the life of william carey-第6部分

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erHis　sermon　at　NottinghamFoundation　of　Baptist　Missionary　Society　at　lastKettering　and　Jerusalem。

The　north　road；　which　runs　for　twelve　miles　from　Northampton　to　Kettering；　passes　through　a　country　known　last　century　for　the　doings　of　the　Pytchley　Hunt。　Stories；　by　no　means　exaggerated；　of　the　deep　drinking　and　deeper　play　of　the　club；　whose　gatehouse　now　stands　at　the　entrance　of　Overstone　Park；　were　rife；　when　on　Lady　Day　1785　William　Carey　became　Baptist　preacher　of　Moulton　village；　on　the　other　side　of　the　road。　　Moulton　was　to　become　the　birthplace　of　the　modern　missionary　idea；　Kettering；　of　evangelical　missionary　action。

No　man　in　England　had　apparently　a　more　wretched　lot　or　more　miserable　prospects　than　he。　　He　had　started　in　life　as　a　journeyman　shoemaker　at　eighteen；　burdened　with　a　payment　to　his　first　master's　widow　which　his　own　kind　heart　had　led　him　to　offer；　and　with　the　price　of　his　second　master's　stock　and　business。　　Trade　was　good　for　the　moment；　and　he　had　married；　before　he　was　twenty；　one　who　brought　him　the　most　terrible　sorrow　a　man　can　bear。　　He　had　no　sooner　completed　a　large　order　for　which　his　predecessor　had　contracted　than　it　was　returned　on　his　hands。　　From　place　to　place　he　wearily　trudged；　trying　to　sell　the　shoes。　　Fever　carried　off　his　first　child　and　brought　himself　so　near　to　the　grave　that　he　sent　for　his　mother　to　help　in　the　nursing。　　At　Piddington　he　worked　early　and　late　at　his　garden；　but　ague；　caused　by　a　neighbouring　marsh；　returned　and　left　him　so　bald　that　he　wore　a　wig　thereafter　until　his　voyage　to　India。　　During　his　preaching　for　more　than　three　years　at　Barton；　which　involved　a　walk　of　sixteen　miles；　he　did　not　receive　from　the　poor　folks　enough　to　pay　for　the　clothes　he　wore　out　in　their　service。　　His　younger　brother　delicately　came　to　his　help；　and　he　received　the　gift　with　a　pathetic　tenderness。　　But　a　calling　which　at　once　starved　him；　in　spite　of　all　his　method　and　perseverance；　and　cramped　the　ardour　of　his　soul　for　service　to　the　Master　who　had　revealed　Himself　in　him；　became　distasteful。　　He　gladly　accepted　an　invitation　from　the　somewhat　disorganised　church　at　Moulton　to　preach　to　them。　　They　could　offer　him　only　about　？0　a　year；　supplemented　by　？　from　a　London　fund。　　But　the　schoolmaster　had　just　left；　and　Carey　saw　in　that　fact　a　new　hope。　　For　a　time　he　and　his　family　managed　to　live　on　an　income　which　is　estimated　as　never　exceeding　？6　a　year。　　We　find　this　passage　in　a　printed　appeal　made　by　the　〃very　poor　congregation〃　for　funds　to　repair　and　enlarge　the　chapel　to　which　the　new　pastor's　preaching　had　attracted　a　crowd：〃The　peculiar　situation　of　our　minister；　Mr。　Carey；　renders　it　impossible　for　us　to　send　him　far　abroad　to　collect　the　Contributions　of　the　Charitable；　as　we　are　able　to　raise　him　but　about　Ten　Pounds　per　Annum；　so　that　he　is　obliged　to　keep　a　School　for　his　Support：　And　as　there　are　other　two　Schools　in　the　Town；　if　he　was　to　leave　Home　to　collect　for　the　Building；　he　must　probably　quit　his　Station　on　his　Return；　for　Want　of　a　Maintenance。〃

His　genial　loving…kindness　and　his　fast　increasing　learning　little　fitted　him　to　drill　peasant　children　in　the　alphabet。　〃When　I　kept　school　the　boys　kept　me；〃　he　used　to　confess　with　a　merry　twinkle。　In　all　that　our　Lord　meant　by　it　William　Carey　was　a　child　from　first　to　last。　　The　former　teacher　returned；　and　the　poor　preacher　again　took　to　shoemaking　for　the　village　clowns　and　the　shops　in　Kettering　and　Northampton。　　His　house　still　stands；　one　of　a　row　of　six　cottages　of　the　dear　old　English　type；　with　the　indispensable　garden　behind；　and　the　glad　sunshine　pouring　in　through　the　open　window　embowered　in　roses　and　honeysuckle。

There；　and　chiefly　in　the　school…hours　as　he　tried　to　teach　the　children　geography　and　the　Bible　and　was　all　the　while　teaching　himself；　the　missionary　idea　arose　in　his　mind；　and　his　soul　became　fired　with　the　self…consecration；　unknown　to　Wyclif　and　Hus；　Luther　and　Calvin；　Knox　and　even　Bunyan；　for　theirs　was　other　work。　　All　his　past　knowledge　of　nature　and　of　books；　all　his　favourite　reading　of　voyages　and　of　travels　which　had　led　his　school…fellows　to　dub　him　Columbus；　all　his　painful　study　of　the　Word；　his　experience　of　the　love　of　Christ　and　expoundings　of　the　meaning　of　His　message　to　men　for　six　years；　were　gathered　up；　were　intensified；　and　were　directed　with　a　concentrated　power　to　the　thought　that　Christ　died；　as　for　him；　so　for　these　millions　of　dark　savages　whom　Cook　was　revealing　to　Christendom；　and　who　had　never　heard　the　glad　tidings　of　great　joy。

Carey　had　ceased　to　keep　school　when　the　Moulton　Baptists；　who　could　subscribe　no　more　than　twopence　a　month　each　for　their　own　poor；　formally　called　the　preacher　to　become　their　ordained　pastor；　and　Ryland；　Sutcliff；　and　Fuller　were　asked　to　ordain　him　on　the　10th　August　1786。　　Fuller　had　discovered　the　value　of　a　man　who　had　passed　through　spiritual　experience；　and　possessed　a　native　common　sense　like　his　own；　when　Carey　had　been　suddenly　called　to　preach　in　Northampton　to　supply　the　place　of　another。　　Since　that　day　he　had　often　visited　Moulton；　and　he　thus　tells　us　what　he　had　seen：

〃The　congregation　being　few　and　poor；　he　followed　his　business　in　order　to　assist　in　supporting　his　family。　　His　mind；　however；　was　much　occupied　in　acquiring　the　learned　languages；　and　almost　every　other　branch　of　useful　knowledge。　　I　remember；　on　going　into　the　room　where　he　employed　himself　at　his　business；　I　saw　hanging　up　against　the　wall　a　very　large　map；　consisting　of　several　sheets　of　paper　pasted　together　by　himself；　on　which　he　had　drawn；　with　a　pen；　a　place　for　every　nation　in　the　known　world；　and　entered　into　it　whatever　he　met　with　in　reading；　relative　to　its　population；　religion；　etc。　　The　substance　of　this　was　afterwards　published　in　his　Enquiry。　　These　researches；　on　which　his　mind　was　naturally　bent；　hindered　him；　of　course；　from　doing　much　of　his　business；　and　the　people；　as　was　said；　being　few　and　poor；　he　was　at　this　time　exposed　to　great　hardships。　　I　have　been　assured　that　he　and　his　family　have　lived　for　a　great　while　together　without　tasting　animal　food；　and　with　but　a　scanty　pittance　of　other　provision。〃

〃He　would　also　be　frequently　conversing　with　his　brethren　in　the　ministry　on　the　practicability　and　importance　of　a　mission　to　the　heathen；　and　of　his　willingness　to　engage　in　it。　　At　several　ministers'　meetings；　between　the　year　1787　and　1790；　this　was　the　topic　of　his　conversation。　　Some　of　our　most　aged　and　respectable　ministers　thought；　I　believe；　at　that　time；　that　it　was　a　wild　and　impracticable　scheme　that　he　had　got　in　his　mind；　and　therefore　gave　him　no　encouragement。　　Yet　he　would　not　give　it　up；　but　would　converse　with　us；　one　by　one；　till　he　had　made　some　impression　upon　us。〃

The　picture　is　completed　by　his　sister：

〃He　was　always；　from　his　first　being　thoughtful；　remarkably　impressed　about　heathen　lands　and　the　slave…trade。　　I　never　remember　his　engaging　in　prayer；　in　his　family　or　in　public；　without　praying　for　those　poor　creatures。　　The　first　time　I　ever　recollect　my　feeling　for　the　heathen　world；　was　from　a　discourse　I　heard　my　brother　preach　at　Moulton；　the　first　summer　after　I　was　thoughtful。　It　was　from　these　words：'For　Zion's　sake　will　I　not　hold　my　peace；　and　for　Jerusalem's　sake　will　I　give　him　no　rest。'　　It　was　a　day　to　be　remembered　by　me；　a　day　set　apart　for　prayer　and　fasting　by　the　church。　　What　hath　God　wrought　since　that　time！〃

Old　Mr。　Ryland　always　failed　to　recall　the　story；　but　we　have　it　on　the　testimony　of　Carey's　personal　friend；　Morris　of　Clipstone；　who　was　present　at　the　meeting　of　ministers　held　in　1786　at　Northampton；　at　which　the　incident　occurred。　　Ryland　invited　the　younger　brethren　to　propose　a　subject　for　discussion。　　There　was　no　reply；　till　at　last　the　Moulton　preacher　suggested；　doubtless　with　an　ill…restrained　excitement；　〃whether　the　command　given　to　the　Apostles；　to　teach　all　nations；　was　not　obligatory　on　all　succeeding　ministers　to　the　end　of　the　world；　seeing　that　the　accompanying　promise　was　of　equal　extent。〃　　Neither　Fuller　nor　Carey　himself　had　yet　delivered　the　Particular　Baptists　from　the　yoke　of　hyper…calvinism　which　had　to　that　hour　shut　the　heathen　out　of　a　dead　Christendom；　and　the　aged　chairman　shouted　out　the　rebuke〃You　are　a　miserable　enthusiast　for　asking　such　a　question。　　Certainly　nothing　can　be　done　before　another　Pentecost；　when　an　effusion　of　miraculous　gifts；　including　the　gift　of　tongues；　will　give　effect　to　the　commission　of　Christ　as　at　first。〃　　Carey　had　never　before　mentioned　the　subject　openly；　and　he　was　for　the　moment　greatly　mortified。　　But；　says　Morris；　he　still　pondered　these　things　in　his　heart。　　That　incident　marks　the　wide　gulf　which　Carey　had　to　bridge。　Silenced　by　his　brethren；　he　had　recourse　to　the　press。　　It　was　then　that　he　wrote　his　own　contribution　to　the　discussion　he　would　have　raised　on　a　duty　which　was　more　than　seventeen　centuries　old；　and　had　been　for　fourteen　of　these　neglected：　An　Enquiry　into　the　Obligations　of　Christians　to　use　Means　for　the　Conversion　of　the　Heathens；　in　which　the　Religious　State　of　the　Different　Nations　of　the　World；　the　Success　of　Former　Undertakings；　and　the　Practicability　of　Further　Undertakings；　are　considered　by　WILLIAM　CAREY。　　Then　follows　the　great　conclusion　of　Paul　in　his　letter　to　the　Romans　（x。　12…15）：　〃For　there　is　no　difference　between　the　Jew　and　the　Greek。。。How　shall　they　preach　except　they　be　sent？〃　　He　happened　to　be　in　Birmingham　in　1786　collecting　subscriptions　for　the　rebuilding　of　the　chapel　in　Moulton；　when　Mr。　Thomas　Potts；　who　had　made　a　fortune　in　trade　with　America；　discovering　that　he　had　prepared　the　manuscript；　gave　him　？0　to　publish　it。　　And　it　appeared　at　Leicester　in　1792；　〃price　one　shilling　and　sixpence；〃　the　profits　to　go　to　the　proposed　mission。　　The　pamphlet　form　doubtless　accounts　for　its　disappearance　now；　only　four　copies　of　the　original　edition4　are　known　to　be　in　existence。

This　Enquiry　has　a　literary　interest　of　its　own；　as　a　contribution　to　the　statistics　and　geography　of　the　world；　written　in　a　cultured　and　almost　finished　style；　such　as　few；　if　any；　University　men　of　that　day　could　have　produced；　for　none　were　impelled　by　such　a　moti