the life of william carey-第69部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


educated　natives　be　reached；　and　the　Brahmanical　class　especially　be　permanently　influenced。　　Only　thus　could　a　theological　institute　be　satisfactorily　conducted　to　feed　the　native　Church。

On　10th　October　1800　the　missionaries　had　thus　written　home：〃There　appears　to　be　a　favourable　change　in　the　general　temper　of　the　people。　　Commerce　has　roused　new　thoughts　and　awakened　new　energies；　so　that　hundreds；　if　we　could　skilfully　teach　them　gratis；　would　crowd　to　learn　the　English　language。　　We　hope　this　may　be　in　our　power　some　time；　and　may　be　a　happy　means　of　diffusing　the　gospel。　At　present　our　hands　are　quite　full。〃　　A　month　after　that　Carey　wrote　to　Fuller：〃I　have　long　thought　whether　it　would　not　be　desirable　for　us　to　set　up　a　school　to　teach　the　natives　English。　　I　doubt　not　but　a　thousand　scholars　would　come。　　I　do　not　say　this　because　I　think　it　an　object　to　teach　them　the　English　tongue；　but；　query；　is　not　the　universal　inclination　of　the　Bengalees　to　learn　English　a　favourable　circumstance　which　may　be　improved　to　valuable　ends？　　I　only　hesitate　at　the　expense。〃　　Thirty　years　after　Duff　reasoned　in　the　same　way；　after　consulting　Carey；　and　acted　at　once　in　Calcutta。

By　1816；　when；　on　25th　June；　Carey　wrote　a　letter；　for　his　colleagues　and　himself；　to　the　Board　of　the　American　Baptist　General　Convention；　the　great　idea；　destined　slowly　to　revolutionise　not　only　India；　but　China；　Japan；　and　the　farther　East；　had　taken　this　form：

〃We　know　not　what　your　immediate　expectations　are　relative　to　the　Burman　empire；　but　we　hope　your　views　are　not　confined　to　the　immediate　conversion　of　the　natives　by　the　preaching　of　the　Word。　Could　a　church　of　converted　natives　be　obtained　at　Rangoon；　it　might　exist　for　a　while；　and　be　scattered；　or　perish　for　want　of　additions。　　From　all　we　have　seen　hitherto　we　are　ready　to　think　that　the　dispensations　of　Providence　point　to　labours　that　may　operate；　indeed；　more　slowly　on　the　population；　but　more　effectually　in　the　end：　as　knowledge；　once　put　into　fermentation；　will　not　only　influence　the　part　where　it　is　first　deposited；　but　leaven　the　whole　lump。　　The　slow　progress　of　conversion　in　such　a　mode　of　teaching　the　natives　may　not　be　so　encouraging；　and　may　require；　in　all；　more　faith　and　patience；　but　it　appears　to　have　been　the　process　of　things；　in　the　progress　of　the　Reformation；　during　the　reigns　of　Henry；　Edward；　Elizabeth；　James；　and　Charles。　　And　should　the　work　of　evangelising　India　be　thus　slow　and　silently　progressive；　which；　however；　considering　the　age　of　the　world；　is　not　perhaps　very　likely；　still　the　grand　result　will　amply　recompense　us；　and　you；　for　all　our　toils。　　We　are　sure　to　take　the　fortress；　if　we　can　but　persuade　ourselves　to　sit　down　long　enough　before　it。　'We　shall　reap　if　we　faint　not。'

〃And　then；　very　dear　brethren；　when　it　shall　be　said　of　the　seat　of　our　labours；　the　infamous　swinging…post　is　no　longer　erected；　the　widow　burns　no　more　on　the　funeral　pile；　the　obscene　dances　and　songs　are　seen　and　heard　no　more；　the　gods　are　thrown　to　the　moles　and　to　the　bats；　and　Jesus　is　known　as　the　God　of　the　whole　land；　the　poor　Hindoo　goes　no　more　to　the　Ganges　to　be　washed　from　his　filthiness；　but　to　the　fountain　opened　for　sin　and　uncleanness；　the　temples　are　forsaken；　the　crowds　say；　'Let　us　go　up　to　the　house　of　the　Lord；　and　He　shall　teach　us　of　His　ways；　and　we　will　walk　in　His　statutes；'　the　anxious　Hindoos　no　more　consume　their　property；　their　strength；　and　their　lives；　in　vain　pilgrimages；　but　they　come　at　once　to　Him　who　can　save　to　'the　uttermost'；　the　sick　and　the　dying　are　no　more　dragged　to　the　Ganges；　but　look　to　the　Lamb　of　God；　and　commit　their　souls　into　His　faithful　hands；　the　children；　no　more　sacrificed　to　idols；　are　become　'the　seed　of　the　Lord；　that　He　may　be　glorified'；　the　public　morals　are　improved；　the　language　of　Canaan　is　learnt；　benevolent　societies　are　formed；　civilisation　and　salvation　walk　arm　in　arm　together；　the　desert　blossoms；　the　earth　yields　her　increase；　angels　and　glorified　spirits　hover　with　joy　over　India；　and　carry　ten　thousand　messages　of　love　from　the　Lamb　in　the　midst　of　the　throne；　and　redeemed　souls　from　the　different　villages；　towns；　and　cities　of　this　immense　country；　constantly　add　to　the　number；　and　swell　the　chorus　of　the　redeemed；　'Unto　Him　that　loved　us；　and　washed　us　from　our　sins　in　His　own　blood；　unto　HIM　be　the　glory；'when　this　grand　result　of　the　labours　of　God's　servants　in　India　shall　be　realised；　shall　we　then　think　that　we　have　laboured　in　vain；　and　spent　our　strength　for　nought？　　Surely　not。　Well；　the　decree　is　gone　forth！　'My　word　shall　prosper　in　the　thing　whereunto　I　sent　it。'〃

India　was　being　prepared　for　the　new　missionary　policy。　　On　what　we　may　call　its　literary　side　Carey　had　been　long　busy。　　On　its　more　strictly　educational　side；　the　charter　of　1813　had　conceded　what　had　been　demanded　in　vain　by　a　too　feeble　public　opinion　in　the　charter　of　1793。　　A　clause　was　inserted　at　the　last　moment　declaring　that　a　sum　of　not　less　than　a　lakh　of　rupees　（or　ten　thousand　pounds）　a　year　was　to　be　set　apart　from　the　surplus　revenues；　and　applied　to　the　revival　and　improvement　of　literature　and　the　encouragement　of　the　learned　natives　of　India；　and　for　the　introduction　and　promotion　of　a　knowledge　of　the　sciences　among　the　inhabitants　of　the　British　territories　there。　　The　clause　was　prompted　by　an　Anglo…Indian　of　oriental　tastes；　who　hoped　that　the　Brahman　and　his　Veda　might　thus　be　made　too　strong　for　the　Christian　missionary　and　the　Bible　as　at　last　tolerated　under　the　13th　resolution。　　For　this　reason；　and　because　the　money　was　to　be　paid　only　out　of　any　surplus；　the　directors　and　their　friends　offered　no　opposition。　　For　the　quarter　of　a　century　the　grant　was　given；　and　was　applied　in　the　spirit　of　its　proposer。　　But　the　scandals　of　its　application　became　such　that　it　was　made　legally　by　Bentinck　and　Macaulay；　and　practically　by　Duff；　the　fountain　of　a　river　of　knowledge　and　life　which　is　flooding　the　East。

The　first　result　of　the　liberalism　of　the　charter　of　1813　and　the　generous　views　of　Lord　Hastings　was　the　establishment　in　Calcutta　by　the　Hindoos　themselves；　under　the　influence　of　English　secularists；　of　the　Hindoo；　now　the　Presidency　College。　　Carey　and　Marshman　were　not　in　Calcutta；　otherwise　they　must　have　realised　even　then　what　they　left　to　Duff　to　act　on　fourteen　years　after；　the　importance　of　English　not　only　as　an　educating　but　as　a　Christianising　instrument。　But　though　not　so　well　adapted　to　the　immediate　need　of　the　reformation　which　they　had　begun；　and　though　not　applied　to　the　very　heart　of　Bengal　in　Calcutta；　the　prospectus　of　their　〃College　for　the　Instruction　of　Asiatic；　Christian；　and　Other　Youth　in　Eastern　Literature　and　European　Science；〃　which　they　published　on　the　15th　July　1818；　sketched　a　more　perfect　and　complete　system　than　any　since　attempted；　if　we　except　John　Wilson's　almost　unsupported　effort　in　Bombay。　　It　embraced　the　classical　or　learned　languages　of　the　Hindoos　and　Mohammedans；　Sanskrit　and　Arabic；　the　English　language　and　literature；　to　enable　the　senior　students　〃to　dive　into　the　deepest　recesses　of　European　science；　and　enrich　their　own　language　with　its　choicest　treasures〃；　the　preparation　of　manuals　of　science；　philosophy；　and　history　in　the　learned　and　vernacular　languages　of　the　East；　a　normal　department　to　train　native　teachers　and　professors；　as　the　crown　of　all；　a　theological　institute　to　equip　the　Eurasian　and　native　Christian　students；　by　a　quite　unsectarian　course　of　study；　in　apologetics；　exegetics；　and　the　Bible　languages；　to　be　missionaries　to　the　Brahmanical　classes。　While　the　Government　and　the　Scottish　missionaries　have　in　the　university　and　grant　in　aid　systems　since　followed　too　exclusively　the　English　line；　happily　supplanting　the　extreme　Orientalists；　it　is　the　glory　of　the　Serampore　Brotherhood　that　they　sought　to　apply　both　the　Oriental　and　the　European；　the　one　as　the　form；　the　other　as　the　substance；　so　as　to　evangelise　and　civilise　the　people　through　their　mother　tongue。　　They　were　the　Vernacularists　in　the　famous　controversy　between　the　Orientalists　and　the　Anglicists　raised　by　Duff。　In　1867　the　present　writer　in　vain　attempted　to　induce　the　University　of　Calcutta　to　follow　them　in　this。　　It　was　left　to　Sir　Charles　Aitchison；　when　he　wielded　the　power　and　the　influence　of　the　Lieutenant…Governor；　to　do　in　1882　what　the　Serampore　College　would　have　accomplished　had　its　founders　been　young　instead　of　old　men；　by　establishing　the　Punjab　University。

Lord　Hastings　and　even　Sir　John　Malcolm　took　a　personal　interest　in　the　Serampore　College。　　The　latter；　who　had　visited　the　missionaries　since　his　timid　evidence　before　the　House　of　Lords　in　1813；　wrote　to　them：〃I　wish　I　could　be　certain　that　your　successors　in　the　serious　task　you　propose　would　have　as　much　experience　as　you　and　your　fellow…labourers　at　Seramporethat　they　would　walk；　not　run；　in　the　same　pathI　would　not　then　have　to　state　one　reserve。〃　　Lord　Hastings　in　Council　passed　an　order　encouraging　the　establishment　of　a　European　Medical　Professorship　in　Serampore　College；　and　engaged　to　assist　in　meeting　the　permanent　expense　of　the　chair　when　established。　　His　Excellency　〃interrupted　pressing　avocations〃　to　criticise　both　the　architectural　plan　of　the　building　and　the　phraseology　of　the　draft　of　the　first　report；　and　his　suggestions　were　followed。　　Adopting　one　of　the　Grecian　orders　as　most　suitable　to　a　tropical　climate；　the　Danish　Governor's　colleague；　Major　Wickedie；　planned　the　noble　Ionic　building　which　was　then；　and　is　still；　the　finest　edifice　of　the　kind　in　British　India。

〃The　centre　building；　intended　for　the　public　rooms；　was　a　hundred　and　thirty　feet　in　length；　and　a　hundred　and　twenty　in　depth。　　The　hall　on　the　ground　floor；　supported　on　arches；　and　terminated　at　the　south　by　a　bow；　was　ninety…five　feet　in　length；　sixty…six　in　breadth；　and　twenty　in　height。　　It　was　originally　intended　for　the　library；　but　is　now　occupied　by　the　classes。　　The　hall　above；　of　the　same　dimensions　and　twenty…six　feet　in　height；　was　supported　by　two　rows　of　Ionic　columns；　it　was　intended　for　the　annual　examinations。　Of　the　twelve　side…rooms　above　and　below；　eight　were　of　spacious　dimensions；　twenty…s