, he 
 afterwards returned to his habits of robbery, and was 
 again taken into custody. How ineffectual are even 
 the greatest severities of law to reclaim the sinner ! 
 A deeper wound must be inflicted by the all-subduing 
 grace of God. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 195 
 
 About this period, the missionaries arranged their 
 labours under the specific designation of " The United 
 Missionaries in India/^ comprehending the Bengal, the 
 Burman, the Orissa, the Bootan, and the Hindostan. 
 This afforded a convenient method of keeping in 
 distinct view the information they communicated from 
 time to time respecting the diversified operations of 
 the mission. 
 
 The Bengal mission included five stations. 
 
 1. Serampore and Calcutta. The letters which Mr. 
 Leonard, deacon and master of the charity school 
 lately instituted, addi'essed monthly to Mr. Ward at his 
 request, contain statements of the most encouraging 
 description. The spirit of inquiry continually increased 
 in the fort. An interesting account is given of a 
 Mrs. Wilson, a native woman. She had been a slave 
 of the worst description, but was taken as a wife by a 
 Serjeant of artillery in the war under Lord Lake. Her 
 attachment was so strong, that she accompanied him in 
 the heat of every battle, and often supplied his place at 
 the guns when he was exhausted. On one occasion, a 
 musket ball penetrated his temples nearly through the 
 skull, carrying part of the brass hoop of his hat along 
 with it. At this moment, while shots were falling like 
 hailstones, she took her husband on her back, and 
 carried him out of the scene of action as she thought 
 to bury him; but he recovered. Their house in the 
 fort was opened, by her influence, to the preaching of 
 the missionaries; and having herself received salva- 
 tion, and joined the church, she anxiously waited in 
 hope, while she employed every effort to win her 
 neighbours. She was the fi'uit of Krishno PauPs 
 k2 
 
196 HISTORY OF 
 
 ministry. Her character was finely brought out upon 
 the occasion of an interruption that took place in the 
 usual worship in March^ 1811, of which she gave the 
 following account : — 
 
 "When the Europeans and natives came to our 
 house at the usual hour, not doubting but they would 
 hear the word from the minister whose tm'n it was to 
 come, I informed them all was at an end. The colonel 
 had ordered my husband to discontinue the meetings, 
 and on pain of his displeasure, not to allow any thing 
 of the kind in future. It was of no use to remon- 
 strate; the order must be complied with. This was 
 sad news indeed to those who had come expecting to 
 hear the word of God, as fully appeared by the tears 
 both of Europeans and natives, who were particularly 
 affected by the short interview and prayer with Mr. 
 Marshman. They supposed this would be the last 
 opportunity they should have of meeting together. 
 
 " Knowing that I was engaged in the cause of my 
 Saviour, and trusting to him for success, I this morn- 
 ing came to the resolution of waiting upon the general 
 to make known my distress. I found him engaged in 
 a conversation with two officers ; but my business was 
 too urgent to admit of much ceremony or delay. I 
 therefore begged a hearing, which the general very 
 kindly granted, and invited me to take a chair, and 
 come out of the heat of the sun. This I objected to, 
 telling him that I was the wife of a poor man, and 
 therefore could not think of accepting such an honour ; 
 and that neither the heat of the sun, nor even being 
 burned to death, appeared a matter of any consequence, 
 when compared with the business I had come about. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 197 
 
 I then told him the story of the meeting at my house, 
 from the beginning to the present time. He asked 
 me ^who preached there.' I answered, the mission- 
 aries. 'But/ says he, 'you do not all understand 
 English sufficiently to benefit much by their preaching.' 
 I told him that most of us understood a little, and that 
 the discom'ses were very plain and agreeable to the 
 Scriptures; and besides this, that we were amply 
 blessed by being provided for, even in case of our not 
 understanding English, as the Bible was translated into 
 Bengalee, and was expounded once a-week, in addition 
 to English preaching twice. It pleased God to grant 
 me favour in the sight of the general. He not only 
 smiled all the time, but expressed his hearty appro- 
 bation of what I had narrated, granting full permission 
 to continue the meeting, and promising that no one 
 should interrupt it. I felt at a loss for words to 
 express my sense of the favour. 
 
 " The business, however, was not yet finished. The 
 colonel knowing nothing of my petition, nor of the 
 general's answer, I suggested the necessity of his being 
 informed of it. This the general readily commissioned 
 me verbally to make known to him. I submitted to 
 him, however, whether a few lines from himself would 
 not better establish what he had so kindly granted. 
 He then wTote a note requesting the company of the 
 colonel at head-quarters. This happily completed my 
 wishes ; as I had now an opportunity of hearing the 
 colonel's objections. I found these to be grounded (m 
 a surmise that the soldiers met to get liquor, and that 
 my husband procured it for them. This I soon cleared 
 up to the satisfaction of both the general and the 
 
198 HISTORY OF 
 
 colonel. The latter then started another objection, 
 much more unexpected than the first, viz. that he 
 supposed the missionaries and myself received money. 
 To this I answered, that a house as large as that which 
 I then stood in, (head- quarters,) with a thousand 
 rupees a-month, would be considered of no value when 
 compared with the news of salvation through a cruci- 
 fied Redeemer, which I heard preached at my house ; 
 that my husband and myself now resided at a house 
 under his (the coloneFs) control, and were receiving a 
 salary of thirty rupees per month in his gift, for all 
 which we felt thankful to him ; but if he were deter- 
 mined to shut out the words of eternal life, we would 
 as freely resign his favour as we at first received it. 
 After the latter of these remarks, the two gentlemen 
 retired, and conversed a few minutes out of my hearing. 
 After this they came and told me to continue the 
 meeting, without the least apprehension of being inter- 
 rupted in future. I then expressed my fear that at 
 some distant period, if they should be out of the way, 
 some other superior officers might interrupt us; but 
 both the general and the colonel passed their word 
 that I might be easy on that head, and that the late 
 interruption was purely the effect of a misunder- 
 standing.^^ 
 
 2. Dinagepore and Saddamahl. Here Mr. Fernandez 
 was active in promoting the great cause; and his 
 diligence was repaid with some, though not extensive 
 success. In April, 1811, he states the number of the 
 members as sixteen. In June, a Hindoo, a silversmith, 
 had become impressed with religion, and he persuaded 
 the greater part of his large family of thirteen to 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 199 
 
 renounce their Hindooism, and embrace Christianity. 
 In August, six had abandoned caste. By the end of the 
 year, the natives who had rejected caste amounted to 
 twenty-five. 
 
 3. Goamaltij. In this station Mr. Mardon laboured 
 amidst great personal affliction ; and the native 
 preachers who went to assist him suffered from fre- 
 quent attacks of fever. Goamalty was situated near 
 the Rajmahal hills, whose inhabitants differ consi- 
 derably from the Hindoos in general, especially in 
 having no caste. Mr. Mardon made some inquiries 
 which led him to believe, that if he visited them, they 
 would receive him with kindness; he was the more 
 disappointed, therefore, that his ill state of health 
 rendered it impracticable. In July he received into 
 the church the wives of Deep Chund and Bhagvat; 
 but circumstances which greatly tried him, occasioned 
 these natives to quit Goamalty. He was under the 
 painful necessity of excluding Krishno Dass from the 
 church, of whom his expectations were at one time very 
 high ; but he imbibed a wi'ong spirit, and instead of a 
 helper, he had become a burden. Ram Mohun had 
 come from Miniary; but both he and Deep Chund 
 left together with their families, leaving Mr. Mardon 
 quite alone and discouraged. He continued to visit 
 the schools, and to preach as he was able, till he 
 went to Serampore in October, where his health 
 seemed to improve; and he took back with him 
 De Cruz, as assistant in his work, a member of the 
 church at Calcutta. It was at length deemed expe- 
 dient to remove the station at Goamalty to a place 
 called English - bazar, which appeared to possess 
 
200 HISTORY OF 
 
 advantages for the spread of truth, superior to any other 
 in the Poorniya district. The river, down to Bhote- 
 haut, was bordered by a succession of villages, running 
 into each other, and containing as great a variety of 
 caste, rank, and occupation, among the inhabitants, 
 as could be found in the whole province; and up 
 the river were similar ranges of habitations on both 
 sides, to Malda. The accounts given by Mr. De Cruz 
 show both his diligence and the good effect of his 
 labours. 
 
 4. Cutwa. Mr. Chamberlain occupied this station ; 
 and the prospect around opened auspiciously. The 
 church itself was small, but some of the villages yielded 
 fruit to God, though there was considerable opposition. 
 
 5. Jessore. At the close of 1810, the church under 
 Aratoon consisted of nearly sixty members, and many 
 more were added in 1811. Aratoon was assisted by 
 five native brethren, Pran-Krishna, Manik-sha, Manik^ 
 Seetaram, and Punchanun. Some instances of a 
 violent spirit of persecution appeared. Pran-Krishna 
 had been ejected from the village in which he lived, by 
 the zemindar or headsman, who told him that as he 
 brought other persons to preach the gospel, Christianity 
 might spread; it was better, therefore, to lose him, 
 than a multitude of others. 
 
 The zemindars of Sooryadeeya called on Manik-sha, 
 to inquire why he was rearing a house. He answered, 
 " I am a christian, and am making a house to worship 
 in." They then flogged him, and kept him in prison 
 three days, without giving him any thing to eat. He 
 was at length released, upon paying four rupees; 
 saying, "Go home; you may make your house, but 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 201 
 
 do not preach in these parts ; if you do, we will some 
 day kill you." Manik-sha replied, " You are able to kill 
 my body, but you are not able to destroy my soul." 
 One of the servants then struck him, and said, " Go 
 away from this place ; we do not want to hear you." 
 
 The BuRMAN MISSION had not yet made any consi- 
 derable advances. The labours of the missionaries were 
 chiefly of a preparatory kind, such as the learning of 
 the language. Mr. Felix Carey applied himself assi- 
 duously to the Magadha, into which he proposed to 
 reduce his father^ s translation of the Sungskrit ; then 
 to write his translation in Burman by the side of it. 
 He speaks of the Magadha as held in as much estima- 
 tion there as the Sungskrit in Bengal ; and expresses 
 his conviction that it is as necessary to understand the 
 Magadha in order to have a perfect knowledge of the 
 Burman, as it is to understand the Sungskrit to obtain 
 a perfect knowledge of the Bengalee. He studied, also, 
 the Palee. In June, 1811, he writes to his father, that 
 he was exceedingly bent on the translations. He had 
 begun with Mark, and had made considerable progress ; 
 while Mr. Chater was translating Matthew. He pre- 
 pared, also, a Burman Dictionary, to be completed in 
 one volume folio, of about three or four hundred pages. 
 Soon after this, he describes the country as in a state 
 of fearful commotion. The Mugs and Rachooners 
 revolted, rejecting the Burman government; and the 
 Burmans themselves were forming parties under the 
 different princes. Rangoon was again threatened : not- 
 withstanding all which disastrous circumstances, there 
 were pleasing indications of the spread of truth. Felix 
 Carey was employed to translate all the correspondence 
 k3 
 
203 HlgfORY 0^ 
 
 between the English and Burman governments, which 
 brought him into contact with the court at Ava. 
 
 The state of the country, in connexion Mdth his wife^s 
 ill health, induced Mr. Chater, at length, to relinquish 
 his position there; and determine on proceeding to 
 Columbo, to establish a mission in Ceylon. 
 
 The Orissa mission was conducted by John Peter. 
 Some of his military members were required to go to 
 Cuttack, the capital of the country, which, though a 
 painful event to him in so small a community, was over- 
 ruled for good. They proclaimed the gospel and spread 
 tracts wherever opportunity occurred. Their names 
 were Smith and Greene. On their first arrival, the 
 former refers to a number of brahmins who frequently 
 conversed with him about Christ, while many of their 
 comrades were persuaded to leave ofi" profanity, and 
 assist in building a small house for worship. The 
 worship of Jugunnath was unusually attended in the 
 summer of 1811. Peter speaks of four or five thousand 
 from Bengal coming through Balasore, to whom he and 
 Krishno Dass preached Christ and gave tracts; and 
 Smith and Greene, after a lively description of the 
 flocking multitudes at Cuttack, speak of instances in 
 which their efforts appear to have been useful. — "A se- 
 poy,^^ says Smith, "took me to his dwelling that I might 
 make known the words of Jesus to some men who were 
 there in their way to Jugunnath. I spoke to them of 
 the dying love of our Lord, and they heard very atten- 
 tively. One of the principal men among them answered, 
 ' You speak the word of truth ; and all that you have 
 spoken has struck into my heart.' Another said, *^I 
 will hear no more from the Hindoos ; for it is in vain 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 203 
 
 that they worship idols of wood and stone/ " Again, 
 Smith and Greene, in a letter to Mr. Ward, write thus 
 of the people among whom they are stationed : — " The 
 poor heathens are much surprised to hear the gracious 
 news of eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. 
 You would admire to see with what gladness they 
 accept the Orissa Testaments at our hands. They say, 
 they never thought the feringas had such a good 
 book. We have distributed a considerable number of 
 Testaments in the country, and have had the pleasure 
 of sending one to Pooree, and the brahmins of Jugun- 
 nath received it gladly. They wanted to pay for it; 
 but we strictly charged the bearer to present it without 
 taking any thing for it.^' 
 
 With regard to the Bootan mission, — after the 
 calamitous event that occurred at Barbaree, Mr. Robin- 
 son applied to the katma at Bhotehaut for a moonshi 
 to teach him the language, and for permission to ascend 
 the hills. He was referred to the rajah ; and afterwards 
 receiving a discouraging letter, he determined, in May, 
 1811, to relinquish the attempt. At a subsequent 
 period he resolved on Java as the sphere of his future 
 labours. 
 
 The HiNDOosTANEE MISSION cousistcd of two sta- 
 tions, Patna and Agra. The former is a city of great 
 extent. Premises were purchased for the Society at 
 Digah, in its immediate neighbourhood ; and Mr. and 
 Mrs. Mooj'e, who were afterwards joined by Mr. Howe 
 and the natives Petruse and Hedal-uUa, laboured there. 
 
 Mr. Chamberlain having been appointed to Agra with 
 Mr. Peacock, set off on then* journey thither, a thou- 
 sand miles up the Ganges, in Jan. 1811. Mr. Peacock 
 
204 HISTORY OF 
 
 was the eldest son of the Rev. W. E. Peacock, rector 
 of Wholly, Huntingdonshire, who was brought to 
 the knowledge of salvation in India, and immediately 
 devoted himself to missionary service. He was distin- 
 guished by considerable talents, but still more so by 
 humility and piety. He had been previously in the 
 navy, and was on board the Ardent, in Lord Duncan^s 
 engagement, and in the first attack on Copenhagen. 
 Called now to a nobler service, he accompanied Mr 
 Chamberlain, chiefly, at first, for the purpose of assist- 
 ing in keeping a school. The journey occupied about 
 four months, during which period every opportunity 
 was embraced of preaching, and distributing tracts and 
 Scriptures. Frequent letters were sent to Serampore, 
 which contained pleasing accounts of their progress. 
 Thousands heard the news of salvation, often apparently 
 with great delight, and received the tracts with avidity. 
 Occasional opposition, however, was manifested by the 
 brahmins, Mr. Chamberlain sometimes preached 
 twice, four, and even six times a-day. At one place, 
 he met Kangalee, who gave him a good accou.nt of 
 things at Lakrakoonda and Bheerbhoom. At Monghyr, 
 he was engaged the whole day in addi-essing crowds of 
 willing hearers, and in the distribution of books. They 
 touched at Patna ; and, at the end of two months, 
 reached Ghazeepoor, having travelled upwards of 600 
 miles. In writing from this place, Mr. Chamberlain 
 speaks of the natives as differing considerably from the 
 Bengalees. The men are less complaisant, more manly, 
 and equally superstitious. The females are held in 
 greater subjection, and work harder. The mussulmans 
 were few in comparison with the Hindoos. "^The 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 205 
 
 brahmins/^ lie says, " speak Sungskrita Hindoostanee, 
 and appear to despise the Scriptures on account of their 
 containing so many mussulman words. The proper 
 brahmins appear to be very proud, and not quite so 
 pleasant to deal with as the Bengalees. This, however, 
 may be accounted for, in part, by my deficiency of 
 language, both as to a right understanding of them, 
 and properly speaking it myself. This is to me, at 
 present, a trial ; but vincit omnia labor" 
 
 Benares is described as in a state of extreme moral 
 depression. '^^ There," says Chamberlain, "Satan sits 
 enthroned." It was the intention to have passed by 
 Allahabad ; but a mutiny among the boatmen detained 
 them there, which afibrded an opportunity of intro- 
 ducing the gospel to that great city. -Chamberlain, 
 Peacock, and Vrundavun (Brindabund), who voluntarily 
 accompanied them, were indefatigable. There and in 
 different places they met with people who inquired for 
 "the Sahibs that gave away the new shaster." I have 
 been," says Chamberlain, " in many places where the 
 word of God has excited great attention ; but never 
 saw a greater spirit of inquiry after the new way than 
 was discovered at Allahabad. Mussulmans and Hin- 
 doos, learned and unlearned, all seemed eager to hear 
 the word of God. Seeing these things, I regretted, for 
 the moment, that I had to proceed onwards, and 
 prayed, ' Lord, send forth more labourers into thy 
 harvest ! '' After we had left the city, several came 
 after us in the course of the day, some eight or nine 
 miles, for books. Thus the standard of Emmanuel 
 has been displayed at Priyag (Allahabad), to the ap- 
 parent joy of many people. When Patna and Agra 
 
206 HISTORY OF 
 
 become efficient stations, then at tlie great assemblies 
 at Priyag, in January, a detachment from each might 
 meet here, and find a montVs employment in preaching 
 to almost all the different nations of India/^ 
 
 On the 17th of May, they arrived at Agra. From 
 a small village, it rose to a magnificent city, founded 
 by the emperor Acbar ; but was at this time in ruins, 
 with 40,000 inhabitants. The river Jumna runs 
 through it. Chamberlain calls it a second Benares, a 
 place devoted to Seeb. The language of the people is 
 pure Hindee. The missionaries entered upon their 
 labours immediately, but they were received with sur- 
 prise and coldness. The commander of the garrison, 
 however, spoke in a free and friendly manner, and 
 recommended their commencement of a school. They 
 soon began to preach in English at their own house in 
 the morning, and in the evening at the fort, where 
 Serjeant-major Todd spared his quarters for public 
 worship. Mr. Peacock frequently went there to read the 
 Hindoostanee Testament to the natives. As soon as 
 Mr. Chamberlain could procure a pundit, he set about the 
 language in earnest, and devoted himself to the trans- 
 lation of the Scriptures. He represents their general 
 prospects, after some months, as not very flattering, 
 yet they were not discouraged. " God,'^ he says, " will 
 perform his own work in his own way, and at his own 
 time. When I left Cutwa, it was with regret ; yet I 
 have never repented. It seemed to me the call of God, 
 and I obeyed it with cheerfulness. When a pioneer 
 has removed the obstacles in one place, he goes to 
 another. Om- dear brother Forder was a pioneer to 
 his company. I once saw his cap and accoutrements, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 207 
 
 and the motto upon the cap so pleased me, that I 
 wished to make it my own. It was, Aspera non terrent. 
 The pioneer's work is rough ; he has to press through 
 difficulties ; and his actions, though not blazoned in 
 the annals of war, are not the least necessary and 
 arduous. May I be but a pioneer in this great work, 
 faithful and persevering, I ask no more. The Hindoos 
 are a mild people in comparison with the mussulmans. 
 I love them from my heart.'' 
 
 Affliction still pursued Mr. Chamberlain, for he suffered 
 the loss of his two daughters, Mary Anne and Hannah 
 Smith Chamberlain. The latter was an extraordinary 
 child. She could read and converse in three languages, 
 and manifested indubitable evidences of real religion. 
 A still further affliction occurred at the end of October, 
 in the sudden death of Mr. Todd, who fell down and 
 expired in an instant. In the early part of the ensuing 
 year, Mr. Chamberlain was still further bereaved of 
 his only remaining child. These repeated visitations, 
 however, were not without their merciful tendency to 
 ameliorate his character, and concentrate his energies 
 on the great work to which he had devoted his life. 
 
 It has been abeady recorded that the church in the 
 22nd and 1 4th regiments embarked under orders 
 at Calcutta, after having chosen Mr. Forder as their 
 pastor. They proceeded to the Isle of France, 
 viewing their appointment as a providential call to 
 promote the gospel wherever they might be sent. 
 They suffered many discouragements, but still pursued 
 their object. Their place of meeting was in the open 
 fields in the evening, where they had proofs of the 
 Divine presence, and a few, in addition to their own 
 
208 HISTORY OP 
 
 members, were inclined to frequent their assemblies. 
 Those who belonged to the 14th regiment soon went 
 to Madras_, from which place letters were sent by several 
 of them to Serampore. On the 9th of February, 1811, 
 one of their number, named Lowe, died, they hoped in 
 a state of repentance, though he had been excluded 
 while in the Isle of France, for intoxication. In 
 March, Davidson wrote that four had been added to 
 church. The 22nd was ordered to the isle of Mada- 
 gascar, where, having taken possession of the French 
 fort of Tamatase, they remained in garrison. 
 
 The number of members in all the churches at this 
 period exceeded three hundi'ed, one third of whom had 
 been added within little more than a year ; and among 
 these, the proportion of those who were qualified for 
 public labour, far exceeded the average in our British 
 churches. The following statement exhibits a pleasing 
 picture : — 
 
 Missionaries from Europe. — Carey, Ward, Marsh- 
 man, Chamberlain, Mardon, Moore, Chater, 
 
 Rowe, Robinson 9 
 
 Missionaries raised up in India. — Fernandez, Felix 
 Carey, W. Carey, Peacock, Cornish, Aratoon, 
 
 Peter 7 
 
 Hindoo brethren called to the ministi^y. — Krishno, 
 Krishno Dass, Ram Mohun, Seetaram, and 
 
 Sebukram 5 
 
 Itinerant Hindoo brethren on probation 7 
 
 European gifts for the ministry , either called out, as 
 Forder, or about to be so, as Leonard 2 
 
 Total 30 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 209 
 
 About fifteen years before this time^ the church in 
 Bengal consisted of /owr members. It had now doubled 
 six times, or once in three years. Amidst frequent 
 occasions of mourning, they, and the Society at home 
 sympathizing with them, had great reason to rejoice. 
 The cause in India, though many circumstances arose, 
 both internally and externally, which fi*equently wore 
 a distressing aspect, had been, like the bush at the 
 back of Horeb, unconsumed amidst the flames of per- 
 secution; and in the solitude of the desert, her God 
 was her indwelling glory and defence. 
 
 From the earliest period of the mission, one of the 
 greatest objects of interest was the translation of the 
 Scriptures. To this Dr. Carey had applied with the 
 utmost assiduity, and the idea of thus pouring the 
 streams of salvation along the plains of India, through 
 the channels of its languages and dialects, was the 
 solace of his heaviest hours and most unsuccessful 
 years of missionary effort. In this great enterprise, 
 he was ably assisted by Dr. Marshman,* while Mr. 
 Ward^s skill in printing facilitated every operation. 
 
 The missionaries were accustomed to prepare suc- 
 cessive memorials on this subject, that the christian 
 world might have an opportunity of tracing their pro- 
 gress, and mingling its benevolent sympathies in their 
 undertaking. The reader will form the best conception 
 of what they accomplished by presenting a comparative 
 view of the achievements of three years. 
 
 * A diploma from Brown's University, Providence, U. S,, was 
 sent by Mr. Lawson. 
 
210 
 
 HISTORY OF 
 
 At the end of 1809. 
 1. Bengalee. The Old and 
 New Testament translated and 
 printed. 
 
 2. Sungskrit. The New Tes- 
 ment printed, and the Old Tes- 
 ment printed to Exodus. 
 
 At the end of 1812. 
 1. The New Testament 
 gone through three editions, 
 and ready for a fom-th ; and the 
 second edition of the Penta- 
 teuch printed to the 4th chapter 
 of Leviticus. 
 
 2. The Pentateuch printed, 
 the Historical Books printed to 
 the 2nd book of Samuel, and 
 copy prepared to the 2nd chap- 
 ter of the 2nd book of Chronicles. 
 
 3. Orissa. The New Testa- 3. The New Testament tried 
 ment printed, and nearly the and approved by Orissa pundits, 
 book of Psalms in the Old Tes- the Hagiographa and the pro- 
 tament. phets printed, the Historical 
 
 Books printed to the 1st book 
 of Kings, and copy prepared to 
 the 20th chapter of the 2nd 
 book of Kings. 
 
 4. Matthew in the press. 
 
 5. Matthew revised. 
 
 4. Telinga. The New Testa- 
 ment translated, but unrevised, 
 and a beginning made in the 
 Old Testament. 
 
 6. Kurnata. Ditto. 
 
 6. Guzarattee. The printing 
 stopped, and the translation 
 slackened, for want of sufficient 
 pecuniary support. 
 
 7. Mahratta. The New Tes- 7- The New Testament 
 tament translated, and part of printed and in circulation, the 
 the Old Testament. The gos- Pentateuch printed to the 4th 
 pels nearly printed ; but the chapter of Numbers, and copy 
 printing retarded by the same revised to the 2nd chapter of 
 cause as the last. Deuteronomy. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 211 
 
 At the end of 1809. At the end of 1812. 
 
 8. Hindostanee. The New 8. The New Testament 
 Testament translated, and about printed, the second eilition 
 half printed. The printing re- in the press, the Pentateuch 
 tarded by the same cause as the printed to the 2nd chapter of 
 two last. Exodus, and copy prepared to 
 
 the 26th chapter of Numbers. 
 
 9. Sikh. The New Tes- 9. Printed to the 7th chapter 
 tament translated, and the of Luke. 
 
 printing begun. 
 
 10. Burman. A fount of 10. A volume of Scripture 
 types cast. extracts printed, and copy pre- 
 pared to the 18th chapter of 
 Luke. 
 
 11. Chinese. The New Tes- 11. The whole of the New 
 tament translated to Ephesians. Testament translated, the Gos- 
 pel by John in the press, and 
 the Old Testament translated 
 to the 5th chapter of the 1st 
 book of Samuel. 
 
 12. Cashmire. Translated 
 to the 2nd chapter of Romans. 
 
 13. Assam. Translated to 
 the 6th chapter of John. 
 
 13. Pushtoo, or Affghan. 
 Commencing. 
 
 15. Nepala. Ditto. 
 
 16. Brij Basha. Ditto. 
 
 17. Bilochee. Ditto. 
 
 18. Maldivian, Ditto. 
 
212 HISTORY OF 
 
 At the close of their memoir, the missionaries refer 
 to those circumstances which they regarded as favour- 
 able to the completion of the work, which did not exist 
 at its commencement. These were — 
 
 1. Types in the different languages. There was at 
 that time only one in which they had actually suc- 
 ceeded, — ^namely, the Bengalee ; of the other characters 
 they had seen little or nothing in print, and consider- 
 able doubt was felt by them whether they could 
 attempt their publication. This, however, was removed 
 by their success in the Orissa, and then in the Deva 
 Nagree, the original character of India, and parent of 
 all the rest. To this were added founts in the Mah- 
 ratta, the Burman, the Telinga, and the Sikh. 
 
 2. The manufacturing of the paper of India. Having 
 this article made so as to be indestructible by worms, 
 was of great importance to the versions of the Scrip- 
 tures ; and this they were enabled to accomplish ; so 
 that their manufacture remained untouched even when 
 placed for a considerable length of time among paper 
 already half devoured. 
 
 3. The association of a number of brethren and 
 friends, who were able in various ways to render aid. 
 Some would translate, and others compare the trans- 
 lations with the current idioms, and suggest improve- 
 ments. Thus Chater and F. Carey were able to 
 proceed with the Burman and Magadha; Mardon, 
 Chamberlain, and Peacock, with the Hindee ; and the 
 two latter with the Sikh. John Peter and others read 
 and explained the Orissa version ; and another friend 
 circulated the Mahratta, which he had been studying 
 several years. Mr. Marshman had undertaken the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 213 
 
 Chinese, in conjunction with ^Ir. Lassar and their 
 rising pupils. 
 
 Impressed with a conviction of the advantages which 
 youths trained from their infancy to grammatical 
 studies, and at the same time habituated to 5/>efl^ the 
 various languages of India, must possess beyond those 
 who begin the study of a foreign idiom later in life ; 
 aware, also, that experience is essential to the accom- 
 plishment of perfect translations, the missionaries had 
 now laid the foundation of a seminary at Serampore, 
 where youths were instructed in Greek, Hebrew, and 
 Latin. Of the oriental languages, Chinese and Sung- 
 skrit were studied most critically, as they form the 
 basis of nearly all the dialects from Persia to Japan, 
 and from Cape Comorin to the Snowy Mountains. 
 
 Amidst these preparations, productions, and bright 
 anticipations, an event occurred, on the eleventh of 
 March, 1812, which wore at first an aspect of gloom 
 and disaster. Already had they, within a few months, 
 suffered numerous bereavements, in Mrs. Mardon and 
 her infant, Mr. Chamberlain's three children, Mr. Ward's 
 daughter, of five years old, and Mr. Marshman's infant ; 
 but now their faith and patience were tried by a 
 calamitous fire. In what manner it originated they 
 were never able to ascertain; but the most probable 
 conjectm^e was, that it arose from the embers of a 
 hookah, or pipe, falling unperceived among the loose 
 papers lying underneath a range of shelves containing 
 700 reams of English paper, sent out to print the 
 Tamul and Cingalese New Testament, where it com- 
 menced. There were only one or two servants in the 
 
214 HISTORY or 
 
 printing office at the time. Mr. Ward was writing 
 in his room adjoining, and ran immediately to the 
 spot to summon all possible assistance, but in a few 
 minutes he was nearly suffocated by the smoke. After 
 advising to keep all the doors and windows shut, if 
 possible to smother the flames, he ascended the roof; 
 pierced it where the fire was 3 and poured in a great 
 aljundance of water, which so far succeeded, that four 
 hours afterwards the fire was confined to the shelves 
 beneath which it was kindled. Some well-meaning 
 but injudicious person at length opened one of the 
 windows, while Ward and Marshman were busily occu- 
 pied in another part of the building. A flake of fire 
 was soon blown into the centre, and the whole building, 
 200 feet in length, was speedily enveloped in flames. 
 At midnight, the roof fell in, but successful efforts were 
 made to prevent the destruction of the adjoining build- 
 ings. The articles consumed were, — upwards of 1400 
 reams of English paper; a considerable quantity of 
 Patna and other paper ; 4460 lbs. of English types, of 
 which nearly 1000 lbs. had been recently received by 
 the Baring ; a double fount of Greek, and a small one 
 of Hebrew ; twelve founts of types in the different 
 languages in India, among which were, a fount of 
 Persian, worth 3000 rupees, a valuable fount of Arabic, 
 and a double fount of Nagree, containing twenty 
 maunds, or 1600 lbs. weight; all the cases, frames, 
 and other printing utensils, which accompanied them ; 
 books, in various languages, to the amount of 5000 
 rupees; manuscripts to the value of 7000 rupees, 
 among which were, a Sungskrit Dictionary, in five folio 
 volumes, and the materials for a Polyglot Dictionary 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 215 
 
 of all the languages derived from the Sungskrit ; lastly, 
 the building itself (200 feet by 40), with the fixtures, 
 the former of which was estimated at 8000 rupees. 
 
 On examining the rubbish the next day, there were 
 found the steel punches of all the Indian languages 
 uninjured by the flames, to have replaced which, besides 
 the expense, would have occasioned a delay of six years ; 
 also the metal of which the types were composed, 
 melted into large flakes, to the amount of nearly 100 
 maunds, or about three tons and a half. 
 
 The presses, which had been removed into a separate 
 room only a few weeks, were preserved ; as well as all 
 the matrices of all the founts of types. The contents 
 of an ii'on chest, also, consisting of bank notes and 
 rupees, were saved. Five forms on the presses were 
 saved ; one of the Calcutta Bible Society's First Report ; 
 one of the Historical Books in Sungskrit ; one of the 
 Tamul New Testament, and two of a second edition of 
 Confucius. There were burnt more than fifty-five 
 thousand sheets printed ofi* but not folded, among which 
 were seven sheets, of a thousand copies each, of Mr. 
 Martyn's Hindoostanee New Testament in the Persian 
 character ; five sheets, five thousand each, of the Tamul 
 New Testament; four sheets of the Calcutta Bible 
 Society's Report ; six of Mr. Ward's second edition of 
 Hindoo Manners, &c. &c. The other sheets of these 
 works, however, and all the copies of the Scriptures 
 printed ofi" or printing, were in a warehouse on the 
 other side of the garden, and were of course preserved. 
 A paper-mill, also, and two standing presses, with the 
 matrices, moulds, aud apparatus for letter-casting, were 
 in the place adjoining the printing office, appropriated 
 
216 HISTORY OF 
 
 to paper-making, which the fire did not enter. This 
 was a happy circumstance ; as it contained unfinished 
 paper, and materials to a considerable amount. 
 
 The loss amounted to nearly £10,000 : but they were 
 consoled by the grateful fact that no life was injured, 
 although Mr. Ward exposed himself to imminent hazard 
 on the roof. Dr. Carey was absent at Calcutta. 
 
 Among other pro\ddential circumstances, it was 
 observable that the keys of a building larger than the 
 printing-office, which they had let for years as a ware- 
 house, were given up only on the previous Saturday. 
 This at once furnished them with a place, in which to 
 resume their labours ; and, — mark the character of the 
 men ! — the second day after the fire, they laid their 
 plan for future operations, and with the materials that 
 had been rescued, and those which had escaped the 
 flames, they began to recast the types. Dr. Carey 
 writes on the 25th of the same month, '^ In another 
 fortnight, we hope to begin printing again in one 
 language; another month will enable us to begin in 
 another; and I trust that in six months our loss in 
 oriental types will be repaired." On the same day, 
 Marshman says, ^^ To cause us to desist from our work, 
 even in the least degree, was evidently not the design 
 of this providence. The saving of the presses and the 
 matrices, and the recovery of the punches and melted 
 metal, with a building being ready for use, seem to 
 bid us go forward, and this we are doing with all 
 diligence. We have nearly finished casting the Tamul 
 already, and shall be able to cast a fount, or nearly so, 
 every fortnight. The printing of the Scriptures, 
 therefore, will not suffer a month^s interruption, the. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 217 
 
 joj^ of which makes us almost overlook every thing 
 eheJ' "In a few more weeks," says Mr. Ward, "I 
 hope our presses will be going again night and day." 
 With great propriety, then, did the writer in a Calcutta 
 newspaper thus express himself: — "Zeal and perse- 
 verance are qualities that happily distinguish the 
 character of the missionaries ; their ardour, instead of 
 being repressed, derives a new impulse from difficulties 
 and misfortunes; they practically embody the advice 
 of the Mantuan bard, "iVe cede malis ; sed contra 
 audentior ito ;'^ and we confidently trust that their 
 printing establishment at Serampore, lately destroyed 
 by fire, will, like the phoenix of antiquity, rise from its 
 ashes winged with new strength, and destined, in a 
 lofty and long enduring flight, widely to difi'use the 
 benefits of knowledge throughout the east." 
 
 Strong suspicions were excited in their minds that 
 the fire must have been the result of design, and 
 that some idolater among the servants, "turning pale 
 with envy at the sight of the Bible printing in so many 
 languages," contrived this attempt to overthrow the 
 work. But though this were merely conjecture, Mr. 
 Fuller, wdth his usual sagacity, remarked that the 
 premises were not insured, not only because no 
 such thing was ever thought of in India, but because 
 " the buildings used by Europeans are so constructed, 
 that they will not bm-n without great pains taken 
 to set them on fire; which not only accounts for 
 their non-insm'ance, but strengthens the conjecture of 
 the place having been set on fire." 
 
 But whether this calamity originated in accident or 
 design, it bore distinguishing marks of the overruling 
 
 L 
 
218 HISTORY OF 
 
 providence of God, and was rendered subservient to 
 miicli ultimate good. One is ready at first to think 
 that it was a severe and unaccountable dispensation, to 
 permit a work of such magnitude and importance, in 
 the very midst of its progress to be so obstructed, 
 and to allow a society so comparatively feeble in its 
 resources to be so impoverished and crippled. But the 
 thoughts of the supreme Ruler are not as our thoughts, 
 nor are his ways our ways. He has never promised, 
 and therefore we are not entitled to expect exemption 
 from private sorrow, as christians, or from public 
 calamity; neither do the annals of his church show 
 that it is any part of his wise and perfect system of 
 government to remove every impediment at once out of 
 the way of those who labour in his cause; but both 
 his promises and his proceedings prove that he will 
 bring all things into subserviency to the great purpose 
 of securing the final triumph of his cause; and this 
 neither the warring elements of nature, nor the hostile 
 efforts of human or infernal powers shaU prevent. 
 
 With regard to the fire at Serampore, some circum- 
 stances truly providential, have been already stated; 
 there were others, however, of a more general nature, 
 which demand especial notice. Among these it may 
 be observed, that if the translations were destroyed or 
 suspended, it was but a means of their improvement in 
 the reproduction. Every one must be aware of the 
 necessary imperfection of first attempts in foreign 
 languages. It may also be remarked that there is a 
 tenacity of adherence to primary efibrts, and sometimes 
 even to errors, which is natural to discoverers in 
 language, or translators for the first time of hitherto 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 219 
 
 unknown idioms of speech, from which they are not 
 always or easily to be di'iven. Careful and continual 
 revision, therefore, is important; but still more so, 
 after accumulating knowledge and experience, to recom- 
 mence and recast translations of the Scriptures. On 
 this occasion, our missionaries were brought under this 
 advantageous necessity. " In the late fire," they say, 
 '' the manuscripts of two or three of the translations 
 were consumed. This at first made us feel somewhat 
 dejected; but on more thoroughly examining things, 
 we found Providence had still left us the means of 
 repaii'ing this loss, and that to some advantage. The 
 pundits who had assisted us in translating, were still 
 with us ; and we found, on making the trial, that the 
 advantages in going over the same ground a second time 
 were so great that they fully counterbalanced the time 
 requisite to be devoted thereto in a second translation" 
 
 No sooner did the mournful intelligence arrive 
 in England, than the christian public hastened to 
 repair the loss by an unexampled liberality of con- 
 tribution. "A strong sensation,^^ says Mr. Fuller, 
 writing in the name of the committee, "was felt 
 throughout the kingdom, not only in our own deno- 
 mination, but amongst christians of every name, each 
 vicing with the other to repair the loss. Great, it 
 is true, have been the difficulties of the country in 
 respect of commerce ; yet amidst them all, the contri- 
 butions of christians have increased beyond all former 
 examples. In the past year, we had, as you know, 
 great pecuniary difficulties ; but our wants have been 
 generously supplied, and our hands strengthened. In 
 respect of the recent calamity, we doubt not but the loss 
 l2 
 
220 HISTORY OF 
 
 will be amply repaired/' This was written about three 
 weeks after the intelligence had reached the committee. 
 They had then issued a statement on the subject; 
 and their humble faith and dependence on God were 
 speedily rewarded. The author of these volumes well 
 remembers Mr. Fuller entering the room in which the 
 committee had been convened_, exclaiming mth an eye 
 sparkling with joy and gratitude, in his own charac- 
 teristic manner, — "Well brethren, the money is all 
 raised, the loss by the Serampore fire is all repaired ; 
 and so constantly are the contributions pouring in 
 from all parties, in and out of the denomination, that 
 I think we must in honesty publish an intimation that 
 the whole deficiency for which we appealed to them, is 
 removed. They are of so ready a mind that we must 
 even stop the contributions. '^ 
 
 The entire sum required on account of the fire, was 
 raised in the short space of fiftij days. But the great- 
 est advantage was the powerful impulse given to the 
 mission, by rendering it more generally known, and 
 producing a simultaneous feeling of interest in all 
 denominations. This did not subside after the imme- 
 diate efi'ort; but multitudes who had scarcely heard 
 of it before, continued to subscribe to its funds, to 
 plead its cause, and to pray for its success. It is 
 impossible to calculate the extent of the impression; 
 and it may, in this point of view, be regarded as one 
 of those remarkable manifestations of providence by 
 which an all-controlling wisdom directs, restrains, and 
 combines events, so as to educe good from apparent 
 evil, and to make calamity itself the instrument of the 
 church's prosperity. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 
 
 221 
 
 One of the measures to which the committee now 
 tm*ned their attention^ was the increase of the 
 executive body by an addition to their number of 
 "some of the brethren/' as they express it, "from 
 different parts of the kingdom, who appeared best 
 suited for the work, and to have had their hearts most 
 interested in it."* A letter was also addressed to the 
 missionaries, signed by the whole committee, abounding 
 in wise counsel and affectionate expressions. Some 
 passages are striking, and show the pen of the venerable 
 
 * The existing committee were 
 William Burls, London. 
 Joseph Dent, Milton. 
 J.Fawcett, D.D,,Hebden-bridge 
 Andrew Fuller, Kettering. 
 Thos. Goodacre, Northampton. 
 Robert Hall, a. m., Leicester. 
 James Hinton, a.m,, Oxford. 
 James Hobson, Kettering. 
 Reynold Hogg, Ryegate, Surrey 
 
 John Jarman, Nottingham. 
 Thomas King, Birmingham. 
 James Lomax, Nottingham. 
 Robert Mills, Sheepshead. 
 William NichoUs, Collingham. 
 John Ryland, d.d., Bristol. 
 John SutcliiF, a. m., Olney. 
 Wilham Wilson, Olney. 
 John Yates, Leicester. 
 
 Andrew Fuller, Kettering, Secretary. 
 Thomas King, Birmingham, Treasurer. 
 
 The names added at the general meeting held at Kettering, 
 
 September 29, 1812, were :— 
 Christ. Anderson, Edinburgh. 
 George Barclay, Kilwinning. 
 Isaiah Birt, Plymouth-dock. 
 Thos. Blundel, Northampton. 
 Wm. Coles, Bourton. 
 F. A. Cox, Hackney. 
 James Deakin, Glasgow. 
 John Dyer, Plymouth. 
 Joseph Ivimey, London. 
 Thomas Morgan, Birmingham. 
 
 William Newman, Bow. 
 Henry Page, Bristol. 
 John Palmer, Salop. 
 Wm. Ragsdell, Thrapstone. 
 Thomas Roberts, Bristol. 
 John Saifery, Salisbury. 
 Wm. Steadman, Bradford. 
 Micah Thomas, Abergavenny. 
 Mark Wilks, Norwich. 
 
223 HISTORY OF 
 
 secretary. "It must afford great satisfaction to you, 
 who have borne the heat and burden of the day, as well 
 as to us, to see young men rising up amongst you, 
 who are now co-workers with you, and some of whom 
 may be your successors in the work. You can hardly 
 conceive how intimately we are acquainted not only 
 with you, who went out from us, and with your female 
 companions; but with your younger Careys, your 
 invaluable Fernandez, your Aratoons, and Peters, and 
 Leonards, and Forders, and Peacocks, and Krishnos 
 and Sebukrams, and Kangalees. Our thoughts rove 
 with delight from station to station. We seem to be 
 present with you in all your domestic circles, rising 
 seminaries, an(J religious assemblies; at Serampore 
 or Calcutta, in the village of Jessore, at Rangoon, at 
 Goamalty, at Dinagepore or Saddamahl, at Balasore or 
 Cuttack, at Cutwa or Lakrakoonda, at Patna or at 
 Agra. We rejoice in your little groups of christian 
 soldiers, in your modest, but zealous native preachers, 
 and in all yotir fellow-helpers throughout the country ; 
 to each and all we say, from the fulness of our hearts, 
 Grace be unto you, and peace from God our Father, 
 and from the Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 "Very dear brethren. You did not think, till of 
 late, that the religion of Jesus Christ was so inte- 
 resting ; that it not only makes known salvation, but 
 unites the saved in bonds of tender affection. You 
 now perceive that it is a religion adapted for the whole 
 world, and which, if truly embraced, would heal it of 
 all its maladies ; you feel that men of divers nations. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 223 
 
 and languages, and castes, and complexions, and 
 manners, are one in Christ Jesus. So we feel to you, 
 and you to us. It was the hope of your salvation, 
 founded on the numerous prophecies in the holy 
 Scriptures, that, twenty years ago, induced us to send 
 our beloved Carey and Thomas, men whom, if we had 
 felt only for ourselves, we could ill have spared ; but 
 your salvation outweighed all other considerations. It 
 was this induced them, and after them yom* Wards, 
 and Marshmans, and Chamberlains, and others of their 
 fellow-labourers and female companions, to quit their 
 native shores, and all that was dear to them on earth ; 
 to cast in their lot with you ; and this while you were 
 enemies of God by wicked works. We rejoice that 
 God has blessed them, and made them blessings to 
 many of you. If you continue grounded and esta- 
 blished in the faith, and adorn the doctrine of God our 
 Saviour, by a becoming conversation, this shall be our 
 reward.^^ 
 
224 HISTORY OF 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 FROM THE FIRE AT SERAMPORE, TO THE DEATH OF 
 MR. FULLER. 
 
 The indefatigable zeal and perseverance of the mis- 
 sionaries was never more strikingly exemplified than 
 after the fire at Serampore. Dr. Carey states in a letter 
 to Mr. Fuller, dated October of the same year_, that 
 though his manuscript of the Sungskrit translation had 
 been destroyed, yet he had re-translated the whole of 
 it, and had advanced in the general work. New trans- 
 lations were also begun in the Nepalese ; the Pushtoo, 
 or that of the Affghans ; the Bilochee, which was 
 spoken on the west shore of the Indus towards Persia ; 
 and the Maldivo Islands. Chamberlain had translated 
 the gospels into Brij Bhasha. 
 
 At the end of March, 1812, the brethren Leonard 
 and Thompson were appointed to the work of the 
 ministry; the latter, his wife and mother, with two 
 others, being formed into a separate church, to' be 
 planted at Patna. 
 
 In the month of May, Mr. Mardon was suddenly 
 removed by death. His disease was what they term 
 sonneepat, and it was a case of the most malignant 
 kind. This excellent man was born in 1776, of pious 
 parents ; and he joined the church at Plymouth Dock 
 (now called Devonport), under the care of the Rev. Isaiah 
 Birt. At the age of twenty-seven, his mind received 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 225 
 
 a decided bias towards missionary labour^ and after 
 some preparatory instructions given at Olney by My. 
 Sutcliff, he sailed from Bristol, in company with Biss, 
 Moore, and Bowe, in January, 1804. After arriving 
 at Serampore, in February, 1805, he soon endeared 
 himself to the missionaries by his humility, ardent love 
 of souls, and diligence in the acquisition of languages. 
 At the end of about ten months, he went with Mr. 
 Chater to Rangoon; but the state of his health pre- 
 venting his prosecution of that work, he was engaged 
 to aid Mr. Ellerton, who had succeeded Creighton and 
 Grant in cultivating the field about Malda, whither he 
 repaired in February, 1808. 
 
 Amidst severe domestic sufi'erings, he had displayed 
 such a spirit of resignation to the Divine will, as filled 
 his brethren with astonishment. He was very assiduous 
 in the establishment of schools, as well as in proclaim- 
 ing the gospel; but the whole character of his life, 
 public and private, was that of unobtrusive merit, unos- 
 tentatious zeal, and patient perseverance. He had no 
 boldness of character, but was fitted to inspire love and 
 confidence. On his tombstone might have been in- 
 scribed, "a man of modest worth and missionary spirit. ^^ 
 
 Mr. Johns and Mr. Lawson, with their respective 
 families, accompanied by Miss Chaffin, arrived at Cal- 
 cutta on the 10th of August. They had left England 
 in order to strengthen the hands of the mission, in the 
 beginning of 1811, and proceeded by way of America, 
 where they remained some time, devoting themselves 
 to public labour. Mr. Johns was eminently successful 
 in collecting for the translations. Transatlantic christians 
 had, indeed, for years from time to time evinced their 
 l3 
 
226 HISTORY OF 
 
 readiness to assist in the great work ; and the value of 
 their liberaUty was enhanced, at this period, by the 
 depressed state of pubhc affairs. Boston and Salem 
 were especially distinguished in this labour of love. 
 Two little circumstances are worthy of lasting record. 
 Dr. Morse gave notice from his pulpit of two objects 
 for which he requested pecuniary aid, — the one, the 
 Serampore translations, the other, the support of foreign 
 missions. The next day, a poor little boy brought a 
 quarter of a dollar to him. "Wliat is this for, my 
 child ?" inquired the Doctor, " Sir, it is for what you 
 asked subscriptions for yesterday .^^ He was reminded 
 that two objects had been named, and requested to 
 specify which he meant. ^^ Which you please. Sir." 
 The question was repeated, and he was desired to make 
 his choice. " For the printing of the Bible, Sir f and 
 he burst into tears. Another pleasing fact was men- 
 tioned by R. Ralston, Esq., of Philadephia, whose zeal, 
 for the cause has acquired for him an imperishable 
 name. A little boy presented him with a leathern 
 bag, saying, " Here are two dollars which I have for a 
 length of time been accumulating, to aid in the trans- 
 lation of the Scriptures." A considerable portion of it 
 was in cents, which instead of being expended in the 
 usual way of children, for which purpose they had 
 been given, had been deposited in the little bag, until 
 the boy thought the amount was worthy of notice. 
 While specimens of this kind are admired, they should 
 also be improved, by teaching all donors to christian 
 objects the value of a proportionate benevolence, which 
 must necessarily draw largely upon large resources. 
 Soon after their arrival, Mr. Johns received the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 227 
 
 sanction of the governor-general in council^ to occupy 
 the medical department at Serampore, during the ab- 
 sence of Dr. Wallich. 
 
 Mr. Lawson possessed singular qualifications for 
 serving the mission in that branch of its operations 
 which at the time peculiarly demanded his services. 
 He was the first to suggest to Mr. Sutclifi", when at 
 Olney, the plan of cutting types in India for the native 
 languages, rather than sending to England; and he 
 devoted himself to this work with untiring assiduity. 
 
 In a letter to Mr. Skinner of Bristol, Kreeshno fur- 
 nishes an interesting account of the state of things at 
 this period in Jessore. Petruse had succeeded Carapeit 
 Aratoon, who was appointed on a mission to Bombay. 
 He and the other native preachers laboured with great 
 success. He mentions that the class of religious men- 
 dicants called Utithis and Muhuntas had long been in 
 search of the true religion, but knew not where to find 
 it; but on hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ, they 
 began to think, What can we do? — How shall we 
 abide in the commands of this Saviour ? They fre- 
 quently went to the missionaries with inquiries respecting 
 the gospel; a few of them were baptized. "Among 
 these leaders of sects,^' says Petruse " are Ram-doolala, 
 who is said to have 100,000 disciples : they have no 
 reverence for the gods. The name of a second leader 
 is Neela-dasa, who may have 500 disciples. These eat 
 with us ; but they say, ^ If Christ has died for sinners, 
 then there is no more sin in the world : why then do 
 you go about teaching men that they are sinners V To 
 this I answer, ' If the debtor apply not to his surety, 
 how can he be set free ; and if men do not believe in 
 
228 HISTORY OF 
 
 Christ, how should their sins be taken away V Another 
 leader is Shiva-rama-dasa, who has about 5000 disciples : 
 for a considerable time back we have been preaching to 
 them, and a few have been baptized. A fourth leader 
 is Rusa-raja, whose disciples amount to about 1000 
 persons : our brethren Chamberlain and W. Carey, jun., 
 have had conversations with this man ; and some of his 
 disciples have been baptized. A fifth leader is Huri- 
 dasa, who has about 500 disciples, several of whom have 
 been baptized, and there are hopes of the leader himself. 
 '^ In a late journey to Jessore by brother Carapeit 
 and myself, we advised the deacons to spread the word 
 through the villages around their own dwellings, and 
 send their journals to brother Petruse, at Chougacha. 
 They readily agreed to this. From Chougacha we 
 went to Koola-gachee, and remained two days, preach- 
 ing, and then proceeded to Vusi-poora, to the house 
 of Prem-dasa, another leader of a sect, who was once 
 under instruction at Serampore, and then advised some 
 of his disciples to be baptized, namely, Shiva-dasa, 
 Doolala-dasa, Duyal-dasa, Goura-dasa, and Nurottuma. 
 After their baptism, Prem-dasa himself sought to 
 be baptized, but was refused, because the woman he 
 lived with was not his wife. Lately, however, brother 
 Petruse has married these persons, and they have both 
 been baptized. The people of those parts have been 
 struck with astonishment at the conversion of this 
 man, adding, ' Our caste must now go ; he whom we 
 regarded as a wise man has embraced this new way : 
 what shall we now do ?^ ^' 
 
 This part of the mission sustained a considerable 
 loss in September, by the death of Seetaram, who 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 229 
 
 was distinguished by his simplicity and holy zeal. 
 His last moments displayed the real christian^ firm in 
 faith, and giving glory to God. Goura-dasa was unani- 
 mously chosen by the church at Jessore to succeed him 
 at Vishoo-huri. 
 
 Mr. Moore of Digah refers with great interest to the 
 assistance he derived from Vrinda-vuna. He says that 
 he never enjoyed the society of a native brother so 
 much before. He was talking and reading with his 
 countrymen the whole day, and a considerable spirit 
 of inquiry was excited. Mr. Rowe gives a similar 
 account. The native free school prospered. 
 
 The mission to Bootan having been relinquished, 
 Mr. Robinson, who had lately married the daughter of 
 Mr. Gordon, deacon of the church at Calcutta, resolved 
 on proceeding to Java. Three of the most spiritual 
 members of the Calcutta church, belonging to the 14th 
 regiment, had united with five others at Samarang, to 
 form a small church under the care of Baird and 
 Russell; and at Welkvreden, near Batavia, another 
 member of the same church of the name of Brown, 
 having opened his house for worship, fourteen or fifteen 
 of the 59th regiment had joined him, and formed 
 themselves into a society. 
 
 At Agra, both Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain had not 
 only sufi'ered much from personal illness, but lost their 
 third child. Soon afterwards, the missionaries were 
 prohibited by a military order from preaching in the 
 fort. Mr. Chamberlain addressed a note on the subject , 
 to the goverment by the commanding officer, which 
 seems to have given great offence, for he was ordered 
 down to the presidency ; but on his arriving at Calcutta, 
 
230 HISTORY OF 
 
 and presenting himself at the police^ nothing was 
 said, and he was set at liberty ! Such was the vexatious 
 and persecuting treatment to which the servants of the 
 Most High were subjected by magistrates and miUtary 
 authorities. Mr. Peacock remained at Agra, and Mr. 
 Mackintosh, a member of the church in Calcutta, was 
 sent to assist him, while Mr. Chamberlain felt it his 
 duty to listen to an application which had been made 
 to him a little before his departure from Agra, by a 
 minister of one of the country governments farther 
 north ; but stipulated that if he settled there, it must 
 be ^'as a missionary, without any restraint on his work.^^ 
 
 The Burman mission had been in some peril. Mr. F. 
 Carey, was labouring alone, Mrs. Chater^s ill health 
 having caused her removal and that of her husband. 
 For six or seven weeks, the embroiled state of affairs 
 between the English and Burman governments had 
 compelled him to take refuge on board an English ship, 
 with his family ; but tranquillity being restored, he was 
 able to renew his work. 
 
 The general state of the mission was encouraging, 
 at the close of 1812. A great work was proceeding 
 silently in the 24th regiment, then in the fort at Cal- 
 cutta, from which eleven had made a public profession 
 of religion during the year. Dr. Carey had reco- 
 vered from a bilious fever, and all were well and active. 
 Mr. Lawson made great progress in the language, and 
 was cutting a fount of Chinese ty]3es. Nearly seventy 
 had been added to the church at Serampore and Cal- 
 cutta during the year, and all seemed to be actuated 
 by the spirit of the gospel and of missions. Nearly 
 every native capable of speaking itinerated on the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 231 
 
 sabbath through the neighbouring towns. Foui* new 
 stations had been estabhshed. At Patna, Thompson 
 was labouring to the utmost. At Columbo, Chater had 
 found an abundant entrance for the word. At Chitta- 
 gong, 300 miles east of Serampore, on the borders of 
 the Burman empire, De Bruyn. was employed. Soon 
 after his arrival, a respectable woman brought twenty 
 to hear him, and offered a piece of ground for the 
 erection of a place of worship. Carapeit Aratoon had 
 arrived at Bombay, breathing the spirit of devoted zeal. 
 Besides the churches in the army, and scattered efforts 
 made in Mahratta, Java, and the Isle of France, of 
 fourteen stations, only three were occupied by mis- 
 sionaries from England, namely, Serampore, Digah, 
 and Columbo ; the rest were filled by individuals raised 
 up in India. This was surely a very healthful state of 
 things. The multiplication of native agency was a token 
 for good, and a source of exceeding encouragement. 
 
 Soon after this period. Dr. Carey writes to Mr. Fuller, 
 that there was a general spirit of inquiry about the 
 gospel throughout the country, and christians, either 
 Europeans or natives, were to be found in every direc- 
 tion. He refers to five natives of high caste, near 
 Serampore, who had recently been baptized, but who 
 had come to the knowledge of the truth without any 
 communication with the missionaries. The Bibles and 
 tracts mth which they had met, had been the instru- 
 ments of their conversion. 
 
 The establishment of schools proved a successful 
 method of diffusing religious knowledge. By the 
 Lancasterian plan, the word of life could be conveyed 
 to the minds of childi'cn, even by idolatrous school- 
 
232 HISTORY or 
 
 masters^ without in the least degree shocking their 
 prejudices. Sentences^ conveying ideas of the most 
 important nature^ might be written as well as single 
 words ; and thus a whole gospel be written out, and 
 not only read, but almost engraved on the mind, in a 
 very moderate space of time. In the course of four or 
 five years, heathen youth could thus be informed, not 
 only respecting the doctrines and precepts of inspiration, 
 but of all the important facts both of the Old and New 
 Testaments. A heathen could dictate a few verses or 
 sentences at a time as well as a christian; and any 
 person who undertook the superintendence of such a 
 school, once a-week or even once a-month, would have 
 only to direct that certain chapters should be written 
 out from dictation in his absence ; and on his return, 
 a few questions proposed on that portion of Scripture 
 which he had selected, would enable him to discover 
 whether it had been written or not. Other branches 
 of knowledge, it is obvious, might be communicated 
 in a similar manner, such as geopraphy and general 
 history. To this plan the missionaries devoted much 
 attention ; and they had established eight schools 
 during this year, which exceeded in number that of 
 any preceding one. The Benevolent Institution at 
 Calcutta had been begun nearly three years; the object 
 of which was to instruct children in the Scriptures, 
 both in the Bengalee and English languages, as well 
 as in writing and accounts ; and it was found that 
 many of the natives who were nominally Roman 
 catholics, but in reaUty as ignorant of the Scriptures 
 as their idolatrous ancestors, by means of the instruc- 
 tion given to their childi-en, acquired evangelical 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 233 
 
 knowledge themselves. Their children would fre- 
 quently carry home Testaments^ and talk of passages 
 which they had committed to memory. 
 
 A small school of the same kind had been instituted 
 at Serampore^ which was sustained by the youths of 
 the mission family and of the school itself, one of 
 the eldest among them conducting it from month to 
 month. Others were also formed at Taldanga^ ten 
 miles west of Serampore ; at Viduvatee, at about half 
 that distance and between the two ; four around Cutwa ; 
 foui- set up by Mardon, and superintended by De 
 Cruz ; one supported by Fernandez ; another at Digati, 
 another at Patna, and another at Agra, supported by a 
 christian friend ; inaking in all sixteen, in which were 
 nearly one thousand childi'en. 
 
 The commencement of 1813 was characterised by an 
 unexpected though momentary interruption of the peace 
 of the mission. Inquiries were made, under authority, 
 into the reasons why Messrs. Robinson, Lawson, and 
 Johns had gone to India by way of America, instead of 
 proceeding at once with the permission of the court of 
 directors. This had all the character of a pretence to 
 justify an oppressive measure, for the reasons had never 
 been concealed, namely, that they considered obedience 
 to the prohibitions issued under the charter, as framed 
 at that time, to be inconsistent with their duty, as 
 christians, in disseminating the gospel. Some corre- 
 spondence ensued; but on the 12th of March, the 
 secretary, in the name of the governor in council, issued 
 an order for the three individuals mentioned to return 
 to Europe by the fleet then under dispatch. Another 
 order came from the police magistrate at Calcutta, on 
 
234 HISTORY OF 
 
 the same day, requiring their appearance; and he 
 insisted on Mr. Lawson^s signing an engagement 
 positively to embark. The shortness of the notice was 
 pleaded, and the intention they had of making a 
 respectful appeal to government on the subject. This, 
 however, was unavailable, and on his hesitating to sign, 
 he was instantly committed to prison under an escort 
 of sepoys. After a few hours, however, on an appli- 
 cation to the secretary from Dr. Marshman, he was 
 released. The petition to government on behalf of Mr. 
 Johns was ineffectual, who was required immediately 
 to depart. He and Mrs. Johns, with their child, there- 
 fore left at once for Europe. Permission was obtained 
 for Mr. Lawson to remain, it having been represented 
 to the governor-general that it was important he should 
 complete a fount of Chinese types which he had just 
 begun. Mr. Robinson escaped by having previously 
 gone on a mission to Java, but not without the threat 
 that he should be sent home from that island. After 
 ,the experience of so many years, the proofs of so much 
 public usefulness, and the enjoyment of so much 
 general protection, the conduct of government on this 
 occasion will perhaps excite astonishment ; but it can 
 only be in forgetfulness of the Saviour's language — 
 " Marvel not if the world hate you.^' 
 
 But the scene of christian persecution continued to 
 be the place of spiritual prosperity. Calcutta and its 
 vicinity blossomed like the garden of the Lord. Mr. 
 Leonard reported that the fort was becoming a most 
 pleasant place, without the shadow of opposition, with 
 a congregation of about 120 attentive hearers. Thirty 
 had already joined the church, and many more were 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 235 
 
 about to do so, from his Majesty^s 24tli regiment, of 
 whom not an individual had given the sHghtest occasion 
 of anxiety or pain. There were of boys 353, and girls 
 117; making a total of 470 on the school books. 
 
 Five native brethren were employed in Calcutta and 
 the vicinity ; all supported by different friends of the 
 gospel there and in England. Sebukram's labours 
 were very acceptable and useful ; Bhagvat preached in 
 several new places ; Kaunta^s scene of labour was at the 
 jail, and its very populous neighbourhood. Neeloo, at 
 the desire of several friends not in immediate connexion 
 with the Serampore missionaries, had given up his 
 secular employment at Calcutta, and was liberally 
 supported by them in teaching their families, and in 
 preaching at the houses of inquii-ers. He was zealous 
 and well acquainted with the Scriptures. Manika was 
 chiefly employed at Bhaliya-ghaut, one of the creeks of 
 the Ganges, to which place many boats from the south- 
 east parts of Bengal resorted for trade. 
 
 Carey, Marshman, and Ward had long deplored their 
 inabiHty to itinerate as missionaries, on account of their 
 domestic labours in translating, printing, and the 
 superintendence of the schools ; but they resolved at 
 length to employ a country-born brother, who, in con- 
 junction with Mr. William Thomas, should go from 
 village to village with the sac]?ed word in hand. A 
 friend presented them with a boat to be used in this 
 service ; and it was remarkable that the same boat once 
 belonged to a decoit, or public robber, who employed it 
 in the work of plunder, and at last suffered for his 
 crimes. May not this remind us pleasingly of the 
 prediction, "they shall beat their swords into plough- 
 
236 HISTORY OF 
 
 shares, and tlieir spears into pruninff-hooks ;'' or of the 
 declaration, " In that day there shall be upon the bells 
 of the horses, holiness to the Lord ?" 
 
 For six months the heart of Krishno had been set 
 on an itineracy to the eastern part of Bengal, and 
 having provided a temporary supply for Calcutta, he 
 was sent thither with Gorachund. He accordingly 
 proceeded to Silhet, within about a hundred leagues of 
 the province of Yunnan, in China. Here he found a 
 people without caste, and of good character for probity. 
 He found, also, two European residents, who encouraged 
 his efforts. In a short time he baptized seven persons, 
 and resolved to settle at Pandora, a few miles nearer 
 China than Silhet, where one of the European gentle- 
 men built him a house and a school-room. It was 
 determined to send two native brethren to strengthen 
 his hands. These were Boodheesa and Pran-krishna. 
 
 At the request of the begum, or native princess, 
 Mr. Chamberlain went, in May, to Sirdhana, an inde- 
 pendent state to the north of Hindostan. His chief 
 business was to superintend the education of the adopted 
 son of the begum, which employed the morning ; the 
 rest of the day being devoted to the education of two 
 scholars at home, and the translation of the Scrip- 
 tures into the Hindee language. He had, also, two or 
 three native schools for the instruction of children, and 
 some facilities for preaching the gospel ; but the station 
 did not appear to be of a very important or promising 
 description. 
 
 In the Mahratta country, much good was accom- 
 plished by a correspondent of the missionaries and a 
 faithful coadjutor, who married a niece of Dr. Carey, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 237 
 
 by instituting worship, opening a school, and distribu- 
 ting the Scriptures in the language. 
 
 On the second of March, Mr. and Mrs. Robinson 
 left Calcutta for Java, accompanied by Charles Leonard. 
 Dr. Marshman justly represents this circumstance as a 
 remarkable triumph of grace over nature. Mr. Robin- 
 son's intention was to establish a school there; for 
 which purpose, a lad was eagerly inquired after among 
 the charity children. No one was to be found, among 
 fortij that offered, whose parents would allow them to 
 venture to go to that " land of death." At last, Mr. 
 Leonard said, " Take my son ;" a boy of about thirteen 
 years of age. He showed an instant willingness to 
 obey, and in three days was on board the ship. On 
 their arrival they took up their residence at Welkvre- 
 den. The soldiers having greatly w^elcomed them, Mr. 
 Robinson soon began to preach in the cantonments, 
 with every encouragement. Several were already pious, 
 and he baptized six, of whom one had been accustomed 
 to exhort at their meetings. Others followed from 
 his Majesty's 59th regiment; one the barrack Ser- 
 jeant, and another the quarter-master serjeant of the 
 company's European regiment. The officers made no 
 objection to the public meetings. Mr. Robinson was 
 well received by the governor, to whom he submitted 
 his plans, which embraced the study of the Malay 
 language, the Dutch, and the Javanese, — the latter with 
 a view to translation; the institution of an English 
 school for support, and preaching to the English 
 soldiers. He felt, however, some discouragement, on 
 being informed that it would be impossible to learn the 
 Javanese without going into the interior. 
 
238 HISTORY OF 
 
 The accounts from Mr. Chater, in Columbo, were 
 pleasing. The governor and chief justice were friendly. 
 There was an increasing school ; and he had obtained 
 permission to preach in English^ as well as Cingalese, 
 as soon as he acquired the language. He found that 
 a previous knowledge of the Burman facilitated this 
 object. 
 
 Painful events, however, still accompanied those of a 
 gratifying description. In six days, five members of 
 the Calcutta and Serampore church were removed by 
 death, among whom was Mr. Rolt. Two others were 
 useful itinerants, Krishna Dass and Deep Chund. 
 Another young man was on the eve of being engaged 
 in the ministry ; his name was Feras or Ferrao. 
 
 Krishna Dass was an itinerant in Orissa, but a few 
 months previously to his death, he left Balasore, the 
 scene of his labours, and after lingering some time at 
 Serampore, removed to his house near Calcutta, where 
 he departed in the Lord. He had an understanding 
 superior to many of his countrymen of the same rank. 
 He was a genuine christian, a fervent and impressive 
 preacher, and had a peculiar skill in exposing the 
 follies of the different sects of Hindoos. During his 
 affliction, he displayed much simplicity and tenderness 
 of spirit; much fervour of devotion, and strength of 
 adherence to the doctrines of the gospel, and earnestly 
 exhorted all around him to cleave to the Lord with 
 purpose of heart. He had not attained more than 
 forty years of age. 
 
 Deep, or Dweep Chund was supported 'by Mr. 
 Gordon of Calcutta, who employed him in missionary 
 services in the jail and the neighbourhood. He was a 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 239 
 
 native of Pejiya in Jessore, and belonged to tlie writer 
 caste. He died at twenty-eight. Kureem, in a 
 conversation with Mr. Ward, related a circumstance 
 respecting him, which was strongly illustrative of 
 his character, and is worthy of remembrance. He 
 accompanied him to one of the villages to preach. 
 On their arrival, they found a Portuguese sitting 
 at his door, with w^hom they conversed, offering to 
 smoke out of his hookah. Astonished at this, he 
 asked what they meant, as they were Bengalees. They 
 said they were christians, and that they despised no 
 man, as all were children of one Father. The 
 Portuguese man, pleased with their frankness, and 
 with finding christians among the natives, gave them 
 his hookah, and ordered three chairs to be brought for 
 them; which, however, they declined, and sat on the 
 ground. By this time, several of the villagers had 
 arrived on the spot, and began to listen to the con- 
 versation ; when these brethren sang a hymn in Ben- 
 galee, "Eternal salvation by the death of Christ," 
 which drew numbers around them ; and at the close of 
 the hymn and of prayer. Deep Chund got up, and 
 with the Testament in his hand, addressed them in a 
 manner which astonished Kureem and the other native 
 brother, and excited the wonder of the Hstening 
 strangers. Such words from such a quarter ! A brah- 
 min amongst the crowd, however, interrupted the 
 speaker, and made use of some opprobrious language ; 
 and being enraged at the reply, he began beating Deep 
 Chund, who received his blows without resistance. 
 One, however, who was less patient, was provoked to 
 use threatening language ; when Deep Chund restrained 
 
240 HISTORY OF 
 
 him by saying, " Brother, we are the disciples of Him 
 who was as a lamb led to the slaughter ; who, in the 
 midst of his murderers, looked stedfastly towards 
 heaven, praying that they might be forgiven, when one 
 look of anger on them would have reduced them to 
 ashes." The Portuguese man at this was ready to take 
 Deep Chund into his arms; and all appeared to be 
 much struck with this new thing in the land, — men 
 praying for their persecutors ! 
 
 During his long-continued affliction. Deep Chund 
 unceasingly testified his rejection of every refuge but 
 Jesus; and in his last moments, he appeared to be 
 eminently supported by his hope in Christ. 
 
 The president of the island of Amboyna having 
 written to Dr. Carey to send some missionaries thither, 
 stating that there were twenty thousand professing 
 christians with places of worship and schools, but 
 without a minister, he transmitted the request to the 
 committee at home ; but in the mean time was highly 
 gratified by his third son's ready consecration of 
 himself to that new field of christian operation. The 
 government, in consequence of a representation from 
 Mr. Martin, the resident, applied in December to the 
 missionaries, for persons to superintend their schools. 
 They were greatly distressed at having none prepared 
 for the service, when Jabez Carey proposed himself. 
 About eighteen months before, he had been articled to 
 an attorney, but his apparent dislike of religion had 
 extermely pained his venerable father. Six months 
 afterwards, however, he became a converted person ; and 
 with the finest prospects before him in relation to the 
 present life. Dr. Carey having received the promise 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 241 
 
 of the second judge of the supreme court to promote 
 his interests, he thus voluntarily devoted himself to 
 the self-denying work of the mission. 
 
 In connexion with this fact, the author cannot help 
 relating one of the most impressive circumstances he 
 ever witnessed. At the first annual meeting of the 
 Society held in London, Mr. Fuller and Dr. Ryland 
 preached in the Dutch Church, Austin Friars. In his 
 discourse, the latter adverted to the happiness of 
 Dr. Carey in having two of his sons, Felix and William, 
 devoted to the mission; "but,^^ said he, ^^ there is a 
 third who gives him pain, he is not yet turned to the 
 Lord ;" — then making a solemn and lengthened pause, 
 during which tears flowed abundantly from his eyes, he 
 exclaimed in a shrill and vociferous voice, which seemed 
 to exhaust a whole soul of feeling, "Brethren, let us 
 send up a united, universal, and fervent prayer to God, 
 in solemn silence, for the conversion of Jabez Carey !" 
 The appeal was like a sudden clap of thunder, and the 
 pause afterwards as intensely solemn as silence and 
 prayer could make it. Two minutes, at least, of the 
 most profound devotional feehng pervaded an assembly 
 of perhaps two thousand persons. The result was 
 striking. Among the first letters afterwards received, 
 was the announcement of that conversion which had 
 been so earnestly sought ; nearly or quite synchronous 
 with the season of fervent supplication. 
 
 The offer of Jabez Carey was accepted, and the 
 government assigned him a passage in the Streatham, 
 Indiaman, at their expense. His employer, Mr. Thomas, 
 generously set him at liberty, and gave him the highest 
 testimonials for diligence and ability. On the 26th of 
 
 M 
 
242 HISTORY OF 
 
 January, 1814, he was set apart to the work, and pro- 
 ceeded at once from the chapel to the boat by which 
 he was to join the ship. A very pleasing coincidence 
 took place on this occasion. Felix Carey arrived from 
 Burmah just previously to the commencement of the 
 designation. Thus Dr. Carey, with two of his sons, 
 Felix and William, united in laying hands on the third. 
 " I trust,^^ said the good father, " this will be a matter 
 of everlasting praise. praise the Lord with me, and 
 let us exalt his name together ! To me the Lord has 
 been very, very gracious. I trust all my children love 
 the .Lord, and three out of four are actually engaged 
 in the important work of publishing his gospel among 
 the heathen ; two of them in new countries.^^ 
 
 The visit of Felix Carey arose out of the following 
 circumstances. He had been sent for to Ava to vac- 
 cinate some of the younger branches of the royal 
 family, where he was received with extraordinary 
 honour. He had none of the vaccine virus, but a ship 
 was engaged to send him to Bengal to procure it. The 
 king had bestowed upon him a title of distinction ; and 
 soon after, he went down to Rangoon in what they 
 termed a golden (that is, gilded) boat, with orders to 
 proceed by ship to Calcutta, and return in five or six 
 months. He had requested leave of the emperor to 
 set up a printing press, which was granted; and he 
 was required to make the capital his place of residence. 
 Thus was the Burman mission fixed in the heart of the 
 empire. Mr. and Mrs. Judson were at Rangoon, from 
 which place Mr. Kerr had departed on account of ill 
 health; and was transferred to Allahabad, situated 
 between Patna and Agra, at the confluence of the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 243 
 
 Ganges and Jumna. Km-eem was appointed as his 
 native assistant. 
 
 A plan was proposed by Mr. John Marshman, of 
 reducing all the Indian founts susceptible of it^ to a 
 size small enough to admit of the whole Bible being 
 brought into one volume of a thousand pages. The 
 Bengalee Bible had hitherto extended to five volumes. 
 By this means, it would become portable, and the 
 expense of printing it exceedingly diminished. Mr. 
 Lawson immediately caught the idea, and employed 
 his distinguished skill in type-cutting upon this 
 valuable suggestion. It involved the labour of several 
 years; but he viewed it as furnishing a clue to the 
 apparently extraordinary means by which he was 
 brought to learn the art of punch-cutting. 
 
 The missionaries published, this year, another im- 
 portant and extended memoir of the translations, the 
 general progress of which is thus summarily given by 
 Dr. Carey : — ^' We are at this time engaged in trans- 
 lating the Bible into twenty-one languages, including 
 the Bengalee, which is finished. This week, we 
 obtained a person to assist in the translation of the 
 Scriptures into the Kassai language. This is an inde- 
 pendent nation of mountaineers, lying between the 
 eastern border of Bengal and the northern border of 
 the Burman dominions. About a fortnight ago, we 
 obtained help for the Sindh and Wuch languages. 
 The country of Sindh hes on the east bank of the 
 Indus, from the sea about five hundred miles; and 
 Wuch then continues along the same shore, till it joins 
 the Punjab. I beheve we have now all the languages in 
 that part, except that of Kutch, which I hope will soon 
 M 2 
 
244 HISTORY or 
 
 be within our reach. We have not yet been able to 
 secure the languages of Nepala, Bootan, Munipoora^ 
 and Sianij and about five or six tribes of mountaineers ; 
 besides these, I am not acquainted with any language 
 on the continent of India, into which the word of God 
 is not under translation." 
 
 At the public disputation of the students of the 
 college of Fort William, before the Right Hon. Lord 
 Minto, governor-general of Bengal, and visitor of the 
 college, held on the 20th September, 1813, his lord- 
 ship, after stating the recent literary labours of the 
 Serampore missionaries, thus concludes : — 
 
 ^^ I profess a very sincere pleasure in bringing the 
 literary merits of Mr. Marshman and the other reverend 
 members of the Serampore mission, to the notice of the 
 public, and in bearing my testimony to the great and 
 extraordinary labours which constancy and energy in 
 their numerous and various occupations have enabled 
 this modest and respectable community to accomplish. 
 
 " I am not less gratified by the opportunity which 
 their literary achievements aiFord, of expressing my 
 regard for the exemplary worth of their lives, and the 
 beneficent principle which distinguishes and presides in 
 the various useful establishments which they have 
 formed, and which are conducted by themselves." 
 
 The mission in India now comprehended ten stations 
 in Bengal ; three in the northern part, — Goamalty or 
 rather Malda, Dinagepore, and Silhet; five in the 
 middle, — Berhampore, Cutwa, Vans-variya, Serampore, 
 and Calcutta; two in the south-east, — Jessore and 
 Chittagong. Krishuo resided between Goamalty and 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 245 
 
 Malda, having been transferred thither from Silhet, as 
 successor to De Cruz^ recently recalled. He was aided 
 by Manika^ who had been a preacher for several years. 
 Dinagepore was wholly dependent on the labours of ^Ir. 
 Fernandez^ who was the fruit of the early efforts at 
 Mudnabatty. His church now consisted of twenty- 
 nine members. Silhet was in an unpromising state. 
 The few who professed Christianity were much perse- 
 cuted; and the place itself was disadvantageously 
 situated, being generally almost inaccessible, excepting 
 by a boat or an elephant. A Portuguese convert at 
 Calcutta, however, John de Silva, wishing to revisit it, 
 as his native place, went mth Bhagvat, appointed to 
 accompany him, to collect the disciples and endeavour 
 to form a permanent settlement. It was at length, 
 however, abandoned. 
 
 At Berhampore, three or four individuals belonging 
 to the 24th regiment having professed religion at Cal- 
 cutta, had been instrumental of considerable accessions 
 from among their comrades, so that twenty-one had 
 been added; and though the regiment had been 
 removed to Nepaul, the station was not abandoned; 
 but it was very small. Nor was Cutwa in itself of 
 much importance ; but its value was enhanced by the 
 indefatigable itineracy of Kangalee, Kaunta, and other 
 natives, to Lakrakoonda, and various parts of the 
 country, as far as the district of Beerbhoom. At Vans- 
 veriya, about twenty miles from Serampore, Tarachund, 
 while supporting himself as a writer, disseminated the 
 gospel among a number of pupils, and others who were 
 attracted to him by his superior knowledge and high 
 
246 HISTORY OF 
 
 character. He was assisted by his brother Mut^hoora, 
 who taught a school for his maintenance. It was in 
 contemplation to form a separate chm-ch, with the 
 latter as pastor, which would present the first specimen 
 of a Hindoo church standing alone, with a pastor raised 
 up from among themselves. Serampore and Calcutta 
 were always regarded as one church. The former 
 consisted of about sixty members; but the numbers 
 fluctuated, in consequence of the continual dispersion 
 of the native converts, to settle at itinerating stations. 
 The sphere of action was enlarged in 1814, by an 
 opportunity for preaching at Barrackpore, the country 
 residence of the governor-general. An invitation was 
 given by a few non-commissioned officers and their 
 families, to institute weekly services, and the effort 
 was attended with success. Calcutta presented the 
 appearance of a field which the Lord had blessed, 
 blooming in moral verdure, and branching forth as 
 a tree in vegetative strength and glory. Besides 
 continual labours with their results, in the city and 
 neighbouring country, the fort and the jail were pro- 
 ductive of spiritual fruit, and many of the soldiers 
 became soldiers of the cross. "The labours of the 
 native preachers," says Mr. Leonard, in a letter to Mr. 
 Ward, " are indefatigable. It would take a whole day 
 to do justice to a week^s work of these men. Sebukram 
 preaches in twenty different places during the week, 
 some of which are seven miles distant. He crosses 
 and recrosses the river every day. Bhagvat preaches 
 at eleven, in and about the town ; Neeloo at about ten ; 
 and Manik at six. The brethren Jahans, Cart^hano, 
 and Petruse speak occasionally in other quarters of the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 247 
 
 city. The first four brethren preach regularly, during 
 the week, in forty-seven different houses; and are 
 invited to many more, but their time does not admit of 
 their accepting these invitations." He adds, further, — 
 " To take a general view of Calcutta at the present day, 
 and look back merely to the short period of two years, 
 who can help wondering at the vast progress which the 
 gospel has made amongst all ranks, from the very 
 highest to the lowest orders. It is no novelty now, to 
 see a Bible upon a European's table, or for a Hindoo 
 or mussulman to read and admire that blessed book ; 
 or for the praises of God to be sung, and the voice of 
 prayer to be heard, in the families of the great." A 
 pleasing fact is mentioned in the united correspondence 
 of the missionaries at this period. " In the last year," 
 say they, "the gospel had to appear in quite a new 
 light, upon a peculiar occasion, melancholy in its nature. 
 Certain Hindoos had committed a robbery in the mint 
 to a very considerable amount. The evidence was so 
 clear against them, that their condemnation and execu- 
 tion were inevitable. While confined in the cells 
 previously to their execution, however, Kaunta, at the 
 request of Mr. Gordon, visited them repeatedly, read to 
 them the news of pardoning mercy through a crucified 
 Redeemer, and occasionally prayed with them. By 
 one or two of them this was deemed an act of love ; 
 they became attentive, and it is possible that the news 
 of mercy may have reached their hearts, as it did that 
 of the thief on the cross. On this, however, it is not 
 ours to decide ; but two of them requested Kaunta to 
 attend them to execution, with which request he cheer- 
 fully complied. This was quite a novel spectacle to 
 
248 HISTORY OF 
 
 the crowds of Hindoos who were present ; and the 
 conduct of a christian Hindoo thus attending a dying 
 criminal with the anxious wish of saving his soul, 
 contrasted with that of a brahmin attending a hapless 
 mother to the funeral pile for the sake of securing 
 her death, we have reason to hope was not wholly lost 
 on those Hindoos in Calcutta who begin to reflect on 
 the nature of the gospel ; which number seems gradually 
 increasing/^ 
 
 Among other baptisms at Serampore, in the summer 
 of 1814, were those of Muhummud Seyd, a native 
 of Bussorah, on the Euphrates, who was acquainted 
 both with the Arabic and Persian languages; and 
 Muhummud Bakur, a native of Shiraz, in Persia. The 
 circumstances attending the latter were singular. He 
 was born at Shiraz, w^here his mother still lived, and was 
 about twenty-one years of age. At the age of twelve, 
 he went to Bengal with his father, who died at Dacca. 
 Being at Dacca in 1813, a gentleman conversed with 
 him respecting the gospel, and spoke in opposition to 
 Mahomet. At first, the young man was prejudiced 
 against the truth, but in a short time perceived that 
 he was wrong ; and from reading the gospels, he 
 became convinced of his errors. Frpm Dacca he 
 removed to Calcutta, where, becoming acquainted 
 with Petruse, he was introduced to Mr. Carey. A 
 short time after this, to avoid the persecution raised 
 against him by his mussulman acquaintance, he went 
 to Serampore, and remained two or three months under 
 instruction. Having occasion to go to Calcutta, to 
 recover a trifling sum owing to him, he was obliged to 
 call at the house of a mussulman of property, who 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 249 
 
 treated him with great outward respect, but, in the 
 tobacco which was prepared, gave him some intoxi- 
 cating drug, by which he became completely insen- 
 sible. In this state, they cut his clothes in pieces, 
 and conveyed him on board a ship lying off Calcutta, 
 then on the point of sailing to Muscat. After being 
 on board some time, he recovered his senses, and found 
 himself in the hold of this ship. He then attempted 
 to come on deck, and complain to the pilot, that the 
 captain was carrying him away without his consent; 
 but he was beaten on the head, and in other parts of 
 the body, in the most violent manner, the scars of which 
 were visible on the day of his baptism. They also tied 
 his hands and feet, and kept him in this state till the 
 pilot had left the vessel, and they were out at sea ; he 
 was then brought on deck, and made to work in the 
 ship, on a daily allowance of three biscuits and some 
 water. He was three times tied up by the arms in the 
 blazing sun, and ordered, under pain of worse tortures, 
 to renounce Christ. He defied their threats, declaring 
 that he was no longer a mussulman, but a christian. 
 After they had sailed sixteen days, a violent storm 
 came on, and continued some days, obliging them 
 to put in at Goa. Here Bakur, in the darkness of 
 the night, let himself down into a small boat, and got 
 to land, where he prevailed on a Portuguese man to 
 conceal him till the ship departed, which was seven 
 days. He then had a passage given him to Bombay, 
 by a European who wished to be instructed in Persian. 
 From Bombay to Madras he obtained his passage by 
 working on board a ship proceeding thither. At 
 Madras, he happily heard of Mr. Loveless, who treated 
 M 3 
 
250 HISTORY OF 
 
 him with the greatest kindness^ and introduced him 
 to the " Friend-in-need Society ^^ at that place, which 
 paid his passage to Calcutta, whence he hastened to 
 Serampore, to communicate the joyful news of his 
 deliverance from "so great a death/' Subsequently, 
 he proceeded to Digah, where the brethren had long 
 been wishing for one who could speak the Hindostanee. 
 
 Mr. Eustace Carey, nephew of Dr. Carey, having 
 been sent out by the Society, arrived about the begin- 
 ning of August. He had been designated to the 
 missionary service at a public meeting in the previous 
 January, at Northampton ; on which occasion, the Rev. 
 Robert Hall delivered an address to him on the nature 
 and importance of the undertaking, which was pub- 
 lished, and appears among his works. After residing 
 six months at Serampore, he was requested to continue 
 there. The missionaries had been lately cheered by 
 the restoration to church fellowship of three natives, — 
 Bhyrub and Jugmnohun, brahmins, and Punchanun, 
 of the vvriter caste, after years of exclusion. 
 
 The district of Jessore, sixty miles east of Calcutta, 
 was the sphere in which Mr. Thomas, residing at 
 Chougacha, laboured, with the assistance of several 
 natives. Some exclusions had been injurious, of late, 
 to the church, but there were also encouraging circum- 
 stances. The gospel had been planted here, as we 
 have seen, many years, and several had been sent forth 
 as itinerants to other places. It appears from the 
 journals of the native itinerants, that Manika-sha, 
 in June and July, visited and preached at thirty-four 
 places; that Nurottuma, in July, went to fourteen 
 places, where all heard with the greatest pleasure ; and 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 251 
 
 that Booddhi-sha, in July, visited thirty-four villages, 
 where a number of people heard the word with joy, 
 and some of them gave great hopes of their conversion. 
 In the journals, are the names of eighty-two places; 
 and this appears to be a fair specimen of the usual 
 labours of these three itinerants. 
 
 Mr. De Bruyn had been now laboui-ing nearly two 
 years at Chittagong. This was, comparatively, an 
 insignificant station, and the increase small; never- 
 theless, people frequently resorted to De Bruyn for 
 instruction ; among whom the Mugs and even Mug 
 priests solicited those parts of the Scripture which were 
 printed in the Burman language. He one day received 
 information that the Mug rajah of Rossahn had thrown 
 his idols into the fire. 
 
 The stations in Hindostan were Patna, Digah, 
 Allahabad, Agra, and Sirdhana. The first of these was 
 the sphere of Mr. Thomson^s very diligent labours; 
 but the result, hitherto, had not been great. Still the 
 Scriptures, in various languages, had been received 
 with gladness. The brethren Moore and Rowe occu- 
 pied Digah ; but with no recent additions. Vrindavuna 
 had required the exercise of church discipline, which 
 was discouraging to inquirers; but it had produced 
 the desired fruit of repentance. Their efforts in the 
 English language appeared to be beneficial. A small 
 church had been constituted at Allahabad, to which 
 were added two Hindoos. In 1814, Mr. Mackintosh 
 proceeded to Agra to assist Mr. Peacock. Diligent in 
 studying the language, they were sufficiently advanced 
 to converse with the heathen ; and Mrs. Mackintosh 
 was assiduous in reading the Scriptures to the poor native 
 
252 HISTORY OF 
 
 women. Mr. Chamberlain had devoted his energies 
 to Sirdhana^ two hundred miles north-east from Agra, 
 during the last two years. Although more especially 
 devoted to the family of the begum, yet he neglected 
 not every practicable means of diffusing the knowledge 
 of the gospel. He had instituted three schools ; and 
 represents the neighbourhood as a fine field for action 
 in favourable circumstances. 
 
 Of stations in other provinces of India, Carapeit 
 Aratoon occupied Surat, the chief city of the province 
 of Guzerat. During the two years of his residence, 
 various opportunities had arisen of proclaiming the 
 gospel among different nations. His comparative 
 ignorance of the Mahratta, the Gujuratee, and the 
 Kurkuna, had, however, been a great obstruction ; 
 yet he held continual and useful conversations with 
 Jews, fire and river worshippers, Hindoos, mussulmans, 
 Roman catholics, English soldiers, Armenians, and 
 others. Ram Mohun had lately been sent to Nagpore, 
 the capital of a part of the Mahratta dominions, where 
 some prospect appeared of forming a small church. 
 John Peter had laboured diligently in Orissa for many 
 years, where evangelical light was gradually dispelling 
 the darkness of superstition and heathenism. 
 
 In the Burman empire, Mr. and Mrs. Judson had 
 fixed their residence at Rangoon, and were assiduously 
 preparing for future efforts. Felix Carey had been 
 securing a footing at Ava, and obtained permission for 
 a printing press. 
 
 Four islands had become more or less scenes of mis- 
 sionary exertion. The 22nd regiment was still in the 
 Isle of France, and the brethren Forder and Blatch, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 253 
 
 with some others,, persevered in their christian zeal. 
 Mr. Chater was at Columbo^ had nearly finished a 
 grammar of the Cingalese, and was able to preach in 
 Portuguese, through which language he had access to 
 a large body of people. He and his wife were engaged 
 in the instruction of youth, and thus contributed toward 
 the expenses of the mission. Mr. Robinson continued 
 his efforts in Java; but the removal of the regiment 
 from which he obtained the greatest part of his Euro- 
 pean auditory, had precluded many additions to the 
 church ; and the cession of the island to the Dutch had 
 nearly annihilated his school, by diminishing the wish 
 of the inhabitants to learn English. He preached, 
 however, in the Malay church twice a-week, where 
 people of all ranks attended. The arrival of Mr. and 
 Mrs. Trowt at Batavia on the 16th of September, 1814, 
 was hailed as an auspicious event. They were sent out 
 by the Society. Jabez Carey had undertaken the charge 
 of the native schools, to the amount of forty-two, at 
 Amboyna, a small island on the south-west coast of 
 Ceram, in the eastern seas, captured from the Dutch in 
 1810. The government of Amboyna comprises several 
 islands, situated almost all within sight of each other, 
 the inhabitants of which are partly christians and partly 
 mahometans, who hve in distinct villages. These 
 villages are governed by hereditary chiefs, as the inha- 
 bitants of Europe were not many hundred years ago ; 
 that is, the people are fixed to the village in which 
 they happen to be born ; and the males are liable to be 
 called to work for the sovereign, that is, the honourable 
 company. The mahometans have the Koran and other 
 religious books in manuscript in the Ai'abic character. 
 
254 HISTORY OF 
 
 and they make use of this character in all their trans- 
 actions. The christians have the Bible and other 
 books printed in the Malay language, with the Roman 
 character, and they make use of this character only in 
 all their transactions. Every christian \dllage has a 
 church, in which the congregation, not only on Sun- 
 days, but once or twice in the week, assemble. The 
 government maintains, in every christian village, a 
 schoolmaster. This person was formerly appointed 
 upon the recommendation of the clergy only, who were 
 responsible for his conduct and qualifications, as he is 
 not only charged with the education of the children, 
 but has to perform all the duties of a minister to the 
 church, except administering the sacrament, and per- 
 forming the ceremonies of marriage and baptism ; for 
 which purposes a regular clergyman would formerly 
 make, from time to time, a tour to the different islands, 
 and visit the churches on them. 
 
 The town of Amboyna is inhabited by christians, 
 mahometans, and Chinese, who are considered as 
 burghers, and have their respective captains and 
 officers. They enjoy full hberty in the exercise of their 
 respective religions. 
 
 In the various stations, of which there were ten in 
 Bengal, ten among other nations on continental India, 
 and four on the islands, twelve missionaries had been 
 sent from Europe; including those who were Euro- 
 peans by birth, there were twenty-four ; and compre- 
 hending those raised up in India, descendants of 
 Europeans and others who conversed in English, there 
 were thirty-seven ; and if to these be added the natives 
 who desired to assist in the work of the Lord, the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 255 
 
 aggregate number was sixty-three. They preached in 
 ten languages, and were preparing the Scriptures in 
 many more, as most of them were acquainted with 
 two, and some with three or four. 
 
 Of the number of churches exceeding twenty 
 members, there were eight in the mission; of the 
 smaller churches thirteen. The missionaries thus 
 express themselves with regard to their means and 
 expenditure. " If we take into consideration the whole 
 sum now expended in the three departments of the 
 mission already enumerated, missionary stations, trans- 
 lations, and schools, it will somewhat exceed .£14,000 
 sterling annually. At the largeness of this sum you 
 will cease to wonder, when you consider that by it in 
 the last year, fifty-three missionaries of various nations 
 were supported with their families, nineteen translations 
 of the Scriptures carried forward, six thousand volumes 
 printed, together with nearly twenty thousand copies 
 of the Gospels, and twenty-five thousand smaller books, 
 and above a thousand children of various nations 
 instructed in useful knowledge. We say fifty- three 
 missionaries, instead of sixty-three; for there are no 
 less than ten who devote themselves to the work of 
 God, without terming themselves missionaries, or 
 receiving the least support ; but whose worth you will 
 easily appreciate, when we point to our friends Fer- 
 nandez, Moxon, Leonard, &c., and the pastors of our 
 churches in the various regiments. Of these £14,000, 
 £7000 arise from the personal labour of the various 
 missionary and other brethren throughout India, 
 <£1000 are subscribed in India to the Benevolent 
 Institution, and in general, £1000 voted us annually 
 
256 ^ HISTORY OF 
 
 for the translations by the corresiDonding committee, 
 at the express direction of the parent society in Eng- 
 land. Thus we receive £9000 of this sum in India, 
 and the other .£5000 from you and the friends of 
 religion with you in Britain, America, &c., including 
 the sums remitted for both missions and translations." 
 
 Whilst affairs were thus proceeding in the east, the 
 period approached when the question of the renewal of 
 the charter of the East India company was to be 
 determined at home ; and the friends of Christianity 
 became naturally solicitous for the insertion of a clause 
 to authorise the peaceable dissemination of the gospel 
 in India. In February and March, 1813, Mr. Fuller 
 renewed his visits to London to promote this object ; 
 and in company with two or three distinguished friends 
 of the cause, obtained repeated interviews with several 
 persons of rank, and members of his majesty^s govern- 
 ment. Petitions were also presented to the legislature 
 from the general body of dissenters, and other friends 
 to the mission, signed by more than fifty thousand 
 persons. Among others, a very important meeting- 
 was held at the London Tavern, when the Right Hon. 
 Lord Gambler was in the chair, and persons of most of 
 the religious denominations consented to act together 
 as a committee, and prepare petitions. An interesting 
 document on the state of India was issued by that 
 committee, in which the following statement is given.* 
 
 " Although the exemplary conduct of those mission - 
 
 * Being connected with this association, the author fortunately 
 ])reserved a copy or two of this paper, which may, probably, 
 have otherwise entirely disappeared as an ephemeral circular. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 257 
 
 aries who were settled at Serampore^ conciliated^ at an 
 early period, the favour of the local British govern- 
 ment, and the extent of their acquirements in oriental 
 literature, with the striking utility of their labours in 
 that line, procured for them, but in a more restricted 
 way, the toleration of the succeeding governments ; yet 
 it has clearly appeared that there was no disposition to 
 allow of an increase of their numbers, which was 
 originally small, and had been reduced by death. For 
 it has happened that persons sent from England, by 
 the way of America, to reinforce their numbers, have 
 been obliged by the government to quit the country. 
 In no case, however, even where it has been thought 
 proper to employ the strong hand of power in expelling 
 such persons from India, has there, it is believed, been 
 the slightest impeachment of the propriety of their 
 conduct, or the pm'ity of their intentions ; or any proof 
 produced to show that evil had ensued, or was likely to 
 ensue, from their labours. 
 
 " It ought not to be omitted, in this brief view of 
 the state of religion in India, that Christianity has been 
 liable to this peculiar discouragement, that without any 
 formal law having been passed on the subject, native 
 converts to Christianity have, in practice, been generally 
 excluded from official situations under the government 
 of the East India company ; even from those situations 
 which are freely bestowed on mahommedans and 
 Hindoos.^' 
 
 The circumstances called into action the powerful 
 pen of Robert Hall, who wrote an addi-ess to the 
 public on the subject of the renewal of the charter. 
 After stating that for want of a provision tolerating 
 
258 HISTORY or 
 
 missionaries, they had been under the necessity of 
 going to India by the circuitous route of America, 
 besides meeting with considerable obstructions in their 
 attempts to settle, he adds, '' it must surely be consi- 
 dered as an extraordinary fact, that in a country under 
 the government of a people professing Christianity, that 
 religion should be the only one that is discountenanced 
 and discouraged." 
 
 In urging the claims of the friends of religion, he 
 says, " All that is desired on this occasion is simply 
 that the word of God may be permitted to have free 
 course. Whether it is consistent with sound policy 
 for the British government to employ any part of its 
 resources in aid of the cause of Christianity in India, is 
 a question it is not necessary to discuss, while its 
 friends confine their views to a simple toleration, and 
 request merely that its teachers may not be harassed 
 or impeded in their attempts to communicate instruc- 
 tion to the natives. Before such a liberty can be with- 
 held, the principles of toleration must be abandoned ; 
 nor will it be practicable to withhold it, without 
 exciting a sanguinary persecution, while men are to 
 be found who will eagerly embrace the crown of mar- 
 tyrdom, rather than relinquish the performance of what 
 appears to them a high and awful duty. And what a 
 spectacle will it exhibit, for a christian government to 
 employ force in the support of idolatry, and the sup- 
 pression of the true religion ! " 
 
 Mr. Hall pleaded, with equal earnestness and pro- 
 priety, that " every individual of the immense popula- 
 tion subjected to our sway, has claims on our justice 
 and benevolence, which we cannot with impunity 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 259 
 
 neglect. The wants and sufferings of every individual 
 utter a voice which goes to the heart of humanity. In 
 return for their allegiance, we owe them protection and 
 instruction, together with every effort to amehorate 
 their condition and improve their character. It is but 
 fair to acknowledge that we have not been wholly 
 insensible to these claims, and that the extension of 
 our power has been hitherto highly beneficial. But 
 why, in the series of improvements, has Christianity 
 been neglected ? Why has the communication of the 
 greatest good we have to bestow, been hitherto fettered 
 and restrained; and while every modification of 
 idolatry, not excepting the bloody and obscene orgies 
 of Juggernaut, have received support, has every attempt 
 to instruct the natives in the things which belong to 
 their peace, been suppressed or discountenanced ? It 
 will surely appear surprising to posterity, that a nation 
 gloiying in the purity of its faith as one of its highest 
 distinctions, should suffer its transactions in the east to 
 be characterised by the spirit of infidelity, as though 
 they imagined the foundations of empire could only be 
 laid in apostacy and impiety ; at a moment too, when 
 Europe, convulsed to its centre, beholds these frantic 
 nations swept with the besom of destruction.^^ 
 
 The efforts of Mr. Fuller, Mr. Hall, and the friends 
 of religious liberty, were at length successful, so far as 
 to obtain, in the act which passed in 1813, "for con- 
 tinuing in the East India Company, for a farther term, 
 the possession of the British territories in India," the 
 insertion of four clauses relating to " persons desirous 
 of going to India, for the purpose of promoting the 
 religious and moral improvement of the natives," 
 
260 HISTORY OF 
 
 beneficial in their results, though not such as to pre- 
 clude absolutely the oppressions of a resolved infidelity 
 and despotism.* 
 
 On the 22nd of June, 1814, the church of Christ, 
 but especially the baptist denomination, experienced 
 a great affliction in the lamented death of Sutcliff. 
 The feeling of personal attachment subsisting between 
 him, Dr. Ryland, and Mr. Fuller, proved, as such a 
 sympathy of souls has ever proved, in the history of the 
 church, conducive to the greatest good ; for it seems to 
 be a general law, both of matter and mind, that union 
 is strength. In illustration of this sentiment, the 
 following instances may be appropriately adduced. The 
 strong affection which subsisted between Moses and 
 Joshua, between David and Jonathan, between Zerub- 
 babel and Joshua, the high-priest, among the ancients ; 
 between Peter and James and John, among the 
 apostles ; between Paul and Timothy and Titus, in the 
 
 * The following is a brief official abstract of clauses 33, 34, 
 35, 36 : — " If the court of directors think fit to refuse the 
 applications for permission made in behalf of such persons, they 
 are to transmit the applications to the board of commissioners, 
 who, if they see no valid objection to granting the permission, 
 may authorize the said persons to proceed to any of the 
 company's principal settlements, provided with a certificate of 
 sanction from the directors. The court of directors, however, 
 may make representation concerning such persons to the board 
 of commissioners; and those persons, on arriving in the East 
 Indies, are to be subject to the regulations of the local govern- 
 ments. Further, the governments in India may declare the 
 certificates and licences of such persons to be void, if they shall 
 appear, by their conduct, to have forfeited their claims to 
 protection." 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 261 
 
 primitive church ; between Luther and IMelancthon, 
 among the nonconformists. Paul^ in addressing the 
 church at Rome, writes, "Mark them which cause 
 divisions and offences;" and in harmony with the 
 purpose of that admonition, we may say, observe those 
 who, by their patient spirit, as well as by their intelli- 
 gent combination, have ever promoted the cause of 
 religion, more especially that of christian missions. 
 
 Mr. Sutcliff was born of pious parents, near 
 Halifax, in Yorkshire, on the 9th of August, 1752; 
 became a member of the church at Hebden Bridge, 
 under the pastoral care of the Rev. John Fawcett, 
 May 28th, 1769; entered as a student at the academy 
 in Bristol, m January, 1772, then superintended by the 
 Revds. Hugh and Caleb Evans; and in July, 1775, was 
 ordained as pastor of the church at Olney, Bucking- 
 hamshire, where he continued till his death, which 
 occurred in the sixty-second year of his age. 
 
 Sutcliff was the very personification of fatherly kind- 
 ness. His manners bespoke extreme gentleness of 
 disposition ; his voice was full of soft modulations ; his 
 eye beamed with benignity ; he at once gained atten- 
 tion, and conciliated esteem. The amenities of a 
 natural disposition the most affectionate that could 
 be, were perfected by the influence of religion, which, 
 in its sincerity of principle and unobtrusiveness of 
 character, has been seldom, if ever surpassed. His 
 was not, however, a feminine softness, bordering on 
 imbecility, for he possessed much decision and holy 
 fortitude. Still it was the might of patience and 
 perseverance, rather than the energy of action. He 
 would counsel, but not control ; carrying caution and 
 
262 HISTORY OF 
 
 prudence to the utmost. In the exercise of sound 
 judgment^ he was probably not excelled by any of his 
 coadjutors. Mr. Fuller was accustomed to say, that 
 when he received a packet from India, which confused 
 him by the variety of its contents, he rode over to Olney 
 to lay them before Sutcliff, who would unravel and 
 explain aU with perfect ease; determining what it 
 would be best to suppress, and what to publish. He 
 was not only considerate in all his movements, but 
 would frequently soften down and conciliate those 
 to whom Mr. Fuller's sternness had given some offence. 
 Had a painter sketched him in an emblematical picture, 
 he might have represented wisdom surrounded by 
 the graces. 
 
 To his other excellent qualities of the head and the 
 heart, were added a portion of humour. One specimen 
 may be given in illustration. Mr. Fuller had written 
 to ask him whether they should summon a meeting of 
 the committee on a particular occasion ; to which he 
 answered, — " Call a committee meeting ! No : the 
 matter is self-evident. If you do call one, appoint 
 some proper place on the turnpike road, at such a 
 milestone ; fix the hour and minute ; let us meet, and 
 set our horses' heads together, pass a vote, and part 
 again in two minutes.'^ 
 
 Mr. Fuller says of him, — he possessed the three 
 cardinal virtues, integrity, benevolence, and prudence, in 
 no ordinary degree. He further states, with great 
 truth, that he particularly excelled in practical judgment, 
 and that his talents were less splendid than useful. 
 " I have heard him," says he, " sigh under troubles ; 
 but never remember to have seen him weep but for 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 263 
 
 joy, or from sympathy. On his reading or hearing the 
 communications from the east, containing accounts of 
 the success of the gospel, the tears would flow freely 
 from his eyes. * * * There was a gentleness 
 in his reproofs that distinguished them. He would 
 rather put the question for consideration than make a 
 direct attack upon a principle or practice. I have 
 heard him repeat Mr. Henry^s note on Prov. xxv. 15, 
 with approbation. We say, ^Hard words break no 
 bones ; but it seems that soft ones do.^ A flint may 
 be broken on a cushion, when no impression could be 
 made on it upon an unyielding substance. A young 
 man who came to be under his care, discovering a 
 considerable portion of self-sufficiency, he gave him a 
 book to read on self-knowledge. He is said never to 
 have hastily formed his friendships and acquaintances, 
 and, therefore, rarely had reason to repent of his 
 connexions; while every year's continued intimacy 
 drew them nearer to him ; so that he seldom lost his 
 friends ; but his friends have lost him V' 
 
 The last words soon became applicable to him who 
 wrote them ; so that Fuller and Sutclifi", who were 
 "lovely and pleasant in their lives," were in their 
 deaths scarcely divided. 
 
 Andrew Fuller was born at Wicken, in Cam- 
 bridgeshire, Feb. 6th, 1754. His father was a farmer. 
 He received the rudiments of education in the free 
 school at Soham. Subsequently, in 1770, he joined 
 the baptist church assembling there ; was called to the 
 work of the ministry in January, 1774; and became 
 pastor of the same church in May, 1775. The year 
 following, his acquaintance with Ryland and Sutcliff 
 
264 HISTORY OF 
 
 commenced. In October, 1783, he was set apart to the 
 pastoral office over the church at Kettering. In 1792, 
 at the formation of the Baptist Missionary Society, he 
 became secretary, and continued to the close of his 
 career, the 7th of May, 1815, those severe labours and 
 eminent services for which he has been so justly cele- 
 brated. His unabating exertions to the last are suffi- 
 ciently indicated in a brief letter addressed to Mr. Burls, 
 whose name ought to be for ever associated with these 
 missionary annals, as having rendered essential aid to 
 the undertaking; whose house was the metropolitan 
 home of its leading promoters ; and who, after having 
 for many years managed its details in London, became 
 treasurer to the Society. 
 
 ''Kettering, May 11, 1814. 
 " I have much journeying before me ; first, to Olney 
 and Bedford, next week; then to the association, at 
 Leicester, in Whitsun week ; then into Essex, on June 
 the 6th, where I must be at a missionary meeting of 
 that county, at Bocking, on June the 8th, and collect 
 what I can between that and our London annual 
 meeting, which I suppose is on Wednesday, the 22nd 
 of June ; then I must return, and be at Kettering by 
 the 26th, which is our Lord's supper day. Then I 
 must set off, and be out all July, in the north of 
 England; viz., the first Sabbath at Liverpool, second 
 at Manchester, third at Leeds, fourth at Newcastle, and 
 fifth at Hull. May the Lord strengthen me for these 
 labours ! 
 
 " AiFectionately yours, 
 
 "A. F." 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 265 
 
 Fuller was a kind of oak of the forest, — sturdy, 
 unbending, athletic, both in body and mind. His 
 general aspect and manner were forbidding; and 
 throughout life he was rather dominant than attrac- 
 tive.* His perceptions were clear; his conduct 
 decided. He was a man of whom advice would 
 naturally be asked in the ordinary affairs of life ; but 
 especially so on great occasions. The value of his 
 
 * The author had an early and very striking specimen of the 
 contrast of character between Fuller and Sutcliif, which, from 
 its personal connexion with himself, he has felt some hesitation 
 in recording; but his scruples have been overcome by the 
 consideration of its being so exceedingly illustrative of the 
 eminent individuals in question. Having been engaged in a 
 double lecture with Mr. Fuller, at Walgrave, the ministers were 
 taking their places at dinner afterwards, when it was usual for 
 those who had preached to sit at the top of the table. Being 
 then very young, and somewhat overawed by the seniors present, 
 this position was timidly declined. Mr. Fuller knitted his brows, 
 and said, in a manner no one would wish to tempt a second 
 time, " Come, Sir, I like every man to take his proper place ; 
 what do you hesitate for ?" At the end of the repast, Mr. Sutcliif, 
 with a gentle tap on the shoulder, whispered, " I w ant to speak 
 to you." We accordingly retired ; when, in his softest manner, 
 he said, " My dear young brother Cox, I see that my brother 
 Fuller has somewhat hurt your mind," It was admitted. 
 " Well," said he " don't be disconcerted or discouraged. It is 
 his manner; he does not mean anything unkind; he really 
 loves you. My brother Fuller sometimes serves me just the 
 same : he speaks, on a sudden, perhaps very harshly ; but I 
 know him, and let it pass ; and he will soon be as confiding and 
 affectionate as ever." Here w^ere the men ; — Fuller severe, prone 
 to command, little disposed to make even proper allowances, yet 
 capable of strong attachment ; Sutcliff, kind, peaceful, humble, 
 generous-hearted, and wise. 
 
 N 
 
266 HISTORY OF 
 
 opinions would never fail to compensate for the repul- 
 siveness of his manner ; and yet that repulsiveness was 
 exceedingly ameliorated in the free intercourse of 
 friendship ; when, indeed, he would sometimes appear 
 to have changed his nature, exhibiting extreme sensi- 
 bility and softness. The author has repeatedly seen 
 him melted down into kindness, so that he could be as 
 gentle as a lamb ; but whenever truth required it, his 
 unyielding integrity uniting with the harsher elements 
 of his spirit, made him bold as a lion. 
 
 He had not, like Carey, to use a favourite phrase of 
 his own, a turn for languages; but, notwithstanding 
 the deficiencies of his education, he applied to them 
 with some success, so as to be able to understand the 
 Greek Testament, and form a good idea of the merits 
 of a criticism ; but he was not attracted by the study, 
 and had he even possessed leisure, probably would 
 never have pursued it to any great extent. Yet he 
 had a mind and a heart to appreciate the literary 
 efforts of others; entering into their design with 
 much acuteness and discrimination. 
 
 He was less qualified for the missionary field than 
 for the missionary cabinet. He seemed to be made for 
 the niche he occupied. His forte was to maintain 
 important points by deliberate inquiry and discussion, 
 and he gained support to the mission no less by the 
 celebrity of his name than by the force of his appeals. 
 He was slow in coming to a conclusion, chiefly because 
 judgment rather than imagination or passion predomi- 
 nated; nor, till he had frequently revised his thoughts, did 
 he sufficiently feel his competency to give an opinion, or 
 undertake a course of action ; but having once decided, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 267 
 
 he was the most immoveable of men. Give him time 
 and space, he was an admirable controversialist; but 
 he was not ready as a reasoner, and therefore would not 
 have been able, with the best advantage, to encounter 
 the dexterous evasions and extemporaneous plausibilities 
 of the more learned or witty of the oriental disputants. 
 The author was present at a vehement discussion 
 between him and Robert Hall. The latter, with his 
 characteristic acuteness and volubility fairly perplexed, 
 and not a little displeased his antagonist. FuUer^s 
 replies were slowly conceived, as well as slowly uttered ; 
 and stood little chance before the never ceasing torrent 
 of powerful reasoning, or confusing eloquence, rapid 
 words, and pungent satire, of his friend. He was at 
 length compelled, in his own emphatic manner, to 
 exclaim, — " Well, brother Hall, I cannot answer you 
 off-hand; but put it down on paper and I will meet 
 you.^' 
 
 Fuller was an extraordinary preacher ; plain, practical, 
 judicious, full of rich scriptural illustrations; in manner 
 slow and solemn. The influence which he acquired by 
 his talents in the pulpit, and by his clear illustrations of 
 divine truth through the press, fitted him to take a lead 
 in the conduct of the mission. He was exactly adapted 
 to remove objections, to afford lucid statements, to urge 
 the important claims of the object upon a yet inactive 
 community, to raise contributions at home, and to give 
 counsel abroad. He was just the man to direct the 
 minds of a committee to appreciate and examine 
 candidates for foreign labour, to take a comprehensive 
 view of what might be accomplished, and to plead the 
 cause, when needful, before friends and foes. Having 
 n2 
 
268 HISTORY OF 
 
 once embarked and taken the helm, he was ever at his 
 post, watchful, firm, and persevering, at all seasons; 
 joyous, but never careless, when skies were bright; 
 fearless amidst storms. As a man, a minister, a theo- 
 logical writer, an acute controversialist, as one of the 
 founders, but especially as secretary of the Baptist 
 Missionary Society, his name will be transmitted with 
 distinguished honour to admiring generations. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 269 
 
 PART 11. 
 
 PROM THE DEATH OF MR. FULLER TO THE YEAR 1837. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 HISTORY OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE AFTER 
 THE DEATH OF MR. FULLER, AND OF THE DISCUSSIONS 
 WITH THE MISSIONARIES IN INDIA, WHICH TERMINATED 
 IN AN AGREEMENT TO ACT SEPARATELY. 
 
 The question respecting the future conduct of the 
 mission necessarily occupied the thoughts of its prin- 
 cipal friends, immediately upon the removal of the 
 secretary. He had been its first officer, its best advo- 
 cate, its main pillar, during upwards of twenty-two 
 years ; his personal character and public exertions had 
 gathered round it a sympathy which, as respected the 
 christian world of all denominations, might be justly 
 characterised as universal, and which at once height- 
 ened the celebrity of his name, and widened the sphere 
 of its own moral influence. England, Scotland, 
 America, India mourned. Death had abstracted from 
 the church of Christ on earth a man whose mighty 
 energies were exactly fitted to sustain a great cause in 
 the struggles of its infancy and early years. His own 
 
270 HISTORY OF / 
 
 denomination, in particular, had suffered what seemed 
 an irreparable loss; and the inquiry, ^^What can be 
 done/^ was again and again reiterated, when the 
 committee assembled at Northampton, on the 10th 
 and 11th of October, 1815. 
 
 In the interval between the decease of Mr. Fuller 
 and the time of this meeting. Dr. Ryland had acceded 
 to the request of the committee who met at Luton, in 
 May, to discharge the duties of the secretary, ad interim ; 
 the period being thus limited, from the general con- 
 viction that his numerous avocations and increasing 
 infirmities would preclude his permanent and sole 
 occupation of the office. 
 
 It was to be expected that diversity of opinion should 
 prevail with regard to the choice of a successor to 
 Mr. Fuller. In ordinary circumstances, it was likely 
 to exist; but the eminence of the individual to be 
 followed, increased the difficulty. Still farther, his 
 own views were known by many who concmTcd in 
 them ; while others were either ignorant of his wishes, 
 or averse to his plan. On the first assembling of the 
 committee on the evening of the 10th, much conversa- 
 tion arose of a desultory kind; but the universal 
 feeling of the necessity of seeking Divine direction in 
 that critical emergency, determined the appointment of 
 a special meeting for prayer at an early hour of the 
 ensuing morning. 
 
 It had occurred to some of the leading members 
 of the committee, who were very apprehensive that the 
 divided state of opinion would be productive of mis- 
 chief, that if the Rev. James Hinton, of Oxford, could 
 be induced to supply the vacancy, at least for a time, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 271 
 
 it might tend to prevent contention ; and this sug- 
 gestion was made to him privately. He was not strong 
 in health, his pastoral duties were onerous, and his 
 time was much occupied with a school. Adverting to 
 these circumstances in a conversation with the author, 
 as they paced the streets of Northampton, he said that 
 notwithstanding these obstacles, his love to the mission 
 would impel him, were it the unanimous desire of his 
 brethren, to accept of the proposal as a temporary 
 arrangement. In the general committee, accordingly, 
 after Dr. Ryland was appointed to the secretaryship for 
 the year ensuing, he moved Mr. Hinton's appointment 
 as joint-secretary, which was voted unanimously, and 
 with strong feelings of mutual congratulation. It was 
 also resolved, on the same occasion, that the general 
 meetings of the Society be held in future in various parts 
 of the kingdom, at such places in succession as should 
 be fixed by the committee at each annual meeting. 
 
 Mr. Hinton possessed qualifications for the ofiice 
 assigned him of a high order. He was extremely 
 courteous and conciliating; attractive in the social 
 circle, and popular as a preacher. He possessed a 
 considerable variety of talents ; and they were such as 
 led one often to fancy him treading on the verge of 
 genius, without actually entering that elevated region 
 of intellectual grandeur. Were we in search of one 
 word that should, more accurately than any other, 
 designate his mental endowments, we should call him 
 a clever man. His devoted attachment to the mission 
 had been long evinced, and he had displayed much 
 active zeal in its service. With the single exception of 
 Robert Hall, he was probably on the whole the most 
 
^72 HISTORY OF 
 
 eminent individual upon the committee at the time. 
 " He did not accept this office/^ as his son and 
 biographer remarks, ^*^for the sake of honour. He 
 intended to apply himself to its labours ; and he knew 
 that he would both add oppressively to his existing 
 duties, and require many sacrifices of personal interest. 
 But he loved the cause too well to stand by and see it 
 sink, while any thing was possible for him to do. He 
 was most sedulously attentive to the interests of the 
 Society at home and abroad. He addressed himself 
 particularly to the existing evils of its internal state, 
 and laboured most assiduously to cherish unity of 
 spirit, and maintain unity of action, amidst multiphed 
 diversities of opinion and collisions of interest. With 
 this view, he entered on a very extensive home corre- 
 spondence; in order that, being in possession of the 
 wishes of all, he might the more effectually devise 
 measures in which all should unite, or soothe the 
 feelings which could not be indulged.^' 
 
 The next annual meeting was held at Birmingham 
 on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of October, 1816. It was 
 there resolved that the committee should choose a sub- 
 committee of nine, to be selected from the different 
 vicinities in which the general committee resided ; and 
 they were appointed to meet in December and March. 
 It was also resolved that the general committee should 
 consider the propriety of forming a corresponding 
 one in India. This was the suggestion of a com- 
 mittee convened in January, in London, consisting of 
 Messrs. Bui'ls, Cox, Hughes, Ivimey, Newman, and 
 Hinton, upon a question whether the three senior 
 brethren at Serampore were empowered to give orders 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 273 
 
 on behalf of the Society in India, if their requests 
 should be in any case insufficient. A long and im- 
 portant document was laid before the committee at 
 Birmingham, consisting of a letter from Mr. Ward, 
 dated March, 1816; but written avowedly in the name 
 of the other two brethren at Serampore. In this paper 
 it was stated that, being sensible of the uncertainty of 
 life, and, at the same time, of the great importance and 
 necessity of providing for the future carrying on of the 
 mission station at Serampore, and securing the immense 
 property in land and moveables there, they had agreed 
 upon certain " principles of the last importance to the 
 preservation of the cause." Among these, the pro- 
 prietorship of the Society was recognised; but as the 
 plan had not been fully matured, it was to be hereafter 
 revised, and sent to the Society for their approval and 
 ratification. 
 
 Subsequently, a letter arrived with the signatures of 
 Carey, Marshman, and Ward, dated April 2, 1816, m 
 which they advised the Society " to take upon them- 
 selves the direction and support of the missionaries 
 sent out from Britain ; and proposed to support from 
 their own funds, as long as they should possess the 
 means, the native and Asiatic brethren which should 
 be raised up there." 
 
 The sub-committee met at Oxford, Dec. 31, 1816, 
 when this proposal was acceded to, and Carey, Marsh- 
 man, and Ward, constituted a corresponding committee, 
 to assist the committee at home. It was also deter- 
 mined, upon the recommendation of a professional 
 gentleman from Calcutta, — Mr. Thomas, son of the 
 Bev. T. Thomas of Peckham, — that the Society^s 
 N 3 
 
274 HISTORY OF 
 
 property in India should be vested in trustees, partly 
 resident there, and partly in England; and the names 
 of eight individuals were selected, who might become 
 trustees, subject to the approval of the general com- 
 mittee, and be summoned to consider the revised plan, 
 whenever it should arrive. 
 
 The next general meeting was convened at Oxford, 
 September 30, and October 1, 1817; but the expected 
 communication on this subject had not then arrived. 
 It was, however, a meeting which led to an official 
 change of importance. Mr. Hinton resigned his office 
 of co-secretary, assm'ing the committee that with undi- 
 minished attachment to the cause, he found the 
 retention of office incompatible with his other duties, 
 and with his health. This was followed by a proposal 
 that the Rev. John Dyer of Reading should become 
 assistant secretary to Dr. Ryland for the ensuing year, 
 — a proposal to which he at once acceded. 
 
 At a meeting of the committee, at Salisbury, in the 
 month of March, 1818, the brethren Roberts, of 
 Bristol, and Potts, of Birmingham, were appointed to 
 visit Holland, as a deputation from the Society, for the 
 purpose of endeavouring to procure full liberty of con- 
 science, and security of residence, for the missionaries 
 in Java. This mission was promptly and successfully 
 fulfilled. 
 
 About the end of May, a long letter, dated Sep- 
 tember 4, 1817, arrived from Serampore, on the subject 
 of the property accumulated there, which the committee 
 had been so anxious to settle upon a basis of mutual 
 satisfaction, by the suggestion already referred to, not, 
 however, actually adopted, respecting the appointment 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 275 
 
 of trustees. It appeared, from this communication, 
 that the proposal to invest the premises at Serampore 
 in the hands of trustees nominated by the Society, was 
 deemed to be indicative of a distrustful and unfriendly 
 spirit, and in itself unjustifiable. The property, though 
 devoted to the cause of God, was said never to have 
 been given to the Society; and to prevent future 
 misapprehension, the missionaries executed a legal 
 instrument to exclude persons belonging to the Baptist 
 Missionary Society from any title to the property or 
 administration of the premises, unless elected as trus- 
 tees, by the Serampore missionaries themselves. The 
 words are very express and exclusive, — "The said 
 premises shall be for ever attached to the Baptist 
 Mission at Serampore, and be for ever held in trust by 
 William Carey, Joshua Marshman, and WilHam Ward, 
 and such persons, and such only, as they shall hereafter 
 appoint or associate with themselves in the trust ; in 
 trust for propagating the gospel in India, agreeably to 
 the original design and institution of the said Baptist 
 Missionary Society ; and that the rents, dues, net pro- 
 ceeds, and revenues, arising from the said premises, 
 shall be for ever applied to this object, and to no other 
 whatever, at the will, and under the exclusive direction 
 of the said William Carey, Joshua Marshman, and 
 William Ward, and their successors lawfully appointed 
 by them to the trust. And they further hereby declare, 
 that it is their will, design, meaning and intention, that 
 no other person or persons, either in England or in 
 India, belonging to the said Baptist Missionary Society 
 for propagating the gospel among the heathen, shall 
 have the least right or title to the property or the 
 
276 HISTORY OF 
 
 administration of the said premises, unless lawfully 
 appointed thereto by them as trustees for that purpose." 
 This was accompanied by an " explanatory declaration," 
 made at the mission house, Serampore, on the 26th of 
 September, 1817. 
 
 The letter in question, was presented to a committee 
 held in London after the annual meeting, in June; 
 present, — Ryland, Newman, Dyer, Burls, Saifery, Win- 
 terbotham, Ivimey, Cox, Coles, Edmonds, T. Thomas, 
 Hughes, Kinghorn, and Jos. Hall, who were "filled 
 with astonishment and concern." The reason of this 
 surprising and distrustful communication, as Dr. Carey 
 and Dr. Marshman afterwards intimated, was the alarm 
 they had felt at the proceedings of the sub-committee 
 at Oxford, from which they infen'ed, assuredly without 
 any ground, that a spirit of domination had arisen, 
 threatening their comfort and usefulness. 
 
 In extreme perplexity, the committee meeting re- 
 solved, that it was desirable that one of their members 
 should go to India, for the pm-pose of personal commu- 
 nication with the missionaries ; but at another meeting, 
 in August, the proposal was relinquished. The reason 
 assigned was, that some circumstances had arisen which 
 were presumed to render such a measure unnecessary. 
 The author well recollects that Mr. Dyer had been fixed 
 upon to undertake this voyage : it is to be regretted 
 that the idea was so promptly abandoned. The object 
 was conciliation, and a thorough understanding for the 
 future. Jealousies had sprung up which it was scarcely 
 possible to allay by mere correspondence ; and, it was 
 becoming every day more and more evident, were 
 tending to produce alienation. The fine flowing feeling 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 277 
 
 of unlimited confidence and love, was materially checked 
 by the death of Mr. Fuller ; the missionaries already 
 began to fill their minds with suspicions respecting the 
 new committee, that "knew not Joseph. ^^ It cannot, 
 therefore be questioned, that the free and friendly 
 communications which would have ensued upon a visit 
 of the assistant secretary, would have been productive 
 of beneficial consequences. Whether, as we more than 
 half suspect, it might have prevented the vehement 
 bickerings which afterwards led to so much exaspe- 
 ration, cannot now be determined ; but in the incipient 
 state of the controversy, Mr. Dyer's judgment, piety, 
 and urbanity, must have been as oil upon the troubled 
 waters. Personal intercourse might have effected, what 
 seemed afterwards impossible, namely, the conviction 
 in their minds, that the proposal of eight trustees in 
 England for the property, was not dictated by a want 
 of confidence in their principles, but by a supposed 
 necessity of fulfilling a public duty, to provide by this, 
 as they thought at the time, the best means of securing 
 the property at Serampore to its proper claimants and 
 uses. 
 
 Instead of a visit, however, a letter, dated June 26, 
 1818, was transmitted, declarative of entire reliance on 
 the wisdom and integrity of their missionaries; but 
 assuring them, in substance, that as the question was 
 not one of personal but public right, the committee felt 
 unable to concur in their measures, and thus surrender 
 the interests of the Society. At a larger committee 
 meeting, held at Birmingham, on the 20th of August, 
 several resolutions were passed confirmatory of these 
 views j and a circular letter was addi'essed to the friends 
 
278 HISTORY OF 
 
 of the Society^ an extract from which, will evince the 
 spirit which animated the committee. 
 
 " It is a fact with which you must be well acquainted, 
 that, for many years past, our three senior brethren, 
 Carey, Marshman, and Ward, have been enabled, by 
 the blessing of Divine providence upon their labours, 
 not only to support themselves and their families, but 
 to expend large sums in the promotion of the gospel 
 around them. So strictly have they acted upon the 
 generous principle laid down by them at the formation 
 of their family union in 1799, that though their 
 receipts, as individuals, have far exceeded in amount 
 the contributions for the mission which had been sent 
 from this country, their families have derived no pecu- 
 niary advantage from this income. All has been 
 devoted to the cause which they have felt to be dear 
 to them as life itself. 
 
 " A considerable part of the funds derived from 
 the personal labours of the missionaries already men- 
 tioned, has been employed in the purchase and enlarge- 
 ment of the premises at Serampore on which they 
 reside; and as these brethren, the youngest of whom 
 is now forty-nine years of age, begin to anticipate a 
 period in which they must rest from their labours, 
 they have been extremely desirous to devise the best 
 plan of securing these valuable premises, so that they 
 may be permanently devoted to the purpose for which 
 the Society was formed, — ^viz., the propagation of the 
 gospel among the heathen. 
 
 '^ On this subject, a correspondence has been carried 
 on for some time past, between the Serampore brethren 
 and the committee at home, in the course of which it 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 279 
 
 appeared that some misunderstanding had existed. Not 
 that the groat principle that the premises were sacredly 
 devoted to the cause of God, was ever called in 
 question. This was always most fully recognised on 
 both sides ; the only ground of difference respected the 
 best means of securing this end. This point, however, 
 has been very fully considered by the committee 
 assembled in this place, yesterday and to-day ; and 
 we are happy to state, that the greatest harmony of 
 sentiment prevailed, and a line of conduct unanimously 
 adopted, which, we trust, will prove perfectly agreeable 
 to all parties. ^^ 
 
 The annual meeting of the Society was convened at 
 Bristol, September 23 and 24, 1818. This was earlier 
 than usual; and marked as a special but justifiable 
 deviation, probably, on account of the desirableness 
 of communicating more fully, and as extensively as 
 possible, information respecting the painful discussions 
 that had arisen. 
 
 At this time, the necessity of associating with Dr. 
 Ryland, a secretary wholly devoted to the service of the 
 mission, was resolved, and Mr. Dyer was chosen to 
 that office. A few months afterwards, measures were 
 adopted to remove the seat of the mission to the 
 metropolis. Circumstances plainly indicated the pro- 
 priety of this proceeding, though it had been resisted 
 by the original promoters of the mission, partly from 
 a natural attachment to the almost consecrated place of 
 its origin, and partly from the jealous sensitiveness of 
 Mr Fuller on the subject of London management. 
 
 In January, 1819, a meeting of the metropolitan 
 friends of the mission, was convened at Devonshire 
 
280 HISTORY OF 
 
 Square, to form an auxiliary society. This, however, 
 after some discussion, was not deemed expedient ; but, 
 instead of it, a committee of live were chosen, to 
 correspond with Dr. Ryland on the subject. The 
 names were those of Newman^ Cox, Ivimey, Gutteridge, 
 and Shaw. Dr. Ryland suggested, in reply to a 
 communication from these gentlemen, that the next 
 committee should be held in London, and a few friends 
 meet them as a deputation. On the 30th of March, 
 such a meeting was accordingly held, and proposals 
 were adopted respecting an alteration in the manage- 
 ment of the Society, which were to be submitted to a 
 general meeting at Cambridge on the sixth of October. 
 The main recommendation was, that a central com- 
 mittee of seventeen, besides the treasurer and secre- 
 taries, should be formed out of the general committee, 
 who should meet monthly in London, and of whom 
 twelve should be resident in London, and five in the 
 country. 
 
 Mr. Ward arrived in England in May. He had left 
 Serampore in the previous December, and was not, 
 therefore, cognisant of the letter from the committee, 
 which reached Serampore a month after his departure. 
 His diplomatic functions were rather implied and 
 understood than formally authenticated. In fact, the 
 avowed objects of his visiting Europe w^ere, the restora- 
 tion of his health, and the obtaining of pecuniary aid 
 for the college at Serampore. Notwithstanding certain 
 misgivings on the subject, the committee recommended 
 the liberal attention of the British public to the college. 
 He collected, accordingly, in England, £2,600, which 
 was invested in government securities. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 281 
 
 The arrangements which had been made with a 
 view to the final adjustment of the disputes with the 
 missionaries^ were by no means satisfactory to Mr. 
 Ward. The committee_, therefore, soHcitous of bringing 
 the affair to a friendly decision, had repeated con- 
 ferences wdth him ; and having embodied their views in 
 a series of resolutions, dated December 31, 1819, which 
 re-affirmed more explicitly the sentiments previously 
 adopted, Mr. Ward intimated his own concurrence, 
 without pledging his brethren at Serampore. In these 
 resolutions, it was declared, "that the property at 
 Serampore belongs, clearly and unequivocally, to the 
 Society in England, and that it has hitherto been 
 held by the resident missionaries, as trustees for the 
 Society. It is perfectly well known, that on this 
 ground the late revered secretary of the mission, Mr. 
 Fuller, rested his powerful appeals to the British 
 public, and that on the same basis have been principally 
 founded the several applications made at various times, 
 to the British legislature, to his Majesty^s ministers, 
 and to the East India Company. The committee 
 cannot, therefore, but feel, that, were they to consent 
 to the alienation of the property from the Society, they 
 would violate the confidence reposed in them by the 
 public, and be guilty of a gross dereliction of their 
 duty.^^ 
 
 In addition, it was proposed, with a view of securing 
 the appropriation of the Serampore premises to their 
 original object, that all the trusts should be consoli- 
 dated into one ; the existing trustees to unite others 
 with themselves, resident in England. All thought of 
 interference with the management of the property at 
 
282 HISTORY OF 
 
 Serampore, was again disclaimed^ as well as any 
 sinister purpose whicli had been suspected in sending 
 out new "missionaries. 
 
 Dr. Ryland addressed a letter to Dr. Carey and 
 Dr. Marshman, in January, 1820, in whicli he stated 
 Mr. Ward's concurrence in the resolutions that had 
 been adopted, the perfect unanimity of the committee, 
 and his hope that they would now be convinced that 
 their suspicions of any unfriendly desire to risk the 
 injury of their domestic comforts were groundless; 
 assuring them that the only anxiety was to preserve 
 their honour and their consistency, and to promote the 
 glory of God. At the same time, as it afterwards 
 appeared, they had adopted what were termed ^' Arti- 
 cles of Union,'' at Serampore, but in reality a 
 declaration of independence, with the reservation that 
 if their union should be reduced to one, who neglected 
 to choose two others, or to write to the Society with 
 that view, for three years and six months, the union 
 should be regarded as dissolved ; that to preserve the 
 unity of the baptist mission, the publication of the 
 intelligence respecting their stations should be com- 
 mitted to the Society; and that the members of the 
 Union, and the Baptist Missionary Society in England, 
 should ever co-operate as brethren in planting and 
 extending the gospel in India. This communication 
 was handed to the committee by Mr. Ward. At a 
 special general meeting, April 25, 1821, it was resolved, 
 after a full discussion, to forward a letter of remon- 
 strance and explanation to Serampore. 
 
 The last interview with Mr. Ward took place March 
 16, 1821, when, after much conversation, particularly 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 283 
 
 on some parts of the letter of April, he appeared to be 
 satisfied with the explanation given, and said, that the 
 independence he claimed for Serampore was not the 
 being a distinct society, but such a connexion as would 
 secure affectionate co-operation, without interference or 
 control ; in which the committee acquiesced. 
 
 The answer of the Serampore missionaries to the 
 letter of Dr. Ryland, dated March 11, 1821, contained 
 resolutions which they had adopted July 14, 1820; 
 but which were not transmitted till that period. This 
 document was satisfactory. They reiterated the decla- 
 ration in the Articles of Union, January 14, 1820, and 
 in their public statement of the 20th, that they 
 purchased the premises at Serampore, with the view 
 of their being perpetually applied to the cause of 
 God in India; and to prevent their becoming private 
 property in their own families, or their being sold 
 by their successors, declared them, in the title deeds, 
 to be purchased in trust for the Society, while, to 
 secure the occupation of them to themselves, and 
 those whom they might choose as their successors, 
 they appointed themselves and certain others trus- 
 tees ; and renewed the assurance that it was their 
 original intention and present wish, that the right of 
 property in them should remain for ever vested in the 
 Society. They expressed a doubt whether they could 
 legally alter the deeds on which the three houses were 
 separately purchased; but if they found, upon con- 
 sulting counsel in India, it was practicable, they would 
 at once select, and associate in trust with themselves, 
 some of the committee at home; so as to secure the 
 right of property to the Society, and the right of 
 
284 HISTORY OP 
 
 occupation and management to the brethren of the 
 Serampore union. This was signed by Carey, Marsh- 
 man, and John Marshman. It only remained, therefore, 
 that such alterations should be made in the deeds, as 
 would render them unexceptionable; by the property 
 being secured, and the appropriation or use of it defi- 
 nitely fixed. With this expectation, it was to have been 
 hoped that the unquiet elements would have subsided, 
 and peace, harmony, and a confiding co-operation 
 ensue. It was otherwise; subsequent letters showed, 
 that while they never carried into execution the proposal 
 to settle the property on a firm and unexceptionable 
 basis, they continued to cherish dissatisfaction with the 
 proceedings of the committee. The lull in the tem- 
 pest was of short duration; and perhaps strict justice 
 would decide, that at home they were too vehemently, 
 and in too unqualified terms, charged with ambition 
 and cupidity; while the missionaries too severely 
 reflected on the committee as influenced by a spirit of 
 distrust and domination. As a mitigating circum- 
 stance, it must be allowed that the sentiments of the 
 body in either case, were not perfectly expressive of 
 those of every individual member; at least as to the 
 degree of disapprobation. 
 
 During these proceedings a new source of anxiety 
 had arisen. The senior and junior brethren were not 
 agreed ; the former imagining that the latter came to 
 them from the Society in somewhat of an assuming 
 spirit, which issued in what they deemed an unwarranted 
 degree of insubordination ; the latter thought that the 
 conduct of the seniors was often severe and oppressive. 
 Mutual complaints ensued ; but the committee adopted 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 285 
 
 certain resolutions on tlie 25th of January, 1820, which 
 they regarded as hkely to heal the differences between 
 the senior missionaries at Serampore, and the junior 
 missionaries who w^ere associated at Calcutta. Dr. Carey 
 afterwards wrote to Dr. Ryland, "it will afford you 
 pleasure to hear that a termination has been put to 
 the disputes between us and our younger brethren." 
 
 In August, 1822, Mr. John Marshman gtrrived in 
 England, as the accredited representative of the 
 Serampore Union. He submitted to the committee, in 
 wi'iting, his views of the nature of the connexion which 
 might be in futui'e considered as subsisting between 
 the Society at home and the missionaries at Serampore ; 
 and after frequent conferences, several resolutions were 
 agreed to as the basis of future relationship. The 
 funds originated by the Serampore missionaries, and 
 contributed to their objects, were to be under their 
 exclusive management and control, with an under- 
 standing that a portion of the funds for translations be 
 appropriated to the translations conducted by the 
 missionaries of the Society at other stations, in lan- 
 guages distinct from those in which the Serampore 
 missionaries were engaged. The Society was not to 
 interfere with the appointment of successors to the 
 Union at Serampore ; and the bonds of union between 
 the Society and the Serampore missionaries were to 
 be, — " 1st. In the circumstance of the Serampore mis- 
 sionaries being affiliated to the Society from which 
 they spring. 2nd. In active and affectionate co-opera- 
 tion, in regular correspondence, in suggestions for the 
 promotion of the cause, and in mutual assistance when 
 necessary, 3rd. In confiding the collections for the 
 
286 HISTORY OF 
 
 institutions connected with Serampore, to tlie members 
 of the committtee, and to their auxiUaries in the 
 country, according to the plan hitherto pursued. 
 4th. In the Baptist Missionary Society embodying in 
 its annual report the missionary proceedings of their 
 brethren at Serampore, so that the view of all mis- 
 sionary exertions in connexion with the Society, be 
 annually laid before the public in an undivided form. 
 5th. In the freehold property at Serampore being 
 vested in the Society, and ultimately reverting to them 
 for the ' purposes of the mission, in the event of these 
 purposes ceasing to be carried into execution by the 
 missionaries for the time being at Serampore.^' 
 
 Mr. John Marshman introduced to the notice of the 
 committee the pecuniary necessities of the college j 
 but as the committee were never consulted on its 
 institution, and could not regard the literary depart- 
 ment as coming within the scope of a missionary 
 undertaking, he solicited aid on its behalf as a nursery 
 for native missionaries. In order to concihate their 
 brethren, and comply with their wishes as far as 
 possible, the committee agreed to defray, to the utmost 
 of their power, whatever expenses might be incurred in 
 the preparation of pious natives for the christian 
 ministry. Six months afterwards, he apphed for 
 pecuniary aid towards the stations which the Seram- 
 pore brethren had taken upon themselves, but which, 
 from the absording demands of the college, they were 
 unable to sustain. The committee, however, deter- 
 mined to take such p^t of the said stations and 
 missionaries on themselves, as they were able, on being 
 furnished with a specification of them; but without 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 287 
 
 waiting for a formal reply^ they at once voted ,£1000, 
 and subsequently transmitted similar sums and other 
 unsolicited contributions. 
 
 At this crisis of the negociations^ the Society suffered 
 a severe loss by the death of the Rev. John Saffery, 
 of Salisbury, who had manifested the deepest interest 
 in the mission nearly from its commencement, and had 
 never ceased to render his valuable aid in advocating 
 its claims. He was a native of Hythe, and originally 
 united as a member with the chui'ch at Portsea, under 
 the care of the Rev. Joseph Horsey. Soon after being 
 called to the ministry, he was invited to settle at Salis- 
 bury, and continued as pastor of the church during 
 a period of thirty-five years, amidst growing usefulness 
 and the undiminished attachment of the people of his 
 charge. The proximate cause of his death was an 
 accident by which he was thrown out of a gig, while 
 travelling to collect for the mission in Dorsetshire. 
 He afterwards repaired to Bath, under the advice of a 
 physician; and though evidently in a state of progressive 
 debility, he continued to exert himself for the mission by 
 making applications to its opulent inhabitants and visitors 
 for its support. As life advanced to its termination, he 
 suffered much pain ; but his agonies were endured with 
 the utmost patience. His mind was stayed on God, 
 and he left the world, in the midst of his sorrowing 
 friends and family, with heavenly composure of spirit. 
 He was a plain but powerful advocate of the mission 
 in the pulpit, but still more so in those private appeals 
 by which he induced many to afford their assistance 
 who' were before ignorant or averse from its claims. 
 As a member of the committee, his counsels were 
 
288 HISTORY OF 
 
 highly estimated, being the dictate of a judicious 
 mind and a deeply interested heart. He died on the 
 9th of March, 1825. 
 
 Within less than three months after Mr. SafFery^s 
 decease, the Society was deprived of a still more 
 important individual, — its early, steady, and distin- 
 guished fi'iend. Dr. Ryland. His growing infirmities 
 had for a considerable time furnished but too evident 
 indications of the approach of an event which could 
 not be anticipated without painful emotions by those 
 with whom he had been so long and so harmoniously 
 associated. His death was felt to be the removal of 
 one of those important links that bound Europe and 
 Asia together in christian fellowship and missionary 
 co-operation, which would require much time, much 
 effort, and much prayer, to replace. In this, however, 
 as in every other instance, the providence of God 
 evidently favoured the mission, both by prolonging his 
 valuable life after the decease of Sutcliff and Fuller, 
 and by qualifying others for carrying on its operations. 
 
 Br. Ryland descended from a family distinguished 
 through several generations for their piety. He was 
 born on the 29th of January, 1753, at Warwick, where 
 his father exercised his ministry several years, till he 
 removed to Northampton. He was celebrated for 
 genius and ministerial energy. In 1786, he resigned 
 the pastorship of the church to his son, who had been 
 for some time associated with him, and who not 
 unfrequently exhibited similar peculiarities of mind. 
 At about fourteen years of age, he made a professi^ of 
 religion ; became co-pastor with his father in iTol ; 
 and five years afterwards sole pastor. On the death 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 289 
 
 of Dr. Caleb Evans^ pastor of the cliurch in Broadmead, 
 and president of the baptist academy at Bristol, he was 
 invited to become his successor, and removed to that 
 situation in 1793, — the year after he had united with 
 Carey, Fuller, and Sutcliff, in the formation of the 
 Baptist Missionary Society. From this period to the 
 last hour of life, he took a prominent part in its con- 
 cerns ; even more so, in general, than after his appoint- 
 ment as secretary, on account of his then advancing 
 years. He was identified mth every movement ; and 
 notwithstanding his various engagements, undertook 
 the task of copying most of the letters he received from 
 India, to be transmitted from time to time to Mr. 
 Fuller and Mr. SutcliiF, for their perusal. These still 
 remain in possession of the Society, as monuments 
 of his untiring zeal in the cause; accompanied by 
 marginal notes, indicative of his opinions on particular 
 facts or persons. 
 
 His last illness began in December, 1824. He 
 preached to his young people on the evening of the 
 first Sabbath of the ensuing January, and but little 
 afterwards ; his strength gradually declining, till on the 
 25th of May, at the age of seventy-two, at the close of 
 about fifty-five years of public service, and amidst the 
 universal love of those who knew him, his own fre- 
 quently expressed desire was fulfilled, " that the Lord 
 would grant him an easy and gentle dismission into 
 his heavenly kingdom/^ 
 
 When the decease of Dr. Ryland was ofiicially 
 announced to the committee, the following record was 
 entered on their minutes. It contains a correct and 
 most appropriate delineation of his useful influence in 
 
 o 
 
290 HISTORY OF 
 
 connexion with the Society. "Resolved, That the 
 committee, while recording their unfeigned sorrow for 
 the loss they have sustained, by the removal of their 
 late beloved and revered friend and coadjutor, desire 
 also to bless God for the part he was so long permitted 
 to take in the affairs of this institution, which, in a 
 great degree, may be said to have originated in his 
 faith and zeal. They gratefully remember that he 
 intimately shared in all the difficulties and anxieties 
 of the undertaking, from its very commencement; 
 proved its consistent, affectionate, and successful 
 advocate to his dying day ; and, since the decease of 
 the venerable Fuller, has materially promoted its 
 interests in the arduous and responsible post of secre- 
 tary to the Society. They reflect with pleasing interest 
 on the missionaries who, under his paternal instruc- 
 tions, have been trained for honourable service abroad ; 
 and on the greater number of ministering brethren, 
 who, taught by his holy example to feel for the general 
 interests of the Saviour's kingdom, have become the 
 zealous and efficient supporters of the cause at home. 
 But while, by all these considerations, they are 
 reminded of the greatness of their loss, they desire to 
 exercise unshaken faith in Him who raised up their 
 departed friend and his first associates in the work, 
 for the continued supply of those gifts and graces which 
 are necessary to carry forward those operations so 
 happily begun." 
 
 Dr. Marshman came to England in June, 1826. 
 The reason of his voyage he states to have been that 
 the brethren at Serampore, not having received a 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 291 
 
 second thousand pounds for the stations, according to 
 a request they had preferred, in acknowledging the 
 former remittance, nor any intimation on the subject, 
 he returned to Eiu-ope, under the advice of Dr. Carey, 
 "to lay open to the friends of religion in Britain the 
 state of their missionary affairs, and the prospects 
 opening before them of extending their operations 
 with advantage to the cause, if due aid were obtained." 
 This aid it was proposed to secure either through the 
 committee, or through friends who might "fully 
 approve of attempting to evangehse India by means 
 of Asiatic and native labourers." On the ^llth of 
 July, he met the committee, and found, by a letter 
 then read, which had been sent to Serampore the 
 preceding October, that another thousand pounds had 
 been voted in aid of the stations. With this letter he 
 was dissatisfied, and thought it would disconcert and 
 agitate his aged friend Dr. Carey. This apprehension 
 was founded on the request it contained, with, as he 
 regarded it, an impHed threat of discontinuing the 
 supply, were it not conceded, that an account should 
 be given of the expenditure of the money. This 
 request proceeded from no personal feelings of distrust, 
 but from a consideration thus expressed : ' " In order 
 to meet inquirj-, and justify the confidence reposed in 
 us by the body of our subscribers, we feel ourselves 
 compelled to entreat that an account may be rendered 
 of the application of the sums voted for your disposal, 
 from the funds for general purposes." 
 
 At a second meeting with Dr. Marshman, August 3, 
 1826, he proposed that a tenth of the whole income 
 o2 
 
292 HISTORY OF 
 
 of the Society for general purposes, should be granted 
 annually to the Serampore Union. This was conceded 
 on the condition that regular information be given of 
 the mode in which the money so voted should be 
 expended. A few months afterwards, Dr. Marshman 
 desired to meet the committee again ; the members of 
 which were accordingly convened on the 11th of Octo- 
 ber. He then intimated that the stations connected 
 with Serampore had exceeded the former estimate of 
 j8i,200 by nearly .£300; and it would consequently 
 require a sixth part of what was given for the general 
 purposes of the mission. This demand occasioned 
 some hesitation ; and it was determined to call together 
 the whole general committee, which was fixed for 
 March 15, 1827. When they assembled, a paper was 
 read, called a "confidential statement," which had 
 been circulated by Dr. Marshman, representing that 
 £1400 annually would be insufficient to supply the 
 stations; and that £1000 more than this would be 
 required, should he take out with him two Europeans, 
 as he intended, and should six young men now engaged 
 in preparatory studies be employed. If the committee 
 felt themselves incompetent to provide this amount, he 
 suggested that they should take what part they chose, 
 and leave the rest to be furnished by those who felt a 
 peculiar interest in Serampore operations. 
 
 A letter had been received from Dr. Carey and 
 John Marshman, before they heard of the grant of a 
 tenth, stating that they had placed upon the funds of 
 the Society four of the stations hitherto supplied by 
 Serampore. This was disapproved by Dr. Marshman, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 293 
 
 who requested the committee to adhere to his pro- 
 posals. After much consideration, it was at length 
 agreed that "the Society should take upon itself 
 to provide for the whole of the stations connected 
 with SeramporCj by which the friends there would be 
 relieved, and their union with the Society at home 
 perpetuated.^' It was also resolved, "that for the 
 management of the out stations now to be connected 
 with the Society, the whole of our missionary brethren 
 in Calcutta, Serampore, and other stations in Bengal, 
 be requested to act as a corresponding committee ; and 
 that it would highly gratify this committee for Dr. 
 Carey to act as president of such corresponding 
 committee. '^ 
 
 On the following morning, these proposals were 
 refused by Dr. Marshman, who assigned two reasons : 
 "first, that the distance between Serampore and Calcutta 
 was such as not to allow of a committee to meet so 
 often as the case would require ; and secondly, that 
 the ideas entertained by the missionaries at these two 
 stations, on the subjects which would come under 
 discussion, differed so widely as to render their com- 
 bination most undesirable." This statement was 
 received with profound and universal regret. 
 
 As it appeared to the committee that Dr. Marsh- 
 man's principal objection to the resolutions arose from 
 the proposal to associate the Calcutta missionaries 
 with those at Serampore in the management, it was 
 suggested, on the part of the committee, that the 
 direction might be left in the hands of Drs. Carey and 
 Marshman, during their lives, it being left to the 
 
294 HISTORY OF 
 
 Society to nominate their successors; and such was 
 the anxiety to prevent a separation, that at the close of 
 the day, it was unanimously resolved to appoint a 
 sub-committee of seven, with the chairman and secre- 
 tary, to confer with Dr. Marshman the next morning, 
 "with a view to devise some plan, if possible, which 
 may preserve perfect union and co-operation between 
 the Serampore friends and the committee/^ 
 
 The sub-committee consisted of Mr. Gutteridge 
 (the chairman) ; the Rev. Dr. Cox, of Hackney ; the 
 Rev. Messrs. Anderson, of Edinburgh; Edmonds, of 
 Cambridge; Hinton, of Reading; Hoby, of "Wey- 
 mouth; Roberts, of Bristol; Mr. Hanson, and the 
 secretary. 
 
 The result of the conference with the sub-committee 
 was, that nothing remained, after Dr. Marshman had 
 declared it to be impossiJ)le to transfer the stations, 
 but to refer this to the general committee. It was 
 immediately felt that the union between the Society 
 and the Serampore brethren was dissolved; and in a 
 private circular the matter was stated very clearly in 
 the following words, — " The fact is precisely this : 
 deeply sensible of their own responsibility for the 
 proper disposal of public contributions, the committee 
 could not feel themselves justified in appropriating 
 their funds to the maintenance of stations beyond their 
 control, and wholly under the superintendence of a 
 college, the council of which is wholly an irresponsible 
 body, and which is in part only a missionary establish- 
 ment; especially as any grant of money would not 
 preclude a further application from our brethren, in 
 their separate capacity as a distinct and independent 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 295 
 
 body, to that very public who had previously con- 
 tributed/' 
 
 The agreement for a separation was thus publicly 
 announced : — 
 
 '- Fen Court, March 23, 1827. 
 
 ^' Several years ago, it was officially announced, that 
 as the missionaries at Serampore had been enabled so 
 far to exceed the expectations of their first supporters, 
 as largely to promote the propagation of the gospel, 
 by funds which they had themselves originated, a 
 material change had resulted in relation to the Society 
 from which they sprang; in consequence of which, 
 the brethren of that station acted independently in 
 the management of their concerns. 
 
 "Subsequent experience has shown that the con- 
 tinued operation of the cause alluded to in the 
 preceding statement, has occasioned considerable 
 embarrassment in the practical arrangements of the 
 Society and their brethren at Serampore. The means 
 of obviating this difficulty have been seriously consi- 
 dered in a special meeting of the committee assembled 
 to confer with Dr. Marshman on the subject, which 
 has terminated in the full conviction that, under 
 present circumstances, it is most expedient that the 
 Society at home, and the missionaries at Serampore, 
 should be publicly understood to constitute two distinct 
 and independent missionary bodies. 
 
 " Under these circumstances, they wish their mutual 
 friends to understand that they feel united, of course, 
 respecting the general advancement of the Redeemer's 
 kingdom, and only desire that their respective effi^rts 
 
296 HISTORY OF 
 
 may be so conducted, as that the blessing of God may 
 rest upon them. 
 
 " Signed 
 
 On behalf of the Baptist 
 Missionary Society, 
 
 "John Dyer. 
 
 On behalf of the Seram- 
 
 pore brethren, 
 "Joshua Marshman/' 
 
 The preceding details will show that the true cause 
 of the separation between the Society and the mission- 
 aries at Serampore was the refusal of Dr. Marshman, 
 acting on behalf of the latter, to render accounts of the 
 distribution of monies, and his tenacity in retaining 
 the stations under their separate control, in connexion 
 with the irresponsible body constituting the College 
 Council. Surely it is a correct principle, from which 
 they, in this instance, departed, that those who origi- 
 nate and continue to contribute to the support of 
 missionary stations, should not only be informed of 
 the objects to which their pecuniary supplies are 
 appropriated, but should also possess a proportionate 
 share of influence, either directly or indirectly, through 
 an acknowledged agency; and that agents, that is, 
 in this case, missionaries, primarily sent out by the 
 funds of the christian public, are not entitled to 
 act independently while deriving support from the 
 parent institution. The committee, therefore, had no 
 alternative but to yield to the painful necessity of 
 separation. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 297 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 PROGRESS OF THE MISSION IN INDIA, FROM 1815 TO 1827- 
 
 During the years 1815, 1816, and 1817, upwards 
 of four hundred were introduced into the churches in 
 India. Adding these to previous accessions, the number 
 of baptized individuals of different nations in seventeen 
 years amounted to nearly twelve hundred. These were 
 diffused through small communities of christian fellow- 
 ship; churches indeed in their essential character, 
 though many of them were insignificant in magnitude ; 
 but presenting scenes of attractive verdure in the moral 
 wilderness. — " Let no man, then, glory in men ; let no 
 flesh glory in His presence ; let him that glorieth, glory 
 in the Lord alone. But it is no part of this duty to 
 be blind to what the Lord hath done for his cause, 
 particularly when it bears an aspect towards future 
 blessings ; for ' all his works are perfect.^ Thus, his 
 continuing his word here; his blessing it so far that 
 more than 1000 of various nations have come forward 
 openly to profess his name ; his sending it forth into 
 no less than twenty-five different places in India and 
 the isles, in most of which some degree of fruit has 
 already appeared; his raising up gifts suited to the 
 country, (though so much beneath those found in the 
 churches at home,) in such a degree that twenty of 
 o3 
 
298 
 
 HISTORY OF 
 
 these stations should spring as it were out of nothing, 
 being formed by those called in India, who, a few 
 years ago, were all unknown to his church ; his 
 opening the way for schools to be established, which 
 convey not merely the elements of learning, but ideas 
 which may enable the mind to judge between truth 
 and falsehood, and to burst those adamantine fetters in 
 which it has been so long held; together with his 
 blessing them in such a manner already, that throughout 
 the whole mission, there are scarcely less than 10,000 
 children of every description, brought, in some way or 
 other, under instruction, and this hitherto done chiefly 
 by means furnished on the spot; surely when we 
 consider what aspect all this bears towards a future har- 
 vest of enlightened converts, — of gifts that may spread 
 light and knowledge to the utmost boundary of India, 
 we cannot but feel grateful. But if we also turn to the 
 translations, which already lay open the path of Divine 
 knowledge to so many millions ; and glance at those 
 in preparation, which will open the way to nearly every 
 nation from China to the borders of Persia, — nations 
 that, with the Indian Isles, can scarcely include a less 
 number than two hundred millions, besides the hundred 
 and fifty millions China is allowed by all to contain, 
 and with these a full half of mankind, the whole will 
 surely furnish matter for gratitude and encourage- 
 ment/'* 
 
 The missionary stafi" was strengthened, in April, 1815, 
 by the arrival of Mr. William Yates. He had 
 been a student at Bristol, and was publicly designated 
 
 * Marshman. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 299 
 
 to the service of the mission, at Leicester, on the 31st 
 of August, 1814. An apphcation having been made 
 at that time to the directors of the East India Company 
 for permitting him to proceed to India, it was peremp- 
 torily refused, notwithstanding some provisions, in a 
 recent act of parhament, of a favourable natui'e; but 
 an appeal to his majesty's government was at once 
 successful; and he left England in the Earl Moira, 
 belonging to Captain Kemp, a member of the church 
 at Serampore, who generously gave him a free passage. 
 Being invited to assist in the station at Serampore, he 
 immediately began to apply himself to the Sungskrit 
 and Bengalee languages, in order to prepare for the 
 important work of translation. He had already made 
 considerable progress in classical literature, while a 
 student at Bristol ; and Dr. Carey expressly requested 
 his aid, alleging that he preferred him to any other as 
 his coadjutor. The association was reciprocally pleasing. 
 Mr. Yates thus expressed himself a few months after- 
 wards, — "It affords me the greatest pleasure of an 
 earthly kind that I can enjoy, that I am enabled to 
 please him (Dr. Carey) in what I do." 
 
 In the month of August, Manika died suddenly, at 
 Goamalty. Krishna succeeded to his labours in this 
 vicinity ; and in a letter addressed to Mr. Skinner, of 
 Bristol, gives a lively description of some of his excur- 
 sions. — " The writing of Shree-Krishna-Pala : you will 
 know my supplicating letter. Through the love of God, 
 the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the gift of 
 the Holy Spirit, we are all well : you will be informed 
 of this. More particularly : at the festival held at 
 
300 HISTORY OF 
 
 Sadoolla-poora, I read the fifteenth chapter of the 1st 
 Corinthians, and explained it in order. But the 
 brahmins disputed about the doctrine of the resurrec- 
 tion; and asked, 'Are our shasters, then, false?' To 
 this I answered, ' Oh, brahmins, hear this comparison : 
 the corn which you sow is not quickened, except it die ; 
 and that seed which is sown, the same springs up : how 
 then can you imagine, that, after eighty lacks of trans- 
 migration, you will be again born in the human shape ; 
 and that during these births you will be jackals, dogs, 
 &c. How can this be? Therefore your own obser- 
 vation devours your shasters. The doctrine of the 
 resurrection is not found amongst you ; but now it is 
 for the first time made known ; and the resurrection 
 through our Lord Jesus Christ is now published 
 through the four quarters of the world. If you believe 
 in the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 you will obtain salvation; but if you do not, in no 
 other way, in no other refuge, can salvation be obtained. 
 This which I have told you is the true method of 
 redemption.^ Before many other people I proclaimed 
 the doctrine of the death of Christ, and gave away 
 many tracts and books. 
 
 "Secondly. At the festival of the new moon in 
 Jishta,* at Rama-kela, about ten thousand people were 
 assembled. I proclaimed in the midst of them the 
 news of the death of the Lord Jesus, and gave away 
 books; but being fatigued, I sat down under a very 
 large tree, where many people came and inquired what 
 the books were, which I was giving away. I said, 
 
 * Part of May, and part of June. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 301 
 
 'Oh, brethren, permit me to quote a verse which is 
 cun-ent amongst you — 
 
 The vedas, the sages, the sects, the law books, 
 
 Are all full of contradictions — 
 
 The way of the Great One, that must be followed. 
 
 Therefore, brethren, who is this Great One ? Amongst 
 you there are three sects — the Shaktas, the Shivyas, 
 and the Vishnuvus; but in these three sects, not a 
 person is to be found, of boundless truth, compassion, 
 and mercy. Yet, in our Lord Jesus Christ, these three 
 qualities are complete; he is the Great One; and 
 therefore I confess him, and despising caste, family, 
 and honom', him I follow. He who believes in him 
 shall inherit everlasting life ; but he who believes not 
 must endure everlasting misery.' After I had said 
 these words, some persons objected ; but the mussul- 
 mans defended me. Others said, ' His words are right ; 
 for without perfect truth, compassion, and mercy, no 
 one can be a Saviour.' But I cannot, in a letter, write 
 every thing. I have written this for your information. 
 This : date, 21st June." 
 
 On the 11th of January, 1816, Messrs. Lawson and 
 Eustace Carey were set apart to the pastoral office in 
 Calcutta. After the laying on of hands by the three 
 elder pastors. Dr. Carey addressed them on their 
 solemn undertaking, and Dr. Marshman counselled 
 the church. 
 
 In September, Mr. and Mrs. Randall arrived from 
 England in the Moira, accompanied by several mission- 
 aries belonging to other societies. This fellowship by 
 the way seemed to be prognostic of their subsequent 
 union of heart amidst diversity of operations. 
 
302 HISTORY OF 
 
 On the 1st of the ensuing February, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Penney arrived ; the former having been trained to the 
 Lancasterian system, was sent by the Society to take 
 charge of the Benevolent Institution. 
 
 Mr. J. W. Ricketts, secretary to the EngUsh resident 
 at Amboyna, and afterwards to the Bible Society, 
 converted under the ministry of Jabez Carey, consi- 
 dering it his duty to return to Bengal and exert himself 
 for the salvation of his countrymen, went to Moorshu- 
 dabad, the ancient metropolis of Bengal, opened a 
 native school, and engaged in useful conversation with 
 the natives. His plan was to pay weekly visits to 
 Berhampore. He found some encouragement, but was 
 at length compelled by ill health to retire to Serampore ; 
 and as nearly all the members of the church had 
 removed, the station was discontinued. As a compen- 
 sation, the station at Dacca was renewed by Mr. 
 Leonard's assiduity in watching over the schools. 
 
 About eight miles from Serampore, Tarachund was 
 diligently and successfully employed in missionary 
 labours at Gundulpara. He had gathered around 
 him a number of intelligent young men, of whom 
 some were brahmins, who eagerly sought instruction, 
 and continually held long conversations with him at 
 appointed meetings. On these occasions, they often 
 sung hymns which he had composed. He also wrote 
 several pamphlets recommending the gospel; one of 
 which the missionaries mention as containing a candid 
 and judicious examination of the chief parts of Hin- 
 dooism. They employed him further in translating 
 some practical works, such as Baxter's Call, into Ben- 
 galee. On one occasion, he wrote in the following 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 303 
 
 strain to Mr. Ward, which may afford a specimen of 
 happy combination in him of ardent piety and oriental 
 imagination: — "The Lord^s garden is filled with 
 singing birds, which sing so joyfully the praises of 
 the God of the spring, that the hearts of the hearers 
 are charmed. On this and the last Lord's day, a boy, 
 of the weaver caste, sung hymns to Christ with us in 
 the presence of his father, who seemed pleased, and 
 listened to the word of God with attention. The same 
 boy, with several others, inwardly renounced idolatry. 
 Their conduct, both in my presence and absence, makes 
 me thankful unto the Lord, who works wonderfully 
 among the heathen.^' 
 
 About eight miles north-west of Calcutta, and ten 
 north-east of Serampore, was the military station of 
 Dum Dum. A neat place of worship was erected; 
 some European preached every week, and, at the 
 request of Hale, Kymer, and Flatman, who were 
 stationed there. Ram Mohun preached in Bengalee and 
 Hindee. Success attended this effort; and in the 
 course of 1817, nine were baptized, six natives and 
 three English soldiers in the artillery, and added to the 
 little church, then amounting to fourteen members. 
 
 Seventeen evangelical labourers from Europe, inclu- 
 ding three pious clergymen, were at that time devoting 
 themselves to the important district of Serampore, 
 Calcutta, and its neighbom-hood. Of the baptist 
 denomination, Carey, Marshman, Ward, Randall, and 
 Pearce, were at Serampore ; Lawson, E. Carey, Yates, 
 and Penney, were at Calcutta. These missionaries, and 
 the agents of the London Missionary Society and the 
 Church Missionary Society, lived in perfect harmony. 
 
304 HISTORY OF 
 
 Party feelings appeared to melt away beneath the 
 genial glow of christian sentiment. A similar result 
 has since been frequently observed; arising, probably, 
 in part from the subduing effect of distance from home 
 upon most minds, and in part from an increased 
 impression of the difficulties attendant upon the pro- 
 pagation of the gospel in the dark regions of a 
 wide-spread heathenism. 
 
 At the distant and somewhat desolate station of 
 Agra, Mr. Peacock mentioned a happy change that had 
 rewarded his assiduity, in a family brought out of 
 popery into the kingdom of Christ. His general 
 prospects, however, were far from flattering, and he 
 had no aid from itinerants, though he frequently 
 repaired to the ghauts to speak to the people. In 
 April,. 1816, he left this situation to take charge of the 
 school connected with the Benevolent Institution at 
 Calcutta. Mr. Chamberlain early succeeded him ; thus 
 returning to his labours in that vicinity. 
 
 The instructions of Mr. Moore, at Digah, in the 
 66th regiment, were highly estimated by them, and very 
 useful. The three pastors, Widderburn, Nicholas, and 
 Archer, expressed their sense of his paternal care and 
 successful efforts, in an aff*ectionate letter to him, dated 
 from the Grass Tabernacle, Dinapore, &c. Twelve 
 appear to have been made converts by his ministry. 
 He speaks with great satisfaction of the aid affbrded 
 him by Mr. and Mrs. Chamberlain ; the latter assisted 
 in the school. The 24th, 14th, 66th, and for a 
 short period the 87th, regiments were successively 
 with them. In the three former, churches were 
 formed. The appearances, both among natives, and 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 305 
 
 a considerable number of persons whose mothers were 
 natives, belonging to the regiments that had been there, 
 and non-commissioned officers in native battalions, and 
 also among Europeans, were of the most gratifying 
 description. 
 
 At Guya, or Gayah, about sixty miles south-west of 
 Patna, comprising a district of ten miles in length, 
 and one in breadth, Mr. Fowles resided on his own 
 estate, which, as a native of India, he was entitled 
 to hold. He spoke almost every day to the natives 
 and others, in his own bungalow, and visited several 
 surrounding villages, to make known the word of life. 
 Many appeared to be convinced of their errors, and were 
 much impressed by the gospel. He was afterwards 
 assisted by Rughro, a native reader. 
 
 De Bruyn zealously persevered in his work at Chit- 
 tagong, till being removed by death, he was succeeded 
 by Reveilo. In March, 1816, he says that there were 
 seven whom he should have baptized, had they not 
 been deterred by the rich Mugs, who threatened to cut 
 them in pieces, and then bribe the native judge, on 
 whom they knew well how to calculate, to screen them. 
 Khasso relates that the word was every where received 
 with joy, and that one of the head priests at Hurbang 
 declared his belief in the Scriptures, and cut down the 
 trees that he had formerly worshipped, to make seats 
 for the people to sit upon and hear the preaching of 
 the gospel. The converted Mugs talked freely with 
 their countrymen; and several of them had obtained 
 a small boat to go from village to village to carry the 
 tidings of salvation. Many unconverted Mugs of their 
 own accord visited the christian Mugs upon the 
 
306 HISTORY OF 
 
 mountains, to inquire after the new way. De Bruyn, 
 one day, after addressing about three hundred at a 
 market, heard them saying, as they retired, "we 
 beheve all this ;" and on another occasion, " if we do 
 not become christians, our grandchildren will." By the 
 month of June, 1816, he had baptized thirty-three Mugs. 
 
 The system of itinerating was conducted at Cutwa 
 upon a large scale. Fom'teen natives were employed ; 
 some to preach, and others to read and distribute the 
 Scriptures. Their journals, which were regularly 
 transmitted to Serampore, displayed their persevering 
 diligence. In addition to his various modes of instruc- 
 tion, Mr. Carey set up a weaver^s shop, to teach the 
 art of weaving to the children of native christians, — an 
 excellent device to attach civilisation to the train of 
 Christianity. In the autumn of 1817, Mr. Hart was 
 sent to aid him in his labours, and more especially, to 
 be prepared by him for the occupancy of a separate 
 station. 
 
 The elForts of Mr. Thomas in Jessore, in connexion 
 with the labours of several native brethren, were 
 attended with a Divine blessing, though the general 
 progress of Christianity was not rapid. Pleasing 
 instances occurred of the happy deaths of converted 
 natives, who evinced the stability of their christian 
 character amidst the final triumphs of their faith. 
 Mr. Thomas found it at length expedient to move 
 from Chougacha, which was only a small village, to 
 Saheb-gunj, the central town of the district, where he 
 met with success, and gathered round him four native 
 itinerants. 
 
 About a hundred miles to the east, at Dacca, a 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 307 
 
 native, Ram Prisaud, was usefully occupied. A flou- 
 rishing school was established for the instruction 
 of indigent children bearing the christian name; five 
 others were opened in the Bengalee language ; and one 
 for teaching the Persian, which was chiefly filled with 
 Mahometan youth. Two Jews were converted, and 
 publicly professed Christianity; and several villages 
 visited, consisting of Roman catholic Hindoos. The 
 priests, however, successfully opposed the establishment 
 of schools for scriptural instruction. 
 
 A letter was addressed to Mr. Eustace Carey, by 
 Alexander Wedderburn, dated January 5, 1816, which 
 furnishes pleasing evidence of the state of religion in 
 the army churches of the 66th and 18th regiments. 
 They were accustomed to assemble in the quarter- 
 master-serjeant^s tent of the latter. Eighteen were in 
 communion, and many attended their worship. " We 
 have joined in communion with the 24th once, and 
 should nothing prevent, intend assembling with them 
 for that purpose next Lord^s day. We receive the 
 ordinance in the open air, with the heavens for a 
 canopy, and surrounded on all sides with a waste 
 howling wilderness. Thus administered, it has a 
 peculiarly solemn tendency ; here it is that we are led 
 to feel the preciousness of a Saviour, and to bear the 
 troubles of this life with patience and fortitude, 
 counting them as nothing, so that we may win Christ, 
 and be found in him. Yes : Jesus is to us, as the 
 prophet expresses it, ^a hiding-place from the wind, 
 and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of water in a 
 dry place, and as the shadow of a great rock in a weary 
 land.^ We have to lament the fall of some ; of three 
 
308 HISTORY OF 
 
 of these we have no hope, fearing they never were 
 partakers of divine grace; others, we trust, will be 
 restored. Two hopeful young men of the artillery are 
 in communion with us, who joined the church at 
 Digah, before we left Dinapore. Thus the Lord is 
 accomplishing his will, and we are led to say, great 
 and wonderful are his ways." 
 
 In Amboyna, Jabez Carey was appointed second 
 member of the College of Justice ; an office which he 
 said he could scarcely decline ; but as little was to be 
 done, it would be no impediment to the discharge of 
 his more important duties. 
 
 In March, 1817, the island was delivered over to the 
 Dutch government, who, however, accepted Mr. Carey's 
 services, allowing him to retain both his situations of 
 superintendent of schools, and member of the College 
 of Justice. He wrote to his father that he had saved a 
 thousand Spanish dollars to be returned to the mission ; 
 and, with laudable disinterestedness, declared that as 
 long as he had health and strength, he was resolved 
 never to cease working for his own support, persuaded 
 that this was the duty of a minister whenever it was 
 practicable. 
 
 At the moment when the mission in Java appeared 
 to be strengthened by the arrival of a young man of 
 great promise, Thomas Trowt, his career was suddenly 
 arrested by the hand of death. He was a native of 
 Kingsbridge, in Devon; but having removed to Ply- 
 mouth, where his intellectual endowments, as well as 
 his religious character, attracted attention, he joined 
 the church in How's Lane, then under the pastoral 
 care of Mr. Dyer. He took a deep interest in the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 309 
 
 welfare of the church, and chiefly through his efforts, 
 a Sunday school of considerable extent was established ; 
 but at length, after much self-examination and fervent 
 prayer, he devoted himself to the mission, and was 
 accepted as a probationer in October, 1812. In 
 August, 1813, he went as a student to Bristol, where 
 his progress was highly respectable; and in 1814, a 
 member of the society of friends having generously 
 offered a free passage in a ship proceeding to Java, he 
 proceeded to that destination. During his stay in 
 Batavia, he preached as frequently as health would 
 permit to the British soldiers stationed there, and had 
 the satisfaction of believing that some were converted 
 to God. He baptized three about a fortnight before 
 his departure for Samarang, where he arrived in May, 
 1815, and preached to an increasing congregation, 
 with evidences of success. He was also well received 
 in the villages. 
 
 It was not long, however, before his health became 
 precarious. " Every thing,^^ he remarked, " around me 
 invites and urges me to labour. My heart is set on it ; 
 my indisposition is not such as to deprive me of all 
 power to engage in it ; but the required attention tends 
 immediately to make me worse. for the moment 
 when I shall be liberated, and enabled to serve the 
 Lord without fear ! ^^ 
 
 In January, 1816, he solicited permission of the 
 governor to remove to Salatiga, should his health 
 require it. He also proposed to him the idea of 
 some plan for the general education of the Javanese, 
 to which he appeared to assent; and afterwards ex- 
 pressed his opinion that Salatiga would be suitable 
 
310 HISTORY OF 
 
 for such an establishment, on account of its salubrity 
 and central situation, spoke of assigning him the 
 government house, and directed a person to assist 
 him in preparing a prospectus. After waiting repeat- 
 edly on this gentleman in vain, he addressed the Hon. 
 T. S. Raffles, the lieutenant-governor of the island and 
 its dependencies. In this memorial, he referred to the 
 Rev. Mr. Bruckner, as having offered to instruct any 
 Javanese youths who might desire it, in the Dutch 
 language. On the 9th of March, he received a reply 
 from the governor. In consequence of his illness, and 
 the appointment of a successor in the government, he 
 had left the affair to the consideration of the new 
 council. Thus terminated his expectations. About 
 the same time, Mr. Bruckner joined the baptist 
 community. 
 
 Mr. Trowt continued to visit Serandole, for the 
 purpose of preaching ; and though he speaks of his dis- 
 order as rather increasing, it did not prevent his public 
 services. After having changed his residence for a 
 house belonging to Mr. Bruckner, at Bujong, in 
 August, he determined, under medical advice, to remove 
 for a short time to Salatiga, to try a colder climate. 
 Finding no benefit by this change, he returned, in 
 September, to Samarang, — a change which appeared 
 for a season to be favourable ; but all hopes were 
 speedily disappointed, and on the 25th of October 
 he quietly, and at an early hour, slept in Jesus. 
 Throughout the whole of his illness, he manifested the 
 utmost degree of calmness and resignation. During 
 his whole life, he was much addicted to self-exami- 
 nation, and frequently indulged in solemn realisations 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 311 
 
 of judgment and eternity. He was thus eminently- 
 prepared for the transition from the labours of earth 
 to the rest of heaven. 
 
 On his retm'n from Ava, Felix Carey found the boat 
 in which he had been wrecked, and recovered some 
 articles, particularly the manuscript of a dictionary he 
 had been engaged in preparing. The press, also, was 
 preserved, but the types had disappeared. A copy of 
 the translation of the gospels had been left with Mr. 
 Judson. When the Rangoon government showered 
 its honours on Mr. Carey, his father gave vent to his 
 feelings in writing to Dr. Kyland, in these remarkable 
 words, " my son is shrivelled from a missionary into an 
 ambassador;" language which every right thinking 
 person will know how to appreciate; but which pro- 
 bably very few, even christian parents, would have 
 employed. 
 
 On the 30th of April, 1816, Mr. Judson states 
 that he had finished the first draft of a tract in Bur- 
 man. About this time, Mr. and Mrs. Hough, with 
 their two children, and Mrs. White, appointed by the 
 Baptist Board for Foreign Missions, of the United 
 States, arrived at Calcutta, on their way to assist 
 Mr. Judson. After the lapse of a few months, 
 Mr. Judson and Mr. Hough, in a joint letter to 
 Serampore, say, that though in many respects their 
 situation was dismal and solitary, yet they hoped to 
 remain in Burmah, where, notwithstanding some 
 abortive efi^orts, they considered the mission as esta- 
 blished. They were particularly gratified by the 
 possession of a press, and hoped to turn it to good 
 account. In June, 1817, the translating and printing 
 
312 HISTORY OF 
 
 of the gospel by Matthew, which had cost four months' 
 labour, was completed ; and stimulated by Mr. Hough, 
 Mr. Judson began a Burman Dictionary from materials 
 he had been long accumulating. They were daily 
 cheered with the expectation of good effects produced 
 by their translations. Henceforth the Burman mission 
 may be regarded as transferred to the American Board 
 of Foreign Missions. 
 
 Mr. Chater was stedfast and persevering in his 
 efforts in Ceylon, aided materially by the co-operation 
 of Mr. Siers and his Cingalese teacher. He and his 
 wife suffered a severe affliction in 1815, by the loss of 
 two sons sent to Europe for education in the ship 
 Armiston, which struck on a rock in Black Bay, near 
 the Cape, when nearly all on board perished. This 
 trial was borne with an exemplary resignation; and 
 while it distressed his mind, it did not impede his pious 
 efforts. He greatly deplored his inability to produce 
 any effect in Columbo, by preaching in Cingalese; 
 he could not even collect ten persons, though he 
 found some opening at a village called Jael. But in 
 Portuguese in the Pettah, and in English in the fort, 
 he had some encouragement. He particularly refers 
 to the distribution of a tract of Scripture extracts. 
 He says the people were ready to devour him for 
 them; and the catholics sought them as well as the 
 protestants. He prepared a grammar in Cingalese, 
 which was much approved, and was enabled at length 
 to carry forward the translation of the Scriptures, after 
 the lamented death of Mr. Tolfrey, his associate in 
 the work. 
 
 A new station was begun at Hangwell, twenty miles 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 313 
 
 from Columbo, on the road to Kandy, whither Mr. Siers 
 went to introduce the gospel ; and in July, 1820, a 
 small church was formed, over which he presided, 
 Mr. Griffiths resided at Point de Galle, eighty miles 
 from Columbo, where he engaged in preaching, and 
 establishing schools ; but his health could not sustain 
 the climate. 
 
 The labours of Carapeit Aratoon at Surat were 
 continued with incessant zeal, but little visible success. 
 Hope, however, and faith sustained him. The follow- 
 ing extract of a letter evinces his spirit : " 1 see that 
 the difficulties at Surat are almost gone; I hope we 
 shall rejoice hereafter in seeing the good seed sown in 
 this dry and thirsty land spring up. Many copies of 
 the New Testament, and various tracts have been dis- 
 tributed; and though I do not see present fruit, yea, 
 should I die without seeing the fruit, yet surely the 
 brother who succeeds me will rejoice in the harvest 
 which shall be gathered in here. Therefore I hope that 
 my brethren, when they are on their knees, will address 
 the throne of the great King of Israel that he may 
 pour down his Spirit on this people, and direct them 
 how to come out of the thick wilderness, and that I 
 may have some success such as I had when stationed 
 at my old and dearer place, Jessore. I am very glad 
 to inform you that here is a young Hindoo who wishes 
 to embrace the gospel." On another occasion he 
 writes, "I am daily out among the natives of Surat, 
 proclaiming the tidings of oui- Lord Jesus. Sometimes 
 I have a whole crowd to hear me quietly, sometimes 
 but few, sometimes can get none to attend, and some- 
 times they all set themselves against me. At times 
 
 p 
 
314 HISTORY OF 
 
 a few come to our house. Thus thousands have heard 
 the word of life^ and many have received the gospels 
 and rehgious tracts in their own language; some 
 seem to hear with joy, and many have sent the 
 gospels to their own country. Surely all shall not be 
 in vain. Let us keep all our hopes fixed on the Lord." 
 
 The city of Benares, the seat of Hindoo learning 
 and superstition, had long been an object of solicitude ; 
 and Mr. William Smith, who had been converted by 
 John Peter, was sent thither in the latter end of 1817, 
 from Orissa ; on his way, he distributed the Scriptures 
 in various languages, and many appeared to be roused 
 to serious thought. He soon reaped the first-fruits 
 of his early labours, in the public profession of 
 Christianity by a brahmin, Rama Dass, who after- 
 wards continued to display much anxiety for the 
 conversion of his countrymen. In the establishment 
 of schools he was assisted by a wealthy native; and 
 the boys in them are said to have manifested great 
 pleasure in reading the Scriptures. The enemy, 
 however, came in like a flood ; and some persons were 
 so intimidated by the threats of their former com- 
 panions, as to abandon their attendance upon christian 
 instruction. Still the station was well maintained. 
 
 In consequence of various impediments to the 
 exercise of his missionary functions in Amboyna, 
 Jabez Carey left the island, and returned to Bengal. 
 Soon afterwards an extensive sphere of usefulness 
 presented itself in the provinces which had been 
 recently added to the British territory, under the name 
 of Rajpoothana. The relinquishment of this insular 
 station, however, was succeeded by the occupation of 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 315 
 
 another. Nathaniel Ward, nephew of Mr. Ward of 
 Serampore, went with a printing press to Sumatra, 
 a central spot for the diffusion of the gospel in the 
 islands of the eastern Archipelago. 
 
 Versions of the whole Scriptures were now printed 
 in five different languages, — the Bengalee, Sungskrit, 
 Orissa, Mahratta, and Hindee. Copies of the New 
 Testament in the Telinga, Pushtoo, and Kunkuna, had 
 been presented to the committee of the British and 
 Foreign Bible Society, and editions in fourteen other 
 languages were passing through the press, under the 
 immediate inspection of Dr. Carey. Thirteen presses 
 were engaged in this mighty enterprise of sending 
 the streams of life through the eastern nations. 
 
 In the native schools, besides reading, writing, and 
 arithmetic, the elements of useful knowledge were 
 given, in grammar, astronomy, natural philosophy, 
 geography, history, and other sciences. They were 
 
 as follow : — 
 
 • 
 
 Schools. Children. 
 
 Calcutta Benevolent Institution . . I 220 
 
 ■ Other Schools 2 50 
 
 Serampore and neighbourhood . . 92 7188 
 
 Cutwa 11 854 
 
 Moorshudubad 3 200 
 
 Dacca 7 507 
 
 Dinagepore 1 50 
 
 Digah and neighbourhood 3 100 
 
 Chittagong 1 30 
 
 Ceylon 3 150 
 
 126 9,349 
 p2 
 
316 HISTORY OF 
 
 In contemplating the events which occurred from 
 1819 to 1827 inclusive, it will not be necessary to 
 dwell upon details belonging to subordinate stations ; 
 those only of greater importance being sufficient to 
 show the general progress of the Indian mission. 
 
 During Mr. Ward^s absence in England, the station 
 at Serampore was deprived of the valuable services 
 of Mr. Randall, by his death. He was extremely 
 well qualified for that department he had filled, — 
 the manufacture of paper ; besides that, his pious zeal 
 induced him frequently to embrace opportunities of 
 recommending the gospel to the natives. The erection 
 of the college upon a scale of great magnificence, 
 engaged much attention at Serampore. It was begun 
 in 1818. The entire premises on which it was built 
 comprised about eight acres. The buildings were 
 estimated to cost at least ten thousand pounds. In 
 referring to the differences between the missionaries 
 and the committee, it has been already intimated that 
 to the latter it appeared an objectionable scheme ; and 
 its subsequent failure justified their apprehensions. 
 In the splendid idea of a literary institution, which, 
 however, was but very partially applicable to missionary 
 purposes, the cost was not sufficiently considered, nor 
 the probability of rival projects being undertaken, 
 which might prove detrimental to its interests. But 
 if there were a tincture of ambition in the scheme, 
 which piety might deplore, allowances ought to be 
 made for human weakness, and the force of the 
 temptations with which individuals so circumstanced 
 and so honoured must have been assailed. It appears 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 317 
 
 at first not unnaturally to have arisen out of the 
 success of the schools^ in which more than ten thou- 
 sand native children were educated^ — the assurance 
 that they either possessed, or were able to com- 
 mand suitable persons for the undertaking,— and the 
 glowing anticipations they would naturally indulge 
 respecting a vast enterprise of their own origination. 
 The committee were willing to aiFord all the aid they 
 legitimately could, by appropriating sums for the 
 native department, as has been seen; nevertheless, their 
 prognostications, at the time, of empty halls of science, 
 were too literally and deplorably realised. But 
 although it were a magnificent failure, a veil of. 
 christian candour ought to be cast over both the 
 men and the measures. 
 
 In order to counteract the spirit of thoughtless 
 improvidence, a Savings^ Bank was established at 
 Serampore, which was universally approved. Dr. 
 Carey also formed an Agricultural and Horticultural 
 Society, which was patronised by the governor- general. 
 Several of the most opulent natives joined it. " I 
 hope," says Dr. Carey, " it will ultimately be of great 
 benefit to the country, and contribute to prepare its 
 inhabitants for the time when they shall beat their 
 swords into ploughshares and their spears into 
 pruning-hooks." 
 
 In the early part of 1823, the united band of 
 missionary confederates at Serampore were visited with 
 deep affliction in the almost sudden death of their 
 beloved and long tried associate Mr. Ward. He had 
 returned from Europe a comparatively short time, to 
 
318 HISTORY OF 
 
 resume his work ; but it was at an end, or rather it 
 was transferred to a nobler sphere of activity, — for in 
 heaven " His servants shall serve Him." 
 
 William Ward was born at Derby, October 20th, 
 1769, and was apprenticed to a printer at Hull, 
 where he united with the church in George Street. 
 Upon giving some indications of ministerial talents, 
 he was sent to receive suitable instruction from 
 Dr. Fawcett of Ewood Hall. His missionary spirit 
 soon evinced itself, an^ he determined to devote his 
 energies exclusively to the welfare of the heathen 
 world. He is mentioned in the early records of the 
 Society as the first person whose qualifications appeared 
 to be unexceptionable, after the choice of Mr. Carey, 
 with whom he obtained some acquaintance previously 
 to his quitting England ; and who said to him, " if the 
 Lord bless us, we shall want a person of your business 
 to print the Scriptures; I hope you will come after 
 us.'' This hint remained upon his mind, and influ- 
 enced his future determinations. On the 7th of May, 
 1799, he and Mr. Brunsdon were solemnly designated 
 to the work of the mission in India, at Olney. In 
 reply to the questions proposed on the occasion by 
 Mr. Fuller, he stated that he was constrained by the 
 command of Christ to go into all the world and preach 
 his gospel, and encouraged by the promise of his gra- 
 cious presence. " While I was at Ewood Hall,'' said he, 
 " I received an invitation to carry the gospel and a 
 printing press to India, where brother Carey and 
 others have erected the standard of the cross. I 
 prayed to God, and advised with my friends. In 
 complying with this request, I gave up all other 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 319 
 
 prospects, and devoted myself to that of attempting to 
 bless a nation of heathens. Since that time, my peace 
 and joy in God have more and more abounded. Duty 
 and pleasure have in my employment gone hand in 
 hand. Sometimes I have been enabled to say, 
 
 ' No joy can be compared to this 
 To serve and please the Lord.' 
 
 In his strength, therefore, I would go forth, borne up 
 by your prayers, hoping that two or three stones at 
 least may be laid of the foundation of Christ^s king- 
 dom in India, nothing doubting but that the fair fabric 
 will rise from age to age, till time shall be no more." 
 
 On his arrival at Calcutta in October, 1799, he 
 proceeded to Serampore, and thence to Mudnabatty, 
 where Mr. Carey resided, whom he induced to remove, 
 for the purpose of consolidating the mission at Seram- 
 pore. Mr. Ward married Mrs. Fountain in May, 1802. 
 In July of the following year, he was appointed 
 deacon; and on the 6th of October, 1805, he and 
 Mr. Marshman were called to associate with Mr. Carey 
 as pastors of the church. 
 
 He devoted many years to the compilation of a work 
 of considerable magnitude on "the Religion and 
 Manners of the Hindoos," which appeared in 1811, in 
 four quarto volumes. It was afterwards much im- 
 proved, and published in England in two octavos, 
 where it has ever been esteemed a standard work 
 upon the subject. 
 
 During his visit to England in 1819, he travelled 
 much and preached often for the mission. He also 
 made collections for the Serampore college, and went 
 to Holland and America for the purpose. He left on 
 
320 HISTORY OF 
 
 the 28tli of May^ 1821, for Bengal, which he reached 
 in company with Mrs. Marshman and other mission- 
 aries on the 24th of September. A few months after 
 this he died of cholera, in th€ fifty-fourth year of his 
 age. It is remarkable that the same ship which con- 
 veyed a letter from him stating that he, with all the 
 family, were in health, communicated to Europe also 
 the tidings of his sudden departure, on the 7th of 
 March, 1823. 
 
 Mr. Ward was distinguished by fidelity and zeal 
 in his Master^s cause ; by warmth of affection and 
 general affability. In the various relations in which 
 he stood to the missionary cause, as a pastor, printer, 
 journalist, occasional itinerant, and author of the 
 " Religion and Manners of the Hindoos, ^^ and " Fare- 
 well Letters,^^ he acquired high reputation. The work 
 for which God pre-eminently qualified and providen- 
 tially devoted him was, the printing of the Scriptures 
 in India. In his own diary, he entered, during 
 his voyage out, the words, "unto me, who am less 
 than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that 
 I should print among the heathen the unsearchable 
 riches of Christ/^ and on him was conferred the 
 honour of doing this to an unparalleled extent ; for at 
 the time of his decease, he had advanced to the 
 printing of the twentieth version of the New Testament 
 in the languages of India, under his o^vn immediate 
 inspection. In the preparation of the founts of types 
 which they required, his singular competency in the 
 knowledge of his art and his nice discernment, were 
 associated with a love of souls that inspired inde- 
 fatigable diligence and perseverance. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 321 
 
 Though Mr. Ward was by no means eminent as a 
 preacher, yet he was capable of producing a powerful 
 impression by the simplicity of his details, and a 
 certain degree of pathos in his appeals. His public 
 discourses showed the heart of a missionary ; but his 
 private intercourse had the air of reserve, which, 
 during his appearance in England, might have been 
 superinduced, or at least considerably increased by the 
 peculiar circumstances under which he came, and the 
 difficulty of the negociations he had to conduct with 
 the committee, as the representative of the Serampore 
 body. He possessed much good sense, however, but 
 it was somewhat deteriorated by a tendency to tenacious 
 adherence to preconceived opinions. 
 
 His devotional character was of a high order ; and 
 it is due to his memory to record that during the 
 whole period of his visit to this country, he enforced, 
 with reiterated appeal and successful urgency, the duty 
 of earnest prayer for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. 
 This was his great, — it might be almost said to have 
 been the only theme in his public ministrations ; and by 
 the constancy, as w^ell as diversity of his representations 
 on this subject, he was instrumental in awakening an 
 extraordinary ardour of devotion in the British 
 churches. This final development of excellence as a 
 christian missionary will contribute greatly to enhance 
 the well-earned reputation which will transmit his 
 name to distant times. The intense anxiety which 
 thus modified and elevated his character, appeared to 
 acquire increasing power as he approached, though 
 without apprehending it, the confines of eternity. It 
 accompanied him to India, and to his dying hoiu:, 
 p3 
 
322 HISTORY OF 
 
 One of the last, if not tlie last letter he ever wi-ote, was 
 addressed to the brethren Peggs and Bampton, at 
 Cuttack, and contains these sentences, — " How do you 
 feel in your desires after the Holy Spirit ? We can 
 have no hope of success, but as we are brought to a 
 believing dependence on his influences, and an earnest 
 solicitude to obtain them." Thus lived Ward; thus 
 he died ; and be his memory honom-ed ! 
 
 The junior missionaries at Calcutta laboured with 
 indefatigable zeal and success. In the report of 1819, 
 it is stated that fifty thousand tracts, in English, 
 Bengalee, Sungskrit, and Hindee, had been put into 
 circulation by means of the press conducted by Mr. 
 Pearce; and a Sungskrit grammar was about to be 
 issued by Mr. Yates. The schools had proceeded 
 favourably, and a small beginning had been made in 
 female instruction by the formation of two schools for 
 that purpose. These became increasingly attended, and 
 no fewer than six were established by the close of the 
 ensuing year. Impressed, also, with the great impor- 
 tance of preaching the word, they increased the number 
 of their places of native worship. In particular, a new 
 station was formed at Doorgapore, about four miles 
 north of the city, occupied at first by Mr. Adam, and 
 afterwards by Mr. Eustace Carey. The native 
 Paunchoo frequently preached there. In a letter to 
 the Society, signed by Lawson, Eustace Carey, Yates, 
 Penney, W. H. Pearce, and W. Adam, they say, 
 with reference to Doorgapore, — "This place, in point 
 of situation, is very advantageous for missionary 
 purposes. It is so far out of the city, as to possess all 
 the quiet of the country, and yet so contiguous, that 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 323 
 
 in ten minutes we can get into the thickest of the 
 population. The front of the ground borders on an 
 excellent road, that serves as a great thoroughfare 
 between Calcutta and a number of very populous 
 villages. On this road numerous congregations are 
 collected every day, and no interruption has at all 
 been offered, and tracts are distributed in considerable 
 numbers. We are now constructing a chapel for Ben- 
 galee worship, on the edge of this road, where we hope 
 worship will be conducted once or twice a day ; and an 
 additional house for inquirers is also nearly finished." 
 
 The missionaries express themselves in terms of 
 lamentation over the general state of the city. Many 
 indeed heard their addresses, assented to their doc- 
 trines, received and perused their tracts and Scriptures ; 
 but remained in a state of moral insensibility, although 
 a new chapel for English worship was constructed two 
 miles from that in the Lol Bazar, and opened in March, 
 1821 ; and in several of the regiments belonging to 
 the army, auxiliary societies for missionary purposes 
 were formed. About this period, the miP;sionaries 
 were much afflicted by Mr. William Adam having 
 embraced sentiments which necessarily led to the 
 dissolution of his connexion with the Society; while, 
 on the other hand, Mr. Statham was added to the 
 missionary union. They had also been joined by Mr. 
 Harle, a young missionary of great promise, but he 
 died after an illness of about three months' duration 
 in August, 1822. This bereavement was followed by 
 another loss in Arunda, a Christian brahmin ; and yet 
 a third in Krishno ; thus, as they observed, " the first 
 and last of the native converts in this country finished 
 
324 HISTORY OF 
 
 their course nearly together. Both died in full hope 
 of eternal life." 
 
 In his "Indian Recollections/' Mr. Statham has 
 furnished an interesting account of his settlement at 
 Howrah;, a populous village on the western bank of 
 the Hoogly. No place of worship existed there; so 
 that few, of the inhabitants could enjoy the privileges 
 of the Sabbath, as it was hazardous to cross the river, 
 especially during the rainy season. Mr. E. Carey had 
 frequently visited the place, and preached in a small 
 bungalow belonging to a protestant Portuguese, as 
 well as to the natives in the bazar. Sebukram had 
 also been actively engaged for some years in proclaiming 
 the gospel at Sudpore and the neighbourhood ; but no 
 plan had been followed to supply the inhabitants of 
 Sulkea and Howrah, till it was arranged for Mr. 
 Statham to preach there regularly. Many were the 
 dangers which he encountered in traversing the Hoogly 
 at all seasons; but these did not prevent his perse- 
 verance, or in any degree check his zeal. 
 
 The bungalow in which they met for worship being 
 soon found too small, a large puckah house was rented, 
 and paid for by the congregation. Soon after this, a part 
 of the old orphan house was fitted up by government 
 as a chapel, so that Howrah was now supplied with two 
 places of protestant worship. As the congregation of 
 Mr. Statham rapidly increased, a commodious sanctuary 
 was soon erected by subscription ; and two bungalows 
 were built for native worship, together with school 
 houses in all the neighbom-ing villages. Mr. Statham 
 formed an institution for the children of European 
 and Indo-British families ; and very soon fifty or sixty 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 325 
 
 boarders resorted to it from all parts of Bengal. He 
 commenced an Auxiliary Missionary Society, and was 
 for some years secretary to the Calcutta Bible Asso- 
 ciation, and to the Calcutta Bethel Society ; the duties 
 connected with which, as well as some other institu- 
 tions, he was enabled to perform, owing to the vigour 
 of a constitution which enabled him to cross and recross 
 the river continually in the intensest heat of an Indian 
 sun. Having been, however, attacked by a malignant 
 fever, he was necessitated to leave for England. 
 
 The missionaries at Calcutta were frequently inter- 
 rupted in their labours by severe illness. At length, 
 in 1824, Mr. E. Carey was compelled to quit his 
 station, and seek the renovation of his health by a 
 return to Europe. His labours and observations will 
 be best given in his own words :* — 
 
 " I went out as a missionary to India early in the 
 year 1814, being the first who was sent forth by our 
 Society after the renewal of the East India charter 
 in the preceding year. The various and vexatious 
 annoyances to which our mission had been exposed 
 from the presiding authorities had ceased, never to be 
 revived. Much favour at this time was also sho^n to 
 the mission by the influential and wealthy classes of 
 the British community, whose opinions had been 
 modified, and their feelings conciliated to the cha- 
 racters, if not to the primary objects of the missionaries, 
 from the general utility of their labours to the social 
 interests of society, — by the literary reputation they had 
 acquired, and by the honourable and responsible 
 
 * Communicated in a letter to the author. 
 
326 HISTORY OF 
 
 appointment to which the senior among them* had 
 now been preferred in the College of Fort William. 
 Several oriental translations were in a state of forward- 
 ness ; and many infant missionary stations^ some 
 under European superintendence, and others con- 
 ducted by country-born and native brethren, had been 
 commenced. 
 
 " In Calcutta also, the metropolis of British India, 
 a variety of useful labours were in progress. Amongst 
 these was a school established by the efforts of the 
 senior missionaries for the children of all the humbler 
 classes of society, comprehended between the English 
 on the one side and the aboriginal inhabitants on the 
 other, not excluding, however, any from either of these 
 extremes, who might be desirous of securing its ad- 
 vantages. It was formed upon the monitorial and 
 popular system. In both departments, boys and girls, 
 it has averaged three hundred pupils. It has now 
 been thirty years in successful operation; and thou- 
 sands have been the young people who have proceeded 
 from its forms, qualified by good elementary and 
 religious training to discharge respectably the duties 
 of life. It has always been a favourite institution with 
 the British pubhc, and was liberally supported for 
 more than twenty years by their free contributions. 
 Of late it has been sustained by the supreme govern- 
 ment, who apportion to it a measure of the funds recently 
 set apart by them for educational purposes. For many 
 years it was under the superintendence of our beloved 
 brother and fellow-labourer, Mr. James Penney, an 
 
 * Dr. Carey. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 327 
 
 early and veiy esteemed pupil of the celebrated Joseph 
 Lancaster. He was very competent to his charge. 
 Thoroughly knowing the system, and fervently ad- 
 miring it, as he did also its honoui'ed founder, he was 
 determinately persistent in all its essential details ; 
 and yet too much a man of common sense, and too 
 generous and independent in his mental character, to 
 be holden in servile subjection to a prescribed routine, 
 when varying of forms and multiplying useful and 
 grateful pursuits would stimulate and inform his pupils. 
 He therefore introduced many refreshing and elevating 
 studies in natural history, science, and religion. In 
 the duties of this station, and in the many useful 
 labours in which he took a part_, he was as regular in 
 his habits as the very clock-work system into which he 
 had been drilled ; and exemplarily punctual in all his 
 engagenients, he disappointed no one^s expectations, 
 disturbed no one^s convenience, irritated no one^s 
 feelings, drew upon no one's forbearance ; yet was he 
 perfectly free from all the figetiness and teasing of 
 almost all exact time-keeping men, for he kindly bore 
 in others with the want of what he highly appreciated 
 and exemplified himself: a dear companion, never to 
 be forgotten by those who shared his friendship. Full 
 of love, his boys lived in his heart. He, in conse- 
 quence, lived in theirs. Fragrant is his name to 
 thousands, and long and grateful will be the esteem in 
 which his labours will be holden in India. 
 
 '^In 1816, I and my brother, Mr. John Lawson, 
 at the recommendation of the senior missionaries, 
 came to reside in Calcutta. "We were united in the 
 pastorate of the church in the Bow Bazar, whilst it 
 
328 HISTORY OP 
 
 was my duty to acquire also the Bengalee language, 
 attend to native converts and inquirers, and to preach 
 the gospel to the heathen. I was the first missionary 
 of our denomination or of any other, as far I am 
 aware, who was resident in that city as a missionary 
 devoted to the heathen, a city containing in itself and 
 with a circle of a few miles a population of nearly 
 1,000,000 souls. The members of the church and 
 congregation were scattered over a wide surface ; and 
 we devoted one day in every week to visiting them, 
 holding a religious service with each family. We had 
 one or two meetings in commodious houses each week, 
 for prayer and exposition of the Scripture, at which 
 many friends besides those of our denomination were 
 present. Two or three services a-week we held in 
 Fort William, which were well attended by the soldiers, 
 many of whom were brought into church fellowship, 
 and were truly devout and exemplary christians : some 
 of them yet live, and to this day ' shew forth the 
 praises of Him who called them out of darkness into 
 his marvellous light. ^ 
 
 " About a year afterwards, I was compelled through 
 severe indisposition to proceed up the country for 
 change of air, when Mr. Yates, who was assisting 
 Dr. Carey in the important work of translation at 
 Serampore, kindly supplied the necessary services in 
 Calcutta. During this time, painful economical differ- 
 ences arose between ourselves and the senior members 
 of our missionary body ; but neither party, while 
 maintaining their respective views of the subjects at 
 issue, abated their zeal, or diminished their labours in 
 the special and gTeat work to which they were devoted. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 329 
 
 '^Upon my return from the upper provinces, Mr. 
 Lawson, myself, Yates, and Penney, united oui' counsels 
 and our several incomes, for tlie greater unity and 
 efficiency of onr labours. In a short time we were joined 
 by Mr. William Adam, who subsequently retired from us. 
 Mr. William Hopkins Pearce was also soon added to our 
 circle. We were now strong in number and united in 
 purpose. An auxiliary missionary society was soon 
 formed for supplying funds to assist us in our mis- 
 sionaiy work, which was liberally encouraged by the 
 Calcutta public. It has since provided for the support 
 of our native preachers, and foi'nished the means 
 for publishing hundreds of thousands of religious 
 tracts in various languages. By the resources thus 
 afforded, we procui-ed ground, and erected several 
 native chapels in which to hold worship, to dispute 
 with the natives, and promulge the gospel to the 
 utmost of our power. In these small sanctuaries we 
 spent most of our sabbath mornings, and visited one 
 or other of them each day in the week. Here we gave 
 away many thousands of tracts and copies of the 
 gospels ; and great were the numbers of the natives, 
 Hindoo, Mohammeden, and Portuguese, who obtained 
 by these labours some knowledge of the way of life. 
 Here, too, and in this manner, we obtained some 
 degree of boldness and ease in speaking the language. 
 
 Thus began our native work in Calcutta. Our first 
 efforts were doubtless weak and imperfect, so much so 
 as to induce deep humility and self-renunciation as often 
 as the mind recurs to them ; but some degree of sin- 
 cerity and zeal was mingled with them, and God^s 
 gracious blessing was not altogether withholden. Our 
 
330 HISTORY OF 
 
 independent brethren followed in tlie same line of 
 labour. 
 
 " Soon after Mr. William Pearce had united himself 
 to oui* mission in Calcutta, at the united request of his 
 brethren he commenced a printing office. At first we 
 anticipated no more from its establishment, than the 
 printing the tracts we might compose or translate, to 
 assist us in our work among the native population ; 
 but such was his assiduity in business, and his desire 
 for pressing forward in this and in every branch of 
 our undertaking, that his designs and his labours 
 quickly enlarged and multiplied; and such was the 
 style in which he executed work, that the members of 
 other religious communities and also secular authors 
 issued their works through his medium. The manner 
 of commencing this work was humble and unpreten- 
 ding. A single press, a very few types purchased at 
 second-hand, with the smallest amount of paper pro- 
 cured from another printer, and an office made of mats 
 and bamboo, and thatched with straw, constituted our 
 first establishment. During these twenty years it 
 has poured forth upon the teeming myi'iads of India 
 hundreds of thousands of books in various languages. 
 From the first day of its operations, moreover, until 
 now, it has never di'awn a fraction from the parent 
 Society for its support ; but has contributed some 
 thousands of pounds to the furtherance of its objects. 
 
 " About the same time, a second English chapel was 
 erected in Calcutta, in the Circular Road, nearly half 
 a mile distant from the one above noticed. As an 
 instance of that liberality for which the public in that 
 city, and in most other parts where British settlers were 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 331 
 
 to be met with in India have been ^so justly extolled, 
 it may be remarked, that for the building of this chapel 
 and the one in DhurramtoUah by our independent 
 brethren, fifty thousand rupees were contributed in 
 little more than one year. Of the church and congre- 
 gation meeting in this chapel, our brother Lawson 
 became the pastor; Mr. Yates, of whose important 
 labours and valuable life I need here say nothing, and 
 myself, taking part of the public services there and in 
 Fort William, alternately with him. We received great 
 assistance in different branches of our work by the 
 accession to our number of Mr. John Statham. He 
 rendered material help in a boarding school for young 
 gentlemen, which we continued for several years to aid 
 our resources for missionary purposes. He subsequently 
 removed to Howrah, where he laboured with diligence 
 and success for several years, and was variously a 
 blessing, by his benevolence and great activity, to all 
 classes of the community. 
 
 '^ Each of the brethren had distinct and special en- 
 gagements, whilst other labours received the attention 
 of all. As, for instance, while Mr. Yates was deeply 
 engaged in the study of languages, the preparation of 
 elementary books, and in translation, — Mr. Penney in 
 the Benevolent Institution, — Mr. Pearce in the printing 
 department, — and myself occupying a station a few 
 miles out of the city, receiving and attending to 
 inquirers, and preparing tracts, and preaching in 
 Enghsh, — we all engaged in proclaiming the gospel to 
 the heathen. Mr. Lawson again, while attending to 
 the duties of the English pastorate, taught drawing 
 and other accomplishments in the ladies^ school 
 
332 HISTORY OF 
 
 conducted by Mrs. Lawson and Mrs. Pearce, the assets 
 arising from which with those from other of our 
 engagements, were month by month carried to the 
 credit of the mission; all accounts being at regular 
 periods transmitted to the committee of the parent 
 Society. 
 
 " I may not omit to mention, that the first society in 
 India for native female education was one formed by 
 the young ladies composing the schoolto which re- 
 ference has been made ; and the exertions made in this 
 growingly interesting department of missionary labour, 
 and since taken up and sustained with such laudable 
 zeal and liberality, and promising so felicitously for 
 the future destinies of India, are traceable to this 
 simple origin. 
 
 "I am painfully sensible that the spiritual results 
 of the various operations in this particular sphere, and 
 in many others sedulously occupied in Bengal and 
 Hindostan by other of our brethren, and those likewise 
 acting under the patronage of the various kindred 
 societies, will be deemed discouragingly small. They 
 are so comparatively, — not in every sense. There are 
 in other regions of the globe, fields of missionary 
 labour that yield to the first and most simple processes 
 of spiritual culture, and which, from stark sterility, 
 become verdant and teem with the fruits of righteous- 
 ness, as by seeming miracle. In India it is far 
 otherwise. There the husbandman must wait and 
 long have patience. No one who philosophically or 
 christianly considers the unparalleled obstructions 
 which arise to the progress of Divine truth and 
 evangelical designs, from the literary, religious, and 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 333 
 
 social perversions of the Hindoo population, — and 
 who considers, too, that these perversions, incredibly 
 absurd and even puerile as they indisputably are, have 
 been handed down from periods so remote as to defy 
 calculation, and confirmed and corrobated by the all 
 but unbroken adhesion of two hundred millions of 
 persons, — will wonder at the tardiness with which the 
 work of conversion proceeds, nor ought to falter in his 
 expectation of the final issue." 
 
 In 1824, Mr. Robinson removed from Sumatra 
 to take charge of the church in the Lol Bazar ; and 
 the congregation gradually increased under his admi- 
 nistration. The advancing years of Dr. Carey rendered 
 this measure both desirable in itself and welcome to 
 him. Mr. Robinson had been compelled, by some 
 apoplectic tendencies of constitution, to desist from 
 all application, and undertook the voyage to Bengal 
 with his family under medical advice, it being inti- 
 mated to him that it was improbable he could ever 
 resume his efforts in Sumatra. 
 
 Mr. Lawson closed his career on the 22nd of 
 October, 1825. He expired at his house in the 
 Circular Road, Calcutta, leaving a widow and eight 
 childi-en. " Yes," said Mr. Yates, " he is gone ; gone 
 to glory ; gone to Him whom his soul loved ; gone to 
 his fellow missionaries, — to Grant, Biss, Mardon, 
 Trowt, Ward, Rowe, Chamberlain, &c.; — gone to the 
 place where there is fulness of joy and pleasures for 
 evermore,"* 
 
 As a minister, the services of Mr. Lawson were 
 
 * Letter to Dr. Hobv. 
 
334 HISTORY OF 
 
 acceptable and useful; primarily in his co-pastorsliip 
 with Mr. E. Carey in the first formed baptist church in 
 Calcutta, where he laboured for three years, and next 
 as pastor of the second baptist church, which assembled 
 in the neighbourhood of the Circular Road. In addi- 
 tion to his pastoral duties he frequently preached in 
 the fort, and was rendered instrumental in reclaiming 
 many of the soldiers from a life of profligacy, who in 
 their dispersion throughout various parts of India, 
 retained the Hveliest recollections of him, and were 
 amongst the most sorrowing mourners at his death. 
 
 In connexion with his ministerial engagements, he 
 spent a considerable portion of his time in the work of 
 education. About fifty young ladies in the school 
 conducted by Mrs. Lawson and Mrs. Pearce, already 
 referred to by Mr. E. Carey, constantly received from 
 him instruction in writing, grammar, composition, 
 geography, and drawing. He possessed great taste in 
 music, and composed many excellent tunes. He also 
 wrote several poems, which, if they do not possess the 
 highest stamp of originality, are nevertheless far 
 superior to the ordinary standard. He was occa- 
 sionally led to turn this delightful recreation into a 
 principal employment ; and though he knew not how 
 to avoid it at the time, he afterwards felt sorry for such 
 aberrations from the more direct and obvious course of 
 duty. This he humbly confessed in his last affliction. 
 He had a good acquaintance with natural history, and 
 particularly with botany. In the last class of botany, 
 which treats of cryptogamous plants, he carried his 
 researches to a great extent ; perhaps no one in India 
 excelled him in this department. But unquestionably 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 335 
 
 his greatest work was the reduction of the types used 
 in the eastern languages^ particularly the Bengalee and 
 Chinese^ by which, though his name might be forgotten, 
 his works will live in imperishable continuance. He 
 died in the morning of his useful studies and unob- 
 trusive labours. "I sat up with him," says Mr. 
 Statham, "two nights just before his decease, and 
 was I hope much edified by his pious counsel and dying 
 charge. His mind was perfectly happy in the prospect 
 of death, and he seemed anxious for the hour of 
 departui'e to arrive."* 
 
 Lawson was a man of the most diffident and self- 
 subdued character; silent and retiring, preferring 
 others to himself; inoffensive, and patient of injm'ies; 
 of too tender a spirit, and too sentimental to en- 
 counter, without much cost, the rough inconsider- 
 ateness of the world. His discernment of difficulties 
 was too quick and distinct to allow him ever to have 
 excelled in the active enterprise of a missionary life ; 
 but in following out his clear convictions of duty, 
 whether they involved action or suffering, no one 
 surpassed him. 
 
 Few, if any, of the out stations wore so pleasing an 
 aspect for several years as Moorshudubad. Soon 
 after Mr. Sutton took up his abode there, he formed 
 a school society, which was liberally supported by the 
 European residents. Several dependent institutions 
 were formed, in one of which more than a hundred 
 native children received instruction. His ministrations 
 at Berhampore, six miles distant, were very useful, 
 
 * Statham's Indian Recollections. 
 
336 HISTORY OF 
 
 particularly among the soldiers. To this place he 
 repaired on the sabbath, after incessant engagements 
 during the week among the natives. In the course 
 of two or three years, a new brick chapel was erected 
 to accommodate an increasing auditory, the expense of 
 which was defrayed on the spot ; and a promising 
 little christian church was formed among the military. 
 At Daudpore, also, twenty-two miles from ^loorshu- 
 dubad, he formed a branch society, in connexion with 
 his station. His two natives assistants, Kureem and 
 Bhovudgar, were extremely diligent in their evangelical 
 efforts at markets and in the streets of the villages. 
 One of Mr. Sutton's members removing to Tumlook, 
 in the vicinity of the Sunderbunds, took with him 
 Pran Krishna. Their united efforts gained a small 
 congregation, and thus the gospel obtained a wide 
 diffusion. It is true, in such instances the result was 
 comparatively insignificant ; and yet were there, in 
 this manner, both moral and spiritual influences ex- 
 tended, which none but the miscalculating despiser of 
 the day of small things will contemn. Mr. Sutton 
 availed himself of every opportunity to itinerate through 
 the country, and to distribute tracts — those little 
 messengers of mercy which all the missionaries eagerly 
 sent forth, — as well as portions of Scripture, which 
 would whisper in many an ear, and speak to many a 
 heart, in remote places and solitudes unattainable by 
 the christian missionary. 
 
 In 1822, Mr. Sutton was compelled by illness to 
 suspend his labours for three months ; and though 
 after a visit to Serampore he seemed to have perfectly 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 337 
 
 recovered, yet it is probable disease had worked its 
 insidious way ; so that in another year he was necessi- 
 tated to return to Europe. The station was also 
 deprived of some of its efficiency by the death of 
 Kureem, who closed his zealous and unblameable 
 career in peace. 
 
 One of the most successful stations for a long period 
 was CuTWA. In October, 1820, that is, at the end of 
 about ten years, Jabez Carey stated that he had seen 
 about seventy added to the church; and though some had 
 at times given trouble, yet the majority evinced their 
 persevering sincerity and religion. He had large con- 
 gregations, both at Cutwa and Dewangunj ; but the 
 residence of a great part of the church at the distance 
 of Beerbhoom (sixty miles) was a great disadvantage ; 
 but a separate station was at length established, which 
 was occupied by ^Ir. Hampton from Tumlook. After- 
 wards, however, he gave up his connexion with the 
 Society, and Mr. Williamson went thither from Seram- 
 pore. He was assisted by four native itinerants ; the 
 church numbered between thirty and forty ; and his 
 wife ^ided his own active labours by attention to the 
 female part of his flock. Their residence was at Sewry, 
 where the native, church was formed. Several native 
 itinerants were employed by Mr. Carey, who distributed 
 tracts in eveiy direction, and were assiduous in their 
 labours at fairs and festivities. Being entirely sur- 
 rounded by natives, he became perfectly familiar with 
 their language. Mrs. Carey also established a female 
 school ; but it was found difficult to maintain it, and 
 she could obtain none but the children of native 
 
338 HISTORY OF 
 
 christians. In 1825 and 1826, this station relapsed 
 into a somewhat dedining state. 
 
 DiNAGEPORE continued to exhibit appearances cal- 
 culated to awaken gratitude and joy. The zeal and 
 perseverance of Mr. Fernandez were richly repaid. A 
 number of natives there openly renounced idolatry, 
 and joined the christian church. In 1821, a hundred 
 and sixty-seven had renounced caste. Heathenism 
 seemed on the wane; and many large temples built 
 by former rajahs were hastening to ruin. Mr. Fer- 
 nandez established a manufactory of paper with a view 
 of giving employment to the seceders from heathenism, 
 and an excellent school for the instruction of their 
 childi-en, whence several youths went for education to 
 the college at Serampore. 
 
 Dacca became an increasingly interesting station, 
 from the progress of the Bengalee and Persian schools. 
 The desire of the boys for information was great ; nor 
 was it confined to these youths, for Mr. Leonard 
 mentions on one occasion, that at the celebration of 
 a Hindoo festival, some of the members of his family 
 began for the first time to distribute tracts. No 
 sooner was this known than thousands came to the 
 gate, filled the garden and house, and would not 
 depart till each person had received a book. The 
 distribution occupied five successive days, on the first 
 of which alone more than three thousand individuals 
 were supplied. The schools into which the Bengalee 
 Scriptui-es were introduced, received the liberal support 
 of native gentlemen as well as Europeans. In 1824, 
 there were fifteen schools, and one thousand three 
 hundred pupils. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 339 
 
 Native education also advanced considerably at 
 DiGAH, under the direction of Mr. and ^Irs. Rowe. 
 The ignorance, however, and mercenary character of the 
 parents presented great obstacles. In one instance, a 
 female school was entirely deserted, from a report that 
 all the pupils were sent to England ; and in another, 
 because it was found, after a time, that they were not 
 paid for their trouble ! 
 
 The death of jMr. Rowe at this station, in conse- 
 quence of a cold caught in returning at night from a 
 village service at Bankipore, deprived the Society of 
 an able and diligent missionary. He was only forty- 
 two years of age, twenty of which had been spent 
 in India. Although providence had not assigned 
 him an extensive sphere, yet he manifested the holy 
 zeal and diligence of a true missionary, while his 
 beloved companion who survived him, was eminently 
 useful in the school department. 
 
 Mr. Bm'ton succeeded Mr. Rowe in 1826, where he 
 was soon called to the severe trial of the loss of his 
 wife. Many of the poor Batak women had received 
 the gospel from her lips ; and her last strength was 
 devoted to teaching a day school of both sexes, belong- 
 ing to invalided European troops. Several members 
 of the native chm'ch ha\dng left the neighbourhood, it 
 was at this period in a very low state. 
 
 MoNGHYR. The indefatigable Chamberlain had 
 removed from this place, being di'iven to Sirdhana 
 by the jealous apprehensions of the government. The 
 begum had interfered to prevent this, but unsuccess- 
 fully. It appears, that after being more confined to 
 the spot than he desired, opportunities had occurred 
 q2 
 
340 HISTORY OF 
 
 for some of those itinerant excursions in which he so 
 much dehghted; and he had visited Delhi and the 
 great festival at Hurdwar. At the latter place, he 
 had excited extraordinary attention. He read and 
 expounded the Scriptures publicly every day dm^ng 
 three weeks. '^His knowledge of the language was 
 that of an accomplished native ; his delivery impressive, 
 and his whole manner partook much of mildness and 
 benignity."* Hundreds increased to thousands that 
 composed his congregations; and every evening they 
 cheered him home with — '^ May the padre (priest) live 
 for ever !" Complaints of these proceedings were sent 
 to Mr. Ricketts, secretary of government ; who, fearing 
 that some evil might arise from his preaching to the 
 natives, wrote to the begum. Afterwards Mr. Cham- 
 berlain sought an interview with the governor-general, 
 the Marquis of Hastings, who, though highly celebrated 
 for liberality of sentiment, thought it expedient, in the 
 then unsettled condition of the country, to yield to 
 the representations of the enemies of Christianity. 
 
 "Having been ordered away from Sirdhana, three 
 stations presented themselves to the attention of Mr. 
 Chamberlain, namely, Mirzapore, Boxar, and Monghyr. 
 But whilst uncertain whither to go, his course was 
 rendered obvious by the following circumstance : — He 
 met a young officer at Digah, Captain Page, who was 
 about to proceed to Monghyr; and who, having but 
 recently had his mind drawn to religion, felt anxious 
 for further instruction. With the view of obtaining 
 this, and providing for himself and others the regular 
 
 * " Sketches of India." Related by an eye and ear witness. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 341 
 
 institutions of public worship, he requested Mr. Cham- 
 berlain to settle at Monghyr. He complied; and 
 accordingly took up his abode there in February, 1816. 
 Soon afterwards he had the satisfaction of witnessing 
 the religious decision and public profesion of Captain 
 and Mrs. Page. They were baptized in the Ganges 
 immediately under the fort. 
 
 " Monghyr, at that time, was a station for invalid 
 soldiers, chiefly natives. The English were but few. The 
 heart of Chamberlain was gladdened by the conversion 
 of a Hindoo — Hingham Missur, a brahmin of high caste 
 and respectable connexions. He had been convinced 
 of the truth of Christianity for some time, but it was 
 not till after the lapse of many months that he was 
 brought, instrumentally through a severe attack of 
 illness, to decide on following Christ. The baptism of 
 Hingham Missur was witnessed by his sons and friends, 
 and by a crowd of townsmen, with mute astonishment ; 
 but immediately on his emersion from the sacred 
 Ganges, they rent the air with their cries and lamenta- 
 tions, exclaiming, ^ The honour of our family is gone ! 
 the honour of our town is gone !^ They had used their 
 utmost efforts to dissuade him from an act never known 
 before in that place; and scarcely could they credit 
 what their eyes beheld. But no sooner was the deed 
 done, than they looked upon him as for ever dead to 
 them. Some time after, he had the happiness of 
 receiving back his wife and two younger sons; but 
 between him and his elder son there was a great gulf 
 fixed. At his death, six or seven years after, he com- 
 mended his youngest son to the care of the missionary, 
 with whom the lad has ever since lived, and proved a 
 
343 HISTORY OF 
 
 valuable servant, though, alas, apparently unaffected by 
 the faith of his father. So great is the contempt 
 poured on him by this act of his father^ s, that up to 
 this day his brothers never speak to or look at him in 
 public, and if by any chance they should meet him in 
 any house or shop, they invariably leave immediately. 
 Yet one or two interviews of a friendly nature have 
 latterly taken place in the secret of the midnight hour 
 and in a disguised dress."* 
 
 The labours of Mr. Chamberlain were frequently 
 interrupted by ill health, but repeated visits to the 
 coast proved eminently beneficial in prolonging, for a 
 season, his useful life. In 1819, he had advanced in 
 his Brij Basha translation to the end of the minor 
 prophets, and had written with his own hand six 
 hundred pages of this translation, besides the epistle 
 to the Romans, and part of the second epistle to the 
 Corinthians in the Hindee. In that year, a small 
 auxiliary society was formed, a place of worship erected, 
 and a shop procured in one of the markets, where the 
 native assistants, Brindabun and Hingham Missur were 
 regularly engaged in conversations with their country- 
 men about the gospel. Mr. Chamberlain preached 
 four times a-week to his European congregation, and 
 seven or eight times in the native language. His 
 valuable life, however, was now approaching its termi- 
 nation. For several years he had declined, till his 
 naturally robust constitution at length sunk under the 
 combined influences of a hot climate, and severe 
 
 * MS. of Mrs. Leslie, daughter of Chamberlain, sent by her 
 to the author. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 343 
 
 exertions, both bodily and mental. He was, however, 
 preceded to the gates of mortality by Brindabun, 
 whose memoirs, had he lived, he intended to compile 
 and publish; of whom, therefore, a few particulars 
 may here be recited, 
 
 Brindabun first heard the gospel at a festival 
 between Cutwa and Berhampore. At night, he went 
 to Mr. Chamberlain, and said, " I have a flower which 
 I wish to give to some one who is worthy of it." This 
 was the Hindoo method of referring to his own heart. 
 '^I have travelled," said he, "about the country for many 
 years to find such a person, but in vain. I have been 
 to Jugunnath, but there I saw only a piece of wood : 
 that was not worthy of it ; but to-day I have found one 
 that is ; Jesus Christ is worthy of my flower." He w^as 
 a byraggee. He went to Cutwa for some time, cut off 
 his hair and shaved, and left off smoking gunga, which 
 injured his sight, so that, as he expressed it, a page 
 of Bengalee appeared to him like a jungle. He was 
 baptized about the end of 1808, when he went to live 
 near Berhampore, and cultivated some ground for his 
 support. There he observed the sabbath, and read 
 and prayed with as many as he could induce to attend. 
 In 1811, he proceeded to Agra, where he learned 
 Hindee, and devoted himself to reading and conversing 
 with the people. In 1812, he removed with Mr. 
 Moore to Digah. There he conversed every day, and 
 with little intermission, with inquirers, showing great 
 faith, unaffected humility, and deep solicitude for the 
 welfare of his countrymen. At the age of seventy 
 he frequently walked more than twenty miles a-day, 
 holding conversations with his countrymen respecting 
 
344 HISTORY OF 
 
 eternal realities ; and tlie people displayed great anxiety 
 to liear him. In February, 1816, he went to reside 
 at Monghyr. During the last five years of his life, 
 he devoted himself entirely to religion, reading the 
 Scriptures, and talking to the people whenever he 
 could quit his house, from morning to night. Some- 
 times, when his apparent weakness induced his friends 
 to urge his remaining at home, he would exclaim, 
 "Oh, what do I live for ?^^ In 1814, he went once 
 more to see his friends in Bengal. Whenever the 
 boat stopped, he sallied forth with his book : and upon 
 passing the place where he first heard the gospel, he 
 exclaimed with great feeling, "There I found Jesus 
 Christ.^^ 
 
 During the last two or three years of hfe, he had 
 severe attacks of illness ; but he was averse to medicine, 
 frequently saying he was not afraid to die, and had 
 no wish to live. Throughout the last month, he con- 
 stantly experienced great happiness of mind, longing 
 to depart, and be with Christ. When asked by one 
 of his friends, who visited him the day before his 
 death, if he would take any thing, he said " No ;" and 
 putting his hand upon a part of the Scriptm-es that 
 lay on his bed, added, " this is my meat, and drink, and 
 medicine." After they left him, the neighbours, 
 according to their custom, came about him. He then 
 got up, sat at his door, and repeated, — for he was 
 mighty in the Scriptures, — portions of the word of 
 God, and prayed ; though unable to utter more than a 
 few words at a time. He entered the joy of his Lord 
 September 2, 1821. 
 
 Not many months after. Chamberlain followed 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 345 
 
 his faithful and much loved assistant to heaven. For 
 several years, he had complained occasionally of the 
 severity of his colds, and of the state of his lungs, 
 which often, he said, unfitted him for exertion. Still 
 he persevered, and even during illness far surpassed in 
 effort many that were in perfect health. In the sum-, 
 mer of 1818, his disease became extremely threatening, 
 and it was apprehended he could not survive long. 
 Being advised to try a change of air, he went down 
 to Calcutta, and thence to the Sand Heads at Saugur. 
 While at the former place, he preached several times 
 in Bengalee, but exhibited great weakness. After 
 this he became considerably better, and resumed, as he 
 expresses it, with much exultation, his '^'^beloved employ. ^^ 
 On his return to Monghyr, he recommenced, amidst 
 continual relapses and recoveries, his usual avocations ; 
 but his irrepressible ardour led to exertions far beyond 
 his strength, so that life was in fact a perpetual struggle 
 against incapacity. In October, 1819, he was compelled 
 to try another journey to the Sand Heads. On his way, 
 he could not abstain from preaching three times to the 
 soldiers of the 59th at Berhampore. He took, however, 
 a severe cold ; but after being distressingly ill at Cal- 
 cutta, became improved in health by the sea-breezes, 
 and the residence of a month in comparative quiet and 
 retirement. On his return, he took another cold 
 which destroyed the beneficial effects of his journey; 
 but he revived a little, and eagerly pursued his work. 
 During April, May, and June, he laboured incessantly 
 at the Hinduwee and Brij-Basha translations ; and in 
 addition to other meetings, preached three times a-week 
 in English, and three times to the natives. In July 
 q3 
 
346 HISTORY OF 
 
 his complaint returned; but afterwards abated. In 
 September he thus writes^ — ^' Through the good hand 
 of God upon me, on the 16th instant I was enabled to 
 complete the translation of the New Testament into the 
 Hinduwee dialect ; and upon this I thanked God, and 
 took courage." In October 1820, he commenced 
 another trip to Calcutta, but feeling revived at Berham- 
 pore, he preached several times, and then returned 
 home. Mr. Sutton accompanied him part of the way, 
 and has given the following interesting statement : — 
 " He was only the shadow of what he had once been, 
 as it respected strength of body, and was little able to 
 encounter the fatigue of visiting streets and bazars to 
 converse with the natives ; but notwithstanding this, 
 whenever he saw an opportunity of preaching Christ, 
 he embraced it, and left the consequences with God, 
 wishing to die with his armour on, conflicting with the 
 enemy of God and man. 
 
 " On the first day^s journey he came to a group of 
 people performing a shraddha. Lest the observance 
 of other acts of religious worship should fail to secure 
 happiness in a future state, the Hindoos are taught to 
 procure relief for the wandering spirits of their relatives 
 by making ofi*erings of rice, &c. Tliis ceremony is 
 called the shraddha, and on it very frequently a rich 
 man expends no less, than three or four hundred 
 thousand rupees. Seeing this assembly, Mr. Cham- 
 berlain immediately proceeded near them, and began 
 to reason on the nature of death and judgment, and 
 the impossibility of any acts of om* friends influencing 
 the sentence of a Being who is infinite in wisdom. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 347 
 
 justice, power, and truth, and who will render unto 
 every one according to his work. 
 
 ^' On the second day, he arrived in the afternoon at 
 the village of Sooky, and spent a considerable time in 
 conversation with several of the inhabitants ; on which 
 occasion he reasoned much mth them concerning the 
 futility of all their sacrifices and ceremonies, as the 
 means of procuring pardon and acceptance with God, 
 and besought them to apply to the Lord Jesus Christ, 
 as the great and only atonement for sin. 
 
 " On the third day, he walked, notwithstanding his 
 weakness, for a considerable distance in the fields on 
 the banks of the river ; and finding a few people, he 
 sat dowTi, and read and conversed with them till nearly 
 dusk. Whenever he entered into conversation about 
 the gospel of Christ, his feelings were generally so 
 raised, and the anxiety of his soul so great, that he 
 forgot the state of his constitution, and proceeded so 
 far that he was scarcely able to remove from the spot.^^ 
 Before he reached Monghyi*, he was seized with a 
 violent diarrhoea, which continued with fluctuating vio- 
 lence to the termination of his life. This, however, was 
 not till about a year afterwards, during which, amidst 
 extreme debility, he preached five or six times a week, 
 and carried on his translations. In the afternoon of 
 the first sabbath in September, 1821, he spoke in 
 Hindostanee at the grave of Brindabun, and preached 
 a funeral sermon for him in the evening in English ; at 
 the close he administered the Lord^s supper. On the 
 following sabbath he made another attempt to preach, 
 but it was his last public efi*ort. He resolved once more 
 
348 HISTORY OF 
 
 to try the river air, and on the 13th of September 
 left Monghyr. His friends and medical attendant 
 at Calcutta, were fully convinced that no expedient 
 remained but a visit to Europe. " At the time he was 
 living with us at Calcutta," says Dr. Yates, " we had 
 do idea that he was so near his end. He was indeed 
 very weak, and greatly' reduced, yet he would walk 
 about in the hall, and converse for an hour or two 
 together with the greatest spirit on religious sub- 
 jects, which made us think that there was a great 
 probability, when refreshed by the sea breezes, of 
 his living to see old England once more, and after 
 being cheered by the presence of his friends, of his 
 returning again to this country with an invigorated 
 constitution. He himself indulged the same ideas, 
 and used to speak with great pleasure on what he 
 should do, if he lived to reach his native land, — with 
 what delight he should rove in the fields and meadows 
 to pluck the daisies, and admire the works of God in 
 the opening spring, — with what joy he should again 
 behold the faces of some of his old friends, — and with 
 what transport he should travel from village to village 
 to preach the gospel to the poor."* 
 
 A passage to England having been secured for him 
 in November, he was accompanied to the ship by his 
 wife and child, and Dr. Yates. On his voyage he deter- 
 mined to proceed alone, from the noble but mistaken 
 disinterestedness of saving expense to the Society. In 
 about three weeks he expired, being found one morning 
 by the young man who attended him, dead on his bed. 
 
 * Yates's Life of Chamberlain. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 349 
 
 Yes, on the 6th of January, 1822, Chamberlain died 
 in solitude, in a small cabin, in the night, and at sea ! 
 
 He was a true missionary, — simple in his manners, 
 inexpeiisive in his habits, sanguine in his temperament, 
 sound in his judgment, devout in his spirit, indefatiga- 
 ble and persevering in his labours, distinguished as 
 a scholar and a translator of the Scriptures, but more 
 so for his love of souls, whose salvation he sought by 
 the pointed and powerful appeals of his eminently 
 evangelical ministrations. Preaching was his great, 
 his favourite work, and he pursued it to the last with 
 unabating zeal. The skilful adaptation of his addresses, 
 and his inventive powers in rousing attention, were 
 often remarkable. He would sometimes draw a striking 
 picture of probable circumstances, and make use of 
 them to address the conscience. Thus on one occasion 
 he produced a powerful effect by pausing suddenly 
 in his discourse, and looking round, uttered this 
 bold appeal, which applied exactly to an individual 
 present. ^' Tom, you villain, you listed for a soldier, 
 and broke your mother^ s heart, — you know you did 1 
 The last thing she did for you was to put a Bible into 
 your knapsack ; and you villain, you have sold it for 
 grog, — you know you have ! " * 
 
 At first sight one is tempted to regret his frequent 
 removals after leaving Cutwa, and to wish that he had 
 either remained there to reap more fully the fruit of 
 his earlier labours, or that he had found some sphere 
 of wide and central influence more suited to his 
 capacity than afterwards presented itself ; but the 
 
 * Communicated by Mr. E. Carey. 
 
350 HISTORY OF 
 
 appointments of providence were wise. All who were 
 acquainted with him well knew that he was formed 
 more for separate than for associate labom*. Let him 
 alone, and he would do the work of ten men ; but let 
 him be helped, and, from a certain inaptitude to coalesce, 
 he would disappoint expectation. In this opinion of 
 him, once expressed by the author to Mr. Ward, 
 when in England, he fully concurred. The sentiment, 
 however, must not be regarded in too disparaging 
 a sense. It was indeed a fault, but it was not the 
 fault of weakness, — rather that of independence of 
 mind and greatness of mental vigour ; and it was over- 
 ruled for good. His changes of place subserved a 
 great purpose, in facilitating as well as extending 
 his efforts, and in bringing into exercise his peculiar 
 powers. He was fitted to be a translator; still more, 
 perhaps, to be a conversational preacher to the natives 
 amongst whom he itinerated ; and an all-seeing wisdom 
 guided him to his appropriate sphere. 
 
 Chamberlain was a martyr ; not, indeed, that he was 
 assassinated by ruffian hands, or fastened to the burning 
 stake ; but he was a martyr to the cause for which he 
 laboured, — ^for which he died ! How many missionaries 
 in similar circumstances would have changed their 
 climate months and even years before he made the 
 attempt ; nor do we imply that it would have been a 
 censurable conduct ; rather, we blame, while we admire 
 an intrepidity, a perseverance, — a tenacity, in fact, that 
 held on to the last, — that held on too long. But why 
 did he so often quit and return to his post? why 
 struggle to retain his position amidst the faintings of 
 nature, and especially during his last yeai', under the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 351 
 
 increasing pressure of disease ? Oh, it was a sublime 
 contest, — a fight of the indomitable spirit of an un- 
 earthly heroism against the powers of nature and the 
 principalities of darkness ! It was a self-sacrifice to a 
 sense of paramount duty ; therefore did he persist in 
 preaching, conversing, translating; nor would he 
 abandon the field or the weapons of his warfare, till 
 death terminated the contest. There he lies buried in 
 the ocean-depths, till the resurrection of the just ! 
 The smooth and yielding sea admits no monumental 
 marble with its eulogising epitaph; but he has a 
 monument on the land in the works of faith and 
 labours of love he accomplished, and an epitaph 
 glorious and imperishable, written on the stones of the 
 missionary temple. 
 
 The station at Monghyi* enjoyed, after her husband^s 
 decease, the assiduous and efiective aid of Mrs. Cham- 
 berlain. Under her superintendence, the native 
 assistants pursued their labours, worship was main- 
 tained in the chapel, the four schools prospered, and 
 proofs were given of good being accomplished. Mr. 
 Leslie was sent in 1824, as successor to Mr. Cham- 
 berlain. He found, on his arrival, the general state 
 of the church and schools encouraging; and having 
 diligently applied himself during the voyage to the 
 study of Hindostanee, he was able in about six months 
 to address the natives. In a year or two, the schools 
 were increased to thirteen, in consequence of a request 
 from Mohammedan parents, who permitted their 
 children to read the christian books, which had 
 hitherto prevented their attendance. Tlie character of 
 the native population also rapidly improved; so that, 
 
352 HISTORY OF 
 
 instead of the vulgar abuse which had formerly 
 attended their labours, their itinerants were heard with 
 fixed and respectful attention. 
 
 With regard to the insular stations, it does not 
 appear that any very great progress was made during 
 the years in question. In Ceylon, the whole of the 
 New Testament was published and part of the Old 
 prepared by Mr. Chater, in connexion with a wesleyan 
 and an episcopalian, in 1819. In 1820, his oppor- 
 tunities of preaching in Cingalese and Portuguese 
 increased, and two who had been budhist priests 
 made a profession of Christianity. His domestic trial 
 was great, however, in the loss of his wife on her way 
 to Europe. Some good also seemed to arise from the 
 labours of Mr. Siers at Hangwell. In 1823, there 
 were seven schools under Mr. Chater^s direction, 
 containing two hundred and fifty children. About the 
 close of the year, the whole Bible was translated. He 
 had also revised his Cingalese grammar, and published 
 tracts in that language and the Portuguese, which were 
 well received. After a long season of sterility, a little 
 spiritual productiveness, though but little, appeared in 
 1824, in the addition of eight members to the small 
 church. To these, others were added in the following 
 year; but the schools fluctuated, from sickness and 
 other causes. After another year, however, the con- 
 gregation at Columbo had considerably increased. 
 The employment of native Cingalese to read the 
 Scriptures to their countrymen had awakened curiosity 
 and attention in the villages. 
 
 Java continued to be interesting as a missionary 
 field, though not remarkably productive. Both Mr. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 353 
 
 Robinson and Mr. Bruckner, the former at Batavia, 
 and the latter at Samarang, persevered year after year 
 in their work, though their efforts were repaid with 
 few conversions. Immediate success is not the measure 
 of duty or fidehty. The principal achievement was 
 the translation of the New Testament by Mr. Bruckner ; 
 this would speak where the living voice was unheard, 
 and when it would cease to be uttered. The expecta- 
 tions which had been formed from the application to 
 the king of the Netherlands not being realised in the 
 removal of those difficulties which had obstructed 
 the mission, Mr. Robinson changed his residence 
 in July, 1821, for Bencoolen, whither he had been 
 invited to proceed to join Messrs. Burton and Evans. 
 These brethren had been sent out by the Society in 
 the previous year, and had formed a station at Fort 
 Marlborough in Sumatra, at the suggestion of Sir T, S. 
 Raffles, the governor. Subsequently Mr. Robinson 
 and Mr. Nathaniel Ward occupied this station ; the 
 former employing his knowledge of the Malay in 
 preaching and in composing a number of elementary 
 books, the latter in managing the press ; ill health, 
 however, afterwards compelled his return to Bengal. 
 Mr. Evans, finding himself unequal to the combined 
 exertion of conducting the school, and acquiring the 
 native language, removed to Padang. Mr. Burton^s 
 attention had been excited to the state of the Battas, 
 a tribe in the northern part of the island of Sumatra, 
 whose moral degradation is sufficiently obvious from 
 the fact that they not only ate prisoners taken in 
 war, but ate the criminal alive, as a capital punish- 
 ment. It was remarkable, that just before the arrival 
 
354 HISTORY OF 
 
 of the missionaries, they had sent a deputation to the 
 British governor to know of what rehgion they should 
 be ! After an exploratory visit, Mr. Burton went with 
 his wife into that region of difficult and self-denjdng 
 labour, fixing his residence at Sebolga, a Batta village 
 in the bay of Tappanooli, the rajah having presented 
 him with a piece of ground for the erection of a house. 
 In the course of a year, Mr. Burton had made consi- 
 derable progress in the language, and besides com- 
 mencing a translation of the inspired volume, had 
 issued some Scripture tracts. On one occasion, when 
 he had been reading the commandments to a few 
 people under a shed, the rajah, who made one of the 
 number, uttered these remarkable words, — ^^Well, if 
 the white people, and Chinese, and Hindoos, and 
 Achinese, and Neas and Batta people, should with one 
 heart all adopt these commandments, — spears, swords, 
 and guns would be of no further use ; we might 
 throw them away, or make hoes of them I^' 
 
 In 1825, a formidable insurrection against the Dutch 
 government, affected materially the affairs of the 
 mission in the islands. So much success attended the 
 padries, or insurgent reformers, that Mr. Bm'ton and 
 his family with the females of an orphan institution 
 under his care, were obliged to hasten away to Calcutta. 
 The timid Battas had determined to become mussul- 
 mans when the invaders possessed themselves of the 
 country. Mr. Evans also retired from Padang, in 
 consequence of the restrictions imposed upon the direct 
 prpmulgation of the gospel ; and ultimately, under 
 medical advice, to England. The state of political 
 affairs induced the committee also to instruct Mr. 
 N. Ward to proceed to Bengal. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 355 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 SEPARATE OPERATIONS OF THE SERAMPORE UNION, FROM 
 
 1827 TO 1837. 
 
 The stations immediately connected with Serampore 
 at the time of its severance from the Society, were 
 the following : — 
 
 1. Jessore, occupied by Thomas. 
 
 2. Dacca, „ 0. Leonard and D^ Cruz. 
 
 3. Chittagongy „ J. Johannes. 
 
 4. Arracan, „ J. C. Fink. 
 
 5. Dinagejjore, „ J. Fernandez. 
 
 6. Benares, „ "VV. Smith. 
 
 7. Allahabad, „ L. Mackintosh. 
 
 8. Futtyghir, „ J. Richards. 
 
 9. Delhi, „ J. T. Thompson. 
 
 Six xisiatic young men were studying at the college ; 
 and Messrs. Mack and Swan were professors. 
 
 The three kinds of agency employed in connexion 
 with the stations consisted of, — 1st, natives, through 
 whom they doubtless rightly conceived the gospel 
 would ultimately obtain its greatest diifusion. They 
 could visit their countrymen in the most retired places, 
 converse with their most learned pundits, and unfold 
 in their own language the glory of redemption by 
 Christ. In the infancy of Christianity in India, how- 
 ever, they were unable to labour unsustained and 
 unguided by other agencies; and the Serampore 
 
356 HISTORY OF 
 
 brethren imagined that a system of training from their 
 childhood in the college, where they were to be 
 instructed both in science and Scripture, would be of 
 essential importance in preparing them for future 
 usefulness. 2nd, Asiatics, or those who who were 
 born in the country of European parents, at least on 
 one side. These, though educated in European habits, 
 were from infancy inured to the climate, and acquainted 
 with the native language and ideas. It was an advan- 
 tage that the sum required for their support was only 
 about one half of that which was found necessary for 
 a missionary from England. Of this class were 
 Thompson, Fernandez, Smith, Mackintosh, and others. 
 3rd, Europeans. In addition • to all the other means 
 of usefulness, it is obvious that their knowledge and 
 influence were of the highest importance, when exerted 
 in connexion with bands of three, four, or five Asiatic 
 and native agents. In aid of these stations the Society 
 had voted £3,000, in 1834, 1825, and 1826; JIOOO 
 each year. 
 
 Native schools for the instruction of boys had now 
 been established about ten years; and recently the 
 education of female children, hitherto supposed to be 
 impracticable, had been introduced. In Serampore 
 there were thirteen schools composed of Hindoo girls ; 
 four or five at Dacca ; and at least three at Chittagong. 
 The children included the daughters of mahommedans 
 as well as Hindoos, who received instruction with the 
 greatest readiness and pleasure ; and in all the schools, 
 male and female, the Scriptures were introduced. It 
 appeared that the schools were capable of almost 
 indefinite multiplication; and as a means of guiding 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 357 
 
 the earliest thouglits^ and fixing the habits of an 
 ignorant and degraded people, their progress was an 
 important auxiliary to the publication of the gospel. 
 
 SERAMPORE. 
 
 Carey, Marshman, J. C. Marshman, Mack, Swan. 
 
 During 1827, eleven persons had been received into 
 the church, some of whom resided at Barrackpore. 
 The college funds maintained fifty-eight students at 
 the close of the same year ; of whom seven were in 
 European habits, or those termed Anglo-Asiatics; 
 twenty-three natives in the Sungskrit class, seven in 
 the preparatory school in Serampore, and twenty-one 
 in the grammar-school at Sewry in Beerbhoom. The 
 students in European habits consisted of those who 
 were receiving instruction, with the view of being 
 employed as missionaries. The object of the native 
 class was to provide for the education of native 
 christians, some of whom would, it was expected, carry 
 a christian influence with them into the difi'erent 
 situations they might occupy in after life ; while others 
 might be selected for the christian ministry, should 
 they exhibit the talents and the heart for that sacred 
 work. Dr. Carey lectured twice a-week as theological 
 professor. The report of the college in 1829 referred 
 to several grounds of encouragement. A charter 
 had been obtained. The progress of the students in 
 European habits had been satisfactory ; and several 
 had entered on the work of imparting the know- 
 ledge of the Scriptures to the natives of India. A 
 greater number of native christian youths had been 
 trained in the institution than in any preceding year. 
 
358 HISTORY OF 
 
 " Upon tlie first ten years of tlie college/^ they say, 
 " the committee look back with mingled feelings 
 of gratitude and regret, — with gratitude for the many 
 tokens of favour which it has experienced from 
 friends, and with pleasure at the enlarged field which 
 is now opening to its exertions ; but with regret that 
 so many obstacles have intervened to frustrate the 
 hopes of friends, and to retard the prosecution of those 
 views which the committee hoped to have realized in d 
 shorter period. 
 
 " During the last seven years, the college has, with 
 the exception of a short period, enjoyed the benefit of 
 only one professor. Of the students who were originally 
 received into the institution, by far the greater part, 
 alarmed at the prescribed course of study, have gra- 
 dually dropped ofi*, leaving the committee the task of 
 commencing anew with fresh students. These circum- 
 stances have tended to discom-age the mind. Nor has 
 the pecuniary assistance received been altogether 
 unmingled with disappointment. * * * But amidst 
 these discouragements and difficulties, the committee 
 are convinced that its friends will feel a pleasure in 
 remarking, that the ten first years of its existence have 
 not been wholly without product. An institution of 
 this nature, unless it opens with ample funds, must 
 necessarily move forward in slow progression, en- 
 larging its sphere of exertion, rather with reference 
 to the increase of its permanent funds, than to the 
 fluctuation of voluntary subscriptions. The funds 
 which Mr. Ward raised in Europe and America, 
 amounting to about 50,000 rupees, have therefore 
 remained untouched, and a fund has been formed for 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 359 
 
 native tutors in this country, which is gradually 
 increasing, and may, if not interrupted, in a few years, 
 yield an interest equal to the requisite expenditure. 
 With the exception of a part of one of the professor's 
 houses, the buildings have been erected. A charter 
 has been obtained, which secures the college from 
 dissolution, and enables it to receive endowments. A 
 library of nearly 5000 volumes has been collected. It 
 possesses a philosophical apparatus, the largest in the 
 country. An efficient European class has been formed, 
 several of the students of which will have completed 
 their term of study at the close of the next year, and 
 be prepared to enter on active missionary labour; a 
 large body of native christian youth is far advanced in 
 the study of Sungskrit, with minds prepared by the 
 severe application it has induced, to enter on the study 
 of the sciences and general literature ; and steps have 
 been taken to prepare other youths of christian 
 parentage for the exercises of the college.'^ * 
 
 On the fifth annual examination of the native female 
 schools, held in the college in 1828, it appeared that 
 the progress was considerable in reading and geo- 
 graphy. A little class of eight children, from the age 
 of four to eight years, repeated the Lord's prayer. 
 
 When the assemblies called the Snan and Rut'h 
 Jattras were held, the missionaries employed them- 
 selves in declaring the word of God, and distributing 
 their religious productions. They had two stations; 
 one permanent, being a small chapel on the road to 
 Jugunnath's temple ; the other temporary, being a 
 
 * Eighth Report of the Serampore College. 
 
360 HISTORY OF 
 
 shed put up on the occasion, it being impossible to 
 labour in the open air without protection, when, as 
 Dr. Carey remarks, "our earth is iron, our heavens brass, 
 and our rain powder and dust." The Snan, or bathing 
 festival, is in May ; the Rut^h, or car festival, in July. 
 
 Dr. Marshman arrived from Europe on the 24th of 
 June, 1829. On the 8th of July, Mr. James Rae was 
 ordained to occupy the first new station at Goamalty, 
 in Assam, about 240 miles north-east of Serampore. 
 This station, it was presumed, would open another way 
 of communication with the Bm'man empire. A second 
 new station was formed at Barripore, thirty-one miles 
 southward, to whose poor inhabitants Mr. Rabeholm, a 
 country-born young man of piety in an attorney's 
 office, readily devoted himself. A third new station 
 was fixed at Burrishol, or Burisaul, in Backergunj, 
 140 miles eastward, to which Mr. John Smith, a native 
 of India, was appointed. It is interesting to observe 
 that not only these, but all the then existing twelve 
 stations in connexion with Serampore, were occupied 
 by men who were brought to the knowledge of the 
 truth in India itself. 
 
 Native female education had acquired new interest 
 from the recent abolition of suttees, which for twenty 
 centuries had been the deep disgrace and bane of 
 Hindoo society. In the appeal made to the public in 
 1830, occurs the following passage indicative of the 
 state of their affairs : — " The only members of the 
 mission who have it in their power to contribute to 
 its funds, are Dr. Carey, Dr. Marshman, and Mr. J. C. 
 Marshman. They do contribute to the utmost of 
 their ability ; but it has pleased God greatly to 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 361 
 
 curtail that ability. The British government have just 
 abolished the professorships in the college of Fort 
 William ; and Dr. Carey, being reduced to a pension, 
 has suffered a loss of 500 rupees per mensem. He 
 will, therefore, not be able hereafter to contribute more 
 than 300 rupees monthly to the funds of the mission. 
 Dr. Marshman's very heavy expenditure during his 
 long and important visit to Europe, — no part of which 
 he allows to be defrayed from the contributions to the 
 mission, — prevents his having much now at his dis- 
 posal ; and, indeed, the schools under the care of 
 himself and Mrs. Marshman have so much declined in 
 his absence, as greatly to abridge his resources, inde- 
 pendently of his late extraordinary expenses. He has 
 no prospect of being able to do more than Dr. Carey. 
 Mr. J. C. Marshman, in conducting the printing office 
 and the paper mill, is overburdened by obligations 
 contracted in the erection of the college, and in carry- 
 ing on the mission when we were without support 
 from Europe ; and he cannot, at present at least, 
 without sinking just so much in debt, exceed the 
 contributions of his senior colleagues. We have thus 
 at our disposal 900 rupees monthly, the proceeds of 
 our own labour. If the whole of this were available 
 for the support of our missionary stations, we should 
 still have a deficiency of nearly 400 rupees monthly in 
 this vital department alone, besides the whole of the 
 pensions to our widows and orphans. But it will 
 frequently happen that a considerable sum is wanted 
 for the printing of tracts, for the current expenses of 
 the college, and other occasional demands ; and then, 
 as we have no other resources, we are constrained to 
 
 R 
 
363 HISTORY OF 
 
 take just as much as is needed from our contributions 
 to the stations. 
 
 " We acknowledge with gratitude that we have been 
 favoured with several liberal donations from friends in 
 India. They have been of the utmost importance to 
 us in this time of our need; but they are altogether 
 inadequate to our full support. This_, then^ is the great 
 object of our appeal. We entreat of the christian 
 public a few hundred pounds per annum ; for we have 
 them not ourselves. We do not even know how 
 to borrow them, in the expectation that relief will 
 eventually be sent to us ; for we have no reserved and 
 unappropriated funds, on the security of which we 
 could ask from any one a loan of present supplies." 
 
 Notwithstanding the effectiveness of other labours, 
 very few were added to the church, and little fruit 
 resulted from the village itineracies in 1830; but the 
 faith and patience of the missionaries were unabated 
 amidst these depressing circumstances. 
 
 In May, 1831, Dr. Carey writes in an affecting 
 strain, stating that his race was nearly run, being on 
 the eve of seventy, and much weakened by repeated 
 bihous attacks; but in October, he speaks of having 
 resumed his labours in preaching, which had been 
 suspended by repeated attacks of fever, and of his 
 usual efforts in correcting and bringing through the 
 press the different versions of the Scriptures. 
 
 During this year seventeen joined the chm'ch, fifteen 
 of whom were natives of Bengal; and of these five 
 were students in the college. One native was removed 
 by death, and several afflictive cases of discipline had 
 occm-red. At the close of 1830, the number of 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 363 
 
 members was sixty-three; at the close of 1831, seventy- 
 five. Some of the youth in the college, European, 
 East Indian, and native, went out in company every 
 sabbath, to make known the gospel to the heathen. 
 In the course of the year, 6817 tracts were distributed 
 in Serampore and the vicinity, and 196 gospels. 
 
 After having given a gloomy account of the church 
 in Serampore in 1831, Mr. Mack states that at the 
 close of the year a considerable movement appeared. 
 Several young people desired to join the church; and 
 some in middle life, who had been sitting for years 
 under the sound of the gospel, perfectly insensible to 
 its value, were roused to a concern of mind about 
 salvation. "Our young members," says Mr. Mack, 
 " appear to have grown together in one spirit of godly 
 fear, and gravity, and decision, in the service of our 
 Redeemer, in a manner which I have never before 
 witnessed/' 
 
 About the commencement of 1832, Mr. Robinson 
 joined the Serampore mission, with Gorachund and 
 Ram-hurree. 
 
 In a letter dated May 23rd, 1832, Dr. Marshman 
 says, " I spent an hour at tea with dear brother Carey 
 last night, now seventy and nine months ; and he was 
 in the most comfortable state of health, talking over 
 his first feelings respecting India and the heathen, and 
 the manner in which God kept them alive, when even 
 Fuller could not yet enter into them, and good old 
 John Ryland (the doctor's father) denounced them as 
 unscriptm'al. This is now at least forty-five years 
 ago. Had these feelings died away, in what a different 
 state might India now have been !" 
 r2 
 
364 HISTORY OF 
 
 Dr. Carey states, in a letter to Mr. Anderson, on 
 the 11th of June, that he had just brought the last 
 edition of his Bengalee Scrij^tures through the press» 
 The last sheet had been ordered to be printed the 
 week before. The Assamese, Cashmere, and AfFghan 
 first editions were proceeding with. Dr. Carey and 
 Dr. Marshman were now associated with Mr. Mack 
 as co-pastors. In September, Mrs. Ward died. 
 Dr. Carey^s address at the grave is referred to as 
 peculiarly impressive. He spoke of the holiness and 
 happiness of the heavenly state, his conceptions of 
 which were very elevated and interesting; and he 
 seemed to long for and contemplate a happy meeting 
 with his friends who had already entered into the joy 
 of their Lord. 
 
 Mr. John Leechman, who had pursued his studies 
 first at Bristol and then at the university of Glasgow^ 
 was set apart as a missionary at Edinburgh, on the 
 3rd of July, 1832; on the 25th, embarked at Liver- 
 pool for Bengal ; and arrived in India in November. 
 
 Chodron fell asleep in Jesus in September. He 
 is described as a dear brother and fellow-labourer, 
 whose life and conduct bore testimony to his godly 
 sincerity. In labours he was pre-eminent, and spoke 
 the language admirably. He was in connexion with 
 the Lol Bazar church in Calcutta, which had lately 
 added eleven to its communion. About twenty 
 members scattered through the different villag-es, were 
 constantly visited by Chodron. 
 
 A very pleasing letter from Mr. Leechman, in April, 
 1 833, furnishes a view of some proceedings at Scram- 
 Jiore. " Our venerable Dr. Carey is in excellent health. 
 
THE BxiPTIST MISSION. 365 
 
 and takes his turn in all oui* public exercises. Just 
 forty years ago, the first of this month, he administered 
 the Lord^s supper to the church at Leicester, and 
 started on the morrow to embark for India. Through 
 this long period of honourable toil, the Lord has 
 mercifully preserved him ; and at our missionary 
 prayer meeting, held on the first of this month, he 
 delivered an interesting address to encourage us to 
 persevere in the work of the Lord. * * * "We have 
 also a private monthly prayer-meeting held in Dr. 
 Carey^s study, which is to me a meeting of uncommon 
 interest. On these occasions we particularly spread 
 before the Lord our public and private trials, both 
 those which come upon us from the cause of Christ, 
 with which it is our honour and privilege to be con- 
 nected, and those also which we as individuals 
 are called to bear. At our last meeting. Dr. Carey 
 read part of the history of Gideon, and commented 
 with deep feeling on the encouragement which that 
 history affords, that the cause of God can be carried on 
 to victory and triumph, by feeble and apparently 
 inefficient means. On these occasions, as we are quite 
 alone, we give full expression to the joys and sorrows, 
 the hopes and fears, that agitate our spirits. Our 
 friends at home are not forgotten on these occasions. 
 Oh that our united prayers may be heard, that Christ^ s 
 kingdom may come ! 
 
 "A thousand things occur here, the mention of 
 which would interest you greatly, could we find time 
 from our numerous duties to send an account of them. 
 The other evening brother Mack and I went to the 
 pagoda where Martyn lived at Aldeen. A multitude 
 
366 HISTORY OF 
 
 of natives were assembled to hear a learned pundit 
 recite the Pooranas. A great many brahmins were 
 present_, and at the conclusion of that day^s harangue, 
 for it continues many days, brother Mack entered into 
 conversation with one of the brahmins. He told us 
 that the mother of a person of some importance was 
 dying ; that her sin had brought her to this temple, 
 that she might be near Gunga ; that he had brought 
 the pundit to recite in her hearing the stories about 
 their gods ; that dying with the name of God sounding 
 in her ears, she might immediately go to heaven. 
 Brother Mack talked with him on the folly of such 
 proceedings; but, alas, the people are bent on their 
 idolatry. I was deeply aiFected to see the place that 
 had been sanctified by the residence of the holy 
 Martyn, by his prayers, and his communion with the 
 Redeemer, thus desecrated by the abomination of idol 
 worship. I have lately seen also all the horrid cruelties 
 of the Churuck Pooja. Such scenes, I hope, I never 
 shall behold again. Pran Krishnu and some of our 
 native brethren were among the crowd, trying to 
 distribute tracts, &c. ; but the people were mad, and 
 would not look at them, I left the scene with a very 
 sad heart, and crossed over to Barrackpore, and 
 preached to my little flock there, several of whom are 
 very good people. Our Hindostanee congregation 
 there is increasing very much ; and I have just heard 
 that there are several pious officers come, who will 
 increase my little English congregation.^^ 
 
 The labours of Mr. Robinson at Calcutta in the Lol 
 Bazar chapel, and in the villages, appear to have been 
 greatly blessed. In 1832, twenty-six were baptized; 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 367 
 
 sixteen had been added in 1833, when he writes the 
 account in October, and more were expected. He had 
 forty members in the villages. At the close of the 
 year he was afflicted by the death of Gorachund, his 
 long-tried and faithful assistant, whose last words were, 
 " I am going to my Father and my God.^-* 
 
 The " Tenth Memoir respecting the Translation of 
 the sacred Scriptures into the oriental languages, by the 
 Serampore brethren,^' was issued on the 1st of July, 
 1832. The statements it contains can scarcely be read 
 without wonder and delight; for it shows not only 
 their extensive and persevering labours in biblical 
 translations, but the important services they rendered 
 to the cause of literature in general. 
 
 The idea which they originally entertained was that 
 of accomplishing a translation of the sacred volume 
 into the vernacular language of that vast province in 
 which they first landed; but all the surrounding 
 countries appeared to them, from time to time, to 
 present equal claims to their attention; and they 
 eagerly sought to supply their spiritual necessities. 
 Hence, having once acquired the Sungskrit, the parent 
 of many of the oriental languages, they found a door 
 of entrance to them, of which they at once availed 
 themselves. 
 
 The entire Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments 
 had, at this time, been printed and circulated in seven 
 languages, that is, in six oriental tongues besides the 
 Chinese; the New Testament had been printed in 
 twenty-three languages more; the Pentateuch and 
 other parts of the Old Testament had been also printed 
 and circulated in several of these languages into which 
 
368 HISTORY OF 
 
 the New Testament liad been completed ; and portions 
 of the Scriptures had been printed in ten others^ or in 
 all forty languages ; so that upwards of two hundred 
 and twelve thousand volumes of the Divine word, 
 in forty different languages, had issued from the 
 Serampore press during thirty years. "If," say the 
 missionaries, "we reckon the Chinese population, 
 according to the most moderate computation, at one 
 hundred and fifty millions, these languages embrace 
 the vernacular tongues of two hundred and seventy 
 millions of immortal beings ; one hundred millions of 
 whom are, in fact, either our fellow-subjects, or living 
 under the immediate influence of our government. 
 
 " That a work of such magnitude and such impor- 
 tance should have been accomplished at an average 
 annual expense of no more than .^2500 sterling 
 annually, may also well prove a source of gratitude to 
 all those who have contributed ; and the more so, since 
 this must be ascribed, under God, to the disinterested 
 christian spirit of the translators, who have laboured 
 in this cause without fee or reward from any man, not 
 forgetting the printers, whether Ward or Marshman, 
 who have executed their part all along at the lowest 
 charge. The entire amount received from the begin- 
 ning has been .£80,413. 85. lOM. Of this sum, some- 
 what more than .£72,000 have been expended as above ; 
 and about £5500 on certain printing presses, types, 
 books, &c., sent out, which have abundantly served 
 their purpose. The remainder was for incidental 
 expenses. Of the above sum £5439 have been con- 
 tributed by the translators and their friends in India 
 itself, — to say nothing of their personal expenditure in 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 369 
 
 founts of types and the improvement of paper. The 
 average of £80,000 for thirty-two years is J2500."* 
 
 The memoir fm-ther contains a tabular view of the 
 number of volumes and pages of the Old and New 
 Testaments which passed through the press in about 
 nine years from the period of the preceding account. 
 There were ninety-nine thousand volumes, and upwards 
 of thirty-one million pages. 
 
 It has been intimated that literature also was deeply 
 indebted to these distinguished translators and printers 
 of the word of God. For the satisfaction of oriental 
 scholars, a list is given in the memoir of other publica- 
 tions of the Serampore press besides the scriptural 
 translations. This consists of grammars, dictionaries, 
 histories, translations, tracts, and other pamphlets, by 
 Carey, Marshman, Ward, and others, in various lan- 
 guages. It is scarcely possible to estimate the extent, 
 or fully to appreciate the value of these diversified 
 labours ; for after making all the deductions which the 
 most sober judgment or the most scrutinizing jealousy 
 might be disposed to make, it cannot be questioned 
 that the immortal celebrity of these men has been 
 fairly earned, when we advert to the light they have 
 thrown over the pages of the world's literature, — the 
 stimulus they have given to the drowsy intellect of the 
 east, and the victory they have gained over the vain 
 boasts and banded infidelity of the west, — the improved 
 state of society, by the diflPusion of general knowledge 
 and the influence of unblemished conduct and exalted 
 virtue they have produced among native heathens and 
 
 * Memoir, pp. 58 — 62. 
 r3 
 
370 HISTORY OF 
 
 once semi-barbarised Europeans, — and above all, in 
 connexion with tbeir proclamation of the truth, their 
 publishing and embalming the doctrines of salvation 
 in the living languages of half the globe. 
 
 Near the close of the memoir, the Serampore 
 missionaries state, as a motive for gratitude, that 
 the "original mover of this great design is yet alive, 
 and though feeble, in the full possession of all his 
 faculties/^ This cause of gratulation was not, how- 
 ever, of long continuance. Remarkably preserved 
 amidst his abundant labours in the sultry clime of 
 India, nature at length yielded, and within a few 
 months from the date of this document, Carey was 
 separated from his fellow-labourers by a gentle dis- 
 mission to the world of spirits. Truly it might be 
 said that one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of 
 the standard-bearers in the christian army fell. For 
 several years he was visited by indubitable premonitions 
 of the termination of his career, less, perhaps, in the 
 intellectual than in the physical part of his being. 
 Repeated illnesses of a serious kind occurred, leaving 
 him feeble, but still never ineffective as to mental 
 exertion, till towards the last. In a letter addressed 
 to his sisters in June, 1830, he states that for a year 
 and a half previously he had experienced successive 
 attacks of fever, by which he was greatly reduced, and 
 had often thought that the time of his departure was 
 at hand; but he cheerfully committed his eternal 
 interests to God through Christ Jesus. " I felt,'' says 
 he, " that he had made a full atonement by the sacri- 
 fice which he had offered up; and that, eternal life 
 being promised to every one who believes in him, I 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 371 
 
 might look forward with humble expectation to the 
 time when all who are accepted in the Beloved shall be 
 declared to be pardoned, justified, and made meet for 
 the inheritance of the saints in light/^ Another letter, 
 in July, 1833, intimates his conviction that it was the 
 last he should write. All his children had visited him, 
 from an apprehension it would be their final interview ; 
 but he revived, in almost, as he expresses it, a 
 miraculous manner. In September, contrary to his 
 expectations, he was able to write again, but speaks of 
 having felt such extreme exhaustion that it appeared 
 to him death would be no more than removing from 
 one chair to another. He was then able to sit or lie 
 on his couch, and now and then to read a proof 
 sheet of the Scriptures. With little variation as to 
 the circumstances, he continued to the 9th of June, 
 1834, the day of his emancipation from the body. 
 His last will was found to contain this highly charac- 
 teristic provision : — " I direct, that before every other 
 thing, all my lawful debts may be paid ; that my 
 funeral be as plain as possible ; that I may buried by 
 the side of my second wife, Charlotte Emilia Carey; 
 and that the following inscription, and nothing more, 
 may be cut on the stone which commemorates her, 
 either above or below_, as there may be room ; viz. 
 
 "William Carey, born August 17, 1761, died 
 
 ' A wretched, poor, and helpless worm. 
 On thy kind arms I fall.' " 
 
 Simplicity of character, which is an element of true 
 greatness, was possessed in an eminent degree by 
 
372 HISTORY OF 
 
 Dr. Carey. It was not merely, in his case, that which 
 consists in rectitude of aim and purity of motive; but 
 a native modesty of mind. It was the conception of 
 the object of pursuit and adherence, as great in itself, 
 that held him to it ; not any self-flattering notion that 
 he was great because he pursued it, or pursued it in an 
 extraordinary way. His decisions were not formed 
 under the influence of pride, nor his actions perse- 
 vered in from the promptings of vanity. When he 
 flrst said to the little brotherhood in Northamptonshire, 
 " Here am I, send me,^^ the offer was a devout conse- 
 cration of himself to God, — an act of pure, christian 
 self-denial ; and the joy of acceptance was the joy of 
 faith. Had his brethren discountenanced his proposal, 
 it is next to a certainty that his emotion would have 
 been that of grief for the cause, rather than that of 
 personal mortification. 
 
 The character of his benevolence was as expansive 
 as it was pure ; and it partook of that moral enthu- 
 siasm which looks on Alps as plains, and annihilates 
 time and space as well as dangers. What ardour and 
 comprehensiveness of purpose did he display when, 
 writing from the Bay of Bengal, ere he had reached 
 his destination, he thus expresses himself, " I hope the 
 Society will go on and increase, and that the multitudes 
 of the heathen world may hear the glorious word of 
 truth. Africa is but a little way from England ; Mada- 
 gascar but a little fm'ther ; South America and all the 
 numerous and large islands in the Indian and Chinese 
 seas, I hope will not be passed over. A large field 
 opens on every side, and millions of perishing heathen, 
 tormented in this life by means of idolatry, super- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 373 
 
 stition, and ignorance^ and subject to eternal misery 
 in the next, are pleading, — yes, all these miseries plead 
 as soon as they are known, with every heart that loves 
 the Redeemer, and with all the churches of the living 
 God. that many labourers might be thrust out into 
 the vineyard of our Lord Jesus Christ, and that the 
 Gentiles may come to the knowledge of the truth as it 
 is in him !" 
 
 His manners partook of the character of his mind. 
 They were plain. He was formed for activity, not for 
 show ; and hence, in the highest sense as regards 
 his peculiar office, he was " a workman that needed not 
 to be ashamed.^^ There was the reality of labour, 
 without the bustle and pomp of display. 
 
 Whenever a man is called in providence to do some- 
 thing in the doing of which he necessarily becomes 
 distinguished, it is a singular advantage, both to him- 
 self and the undertaking, that he should possess the 
 kind of character to which we have referred in union 
 with mental and moral energy. Instead of exciting 
 envy and producing prejudice, it is not unlikely, where 
 there is no assumption or artifice, that those who are 
 surpassed as competitors will be conciliated as fellow- 
 workers and friends. What of pre-eminence is virtually 
 disclaimed by an unsophisticated and modest sim- 
 plicity, will often be conceded as an act of justice not 
 to be disputed ; so that in this respect, " he that 
 humbleth himself shall be exalted.^^ Carey acquired 
 distinction on account of other qualities of mind and 
 heart ; but this was one of the noblest elements of 
 his nature, and the proper basis of his fame. 
 
 He has generally been spoken of as having possessed 
 
374 HISTORY OF 
 
 the greatest aptitude in tlie acquisition of languages, and 
 therefore as peculiarly fitted for the work he undertook. 
 This may be true ; but it is not the whole, or the most 
 important part of the truth. What is usually termed 
 aptitude is somewhat difficult to define, and perhaps 
 after all is but a compound of diligence and perse- 
 verance. Our opinion is commonly formed from success; 
 besides that, in such a connexion, and with regard to 
 such a man, when we speak of aptitude, meaning by it 
 mere facility, we do not say enough, unless we bring 
 into view higher qualities, with the promptings of 
 superior motive. In mere capability or bias, there is 
 nothing moral. The talent to acquire languages, which 
 many possess who never apply it, or apply it uselessly, 
 is not the first order even of intellectual endowments, 
 though it may become akin to genius when combined 
 with the diligence to pursue, and the power to grasp 
 the noblest purposes to which the attainment is appli- 
 cable. But whatever might have been his original 
 aptitude, it is certain that in Carey it was rendered 
 secondary and subsidiary to the moral end. In the 
 first instance, his object might have been the mere 
 love of knowledge, and his facility the fruit of an 
 active intellect ; but as his faculties expanded, and his 
 heart became sanctified, this thirst for knowledge 
 gradually became power of a more exalted kind. That 
 he was led to the study of languages — that he excelled 
 others in the pursuit — that he had the moral vigour to 
 labour at his humble vocation, and labour at the 
 grammar and the lexicon at the same time, and with 
 distinguished success, — were not only proofs of talent, 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 375 
 
 but manifest preparations of providence. He thus 
 became an instrument, qualified by God himself, for 
 the diffusion of his word through the regions of 
 heathenism ; and in his capacity to do so, we behold 
 the seal of his heavenly commission. 
 
 An eminent scholar has remarked, that " at the time 
 when Dr. Carey commenced his career of oriental 
 study, the facilities that have since accumulated were 
 wholly wanting, and the student was destitute of all 
 elementary aid. With the exception of those lan- 
 guages which are regarded by the natives of India as 
 sacred and classical, such as the Arabic and Sungskrit, 
 few of the Indian dialects have ever been reduced to 
 then' elements by original writers. The principles of 
 their construction are preserved by practice alone, and 
 a grammar or a vocabulary forms no part of such 
 scanty literature as they may happen to possess. 
 Accustomed from infancy to the familiar use of their 
 vernacular inflexions and idioms, the natives of India 
 never thought it necessary to lay down rules for their 
 application ; and even in the present day, they cannot 
 vnthout difficulty be prevailed upon to study systemati- 
 cally the dialect which they daily and hourly speak. 
 Europeans, however, are differently circumstanced. 
 With them the precepts must precede the practice, if 
 they wish to attain a critical knowledge of a foreign 
 tongue. But when the oriental languages first became 
 the subjects of investigation, those precepts were yet 
 to be developed ; and the early students had, therefore, 
 as they gathered words and phrases, to investigate the 
 principles upon which they were constructed, and to 
 
376 HISTORY OF 
 
 frame^ as they proceeded, a grammar for themselves. 
 The talents of Dr. Carey were eminently adapted to 
 such an undertaking, and combining with the necessities 
 of himself and of others, engaged him at various 
 periods in the compilation of original and valuable 
 elementary works. His Sungskrit Grammar was the 
 first complete grammar that was ever published; his 
 Telinga Grammar was the first printed in English ; his 
 Kurnata and Mahratta Grammars were the first pub- 
 lished works developing the structure of those lan- 
 guages ; his Mahratta Dictionary was also one of the 
 first attempts in the lexicography of that dialect ; his 
 Punjabi Grammar is still the only authority that exists 
 for the language of the Sikh nation ; and although he 
 must concede to Holhed the credit of first reducing 
 to rule the constructions of the Bengalee tongue, yet 
 by his own grammar and dictionary, and other useful 
 rudimental publications, Dr. Carey may claim the 
 merit of having raised it from the condition of a rude 
 and unsettled dialect to the character of a regular and 
 permanent form of speech, possessing something of a 
 literature, and capable, through its intimate relation to 
 the Sungskrit, of becoming a refined and comprehen- 
 sive vehicle for the difi'usion of sound knowledge and 
 rehgious truth. ^'* 
 
 The same writer, after some critical and eulogistic 
 remarks on the various grammars, dictionaries, and 
 other philosophical publications of Dr. Carey, concludes 
 
 * Remarks on the Character and Labours of Dr. Carey, as 
 an Oriental Scholar and Translator, by H. H. Wilson, Esq. 
 M.A., F.R.S., Boden Professor of Sungskrit in the University 
 of Oxford. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 377 
 
 in these words : — ^' Enough has^ perhaps^ been said to 
 show that Dr. Carey was a man of no ordinary powers 
 of mind ; that he was endowed with prompt and acute 
 apprehension ; that he must have been capable of 
 \4gorous and enduring appHcation ; that his tastes 
 were varied^ and his attainments vast; and that he 
 perse veringly and zealously devoted all his faculties 
 and acquirements to the intellectual and spiritual 
 improvement of his fellow-creatures in the east." 
 
 In a valuable paper by Mr. Jonathan Carey, 
 appended to Mr. E. Carey's memoir of his uncle, he 
 says, "In objects of nature, my father was exceed- 
 ingly curious. His collection of mineral ores and other 
 subjects of natural history, was extensive, and obtained 
 his particular attention in seasons of leisure and 
 recreation. The science of botany was his constant 
 delight and study ; and his fondness for his garden 
 remained to the last. No one was allowed to interfere 
 in the arrangements of this his favourite retreat, and 
 it is here he enjoyed his most pleasant moments of 
 secret devotion and meditation. The garden formed 
 the best and rarest collection of plants in the east, to 
 the extension of which, by his correspondence with 
 persons of eminence in Europe and other parts of 
 the world, his attention was constantly directed; and 
 in return, he supplied his correspondents wdth rare 
 collections from the east. On this science he fre- 
 quently gave lectures, which were well attended, and 
 never failed to prove interesting. His publication of 
 ' Roxburgh's Flora Indica ' is a standard work with. 
 botanists. 
 
378 HISTORY OF 
 
 ''^In objects of benevolence, my father took a pro- 
 minent part. He, in conjunction with other gentlemen 
 of the civil service, memorialised government for the 
 abolition of infanticide ; which object he saw realised 
 by government prohibiting the offering of children to 
 the Ganges at Saugur, where a guard to the present 
 day is sent to prevent a recurrence of the horrid rite. 
 He was also among the number of those who first 
 urged the government to abolish suttee, or the burning 
 of widows with the corpses of their husbands ; and his 
 assistance was afforded, under different administrations, 
 in throwing light on the Hindoo writings on the 
 subject, in order to induce government to abolish the 
 rite ; and he lived to see his hopes realised, in the 
 steps which government ultimately took in putting a 
 stop to the suttee throughout all the East India Com- 
 pany's dominions. In like manner, he also in various 
 ways represented the evil tendency of the pilgrim-tax, 
 and the aid afforded by the Bengal government towards 
 the repairs and other expenses of the idolatrous temples 
 at Juggernauth and other places of resort for pilgrims ; 
 and these exertions, though limited, he was gratified 
 to find were more extensively taken up by others, and 
 that they were likely eventually to prove successful. 
 
 " To all classes of people he was mild and tender in 
 his deportment ; and with those who were of the 
 household of faith he particularly sympathised in all 
 their sorrows and joys, and relieved the wants of the 
 distressed as far as he was able out of the small sum 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 879 
 
 lie reserved to himself ; and if tliis failed, he never 
 let them go without his advice and condolence. He 
 was naturally of a lively turn of mind, full of spirit ; 
 and in society was interesting in his remarks and 
 communications, and conveyed much information on 
 almost all subjects." 
 
 Although Dr. Carey rose to extraordinary eminence 
 chiefly by devoting himself to one object, yet he 
 evidently possessed that kind of universality of mind, 
 if it may be so called, which is generally seen to 
 characterise genius. To the grand purpose for which 
 he went to India were subordinated with conscientious 
 scrupulousness all other pursuits to which he was 
 led by his benevolent feelings or his mental tastes; 
 such as his general desire of human improvement, 
 and his particular attachment to botanical science ; 
 but he w^as qualified to excel in whatever might 
 engage his attention. Had he been born in the 
 sixteenth century, he might have been a Luther, to 
 give protestantism to Eui-ope : had he turned his 
 thought and observations merely to natural philosophy, 
 he might have been a Newton, to compose the 
 Principia, and unfold the laws of gravitation ; but 
 his faculties, consecrated by religion to a still higher 
 end, have gained for him the sublimer distinction of 
 having been the translator of the Scriptures, 
 AND the benefactor OF AsiA. But his humility 
 shone even brighter than his genius ; and of all that 
 he did, in one sense at least, the greatest and noblest 
 act was the last, — the inscription written by his dying 
 hand for his tombstone ! 
 
380 HISTORY OF 
 
 JESSORE. 
 
 Mr. W. Buckingham. Native Preachers , — Ram Soonder 
 and Saphulram. 
 
 During 1827 this station remained in a very dis- 
 couraging state, excepting tliat the schools for boys 
 greatly prospered. In 1828, Mr. Buckingham was 
 very diligent in itinerating with the native preachers ; 
 but the springing up of the good seed seemed to be 
 deferred. There were only twenty members in com- 
 munion, and the same number were either suspended 
 or excluded. But in 1829, eight were restored, and 
 two added to the church. The four schools were 
 carried on wdth success, with an average attendance of 
 176. This mission suffered a great loss in 1830 in 
 the death of Mr. Buckingham, who was a valuable 
 missionary. He composed four of the best tracts in 
 the Bengalee series. The immediate occasion of his 
 death was a fever. He was carried to the grave by the 
 members of his poor flock, with every mark of affection 
 and grief j and the gentlemen of the station manifested 
 their respect by following the body. Mr. Parry was 
 requested to succeed him, and give up his secular 
 employment at Burisaul; where, however, Mr. Smithes 
 hands w^ere strengthened by a second native preacher, 
 Vishwanalk, who was educated in the college at 
 Serampore. 
 
 In 1832, three women were added to the little 
 church. In December, Mr. Parry baptized two men 
 and one woman at Bhursapoor. His usual efforts at 
 the melas were continued and somewhat enlarged; but 
 the entire aspect of the station showed a discouraging 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 381 
 
 appearance, excepting that it was a centre of itinerant 
 exertions of some interest and extent. The district was 
 estimated to contain about twelve hundred thousand 
 inhabitants, mahometans and Hindoos. 
 
 DACCA. 
 
 UCruz and Mr. O. Leonard. Assistant, — 
 Mr. J. Domingo. 
 
 In 1827, D^Cruz and Mrs. Charles Leonard were 
 removed by death ; the former by a sudden and very 
 rapid disease. He was at the time at his post, 
 abounding in his work. " He had a deep sense of his 
 own unworthiness of the Divine favour ; but he knew 
 the vast extent of God^s forgiveness, and the power of 
 his Redeemer to save, and without a shade of fear he 
 committed himself to him. His humility, faith, gra- 
 titude, hope, and joy were all conspicuous. He died 
 glorying in the cross of Christ. To him to depart and 
 be with Christ was far better. 
 
 ^'^As a missionary, Mr. D^Cruz excelled. He had 
 read much both in theology and on other subjects, and 
 he intimately knew and highly prized his Bible. He 
 was a man of fervent piety, of great disinterestedness, 
 and of generous concern for both the temporal and 
 spiritual welfare of his fellow men, energetic in his 
 labours, hardy, and patient of fatigue. If he was 
 deficient in any thing, it was in mildness of manner ; 
 but his general excellence caused that easily to be 
 forgotten. He had much endeared himself to his 
 colleague, Mr. Leonard, and to all those who love the 
 gospel in Dacca ; and he was peculiarly well adapted 
 for the sphere of labour which he occupied there. His 
 
382 HISTORY OF 
 
 death was therefore felt as an exceedingly heavy stroke 
 to the mission/^ 
 
 Early in 1828, three were added to the church 
 by baptism ; but it became reduced to four by 
 removals. The health of Mr. Leonard also became 
 precarious, and he lost his son. Mr. Domingo being 
 found incapable of essential service in the schools, 
 left; but the state of the female schools was on the 
 whole encouraging. In the following year, the 
 English congregation, which had almost disappeared, 
 was formed anew. A congregation of natives were 
 addressed twice in the week, in the school-house, 
 besides that favourable opportunities occmTed in visits 
 to the Bengalee schools, where crowds invariably 
 assembled to hear the children read. The schools had 
 now enjoyed the support of the local authorities, and 
 the inhabitants generally, for fourteen years. 
 
 No additions were made to the church in 1830. 
 There were seven native schools, containing between five 
 and six hundred scholars, who were constantly receiving 
 instruction in christian truth. In 1831, they continued 
 to prosper, and the Nuwab, for the first time, took an 
 interest in them. The widows, with the other native 
 girls, read before him at the public examination ; when 
 he expressed much satisfaction at their proficiency, and 
 especially with the former, who were grown to matu- 
 rity, and labouring for their livelihood, instead of being 
 sacrificed on the funeral pile. Mr. Phihp Paul, an 
 Englishman, was sent, at the close of the year, to assist 
 Mr. Leonard in his various labours. 
 
 Three or four were added to the chiu-ch in 1832, 
 among whom was Mr. Hogg, the quarter-master 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 383 
 
 Serjeant. Eleven members sat down to the Lord^s 
 supper on the evening preceding the pubUc baptism. 
 " Why/^ says Mr. Paul, " should we despair ?" In 
 the little accomplished there was indeed enough to 
 produce deep anxiety ; but these are the circumstances 
 in which the mighty power of principle is exhibited, 
 and the true sublimity of the missionary character is 
 seen bearing up amidst difficulties, disappointments, 
 and self-denials. The schools remained in much the 
 same state as before ; the scholars acquitted themselves 
 well at an annual examination, and read to the people 
 assembled outside to hear ; " and it was no unwelcome 
 sight," observes Mr. Paul, "to behold a little girl of 
 six or seven years, instructing from the everlasting 
 gospel, in the way of salvation, those who perhaps once 
 denied the sex to possess intellect." They were 
 encouraged by the commander of a native regiment 
 inviting regular preaching in the hall of his house 
 which was 'situated in the centre of the lines. Meet- 
 ings continued to be held at different houses, and the 
 Bengalee congregation was pretty good. 
 
 CHITTAGONG. 
 
 Mr. J. Johannes. 
 
 The English school consisted of a hundred and forty 
 children, most of them belonging to Portuguese poor 
 families, of which a great part of the population 
 consists. Mr. Johannes superintended three native 
 female schools, and supported a school himself of thirty 
 boys. There was also a native boys^ school of sixty 
 pupils. This faithful missionary, moreover, conducted 
 
384 HISTORY OF 
 
 worship in Bengalee and English, and preached in the 
 market-places and streets. He had free access, also, 
 to the jail. In 1828, another female native school 
 was established at Feringy Bazar. The English ser- 
 vices were frequently attended by Boman catholics. 
 Mr. Johannes, laboured with great uniforaiity from 
 year to year ; and the regular services of religion which 
 he conducted, were attended by a considerable number 
 of his grown-up pupils, and such as had left for their 
 employments. He preached in the bazars and streets, 
 and frequently in the jail, but with no obvious results, 
 excepting that the knowledge of divine truth was 
 gradually diffused. 
 
 In 1832, fever and cholera prevailed; Mr. and 
 Mrs. Johannes with Mrs. Fink and their respective 
 families, were affected by it, and several of the scholars 
 in the school died. The model school went on satis- 
 factorily. A few persons were baptized, and Mr. 
 Johannes writes, ^'I have now been twelve years in 
 Chittagong, and never felt that encouragement I do now, 
 when I see Boman catholics searching the Scriptures." 
 
 The district includes about a million of inhabitants, 
 and it forms the south-eastern extremity of Bengal. 
 The people are a mixed race, — Hindoos, Mahometans, 
 Arracanese, or Mugs ; the latter being essentially the 
 same as the Burmans. 
 
 ARRACAN. 
 
 J. C. Fink. Native Preachers, — Khepoo, Kallafree, 
 OogJiaree, Meearung, and Reepooway. 
 
 Eight persons were added to the church in 1827. 
 The church was divided into three parts ; one in the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 385 
 
 christian colony, formed afterwards at Krueda, a place 
 surrounded by jungles, on an island of the same name, 
 and situated in the midst of the Arracanese; one at 
 Akyab, the European station, where were seventeen 
 members; and one at Kim-Kywon, where were eight 
 members. Their conduct was exceedingly consistent, 
 though the members were scattered. 
 
 The Periodical Accounts of the Serampore Mission 
 furnish the following statement. "In March last, 
 (1827,) an affecting circumstance occurred in the 
 christian colony, which is well worthy of record. A 
 young man, the youngest brother of Meearung, the 
 native preacher, went with others to cut down timber 
 in the jungles ; and as a large tree was in the act of 
 falling, instead of running away in the proper direc- 
 tion, he ran so that it fell upon him. His companions 
 immediately came to his help, but he was so bruised, 
 that after lingering seven days, he died. He had not 
 been baptized, but he appears to have given very satis- 
 factory evidence of piety, and to have walked worthy 
 of the christian profession. During the seven days of 
 his protracted agony, he put up almost hourly prayers 
 to the divine Redeemer, entreating him to save his 
 immortal soul. Nearly at the moment of his dissolu- 
 tion, he was asked, upon what he rested his faith and 
 hope of salvation. He replied, ^ Only upon the Lord 
 Jesus Christ, who alone is able to save me / and then 
 turning to his brother, he desired him to look amongst 
 his clothes, and see what money he had left. His 
 brother did so, and found there was only one rupee. 
 He took it, and desired it to be sent to Mr. Fink, with 
 these words : ^ Take this, which is the whole of my 
 
 s 
 
386 HISTORY OF 
 
 riches at my dying hour, and be pleased to send it to 
 Serampore as my first and last contribution towards 
 the printing of the Burman Scriptures,, from which 
 I have received that spiritual knowledge which has 
 made me wise unto salvation/ Soon after, he fell 
 asleep in the Lord." 
 
 In 1828, Mr. Fink^s prospects seemed pleasing. He 
 baptized a man of eighty. He was visited by several of 
 the Mugs, and his attendance at the jail appeared to 
 be useful. The native Oogharee died on the 18th of 
 May, and his loss was severely felt. His end was very 
 happy, and his dying admonitions, especially to his 
 father-in-law, an idolater, very pointed, and illustrative 
 of the strength of his own faith. 
 
 "The mission was considerably extended in 1829, 
 To his ministrations in the native language, Mr. Fink 
 added two services in English on the sabbath, and one 
 in the week, for the benefit of the assistants in the 
 public offices, of whom one made a public profession. 
 Besides himself, there were now six native preachers 
 engaged in diffusing the gospel in Arracan, occupying 
 five stations. Among six added to the church during 
 the year, five were natives of the province. In 1830, 
 Mr. Fink and the native preachers continued their 
 exertions with increasing hope of success. A per- 
 manent chapel for the Mug congregation was opened 
 in March in Akyab. In April, the sixth native 
 Arracanese, Kyo-jorhee, was ordained to the sacred 
 office. "Here," say the Serampore missionaries, "is 
 an occasion worthy of remark. An East Indian and 
 Arracanese, (Fink and Muthoor,) in the presence of a 
 native christian church, engaged in the ordination of 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 387 
 
 another native, who had at one time been an idolatrous 
 priest ! " 
 
 During 1831, the only addition to the church was 
 a priestess, who joined at Akyab. An English school 
 was commenced there in November. 
 
 In April, 1832, the school-room was finished. A 
 gentleman (captain D.) intended to erect a workhouse, 
 and connect it with the school, that the children might 
 be able to learn several useful trades. Cholera pre- 
 vailed greatly in Akyab, and diminished the attendance 
 on religious services. 
 
 DINAGEPORE. 
 
 Ignatius Fernandez. Native Preachers, — Niamut-ulla 
 and Bhoodoo. 
 
 The number of the church, in 1827, was ninety-two; 
 but of these, in the com'se of the year, seven were 
 excluded, and two died. In 1828, a few were added. 
 In 1829, three whole mussulman families, consisting 
 of seventeen persons, and some other individuals 
 renounced their religion, and joined the christian 
 community. Two schools, however, were discontinued, 
 a Persian and a Bengalee, for want of support ; but an 
 old one, established by Dr. Carey before he left the 
 district, remained, consisting of seventy scholars. In 
 1829, the church lost eight members by death, and 
 only three were added to them ; but Mr. Fernandez 
 had the satisfaction of witnessing the uniform christian 
 conduct of the survivors. The number of members 
 was about sixty-eight. On the 27th of December, 
 Mr. Fernandez expired in his seventy-fourth year. 
 s2 
 
388 HISTORY OP 
 
 He had suffered much during the previous six months 
 from fevers ; and at length, worn down by disease, he 
 went to Serampore to die in the presence of his 
 brethren. He was cheerful throughout his illness; 
 "a celestial serenity marked every word he spoke." 
 Dr. Carey thus refers to him : " Last Lord^s day 
 evening, I was called to perform the — shall I call it 
 pleasant or painful office, of delivering a short address 
 over the grave of our beloved brother Fernandez. He 
 died about three o^ clock in the morning, aged nearly 
 seventy-four years. He arrived at Serampore at the 
 beginning of last week, extremely weak and feeble. 
 His first words to me were, ' My dear brother, I am 
 come to lay myself with you.^ The state of his mind 
 was exceedingly desirable ; he expressed a firm hope in 
 the divine promises, and died full of joy in the Lord. 
 He did not appear to have any particular disease, but 
 was literally worn out. Brother Fernandez was, I 
 believe, the first-fruits of this mission to Christ. 
 Mr. Powell, who went out at the same time with 
 brother Thomas and myself, was brought to the know- 
 ledge of the truth about the same time that brother 
 Fernandez was, which occasions my speaking with 
 doubt about who was first. I first saw him in 1796. 
 He was then building a dwelling-house at Dinagepore^ 
 which, he said, he intended for the worship of God, 
 and invited brother Thomas and myself to preach at 
 the opening of it, which we soon after did. From that 
 time till this there has been preaching in it ; and our 
 late brother was the instrument of collecting the largest 
 chm-ch in Bengal. It now consists of nearly one 
 hundred members, and when we take into account 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 389 
 
 those who have died in the Lord, the number must 
 amount to one hundred at least. These will be his 
 crown of joy in the day of the Lord Jesus.^^* 
 
 Mr. Fernandez was born at Macao on the 31st of 
 July, 1757, and was therefore seventy-three years and 
 five months old. He came to Bengal in March 1774; 
 and of the fifty-six years which had since passed, he 
 had spent forty-four in Dinagepore. In 1795, he 
 obtained an old Bible from a Hindoo friend, by which 
 it pleased the Lord to bring him in some degree to the 
 knowledge of himself as a lost sinner, and to feel his 
 need of a Saviour, even Jesus Christ. During the 
 following year, he became acquainted with Dr. Carey 
 and Mr. Thomas, and by them was taught the way of 
 the Lord more perfectly. From that time he was 
 associated in all their efforts for the conversion of the 
 natives of India ; and we believe that the ministry of 
 no other missionaiy in Gangetic India has been so 
 extensively blessed. In his long christian profession, 
 a spot may possibly be found ; yet he was a humble, 
 compassionate, disinterested, and devoted servant of 
 the Lord Jesus, whose memory will long live in the 
 churches of India. 
 
 Mr. Hugh Smylie succeeded him, with whom was 
 united Mr. Bareiro, one of the students of Serampoi'e 
 college. The year 1831 was a year of great trial, 
 owing to the anxiety and trouble of winding up the 
 affairs of Mr. Fernandez, and the repeated attacks of 
 fever which both Mr. Smylie and Mr. Bareiro, had 
 suffered. The former went to reside at Sadamahl, 
 
 * Letter to Mr. Hope of Liverpool. 
 
390 HISTORY or 
 
 where he found no opposition,, and the people around^ 
 who are chiefly mussulmans, Ustened to the word with 
 considerable attention. 
 
 Much illness prevailed in 1832, and Mr. Smylie and 
 Mr. Bareiro were compelled to leave their station for 
 some time, both having been much reduced by sickness. 
 
 BENARES. 
 
 JV. Smith. Native Preacher, — Sivadas. 
 
 The missionary's labours were abundant, and 
 attended with some success; though only two were 
 added to the church during the year 1827. Sivadas 
 died on the 6th of September, 1828. He was suc- 
 ceeded by Ram Dass, when the church consisted of 
 ten members. Two European soldiers were baptized 
 at Chunar, in April. The boys' school under 
 Mr. Smith's care prospered ; the books used were 
 Hindee gospels and tracts. Mr. Smith conducted 
 small meetings in private houses, made frequent 
 excursions, and preached at his native school, the 
 ghats, in the market-places, and the melas. Several 
 additions were made to the church in 1830; among 
 them a pundit, who had learned to suffer, and to take 
 joyfully the loss of all things for Christ. In 1831, 
 three were added; one of them, Siva Ram, was a 
 brahmin and pundit, who stood fast amidst much 
 opposition. One member was excluded. The number 
 in communion was thirteen. The boys' scho'ol at 
 Rajaka-dwara contained forty-one scholars, ten of 
 whom read the Scriptures with fluency. 
 
 Ram Dass died in October, 1833. When Mr. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 391 
 
 Smith visited him, he said, referring to the severe pain 
 in his chest, " It is not to be compared to the suffer- 
 ing of Jesus Christ, on whom all my hope of salvation 
 depends. How wonderfully he has di-awn me from 
 the shackles of idolatry ! and I am sure he will not 
 forsake me now.^' 
 
 ALLAHABAD. 
 
 L. Mackintosh. Native Reader ^ — Gopaul, who kept a 
 promising school in his house, consisting of about 
 twenty young men. 
 
 In general this was a small, and not a very thriving 
 station. Five members of the church resided in the 
 fort. An encouraging example of the power of religion 
 was afforded in the death of Seetaram, at Goruckpore, 
 who had formerly been the native preacher at Alla- 
 habad. His dying testimony was throughout ad- 
 mii'able. One of his last expressions was, "This 
 undeserving creature is not worthy that the Lord Jesus 
 Christ should receive him to himself; but what he does 
 is entirely of his own free mercy." 
 
 Mr. Mackintosh frequently addressed the people, 
 and cii'culated tracts at large melas or assemblies, and 
 often with, effect; but alas, here, as elsewhere, multi- 
 tudes would dispute and listen, but not turn to God. 
 He has detailed many interesting conversations in his 
 journals, and on some occasions showed considerable 
 tact. A pundit said on one occasion, " Produce me an 
 instance of one who has been affected by, and has 
 believed your report." "Well," said he, "it shall be 
 one that was no less than a bigotted brahmin, and the 
 son of a zemindar, who was most completely absorbed 
 
392 HISTORY OP 
 
 in all the customs^ manners, and religion of tlie 
 Hindoos/^ As Seetul was sitting by liim, he stretched 
 out his hand, and clapping him on the back, exclaimed, 
 " Here is an instance ; let him speak for himself/' 
 Accordingly, Seetul declared in the midst of the crowd, 
 what the Lord had done for him, and what were the 
 benefits and spiritual comforts which he now enjoyed. 
 
 No additions were made during 1830. The church 
 consisted of nine members, five of whom resided in the 
 fort. In 1831, the church was farther diminished by 
 the removal of two of its members to Monghyr. 
 
 Mr. Mackintosh states that in August, 1833, he 
 baptized a young man of European descent, the head 
 wi'iter in the collector's ofiice ; and also Hurnam Singh, 
 an inquirer whom he had gained at the mela. 
 
 DELHI. 
 
 J. T. Thompson. Native Preacher, — Sookha Misr. 
 
 During the greatest part of the year 1827, Mr. 
 Thompson w^as absent on important missionary tours ; 
 but employed himself at home, from June to October, 
 in composing tracts for distribution, writing a Hin- 
 dostanee commentary on Matthew, conversing with 
 the people, and conducting worship in his own house 
 and in the cantonments. Mr. Thompson travelled 
 regularly to the annual assembly at Hurdwar in April ; 
 and in November to that at Goormacktishwer ; and thus 
 had opportunities of distributing the Scriptures in the 
 Vikaneer language, to the west of Delhi; in the 
 Mai-war and the Goozeratee, to the south-south-west ; 
 in the Nepalee to the Goorkhas, on the east-north-east ; 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 393 
 
 in the Punjabee on the north-west ; in the Pushtoo to 
 the Patans and AfFghan horse merchants ; and in the 
 language of Cashmere, to the north of Delhi. The 
 visit of Mr. Thompson to Hurdwar in 1828 was 
 deemed peculiarly interesting, from the number of 
 conversations he had with persons who came from 
 extraordinary distances, and the numerous oppor- 
 tunities he had of tract and book distributions. The 
 following brief extracts from his journal may serve as 
 a specimen of his valuable labours : — 
 
 "Yesterday evening, a singular man, a gentleman^s 
 servant, came forward in the crowd, and taking up a 
 tract read it, and seemed to show great regard to the 
 name of our Saviour ; then, breaking off, said, ^ This is 
 the true Incarnation, and he alone can give ease to 
 man ; but, alas, these people are ashamed of confessing 
 him.' I took up the subject, and stated our Lord's 
 words on the point. The man acquiesced, and went 
 away, lamenting as before. 
 
 JJC 5}C ^ 5[C 5jC ^ 
 
 " The people from the Company's provinces not 
 having come in great numbers, the distribution to-day 
 was mostly among Sikhs on the west, and Goorkhas 
 far to the east-north-east. The sight of several of the 
 hardy Goorkhas on duty here, sitting with their books 
 and tracts in the guard-room and among the people of 
 the fair, reading, was not a little delightful. I well 
 remember the regret with which I viewed their avidity 
 for books some years ago, and the busy efforts of the 
 brahmins to supply them with mental poison; but 
 blessed be God they have since been furnished with 
 Nepalee gospels, and Goorkhalee tracts, a compendium 
 s3 
 
394 HISTORY OF 
 
 of astronomy and geography, the Digdurshun and other 
 school books, with every thing published in Hindee; 
 and every one now beholds with pleasure their progress 
 in knowledge and their love for books. Some very 
 young boys are able to read, and old men are not 
 devoid of a thirst for knowledge. The sight of these 
 men reading is truly delightful, and affords no little 
 encouragement. 
 
 }fc '1^ >fC ^ ^ :fc 
 
 " While reading and conversing, I observed an aged 
 Hindoo of Peshour shed tears, though I cannot think 
 he understood much. Yet when a man asked for the 
 Niayu shaster, he quickly replied, ' The Niaiju is full 
 of contention, and gives no satisfaction: these books 
 point out an easy way, and there is no contention in 
 them.^ I am quite satisfied that all who take books 
 know that they are the scriptures of our faith ; most 
 know them to be unfavourable to idolatry, and a 
 system of works or human performance, and not a few 
 are aware of their particular tendency to supplant other 
 objects of faith -, yet they consider the gifts of books 
 containing the name of God as a poonyu, or act of 
 righteousness, bidya-dan, jug, usmed, &c. ; and some 
 persons who take books themselves will not hand a 
 book to another, but will have me to do it, as though 
 some of the merit of the distribution would otherwise 
 be lost to me ! 
 
 * The Niayu, by the sage Goutumu, is the chief or only 
 system of philosophy taught in Bengal. It is full of contention 
 indeed. Though allowing God to be the Creator, preserver, 
 and regenerator of all things, it maintains the eternity of matter 
 and numberless absurdities. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 395 
 
 "Yesterday evening a brahmin of Lahore (1356 
 miles from Calcutta) came to my tent, having taken 
 books in the day, but found no opportunity of con- 
 versing with me among the crowds. The Sungskrit 
 Psalms dehght him much, and he finds himself intro- 
 duced into a new world, or forced to reason in a new 
 way respecting the Hindoo supposed incarnations, by 
 reading the tracts on that subject. This evening, also, 
 he spent about an hour with me while I had reading, 
 and discoursed and prayed with my hearers from 
 John X. A Sikh of Rawel Pindee, (only sixty-eight 
 miles from the Indus,) who took books to-day, said he 
 had some years ago met with the Neeti-buchun, a 
 Punjabee tract, and had read it so often that he had 
 almost got it by heart. An aged Sikh of Lahore, 
 having attended and sat near me two or three 
 times every day, took leave this morning, carrying a 
 Testament and Psalms with him, and having first knelt 
 with me for prayer. As I close every day's intercourse 
 with the people at the Pyree with prayer, I find a 
 number of persons come statedly for the purpose, and 
 stand with great seriousness."* 
 
 In 1829, Mr. Thompson mentions having circulated 
 
 * The P}Tee or Paree, at the base of a mountain projecting 
 towards the river, is the far-famed bathing spot, repnted holy, 
 where there is room for only two persons to pass abreast. 
 This occasions the most lamentable consequences. In 1819, 
 four hundred and thu-ty persons were crushed to death, 
 owing to a desperate rush of the pilgrims. The assembled 
 multitude amounts to two or three thousand ; but once in 
 twelve years, when Jupiter is in Aquarius, at the time of the 
 sun entering Aries, the number is not less than one million, and 
 it was estimated as high as two in 1819 ! 
 
396 HISTORY OF 
 
 nearly six thousand books, pamphlets,, and tracts, in 
 Hindee, Oordoo, Sungskrit, Nepalee, Punjabee, Per- 
 sian, and Arabic. At the Hurdwar annual fair, in 
 1830, he distributed, in at least six languages, 2200 
 volumes, — single gospels, pamphlets, and tracts. The 
 wbrd preached in various places to multitudes, was 
 regarded with " great and serious attention." 
 
 The students of the native college of Delhi evinced 
 great anxiety to be furnished with the Scriptures and 
 other books in English, Hindee, and Persian, 
 Inquirers from time to time presented themselves, of 
 an interesting character, particularly one of the name 
 of Seva Dass, a Kuberee Sand. The Sands reject 
 idolatry, and regard the Ganges like any other river. 
 They profess to believe in one invisible God, and are 
 taught that the soul is immortal, and of the greatest 
 importance; but have no temple nor any regular 
 priesthood. This sect is almost two hundi'ed years 
 old. Seva Dass first applied to Mr. Thompson for 
 tracts, whom he had seen and heard at a mela four 
 years before, and said he had made up his mind to 
 know the utmost of the gospel. In 1831, Mr. 
 Thompson reported a small addition to the church, 
 and stated that some others had expressed their deter- 
 mination to follow Christ; while another class of 
 persons, having read the Scriptures and other books, 
 were favourably disposed towards Christianity ; and not 
 a few are widely scattered in the towns and villages, 
 whose crowds resorted to Gurk and Hurdwar; and 
 some were in Delhi. The number of books and tracts 
 distributed in Hindee, Oordoo, and various other 
 languages, was 4538. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 397 
 
 On his visit to Hurdwar in 1832, Mr. Thompson 
 records a variety of passing circumstances, showing 
 that attention and inquiry were often awakened; and 
 thus from year to year he pursued his course with 
 unabating zeal and often very useful results. 
 
 Besides the foregoing stations in connexion with 
 Serampore at the time of the withdrawment from the 
 Society, a few others were formed, or brought under 
 their management; but they were of subordinate 
 importance, and require only a brief notice. 
 
 DUM DUM. 
 
 Native Preacher y Soohhroo. 
 
 Twenty-two members constituted the church, of 
 whom five were Europeans. Two schools contained 
 thirty children. In 1828 there were no accessions ; 
 two were suspended from communion; one removed 
 by death. In a school-room erected by an officer, 
 Soobhroo had about 100 hearers ; and his labours 
 were abundant in the neighbouring villages and on 
 the way side. In 1829, the little church was full 
 of peace and love, and the gospel seemed to have 
 free course. During the year eleven were added. 
 Mr. H. Smylie conducted the worship of God for 
 several years among his fellow-soldiers, and his grow- 
 ing preparation for missionary labour induced the 
 brethren at Serampore at length to obtain his dis- 
 charge from the army, when they received him into 
 immediate union with the mission. The Dum Dum 
 school advanced. In that at Neemta, three miles from 
 
398 HISTORY OF 
 
 the station, there were frora 80 to 100 scholars, many 
 of whom were sons of respectable brahmins. 
 
 Mr. Smylie^s ministrations among the European 
 soldiers were exceedingly useful ; foi^ young men of 
 the artillery made a profession in May, and several 
 others were accepted by the church. In the beginning 
 of 1830, he went to succeed Mr. Fernandez at Dinage- 
 pore, where a person of matured experience and tried 
 character was required. The church now consisted of 
 twenty-nine members. During 1831, the church was 
 supplied alternately by the brethren at Serampore and 
 Mr. G. Pearce of Cossipore, whose residence was 
 within a few miles. Four were added, one excluded. 
 An inquiring spirit was manifest among the soldiers ; 
 but great persecution prevailed in the barracks among 
 their licentious comrades. Woodall died of fever in 
 the regimental hospital on the 30th of August, — a 
 young man who had made great progress in the study 
 of the Scriptures, and gave promise of usefulness in 
 the church. His loss was deeply felt, as he conducted 
 the worship of the congregation. Soobhroo had been 
 hindered by ill health, but his labours were blessed to 
 two Hindoos. 
 
 In 1832, eleven or twelve were added to the chui'ch. 
 
 MUTTRA. 
 
 R. Richards. Native preacher , — Ram Dass. 
 
 In 1827, the church consisted of seven members, of 
 whom five were natives. The labours of the pastor 
 were considerably diversified; and his house was the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 399 
 
 resort of many inquirers, besides tlie poor and sick to 
 whom lie was in the habit of affording aid. At the 
 close of 1828, he returned to the communion of the 
 episcopal chm'ch ; and Ram Dass was sent to Benares. 
 
 BARRIPORE. 
 
 Within two months after his settlement here in 
 1829, Mr. Rabeholm was deeply afflicted by an 
 event which was the first of the kind that had 
 occurred in the missionary enterprise, — the murder 
 of a native. Ram Kishora, on account of the gospel. 
 It took place at Garda, a village about twenty miles 
 south of Calcutta, where a great desire after the 
 truth had been lately manifested. This roused 
 the hatred of those who rejected it, a party of 
 whom entered the house where he slept about 
 midnight, armed with clubs and bamboos, and per- 
 petrated this foul crime. 
 
 In November, eight were baptized by Mr. Mack, 
 and a church organized. In December, three others 
 joined. Throughout the district much readiness was 
 evinced to hear the gospel; and the rajah who, with 
 his family, was present at the first meetings, fiu-nished 
 every facility for promoting education, and offered no 
 obstruction to the propagation of the gospel. 
 
 Mr. Rabeholm furnishes some interesting accounts 
 of his itinerant efforts in 1830 at Mugra-haut or 
 market, Howra, and other places. At the former, 
 where he and Chodron talked of proceeding to other 
 villages they were constrained to remain for a time by 
 the exclamations of the people, ^^ Are we so unfortunate 
 
400 HISTORY OF 
 
 as to be excluded from a knowledge of the way of 
 salvation?" On another occasion at Nutumee, after 
 preaching and distributing a multitude of tracts, two 
 young brahmins began to beat their foreheads before 
 the whole assembly, saying, " 0, miserable people that 
 we are, that we never heard of such things before ! " 
 As they passed along through the villages, they found 
 several people in different places standing in the canal, 
 up to the neck in water, waiting their arrival, in order 
 to receive tracts. 
 
 The church, however, did not appear to be in a 
 flourishing state. In the beginning of the year there 
 were eleven members, but one died of consumption, 
 and three were excluded. Three others, however, were 
 received. Nidee Ram, an old member of the church 
 of Jessore, was appointed as assistant to Mr. Rabeholm ; 
 but in 1831, he died most happily in Serampore. 
 
 BURISAUL. 
 
 Immediately on Mr. Smith's arrival at this new 
 station in December, 1829, he opened an EngHsh 
 school ; and three others were placed under his super- 
 intendence, one for Persian, one for Sungskrit, and 
 one for Bengalee. The two former had been established 
 the previous year by Mr. Parry, with whom Muthoor, 
 a native preacher, was associated to assist in spreading 
 the gospel. Mr. Smith was diligent in the promotion 
 of the schools, and in occasional excursions to spread 
 the gospel. There was a conspicuous place in the 
 bazar, on the junction of four roads, where he and 
 Muthoor went every evening, and found many atten- 
 tive hearers. At this station the disposition of the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 401 
 
 natives to promote Christianity was highly encouraging. 
 A rajah subscribed twenty-five rupees monthly, or 
 £30 sterling a-year. At the commencement of 1830, 
 the church was limited to Mr. Smith and the families 
 of Parry and Muthoor ; but before the close of it, 
 was strengthened by the addition of the judge, 
 Mr. Garrett, and his lady. Afterwards they had to 
 regret his removal to Europe, when the numbers re- 
 maining were seven. There were then six schools; 
 three for English, Persian, 'and Sungskrit, and three 
 for Bengalee. In the course of 1831, every opportunity 
 was embraced of preaching the gospel, both at the 
 station and elsewhere, though with little apparent or 
 ascertained success. Two thousand tracts were dis- 
 tributed in Oordoo, Nagree, and Kythee. The schools 
 flourished, and were eleven in number. 
 
 In September, 1832, Mr. Smith established a 
 school in the village of Joonea, among the Suttya 
 Gooroos. The tracts were read in their village with 
 avidity. 
 
 CAWNPORE. 
 
 On the 8th of September, 1830, Mr. Greenway 
 was ordained to the work of the mission, and went 
 to labour in this district. He is spoken of as a 
 most frugal and faithful man; and Cawnpore was 
 considered a spacious and promising field. A native 
 school was established, and Hindostanee worship con- 
 ducted in the school-room. When Mr. Greenway 
 became pastor in December, the chm-ch consisted of 
 fourteen members. During 1831, several additions 
 were made, and a clear increase obtained of eleven. 
 
402 HISTORY OF 
 
 A New Testament having been given to Gunputh, he 
 was induced to throw off the badge of a brahmin^ 
 and three months afterwards to make a public pro- 
 fession of Christianity, A building having been erected 
 for a native school and for conducting worship in 
 HindostaneCj Gunputh was appointed schoolmaster. 
 
 On a visit to Lucknow, the capital of Oude, in 1833^ 
 Mr. Greenway experienced considerable opposition in 
 the distribution of tracts^ and after being abused and 
 pelted with mud^ escaped with some difficulty. He 
 distributed, however, or arranged for distribution, 
 sixty-nine single Gospels, Testaments, and Pentateuchs, 
 and 235 tracts, in various languages. The following 
 interesting fact is stated in one of ^Iv. Greenway's 
 journals : — " One morning in May, a Havildar, (a 
 sepoy Serjeant,) a Hindoo known to us, came up, and 
 requested a tract. We gave it him. Then taking it, he 
 touched his forehead with it with reverence, and putting 
 it into his military cap, remarked to the people, ' You 
 do not know what these books contain ; I was much set 
 against them formerl}^, but since I have received one, 
 I have been as much taken up with it, it contains such 
 good advice and instructions. I am nearly the whole 
 day reading it, when lying down in my cot at my 
 leisure. You are great losers by refusing to read 
 them ; you all put me in mind of a person crying out 
 '' fire ! fire ! '' and a whole crowd running out to see, 
 but cannot perceive any such thing; so your fear of 
 these books arises from report and hearsay merely, not 
 from ocular demonstration : see, (pointing to us,) what 
 harm do these people do ? None. Are you not then 
 satisfied?^ In fact, saying so much was a great deal; 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 403 
 
 very rejoicing to us, and tending to lead the people to 
 take away three more tracts." 
 
 ASSAM. 
 
 Mr. Rae was the first christian missionary who had 
 entered this country. He writes in March^ 1830, that 
 he had been much pleased with several inquirers, and 
 that nine Garrow youths had been placed under his 
 instruction by Mr. Scott, commissioner of the pro- 
 vince. He had previously three Cassay princes, for 
 whose education he took nothing, in the hope that 
 hereafter, when two of them will reign as rajahs, they 
 will be useful to their countrymen. His prospects 
 and efforts were, however, much checked by severe 
 trials. In November, he went on his first excursion 
 to preach the gospel through the country, accompanied 
 by Ram-chundi-a, an inquirer. He was received by 
 the natives with much kindness, and the doctrines of 
 the gospel were heard with wonder. They were sur- 
 prised that a sahib should take such trouble to come 
 and tell them about salvation, and give away books 
 for nothing. In June, 1831, the Em-opean gentlemen 
 residing at Gowhuttee formed themselves into a society 
 for maintaining schools in Assam, and requested 
 Mr. Rae to act as secretary, and superintend what- 
 ever schools might be established. 
 
404 
 
 HISTORY OF 
 
 CHAPTEE IV. 
 
 PROCEEDINGS OF THE MISSION IN INDIA IN CONNEXION WITH 
 THE society; and home AFFAIRS FROM 1827 TO 1837- 
 
 CALCUTTA AND ITS IMMEDIATE VICINITY. 
 
 The labourers in tliis important vineyard at the 
 period of the separation, were Robinson, Yates, Pearce, 
 Penney, Kirkpatrick, Statham, E. Carey, and the 
 native preachers, Gorachund, and Chodron. Mr. Eustace 
 Carey and Mr. Statham having been compelled to 
 revisit England for the restoration of their health, 
 eventually remained here; and the station was some- 
 what enfeebled by the removal of Messrs. Boardman 
 and Wade, two American missionaries who had 
 for some time co-operated in their labours, but at 
 length proceeded to Burmah, their original desti- 
 nation. Mr. Yates, also, was absent in Europe for a 
 considerable period. Mr. Statham^ s place at Howi'ah 
 was supplied by Mr. George Pearce, who resided at 
 Doorgapore. Mr. James Thomas supplied the church 
 in the Circular Boad during the absence of Mr. Yates. 
 The female schools claimed the special superintendence 
 of Mrs. Yates and Mrs. Jonathan Carey. C. C. Ara- 
 toon and Kirkpatrick proclaimed the gospel, in con- 
 nexion with some young men of the juvenile auxiliary, 
 in five or six native places of worship, and busily 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 405 
 
 occupied themselves in Bible and tract distribution. 
 Mr. Robinson was at tbe Lol Bazar chapel^ and under 
 his direction Chodron and Gorachund were employed 
 as native preachers. W. H. Pearce, besides managing 
 a large printing office, superintended several schools; 
 acted as secretary, during the absence of Mr. Yates, 
 to the Calcutta School Book Society; and alternated 
 the services of the sabbath with Carapeit Aratoon at 
 Calcutta and Doorgapore. Mr. and Mrs. Penney 
 conducted the Benevolent Institution, where upwards 
 of a thousand poor children had received a useful 
 education, and many exhibited, in their conversion and 
 missionary zeal, the fruit of its religious influence. 
 The ladies in connexion with the Circular Road chapel, 
 formed a Poor Persons^ Auxiliary Female Society. 
 An important feature in the plan of female education 
 was the establishment of a native female asylum, in 
 which the pupils received support, education, and 
 clothing, for such a period as to ensure their permanent 
 advantage. 
 
 Mr. Yates, having returned from Europe in January, 
 1829, became pastor of the church in the Circular 
 Road at their urgent request. Mr. Thomas removed 
 to Sulkea, near Howrah, and was thus enabled to 
 supply that station, and maintain continual intercourse 
 with the surrounding population of Hindoos and mus- 
 sulmans. Mr. Yates, with his missionary brethren, 
 feeling the great importance of presenting the word of 
 God to the natives of Bengal in as complete a version 
 as possible, and knowing that for this pm'pose suc- 
 cessive efforts were necessary, with ever perfecting 
 emendations^ soon determined on preparing a corrected 
 
406 HISTORY OF 
 
 version of the New Testament, availing himself of 
 the aid of all other competent persons, as well as of 
 the labours of predecessors in the work. For this 
 purpose a fount of types was prepared, that the Testa- 
 ment might be compressed into the compass of a 
 portable volume. Founts of type were also prepared, 
 under the superintendence of Mr. W. W. Pearce, for 
 the missionaries in Burmah and at Singapore. From 
 the press at Calcutta, numberless tracts were issued 
 to meet the growing demand in different parts of 
 India ; and by its employment in printing other pub- 
 lications, a considerable profit was constantly realised, 
 and consecrated to missionary undertakings. 
 
 As soon as the gospel of Matthew had passed through 
 the press, Mr. Yates and Mr. Pearce forwarded copies 
 of it, as a specimen of a new version, to individuals 
 well acquainted with the Bengalee language, requesting 
 their opinions, which were in the highest degree satis- 
 factory.* When the gospels were completed, they 
 were circulated in a detached form, and the demand 
 for them was exceedingly great. Subsequently, when 
 the entire version was finished, it received the stamp 
 of general approbation; and has been ever since 
 regarded as the standard translation. 
 
 Mr. Yates was assisted for some time at the Circular 
 Road chapel by Mr. George Pearce, who had been 
 actively engaged in various modes of missionary labour 
 at Doorgapore; and christian worship was regularly 
 maintained by him at Chitpore and Boronogur, with 
 
 * For a detailed statement of these testimonies, see the 
 Appendix to the Society's Report of 1834. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 407 
 
 the aid of Paunclioo, besides continual visits to several 
 villages on the banks of the Ganges. He was frequently- 
 cheered by the assembling of numerous congregations, 
 and discovered occasionally in unfrequented parts of 
 the country, christian publications that were carefully- 
 preserved and read. A native was employed at his 
 station to go fi'om house to house, to read the Scrip- 
 tures to the inhabitants. 
 
 In addition to his regular services, which were not 
 without proofs of the divine blessing in the conversion 
 and addition to the church of some individuals, Mr. 
 G. Pearce devoted much time to itinerant excm^sions 
 among the thickly scattered villages of the suiTOunding 
 districts. In a very interesting journal of a series of 
 visits in September 1830, he mentions an idol, held in 
 great esteem throughout the country, called Dohyin 
 Roy, composed of potter^s ware, and of the coarsest 
 earth. It is imagined by the deluded people to have 
 dominion over corn and fish, to obtain which in 
 abundance, is the object of their adoration. This idol 
 is seen under large aged trees in difi'erent parts of the 
 villages, and on mounds of earth raised in the fields. 
 The year of his visit, God had given them demon- 
 strative proof of their stupidity and folly, having sent 
 a flood which, throughout a district of forty miles in 
 length, and twenty in breadth, destroyed the whole 
 crop of paddy, and washed away their idols. This was 
 a fine opportunity for appealing against idolatry, by 
 pointing to the idols overthrown in the mud, and lying 
 about powerless. They were asked how it was possible 
 that idols which could not save themselves, were able 
 to save them ? This generally silenced them for a 
 
408 HISTORY OF 
 
 time, but "it was wonderful/^ says Mr. Pearce, "to 
 observe that such a thought appeared never before to 
 have entered their minds V It does indeed seem 
 w^onderful; but all error practises a delusion on the 
 mind similar to that which affected these idolaters; 
 concealing the most obvious truths, and degrading 
 even the most intelligent minds, for "the natural 
 mind discerneth not the things of the Spirit;" and 
 the general rejection of Christianity, wherever it 
 occurs, may be traced not to the want of evidence, or 
 even the almost axiomatic vividness of the truth, but to 
 the force of prejudice and of guilty passion. 
 
 At the close of this journal, Mr. G. Pearce states 
 that he and Mr. W. H. Pearce had come to an arrange- 
 ment for the mutual oversight of the native converts at 
 Kharee and Luckyantipore ; and that five had proposed 
 themselves from the latter place for baptism at Chitpore. 
 
 In 1831, the Calcutta native church, under the 
 pastoral care of Mr. G. Pearce, including those baptized 
 at Kharee, who were considered as forming a part of 
 it, consisted of forty-four members, of whom twenty- 
 four had joined during the preceding year. A com- 
 modious central school-room having been erected, the 
 children, heretofore composing various litt'e schools, 
 were brought together under the patronage of the 
 Female School Society, and the superintendence of 
 Mr. G. Pearce. The number of pupils was five hundred 
 and fifty. 
 
 Mrs. Pearce having left for England together with 
 Mr. and Mrs. Penney, on account of impaired health, 
 Mr. Pearce removed, about the end of 1832, to 
 Calcutta, and then fixed his residence at the suburb 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 409 
 
 of Seebpore, and also took charge of the country 
 stations of Luckyantipore and Kharee, Mr. W. H. 
 Pearce's engagements requiring the concentration of 
 Tiis efforts in Calcutta. The christian boarding-school 
 at Chitpore having been transferred to the care of 
 Mr. and Mrs. EUis^ that institution^ consisting at the 
 time of twenty-seven boys and twelve girls, was in a 
 very prosperous state, and several of the pupils soon 
 after made a public profession of religion. The school 
 also increased in numbers. Besides these, they 
 afforded instruction daily to between two and three 
 hundred young persons, of whom a considerable pro- 
 portion were female children. The care of the female 
 department of the boarding-school subsequently 
 devolved on Mrs. George Pearce, and accommodation 
 was provided for them on the mission premises at 
 Seebpore. It was a pleasing circumstance that the 
 elder girls employed themselves in giving instruction 
 to some of the poor women around them, and these 
 juvenile labours were crowned with success. 
 
 The progress of christian education in and around 
 Calcutta afforded the highest satisfaction to the 
 missionaries. Upwards of two thousand young 
 Hindoos were now receiving instruction, and many of 
 the most intelligent were regularly present at a series 
 of lectures on the principles of Christianity. The 
 influence of idolatry w^as evidently on the decline, and 
 great numbers openly rejected the whole system. 
 Some of the public journals, conducted entirely by 
 natives, exposed its absurdities, and denounced it in 
 the severest terms. 
 
 In November, 1831, Messrs. Lawrence and Ellis, 
 
410 HISTORY OP 
 
 having been sent out by the Society^ arrived in Cal- 
 cutta : the former went to Monghyr, and thence to 
 Digah; the latter was immediately associated with 
 Mr. W. H. Pearce in the labours of the printing office, 
 and with Mr. Yates in preaching at the Circular "Road 
 chapel. 
 
 The native church under Mr. W. H. Pearce exhi- 
 bited much christian excellence in its members, though 
 not unalloyed by a conduct in some that occasioned 
 sorrow, and required discipline. The diligence of the 
 native preachers residing both in Kharee and Calcutta, 
 was very exemplary, and they were not less distin- 
 guished by worth of character. A visit which Mr. 
 Pearce, in company with Mr. Yates, paid to the former 
 place in August, 1831, was productive of much pleasure ; 
 and as some of the incidents are characteristic of the 
 country and the state of things, we refer to them 
 briefly. The immediate occasion of the visit was, that 
 a number had proposed themselves for church fellow- 
 ship, and several families had publicly renounced 
 idolatry. 
 
 Having taken medicines for the more, common 
 diseases of the people, Mr. Pearce gave them, in the 
 presence of many spectators, to the native preachers, 
 with directions for their use. He also took seeds of 
 the gourd, pumpkin, and other cucurbitaceous plants, 
 and distributed them to be sown. As they are eaten 
 in their curry by every class of natives, and will spread 
 on the thatched roofs of the huts, it was rightly 
 concluded that the cultivation of them might prove 
 very serviceable both for use and sale. This kindness 
 was highly appreciated and warmly acknowledged. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 411 
 
 " How cheaply purchased/^ says Mr. Pearce, " is the 
 luxury of doing good ! " 
 
 About two months before, one of their best qualified 
 native preachers had found it extremely difficult to 
 prevail on two or three of the women to attend their 
 worship; but a religious concern was again roused 
 by the baptism of two persons, and by an afflictive 
 dispensation, — that frequent instrument of spiritual 
 benefit. One of the christian women was crossing a 
 brook to a village, when she was suddenly seized by a 
 crocodile, and after nearly effecting her escape, was a 
 second time dragged under the water, and perished ; 
 nothing remaining but her chattah, or umbrella. A 
 great impression was produced, and many from that 
 time commenced serious inquiry. 
 
 After a proper investigation of the cases of those 
 who professed faith in Christ, fifteen were baptized by 
 Mr. Yates. "Only three years ago,^^ he remarks, 
 "all around was moral and spiritual darkness, — not 
 a soul had heard of the name of Christ; now have 
 so many been added to his church on good evidence 
 of repentance and faith; a hundred and twenty have 
 thrown off all the fetters of idolatry, and many more 
 are preparing to follow their example." 
 
 They endeavoured to prevail on the brethren at 
 Kharee to let their children go to the native christian 
 boarding-school at Chitpore, and obtained two boys 
 about ten years of age, one of whom seemed very 
 intelligent. ^^Tien asked what a common plant they 
 saw was used for, "Oh, Sir," he replied, "this is a 
 plant the poor Bengalees offer to their dumb idols, 
 as if they could help them." 
 t2 
 
412 HISTORY OF 
 
 Mr. W. H. Pearce having long felt increasing 
 solicitude to obtain some relief by the appointment 
 of a superintendent for the printing office, that he 
 might devote himself more fully to missionary labour, 
 and to the instruction of native candidates for the 
 christian ministry, Mr. Thomas L. Harjette was sent 
 out by the Society, in 1834, to render this aid; but his 
 health was deeply affected by the climate, and he 
 speedily returned. 
 
 The unremitting exertions of Mr. Pearce, however, 
 especially in connexion with the details of the printing 
 office, and the new and improved version of the Ben- 
 galee New Testament, in which he co-operated with 
 Mr. Yates, constrained his departure for England, in 
 search of renewed health. The circumstances of this 
 visit will be hereafter stated. Mr. Thomas vacated his 
 charge at Howrah, in which he was succeeded by 
 Mr. Ellis, to take charge of the printing office. 
 Mr. G. Pearce also was under the necessity of quitting 
 his station for a time, to seek the renovation of his 
 enfeebled health by a voyage to Bombay. 
 
 At the Lol Bazar chapel in Calcutta, Mr. Robinson 
 had much encouragement. A great majority of the 
 members being more familiar with the Bengalee than 
 the English, public services were conducted in both 
 languages. In several villages around, numerous 
 congregations repaid his efforts, and those of his native 
 assistants. Forty-three members were added to the 
 church in 1829. 
 
 The Benevolent Institution was begun by the 
 Serampore brethren in 1809, and continued under 
 their direction. Mr. and Mrs. Penney having been 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 413 
 
 sent out by the Society, it continued year after year 
 an extensive blessing to the poor children for whose 
 benefit it was originally formed. The attendance 
 averaged from a hundred and fifty to a hundred and 
 eighty in the boys^ school, and in the girls' from sixty 
 to eighty; and the general improvement and attain- 
 ments of the pupils were said to equal that of those 
 belonging to similar institutions in England. Some, 
 when they left the school, established prayer-meetings 
 at their own houses, which were frequented by their 
 neighbours, and were made very useful. Several, after 
 quitting the institution, occupied places in government 
 offices and in houses of agency, and engaged in the 
 instruction of their countrymen; and in many instances, 
 where they had not avowed themselves christians, they 
 abandoned idolatry, and publicly declared their dis- 
 belief of the Hindoo mythology. 
 
 Mr. Kirkpatrick having been designated to the work 
 of a missionary, in February 1837, was at first employed 
 at Howrah. There also, and at Sulkea, Mr. Thomas 
 devoted his efi'orts, and undertook the care of the 
 native schools. A native bungalow was erected at 
 Sulkea, where the gospel was constantly proclaimed; 
 while by the road side, and under trees in the neigh- 
 bouring villages, the inhabitants heard the glad tidings, 
 and received large distributions of tracts. 
 
 Carapeit Aratoon was exceedingly active in connexion 
 with the young men of the Juvenile Society, in minis- 
 tering to six native places of worship; so that more 
 than a thousand persons heard the gospel every month 
 from a single missionary. The village of Bonstollah 
 particularly shared his labours. He was assisted by 
 
414 HISTORY OF 
 
 Soojatali and otliers^ both in his labours in Calcutta 
 and in several important country excursions. jMuch 
 interruption to his efforts occurred from ill health ; he 
 nevertheless persevered, and in his exertions in and 
 near the city he was assisted by De Monte, an East 
 Indian, who was engaged under the direction of the 
 Calcutta Auxiliary Society, and by native preachers. 
 The opposition at first raised against the gospel gra- 
 dually disappeared, till addresses were given for an 
 hour together without the slightest interruption. Nor 
 were these labours unaccompanied with conversions, 
 though their general influence was their most obvious 
 distinction. In a letter of Mr. W. H. Pearce, dated 
 1835, he says that twenty-one natives had been 
 baptized in the course of one year, and others were 
 proposed. "An intelligent middle-aged man has 
 lately joined us in Calcutta, who, if he answers our 
 expectations, will make a useful native preacher ; and a 
 young mussulman, also, who has just expressed his 
 determination to give up all for Christ. One or both 
 have received good from the preaching of brethren 
 Carapeit, Thomas, and Soojatali. The last of these is a 
 lovely christian character. He preaches excellently, 
 and lives so consistently, that every one admires and 
 loves him. Had the gospel been successful in making 
 of a proud, revengeful mussulman only one such a 
 meek, devoted follower of Christ, the money hitherto 
 spent would have been well expended. But, blessed be 
 God, Hindoos and mussulmans not a few are already 
 in glory, and many more on their way, who have 
 been given to British christians as the first-fruits of 
 their liberal exertions, and as a pledge, if they continue 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 415 
 
 and enlarge their efforts, of a still more glorious 
 harvest/' 
 
 CUTWA AND SEAVRY. 
 
 The reception of nine persons into the church in 
 1829, after a long interval during which very little 
 success appeared, afforded Mr. W. Carey and his 
 friends a little encoui'agement. Some of the junior 
 members were induced to go forth on the sabbath 
 into the surrounding villages ; but it cannot be 
 said that this place presented much appearance of 
 missionary prosperity. Some little progress was 
 made in the small associate church at Se^^Ty in 
 Beerbhoom, and in the populous district around, 
 where Mr. Williamson, aided by four native itinerants, 
 laboured for several years. Both Mrs. Carey and Mrs. 
 Williamson were engaged in their respective stations 
 in promoting to a considerable extent the cause of 
 female education. In 1834, eleven were added to the 
 church at Cutwa, and seven to that of Sewry. After 
 ten years' effort, the church consisted of about forty 
 persons ; but we must not limit our ideas of the value 
 of this or any other of the stations, especially such as 
 seem subordinate, by the mere circumstance of the 
 numerical magnitude of the church. It is necessary to 
 take into the account the exertions of the natives in 
 connexion with the distribution of tracts and Bibles, 
 and their various itineracies for the spread of the gospel 
 throughout the district. 
 
 DIGAH. 
 
 For a considerable period after Mr. Rowc's decease, 
 
416 HISTORY OF 
 
 this station had remained destitute of a pastor^ till 
 Mr. Richard Burton succeeded to the office, who was 
 considerably successful. Eight boys^ schools were in 
 connexion with this station, containing two hundred 
 and fifty childi^en ; but after the death of Mrs. Burton, 
 which occurred in 1826, the schools for native females 
 were necessarily discontinued. Mr. Burton himself 
 was removed by death after a few days' illness, in 
 September, 1828. He was a diligent and faithful 
 missionary, and he had many seals to his ministry 
 among the Em'opean soldiers and others. He had 
 applied himself zealously to the acquisition of the 
 language, but he was not permitted to realise his 
 devout expectations of labour and usefulness. A suc- 
 cessor was not found, till Mr. Lawrence was sent out 
 by the Society, and occupied the vacant post in January, 
 1832. During the season of their bereavement, 
 Mr. Leslie frequently visited the church from Mon- 
 ghyr, though at the distance of a hundi'ed miles; 
 and many additions were made to them, of whom 
 several had been bigotted Roman catholics. The 
 removal of the regiment, in 1831, which had been 
 stationed at Dinapore for several years, changed in 
 some degree the general aspect of their affairs ; but a 
 leader was raised up among them who appeared 
 adapted to superintend and promote their spiritual 
 interests, when they were no longer under the eye of a 
 missionary. Five native schools had been established; 
 one for girls, which afforded scope for the exertions of 
 Mrs. Lawrence. Mr. Henry Beddy, a native of Ireland, 
 long resident in India, having devoted himself to the 
 ministry, was at first destined for Digah ; but on the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 417 
 
 arrival of Mr. Lawrence, he removed to Patna, a city 
 of 200_,000 inhabitants, where he formed a small 
 English congregation, preached in a native bungalow 
 on the sabbath evening, established a Sunday school 
 and a native boys^ school, which flourished consider- 
 ably. Two native assistants, Pyebah and Hurredas, 
 were constantly employed in the bazars and places of 
 public resort. 
 
 The populous city of Allahabad having become the 
 seat of a new presidency, it was recommended to 
 Mr. Anderson by the brethren at Calcutta, to proceed 
 thither, and to associate Mr. Lawrence with him. 
 They considered that Mr. Beddy might supply his 
 place, as Digah was not far from Patna. This plan 
 however, was frustrated by the necessity laid upon 
 Mr. Anderson of revisiting Europe for his health. 
 Mr. Lawrence therefore continued his labours at 
 Digah, and though without much success among 
 the heathen, yet repeated instances of conversion 
 occurred among the soldiers at Dinapore, who formed 
 themselves into a small church, which soon increased 
 to fifty members. 
 
 MONGHYR. 
 
 After the death of Mr. Chamberlain, Mr. Moore 
 continued the station, and aided its progress by 
 encouraging the native labourers. An incapability of 
 acquiring a foreign tongue had prevented him from 
 fulfilling the chief duty of a missionary, that of 
 preaching to the heathen; but he supported himself 
 by an English school, and took the pastorate of the 
 little church planted there. In this he persevered 
 t3 
 
418 HISTORY OF 
 
 till his removal from the station occasioned its 
 being transferred entirely into the hands of Mr. 
 Leslie, who by this means obtained an opportunity 
 of itinerating to all the surrounding country. Soon 
 after Mr. Leslie began his labours, he was gratified by 
 the decided conduct of a number of natives, chiefly 
 women who had been married to English soldiers, 
 and who were the fruits of the seed sown by his prede- 
 cessor. The number of christians, both Europeans 
 and natives, slowly increased; and rarely is so much 
 excellence of christian character seen as was exhibited 
 in that little flock. 
 
 In 1832, it was found necessary to enlarge the native 
 chapel to double its original size, on account of the 
 increase of the congregation; and several Europeans 
 had united to the church. 
 
 Mr. Leslie felt much interested in a tribe of people 
 inhabiting some of the neighbouring hills of Rajmahal, 
 who were by some supposed to have been the aborigines 
 of the country. Two attempts had been previously 
 made to gain access to them by zealous individuals, 
 who having imprudently ventured into those regions at 
 the most dangerous season of the year, fell victims to 
 the jungle fever. Learning wisdom from these 
 examples, Mr, Leslie first made inquiries at Bhaugul- 
 pore, where a number of soldiers belonging to these 
 tribes were stationed, for some one who might be 
 suitable as a teacher of their language. He soon 
 succeeded in obtaining a youth, with whose assistance 
 he commenced the study of the language, religion, and 
 manners of the hill tribes, and pursued it with great 
 vigom-, cherishing the utmost solicitude to see Christ 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 419 
 
 formed in the soul of this interesting youth, that he 
 might be able to declare the gospel amongst his 
 countrpnen. Long he laboured to convince him of 
 sin ; but he constantly affirmed that he was no sinner, 
 till one day the words of instruction were accompanied 
 by such a ray of light from the divine Spirit, that 
 Maisa (that was his name) instantaneously became 
 effectually impressed with a penitent sense of his 
 guilt, and speedily found joy and peace in believing. 
 When his conduct had given sufficient evidence of his 
 sincerity, he was baptized, and received into the little 
 church. 
 
 Mr. Leslie having realised the first object of his 
 wishes, prepared to visit the hill tribes with this native 
 and the Hindoo preacher. It was a wearisome journey, 
 performed on foot, through dense forests impregnated 
 with malaria; but he considered his laborious effort 
 as amply repaid. Maisa acted as interpreter, and 
 wherever the missionary went, he was joyfully received 
 and hospitably treated, although many had never 
 before looked upon the face of a white man ; so that he 
 often heard a herald crying before him, " Men, women, 
 and children, come and see a white man !" Their 
 hospitality abounded. A vacant hut in each village 
 which he visited, was immediately allotted to the 
 stranger^s use; and if there chanced to be no one 
 vacant, the inhabitants of two huts united, in order to 
 provide for the missionary's accommodation. They 
 next brought several platters of their own food, 
 generally boiled beans ; and after leaving it for some 
 hours, they returned, and removed the platters, touched 
 or untouched. They supplied wood daily for the 
 
420 HISTORY OF 
 
 necessary fires; for the cold in these hills is greater 
 than that of the plains. After residing a month with 
 these very interesting people, Mr. Leslie left them, 
 hoping again to visit them the following year; and 
 high were his expectations regarding a people so pre- 
 pared to receive the gospel. They listened wdth great 
 attention to the messages of the gospel brought by 
 their countryman, and entreated farther instruction; 
 and before his departure, the missionary's heart was 
 gladdened by overhearing in the midnight hour, a man 
 engaged in prayer to Jesus. 
 
 A few extracts from Mr. Leslie's journals may 
 interest the reader : — 
 
 "Jan. 19. Sabbath. This morning, the villages, to 
 the number of sixty, besides children, assembled to 
 hear our message, when Maisa, Nyansookh, and 
 myself, addressed them. They were in general, I 
 think, more attentive than those of any village we 
 have yet visited. They seemed well-disposed, and 
 desirous to be as kind to us as they could possibly be. 
 They evinced more curiosity than the people of any 
 other place, with the exception of Kommo Joneean, 
 gathering around us, and considering us with great 
 attention. Many of them could speak a little Hin- 
 dostanee, and one of them could imperfectly read 
 Hinduwee, having been educated in the school at 
 Bhaugulpore. We gave him a Gospel, with which he 
 seemed greatly pleased, began immediately to read, 
 and did not fail to seek our aid for farther instruction. 
 I have no doubt he will, in a very few days, read well. 
 He belongs to a small village, about half a mile distant, 
 bearing the same name as this. Desirous of accom- 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 421 
 
 panying us, for a similar object with Doolee, and of 
 even going with us to Monghyr, he went home to 
 consult with his wife on the subject ; but returned the 
 next morning, saying that his ' Mem ^ would not agree. 
 We were, as the. reader will readily conceive, not a 
 little surprised at the sound of such a word among the 
 mountains. 
 
 " About two, p. M., we ascended the second range of 
 hills, accompanied by the man who could read, as a 
 guide ; and visited a small village on the top, called 
 Komobeetah. About thirty people, besides children, 
 assembled. They were tolerably attentive while Maisa 
 preached Christ to them, and prayed. Both Nyan- 
 sookh and myself, also, endeavoured to impress them 
 with a sense of the value of eternal things. This hill 
 was the highest and steepest of any we had yet as- 
 cended : on the declivity were some fields, and on the 
 top a large tract of very fine soil, much of which had 
 been cultivated. Here we observed, for the first time, 
 the barriers in the pathways, to prevent the ghosts 
 from approaching the villages. 
 
 "Proceeding along the top of the hill, half a mile 
 farther, we reached another small village, called Biddo- 
 Patum, or Putma. The people, to the number of 
 twenty-five, exclusive of children, were very attentive. 
 Two or three of those present being sick, Maisa, in 
 addition to telling them of Christ and his salvation, 
 dwelt, at my request, on the extraordinary cure of the 
 sick man at Bethesda; and on the cures in general, 
 effected by Christ. One of the sick said that he 
 would henceforth call on the name of Christ only. 
 
 "Before sunset, we descended with some difficulty 
 
422 HISTORY OF 
 
 the lofty and steep hill, and returned to Kaitugbeetah ; 
 where, shortly after, we were surprised at hearing some 
 of the people pulling down the ensign of Kalee, and 
 exclaiming as they laid it low, ^ Henceforth, Jesus will 
 be our only God/ We afterwards understood that 
 they had, after a long consultation held in our absence, 
 come to this determination. Whether they will ever 
 erect the bamboo again, we know not ; but they cheer- 
 fully and very unceremoniously displaced it. Doolee 
 says, he now expects that as soon as the news goes 
 forth of what has befallen the bamboo here, all the 
 others will share the same fate. He is busy at his 
 book; and to-day expressed a wish to be taught to 
 pray, as he was desirous of being a disciple of the 
 Lord Jesus. 
 
 " Jan. 24. Betwixt Hurrah and Umbra are situated 
 two small villages bearing the name of Diggee. We 
 entered both, and preached to about forty persons. 
 An old man evidently took great interest in what we 
 said, repeating again and again our words to the others, 
 and commenting upon their correctness. He seemed 
 full of love, and ready to do anything for us. 
 
 " In the evening, we entered one of the divisions of 
 Umbra, and found the people ready to march to a 
 neighbouring village, for the purpose of drinking 
 tuddee. We invited them to seat themselves, and to 
 hear us before they departed. They did so. We 
 dwelt upon the sin and consequences of di-unkenness, 
 and spoke to them of the gospel generally. They 
 seemed much cast down ; and looked as if the great 
 God had caught them in his net, and had blasted their 
 prospect of immediate enjoyment. They said nothing. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 423 
 
 We left them ; and are ignorant whether they went on 
 their journey or not. 
 
 ^^ Jan. 25. This morning, the inhabitants of the 
 two other divisions of Umbra assembled, to the number 
 of nearly fifty. They were very orderly, heard with 
 much attention, and had much conversation afterwards 
 on the gospel. They approved of everything, except 
 the command against di-inking. This they did not 
 like, although they freely acknowledged that drunken- 
 ness was the cause of many evils. 
 
 " A woman of this village, having at one time been 
 very sick, vowed that if she recovered, she would, on 
 the day of every full moon, sacrifice a goat. As to-day 
 is full moon, she sent a man to us, last night, to 
 request our opinion on the propriety or impropriety of 
 her monthly sacrifice. We told him to inform her, 
 that it was the great God who cured her, and that he 
 required no other sacrifice than the thanksgiving of 
 the heart. What efi*ect our message had, we did not 
 hear." 
 
 Maisa and Nyansookh visited some of these people 
 once more with similar pleasure ; but before the time 
 of the year arrived when it was considered at all safe 
 for an European to enter these regions of miasma, 
 Maisa was seized with an inflammatory fever, with 
 which, after struggling in a state of insensibility for 
 ten or twelve days, he fell asleep in Jesus. Who can 
 doubt it ? his own countrymen had wondered at the 
 change effected in him by the gospel. He was a youth 
 quite remarkable for his unquenchable thii-st after 
 knowledge, and contrived to learn both to read and 
 write the English language with great fluency. He 
 
424 HISTORY OF 
 
 could read and write the Persian and Nagree characters, 
 and translated with the missionary several of the 
 gospels into the language of his native country. He 
 was humble and modest ; his character blameless ; 
 and his prayers and addresses at the native prayer- 
 meetings were such as to delight all who heard him. 
 From all these circumstances, it seemed as if God had 
 raised him up at that particular time for the express 
 purpose of conveying the gospel to the tribes who 
 were in gross ignorance, and whom the European 
 missionary could not approach with impunity. But 
 these expectations were disappointed by his unlooked- 
 for death. 
 
 Upon the arrival of the next cold season, Mr. Leslie 
 ventured again amongst these tribes. Deprived of 
 his interpreter and teacher, and foiled in all his 
 efforts to get another, he went with a heavier 
 heart ; but instead of going to the same places in 
 the hills, he thought it advisable to visit a different 
 point, which seemed more accessible to Europeans, 
 and where the language of the plains would be 
 better understood. With his Hindoo preacher he 
 ascended; was received most cordially by the chief, 
 and invited to come and take up his abode there, as 
 a teacher to himself and ignorant countrymen. He 
 also offered to clear a large space of table land on 
 the summit of his hill, and build a house for the 
 missionary. Though their stay was very short, they 
 were much encouraged by all they saw, to make future 
 attempts for the benefit of this people. But thought- 
 lessly passing one of the dense forests before sunrise, 
 they imbibed the deadly miasma, and in the course of 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 425 
 
 a fortniglit, were both seized with the jungle fever, and 
 brought down to the very gates of death. Both, 
 however, were spared, though they have been since 
 subject to periodical attacks of the same fever, which 
 nothing but a change of climate ever eradicates. Mr. 
 Leslie longed to return to the people on whom his 
 heart was set ; but it was pronounced by all, as well as 
 the medical gentlemen, to be nothing short of madness 
 to make the attempt. After lingering through four 
 years^ continuance of this determined fever, he decided 
 on a voyage to England, that thus freed from his 
 disease, and strengthened by the cold of his native 
 clime, he might be enabled to return mth renewed 
 strength to the vineyard in which he had been honoured 
 to labour for more than seventeen years with pleasing 
 success.* 
 
 ISLAND STATIONS. 
 
 1. Ceylon. 
 
 While the churches in Colombo and Hanwell, with 
 four villages, were regularly cultivated by ]\Ir. Chater 
 and Mr. Siers, and contained, at the period of the 
 separation of Serampore and the Society, between 
 thirty and forty members, the schools formed the chief 
 feature of this mission. There were ten boys' schools, 
 containing nearly 500 children, and three female 
 schools, containing upwards of 100, under the super- 
 intendence of Mrs. Chater. In the former, two or 
 
 * The preceding account is derived chiefly from Mrs. Leshe*s 
 narrative given to the author, and is generally expressed in her 
 ovra words. 
 
426 HISTORY OF 
 
 three had been converted to the truth, and one was 
 subsequently sent to the college at Serampore, to receive 
 instruction for the christian ministry. 
 
 The valuable life of Mr. Chater was now, however, 
 approaching to its termination. Worn down by the 
 unremitting labour of twenty-two years, he embarked 
 for England, with a view of recruiting his exhausted 
 strength, on the 25th of December, 1828; but expired 
 on the second of the ensuing January, before the ship 
 had reached the isle of France. 
 
 Mr. Siers exerted every energy to supply the lack of 
 service occasioned by the decease of Mr. Chater ; but 
 it was sufficiently obvious that the station required the 
 permanent aid of another missionary. This want was 
 happily supplied by the ready self-devotement of the 
 Rev. Ebenezer Daniel, who had been for many years 
 the respected and successful pastor of the church of 
 Luton, in Bedfordshire. He sailed from England, 
 with his family, in the spring of 1830, and arrived at 
 his place of destination in August. With characteristic 
 energy, he commenced his labours by preaching twice 
 in the fort at Colombo, on the very day of his landing. 
 Before he had mastered the language, he frequently 
 preached by means of an interpreter, both in the places 
 of worship belonging to the Society, and in the open 
 air. He soon also established Sunday schools in each 
 of his three congregations. Within little more than 
 twelvemonths after his arrival, Mr. Daniel was able to 
 addi'ess the natives intelligibly in their vernacular 
 tongue. In the course of two or three years he had 
 established five new schools, making the total number 
 fifteen, and had wi'itten tracts on mahometanism 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 427 
 
 and popery, which being pubhshed by the Colombo 
 Tract Society, were widely circulated, and produced a 
 powerful impression. He labom-ed also very diligently 
 and usefully in the villages, so that many joined the 
 church ; and he obtained considerable assistance from 
 members of the Cingalese church who were capable 
 of uniting in itinerant labour. Some afflictive events, 
 however, occurred. In 1834, the island was visited 
 by an inundation which was very destructive both of 
 property and life. His coadjutor, also, Mr. Siers, 
 suffered much from indisposition, as did several of the 
 members of his own family, till at length Mrs. Daniel 
 and her daughter were compelled to leave the island 
 in 1835. The delay had been too long: she died 
 on the voyage ; but her daughter reached England in 
 safety and in improved health. Mr. Daniel, however, 
 persevered in his work, and with the aid of Mr. Siers 
 and two or three natives, worship was maintained at 
 stated intervals, in fifteen different places in and around 
 Colombo. The station at Hanwell, distant twenty 
 miles, with three neighbom'ing villages, was occupied 
 by Cai'los, a Cingalese preacher. Another church, also, 
 was formed in Byamville, ten miles from Colombo, 
 which, in 1835, consisted of thirty members. Mr. Siers 
 collected a new congregation at Slave Island, where a 
 small chapel was erected in 1836. Many of the 
 former pupils in the schools died in the faith, and 
 several were now in communion with the church. 
 Three from Colombo were employed continually in 
 preaching the gospel. Mr. John Meldor presided over 
 the church at Byamville, and Mr. Silva superintended 
 a new station at Matelle, in the Candian province. 
 
428 HISTORY OF 
 
 2. Java. 
 
 It had been thought desirable that Mr. Bruckner 
 should remove from Samarang to Sumatra, on account 
 of the unsettled state of affairs in Java; but he was 
 afterwards requested by the committee to remain in his 
 station till he had printed the New Testament. In 
 the early part of the year 1828, he left for Calcutta, 
 where he arrived in July for the purpose of pursuing 
 this object by preparing a fount of types in Javanese, 
 the translations having been already completed. No 
 sooner had he begun the printing than he was attacked 
 by a dangerous illness, which compelled him to desist, 
 and take a voyage to Malacca; but being happily 
 restored, he resumed his labours a few months after- 
 wards. It was, however, of necessity a slow operation, 
 on account of the great intricacy of the Javanese 
 characters, but was completed in 1830; and the Cal- 
 cutta Auxiliary Bible Society, by the direction of 
 the parent committee, on a grant of £500, placed 
 one half of the number purchased at the disposal of 
 Mr. Bruckner, for circulation in Java. On his return 
 to Samarang, he carried a considerable number of 
 tracts, which excited extraordinary attention, so that 
 crowds from great distances surrounded his house to 
 obtain them. This circumstance led to an interference 
 of the police, which rendered it necessary for him to 
 repair to Batavia, and appeal to the Dutch governor- 
 general, who immediately took off the prohibition. 
 Wherever he continued to proclaim the gospel, he was 
 listened to with attention. Little fruit, however, re- 
 sulted from his labours ; and his own description of the 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 429 
 
 discountenancing policy under which the Javanese were 
 governed, is to this amount, " Let them remain what 
 they are : it does not agree with our poHtics to enlighten 
 them." This subsequently assumed a more direct form 
 of personal opposition and subserviency to existing 
 prejudices. He was even forbidden to distribute the 
 New Testament, lest it should excite insurrection ! 
 Tracts, too, were prohibited; but he was allowed to 
 pursue his other laboui's ; and this he did with much 
 self-denying zeal, though uncrowned with apparent 
 success. From Europeans he received no encourage- 
 ment. 
 
 3. Sumatra and Padang. 
 
 It was supposed that Mr. Ward would have been able 
 to maintain the station at Padang, and that Mr. Bruck- 
 ner might have been associated with him there. He 
 therefore removed from Bencoolen, and in anticipation 
 of the return of Mr. Evans, purchased some premises. 
 It having been ascertained, however, that the political 
 state of the island was obstructive to the spread of the 
 gospel, Mr. Ward was directed to return to Bengal. 
 He remained, however, for some years, to complete his 
 version of the New Testament into the Malay lan- 
 guage. Besides this, he prepared a Malayan Dictionary, 
 to which was subjoined much information respecting 
 the Batta, the Neas, and the Pozzy languages. In 
 doing this, he made those discoveries in the use of 
 particular words ; and this induced a delay of several 
 years in the pubhcation of the New Testament, after 
 he had prepared it for the purpose of exact revision. 
 
430 HISTORY OF 
 
 HOME AFFAIRS. 
 
 The disruption of the Society which occurred in 
 1827, did not appear to cripple its resources, or paralyze 
 its efforts. The ordinary receipts from the general fund 
 in 1837, or rather from June 1827 to June 1828, the 
 missionary year, exceeded by a thousand pounds those 
 of the similar previous period. Among other friendly 
 donations, besides the munificent gifts from individuals, 
 was that of ^200 from the Netherlands Missionary 
 Society, and Bibles and tracts from the Bible and 
 Tract Societies respectively. In the following year, 
 however, in consequence of a defalcation from the 
 average amount of legacies, and in other ways, it was 
 found necessary to call public attention to the subject 
 of supplying the large deficiency. The extraordinary 
 contributions presented at the anniversary of 1829, 
 amounted to three thousand pounds, which were after- 
 wards increased to about four thousand eight hundred, — 
 the benevolence of the christian public thus fui-nishing 
 a surplus in aid of the current expenditure. Never 
 will those who were present on that great annual occa- 
 sion forget the manner in which J. B. Wilson, Esq., 
 the treasurer, in scarcely audible words, and with an 
 evident shrinking from the inevitable publicity of the 
 act, which bespoke the eminent christian, announced 
 his pm-pose of laying upon the altar of God, five 
 hundred pounds. This was followed by other princely 
 donations from W. B. Gurney, Esq., and various well- 
 known friends of the Society. One thousand pounds 
 were subsequently given to the general fund anony- 
 mously. 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 431 
 
 Encouraged by these proofs of public interest, and 
 by the well-sustained regularity of the contributions, 
 the committee sent out fresh missionaries to the dif- 
 ferent fields of christian labour, and hesitated not to 
 embrace every fair opportunity of extending their 
 efforts. Again and again, in subsequent years, the 
 enlarging agency of the Society demanded similar 
 methods of liquidating its debts, and these demands 
 were continually responded to with similar liberality. 
 
 Active and eminent individuals, however, were from 
 time to time removed by death. The names of the 
 Rev. Richard Horsey, of Wellington, a man of great 
 worth, and much beloved, and the Rev. Robert Hall, 
 of Bristol, occur at the close of the report in 1831. 
 Mr. Hall had long been the most distinguished orna- 
 ment of the denomination, and by his genius had 
 acquired universal celebrity. At Cambridge, Leicester, 
 and Bristol, he had shone like a star of the first 
 magnitude in the firmament of the church; and 
 while his sm'viving friends will cherish his virtues and 
 his brilliant qualities among their choicest reminis- 
 cences, his works, as the finest specimens of English 
 composition, will carry down his name to the latest 
 posterity. His talents were wonderfully diversified, 
 and he possessed the remarkable power of making 
 himself felt as pre-eminent in whatever character he 
 presented himself. When in familiar converse, he 
 seemed the best of friends and most discriminating of 
 advisers; when engaged in prayer, he appeared to 
 carry devotion to its utmost pitch ; and when preach- 
 ing the everlasting gospel, he kindled with a seraph's 
 ardour, and poui'ed forth an irresistible torrent of 
 
432 HiSTORY OF 
 
 eloquence with a readiness whicli gave it the appearance 
 of an extemporaneous effusion, yet with a simpUcity 
 and beauty of composition, combined with profundity 
 of thought, which proved it to be the result of careful 
 study and constant mental revision. It does not, 
 however, belong to history to give the details of 
 biography, or to pronounce an oration over the grave 
 of departed worth and greatness ; but as connected with 
 the missionary committee, though seldom sharing in its 
 counsels, — as having done good service to the cause, 
 in pleading for the amended charter of the East India 
 Company, — as having subserved the interests of the 
 Society by occasional and productive journeys to aid 
 its funds, — and as having cherished a never-failing 
 interest in its affairs, the name of Robert Hall, though 
 not so specifically a missionary name as many others, 
 could not but be recorded here with distinguished 
 honour, love, and veneration. 
 
 Other instances of mortality among the long-tried 
 friends of the Society occurred in rapid succession. 
 The Rev. Joseph Kinghorn, of Norwich, expired on 
 the 1st of September, 1832, after only a week^s illness, 
 in the 67th year of his age, and the 44th year of his 
 ministry. He had taken a leading part in the proceed- 
 ings of the society, having moved the first resolution at 
 the annual meeting in June, as he had through many 
 years zealously co-operated with the committee. His 
 opinion was always expressed with modesty, and listened 
 to with respect. He was quick in perception; his 
 suggestions were judicious ; and in general he had little 
 of pertinacity. His method of speaking was very similar 
 on the platform and in the pulpit, — hurried, partaking 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 433 
 
 of the vivacity of his conceptions, but unformed and 
 inelegant. He had, besides, a kind of jumping, danc- 
 ing movement, which very much diminished the 
 impression ; but he failed not to produce sensible and 
 often ingenious remarks, convincing the hearer that 
 he was possessed of great though not pre-eminent 
 talents, and that he was deeply in earnest to promote 
 the cause which had engaged his heart. He was 
 possessed of considerable learning, keen as a contro- 
 versialist, and one of the best biblical critics of the 
 denomination. 
 
 The committee had also, in the very same month, to 
 deplore the loss of the Rev. W. H. Angas, of North 
 Shields, who had, in a variety of ways, promoted the 
 interests of the Society. He had spent many of his 
 early years at sea, but at length devoted himself to the 
 christian ministry, and especially to the instruction of 
 seamen, for whose special interests he was ordained as 
 a missionary. With a view of establishing more 
 intimate relations between the Mennonites of the 
 continent and the Baptist Missionary Society, the 
 committee requested him to visit Holland in company 
 with Mr. Ward, then in England. He had been 
 familiar, before, with the country and the language. 
 Mr. Ward was with him only a short time, when he 
 pursued his separate course through North Holland. 
 He visited most of the Mennonite churches there and 
 in the lower provinces of the Rhine; and, before his 
 return, had the twofold satisfaction of receiving £320 
 from the Netherlands Bible Society, at Amsterdam, for 
 the translations of India, in consequence, as was stated, 
 of the information he had given, and of forming an 
 
 u 
 
434 HISTORY OF 
 
 auxiliary to the Baptist Missionary Society. He 
 visited the continent repeatedly afterwards^ and stirred 
 up the minds of his brethren there^ so that the auxiliary 
 yielded about j8200 per annum to the Society for many 
 years. In 1829, he repaired to Switzerland for the 
 same general object ; though his life was chiefly 
 devoted to seamen, for whom he laboured both at home 
 and abroad. After having paid a third visit to Holland, 
 in 1830, he undertook a voyage to Jamaica, where he 
 rendered important service to the mission. He died of 
 cholera at the age of fifty-one, at Shields, Sept. 7, 1832. 
 In 1834, another valuable friend of the Society, the 
 Rev. Joseph Ivimey, was called to the heavenly rest. 
 He was a man peculiarly devoted to the interests of 
 the denomination to which he belonged ; so much so, 
 that notwithstanding considerable generosity of mind, 
 he often made himself suspected of a party spirit. It 
 may, perhaps, be said, that his heart was catholic, but 
 his temper sectarian. During many years, he was one 
 of the most valuable members of the committee; 
 regular in his attendance, zealous in his co-operation, 
 and invariably ready to undertake any service to which 
 he might be called. Although he was much devoted 
 to the Baptist Irish Society, of which he was the 
 founder, yet he never suffered that, or any other public 
 interest, to detach him from the mission. He cleeply 
 sympathised with all its difficulties, and rejoiced in its 
 successes. He suffered considerable disadvantage from 
 a want of early education; but he had read and 
 thought much, and a certain rudeness of manner was 
 compensated by the warmth of his heart, and the 
 energy of his conduct. His great characteristic was 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 435 
 
 holy zeal ; but while not exactly adapted to be a guide, 
 he was admirable as an active coadjutor. He had 
 strength of intellect without much enlargement of 
 mindj and though far from being attractive as a 
 speaker, his general character bore him through, 
 being always highly estimated for his uncompromising 
 sincerity, fervent benevolence, and known attachment 
 to the missionary cause. 
 
 The same year was mournfully distinguished by the 
 death of John Broadley Wilson, Esq., who had long 
 acted as treasurer of the Society. He originally 
 occupied an ordnance department at Plymouth Dock, 
 (Devonport,) and had the best prospects, under the 
 auspices of the Marquis of Townshend, of worldly 
 advancement ; but on becoming truly pious, he 
 abandoned these prospects, and retired from the public 
 service to Clapham Common. He was baptized by 
 Mr. Birt, but retained his connexion with the church 
 of England ; and after his removal to the neighbour- 
 hood of London, attended the ministry, and actively 
 associated with the congregation, of Rowland Hill. 
 While the cause of christian benevolence at large lost 
 one of its best supporters by his death, the Baptist 
 Missionary Society, in particular, w^as deprived of a 
 most sincerely attached and munificent friend. ^Vhat- 
 ever he did was uniformly done in the spirit of " not 
 letting the left hand know what the right hand doeth.^^ 
 In presenting or promising the largest donations, his 
 manner never differed from that in which he would 
 transact the most ordinary business. There was 
 nothing about it that seemed to claim notice, or 
 demand approbation. He shrunk, if it may be so 
 
436 HISTORY OF 
 
 expressed, even from his own actions ; and to applaud 
 anything he did, was to touch a sensitive plant. Few 
 persons, probably, rendered a more punctilious and 
 perfect obedience to the apostolic injunction "be ye 
 clothed with humility/^ It was, indeed, his habit and 
 his dress. He was succeeded in his office by W. B. 
 Gurney, Esq. 
 
 On the 12th of April, 1837, the missionary cause, 
 in common with that of general literature and theology, 
 was deprived of the truly excellent and energetic 
 Dr. Steadman. His name occurs in association with 
 that of Mr. Saffery, in a domestic journey taken in 
 obedience to the wishes of the first promoters of the 
 mission ; and although he afterwards differed from his 
 brethren on the committee with regard to the Seram- 
 pore question, his steady and useful co-operation 
 of many years endeared him to each party to the last. 
 He was extensively known and loved both in England 
 and in India. 
 
 Dr. Steadman first became a student in the Bristol 
 academy in 1788; a pastor at Broughton in 1791, 
 where he laboured for six years ; assistant to Mr. Birt 
 at Plymouth Dock, for two years, — then sole pastor of a 
 separate community; and, finally, pastor of a church 
 at Bradford, and president of the Theological Institu- 
 tion. He possessed great decision of character; jicculiar 
 conscientiousness in the choice of his sphere of activity, 
 and in the discharge of his duties ; untiring zeal in the 
 pursuit of an object; great private worth and public 
 estimation. He was a devoted friend of missions ; 
 and wherever his counsels were needed, or his services 
 asked, they were always yielded with readiness, and 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 437 
 
 crowned with success. His appearance was uncouth, 
 his manners unattractive; and yet his real goodness, 
 his excellent sense, and his affectionate spirit, ensured 
 him everywhere a welcome reception. Whatever the 
 exterior might have been, the inner man was fair and 
 noble. 
 
 In little more than two months after the decease of 
 Dr. Steadman, occurred that of William Burls, Esq.^ 
 of Lower Edmonton. Modest worth, and devotedness 
 to every good object, were his characteristics. His 
 early attention to business introduced him, first into 
 partnership, and then into possession of the business 
 where he was apprenticed in Lothbury. After forming 
 an intimate friendship with Mr. Fuller, Mr. Sutcliff, 
 Dr. Ryland, and others, he became much identified 
 with the mission, and was extremely useful in aiding 
 its operations. His prudence, sound judgment, and 
 general tact in business, were of the utmost importance. 
 For many years, he acted as its agent in London ; 
 held the office of treasurer during 1819 and 1820 ; 
 received the missionaries, as well as distant members 
 of the committee, at his house ; transacted all the 
 pecuniary concerns, allowing the missionaries to di*aw 
 their bills upon him ; and steadily persevered in his 
 useful and honourable course, till laid aside by an 
 apopleptic fit in October, 1824. Life after this, though 
 partially revived, was attended with much feebleness, 
 till he was finally summoned, by a gentle intimation,, 
 to enter the presence and joy of his Lord. 
 
438 HISTORY OF 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 BRIEF ACCOUNT OF THE REUNION OF THE SERAMPORE 
 MISSION WITH THE SOCIETY. 
 
 "A BROTHER offended/^ says Solomou, "is harder 
 to be won than a strong city :^^ an adage which is 
 verified in the experience of individuals every day ; and 
 of which ten long years of separation between the 
 Serampore missionaries and the managers of the 
 Baptist Missionary Society, afforded, in regard to 
 associated bodies, an ample illustration. Without 
 attempting to apply the scales, so as to determine the 
 proportionate measure of wisdom or weakness in either 
 party, — an effort which might resuscitate what we 
 would fain believe are now the buried, and will soon 
 be the forgotten strifes of the past, — profound regret 
 may be expressed, that even a temporary alienation 
 should have existed; while devout gratitude is due to 
 God for that providential ordering of events, by which 
 divided brethren were reunited, and dissevered interests 
 again blended and consolidated. 
 
 In consequence of the misunderstandings which had 
 arisen, vigorous exertions were made by Dr. Marshman, 
 as representative of the Serampore missionaries, to assist 
 their separate operations ; and both England and Scot- 
 land displayed much zeal and liberality. A committee 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 439 
 
 was formed, which soon became the executive of a 
 " Society in aid of the Serampore Mission /^ and by 
 means of an active agency, considerable funds were 
 raised. 
 
 During this suspension of co-operative eifort, year 
 after year elapsed without, strictly speaking, either 
 opposition or union between the two societies. Each 
 possessed too much piety and love to the common 
 cause to be hostile, though their interests were 
 diverse ; and, perhaps, each had too little of a self- 
 sacrificing spirit, heartily, and as fully as might 
 have been desired, to sympathise in the movements of 
 the other. Constituting the same denomination, how- 
 ever, and concurring in the same general objects, it 
 was often and deeply felt by individuals, that the two 
 societies had been driven into an unnatural position, 
 from which many were anxious to escape. A reunion 
 was generally thought to be impracticable, and by some 
 it was even deemed undesirable, on the ground, chiefly, 
 that from the manner of the separation, it was pre- 
 sumed, that were it effected externally, it could scarcely 
 be cordial. Peace-makers did attempt to speak at 
 times, but they spoke in vain ; and christians of other 
 denominations employed occasional efforts to restore 
 the primitive entireness of the Society. The author 
 received a very admirable letter on the subject from a 
 distinguished psedo-baptist minister, urging him to 
 attempt some method of healing the division ; and the 
 late Rev. Joseph Hughes appealed, in affectionate and 
 forcible terms, to the ministers and friends assembled 
 in open committee, at one of the anniversaries of the 
 Society. But the time did not seem to have arrived. 
 
440 HISTORY OF 
 
 when any effectual movement could be attempted, till 
 the year 1837, the tenth from the separation, and the 
 the twentieth from the commencement of the dis- 
 cussions. 
 
 The committee of the Society in aid of the Serampore 
 Missions, having received a special summons, assembled 
 at Liverpool, on the question of reunion, and appointed 
 a deputation to confer with the committee of the 
 Baptist Missionary Society. This overture having 
 been accepted, the following gentlemen met the com- 
 mittee at Fen Court, on Thursday, the 7th of Decem- 
 ber, 1827, — namely, the Rev. G. Barclay, of Irvine, 
 the Bev. B. Godwin, of Liverpool, H. Kelsall, Esq., of 
 Rochdale, and J. L. Phillips, Esq., of Melksham. The 
 first hour was occupied in devotional exercises, when 
 Mr. Barclay, Mr. C. E. Birt, Mr. Godwin, and Dr. Cox, 
 offered prayer. Several hours ensued of free discussion 
 on the various points of difference between the two 
 societies ; and the meeting was conducted on both 
 sides with a candour, courtesy, and christian feeling, 
 honourable alike to all, and essentially conducive to 
 the felicitous termination of the conference. 
 
 Upon an adjournment, the deputation were requested 
 to prepare a statement which might define the nature 
 and extent of their proposal, and supply a list of the 
 stations and agents to be connected with the Society, 
 together with an account of the pecuniary liabilities. 
 The committee having resumed its sitting in the 
 evening, on the withdrawal of the deputation, a con- 
 siderable time was employed in deliberation, at the 
 close of which two resolutions were unanimously passed : 
 one expressing the conviction of the committee, that 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 441 
 
 whatever difficulties of a practical nature miglit sur- 
 round the subject, there was no impediment arising 
 from principle to hinder the proposed union ; the 
 other appointing a sub-committee, consisting of Dr. Cox, 
 Dr. Hoby, Messrs. Dyer, Beeby, Bickham, Groser, 
 Hinton, and Steane, to meet the deputation on the 
 following morning, for the arrangement of the details. 
 It was then agreed, " that whatever books and transla- 
 tions at Serampore are public property, should be 
 transferred to the Society; and that the Lol Bazar 
 chapel at Calcutta, having been originally intended for 
 the use of all denominations of christians, and erected 
 by the aid of the Calcutta public, should be appropriated 
 to some object congenial with its original design." 
 The time for the practical completion of the union was 
 fixed for the 30th of April, that day being convenient 
 in a financial view, as it closed the Indian year ; 
 but it was to be immediately announced. These 
 proceedings received the sanction of the committee on 
 Monday, the 11th ; and on the ensuing Friday, the 
 15th, that of the general committee meeting of the 
 Society in aid of the Serampore Mission, held in 
 Liverpool. 
 
 While the reunion, thus happily accomplished, com- 
 prised the several stations connected with Serampore, 
 it was understood that the direct superintendence of 
 the Serampore station should remain with Dr. Marsh- 
 man during his life ; and the college incorporated by a 
 charter of the king of Denmark, should continue on 
 its own foundation, unconnected with the Society. 
 
 It was a remarkable coincidence that almost at the 
 very moment of these negociations, Dr. Marshman 
 
442 HISTORY OF 
 
 finished his course. He died at Serampore on the 5th, 
 and was buried on the 6th ; while in England, the 
 deputation from Liverpool met the parent Committee 
 on the 7th, in London. The account of his last illness 
 was thus given in a letter to Mr. Godwin. ^' At times 
 his mind appeared to be overshadowed with gloom, 
 especially after a paroxysm of bodily suffering ; but his 
 confidence in the ^precious Saviour,^ as he delighted, 
 during the whole of his illness, to designate our blessed 
 Redeemer, was never for a moment shaken. And we 
 frequently witnessed, after a night of very broken 
 rest, the triumph of joy beaming in his eye in the 
 morning, as he assured us that he had experienced 
 dehght in communion with God, which was inex- 
 pressibly sweet to him. A week before his death, the 
 swelling in his hands, feet, and stomach, began rapidly 
 to disappear, and this brought on a lightness in the 
 head, which became painfully visible in his conversa- 
 tion. Yet his thoughts still turned to the work which 
 had for thirty-eight years engaged the undivided 
 energies of his mind; and he repeatedly prayed in 
 Bengalee, and conversed, as in former times, in that 
 language on spiritual subjects. But this feeling of 
 lightness in the head was not of long continuance. 
 He awoke from it with apparently increased strength 
 both of mind and body, and was carried about at his 
 own request, to visit the premises and the college. On 
 the Thursday preceding his decease, he caused the 
 bearer to bring him into the chapel in his tonjou, and 
 joined, for the last time, at our weekly missionary 
 prayer-meeting. His spirits were then, and for two or 
 three days after, lively and tranquil. Every feeling of 
 
THE BAPTIST MISSION. 443 
 
 gloom had left him, and he conversed with his usual 
 cheerfulness and order on divine subjects, v^^ith all who 
 visited him. On the sabbath evening, he sat up and 
 read, with his former avidity, the religious publications 
 of August, remarking, with much satisfaction, on many 
 passages which alluded to the progress of divine truth. 
 On the Monday, he was evidently worse, and during 
 the night, felt that his strength was rapidly failing him. 
 He called for his family, and informed them that he 
 was dying. At seven on Tuesday morning, he made 
 a last effort, and prayed aloud in the most calm and 
 composed tone, recommending himself, his family, and 
 the cause, to the God of all mercy ; and then turning 
 round on his couch, apparently composed himself to 
 sleep. From that position he never moved; and in 
 about four hours after, without a sigh or groan, 
 resigned his spirit to the God of his earthly pilgrimage." 
 To give an accurate delineation of the character of 
 Dr. Marshman, would be no easy task. His talents 
 were of a high order, and diversified in their com- 
 plexion. Even intimacy could scarcely thread the 
 labyrinths of his mind: the superficial observer was 
 entirely disqualified from estimating either his defects 
 or excellencies. He had great mental power ; a spirit 
 of persevering diligence ; firmness bordering on obsti- 
 nacy, yet not unmingled with occasional displays of the 
 opposite quality of mutability and indecision; tact; 
 caution ; and a certain policy in acting which bespoke 
 extreme wariness, without, however, any real sacrifice 
 of principle. He was, to a great extent, learned, 
 especially in oriental languages ; and he had an acute, 
 though not a splendid intellect. No journals display a 
 
444 HISTORY, &C. 
 
 more profound piety and love of souls than his, — a 
 heart right with God, a sympathy of the noblest kind 
 with the moral condition of the heathen, skill in 
 dealing with them, and a paramount solicitude for the 
 glory of God. He was, perhaps, too fond of rule, 
 somewhat dogmatic, attached to personal interests, and 
 not sufficiently disposed to make allowances for others. 
 But with every fault, he was a noble character, — a 
 moral hero, — a devoted servant of Christ, and worthy 
 of being regarded as one of the three whose names 
 have been constantly united, as claiming at once the 
 admiration and the love of mankind. It is the dis- 
 tinguishing honour of the Baptist Missionary Society, 
 to have produced a double triumvirate of illustrious 
 individuals, — Fuller, Sutcliff, and Byland, in 
 England; Carey, Marshman, and Ward, in India. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 Luntley and Dick, Printers, 3, New Broad Street Court. 
 
Princeton Theological Seminary Libraries 
 
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