the life of william carey-第84章

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m　have　been　excited　by　the　statements　of　the　Calcutta　brethren；　which　you　certainly　ought　to　receive　with　much　caution　in　all　things　which　regard　Bother　Marshman　and　his　family。　　You　observe　that　the　younger　brethren　especially　look　up　to　me　with　respect　and　affection。　　It　may　be　so；　but　I　confess　I　have　frequently　thought　that；　had　it　been　so；　they　would　have　consulted　me；　or　at　least　have　mentioned　to　me　the　grounds　of　their　dissatisfaction　before　they　proceeded　to　the　extremity　of　dividing　the　mission。　　When　I　engaged　in　the　mission；　it　was　a　determination　that；　whatever　I　suffered；　a　breach　therein　should　never　originate　with　me。　　To　this　resolution　I　have　hitherto　obstinately　adhered。　　I　think　everything　should　be　borne；　every　sacrifice　made；　and　every　method　of　accommodation　or　reconciliation　tried；　before　a　schism　is　suffered　to　take　place。。。

〃I　disapprove　as　much　of　the　conduct　of　our　Calcutta　brethren　as　it　is　possible　for　me　to　disapprove　of　any　human　actions。　　The　evil　they　have　done　is；　I　fear；　irreparable；　and　certainly　the　whole　might　have　been　prevented　by　a　little　frank　conversation　with　either　of　us；　and　a　hundredth　part　of　that　self…denial　which　I　found　it　necessary　to　exercise　for　the　first　few　years　of　the　mission；　would　have　prevented　this　awful　rupture。　　I　trust　you　will　excuse　my　warmth　of　feeling　upon　this　subject；　when　you　consider　that　by　this　rupture　that　cause　is　weakened　and　disgraced；　in　the　establishment　and　promotion　of　which　I　have　spent　the　best　part　of　my　life。　　A　church　is　attempted　to　be　torn　in　pieces；　for　which　neither　I　nor　my　brethren　ever　thought　we　could　do　enough。　　We　laboured　to　raise　it：　we　expended　much　money　to　accomplish　that　object；　and　in　a　good　measure　saw　the　object　of　our　desire　accomplished。　　But　now　we　are　traduced；　and　the　church　rent　by　the　very　men　who　came　to　be　our　helpers。　　As　to　Brother　Marshman；　seriously；　what　do　they　want？　Would　they　attempt　to　deny　his　possessing　the　grace　of　God？　　He　was　known　to　and　esteemed　by　Brother　Ryland　as　a　Christian　before　he　left　England。　　I　have　lived　with　him　ever　since　his　arrival　in　India；　and　can　witness　to　his　piety　and　holy　conduct。　　Would　they　exclude　him　from　the　mission？　　Judge　yourself　whether　it　is　comely　that　a　man；　who　has　laboriously　and　disinterestedly　served　the　mission　so　many　yearswho　has　by　his　diligence　and　hard　labour　raised　the　most　respectable　school　in　India；　as　well　as　given　a　tone　to　all　the　otherswho　has　unvaryingly　consecrated　the　whole　of　that　income；　as　well　as　his　other　labours；　to　the　cause　of　God　in　India；should　be　arraigned　and　condemned　without　a　hearing　by　a　few　young　men　just　arrived；　and　one　of　whom　had　not　been　a　month　in　the　country　before　he　joined　the　senseless　outcry？　　Or　would　they　have　his　blood？　　Judge；　my　dear　brother；　yourself；　for　I　am　ashamed　to　say　more　on　this　subject。

〃I　need　not　say　that　circumstances　must　in　a　great　measure　determine　where　missionaries　should　settle。　　The　chief　town　of　each　of　these　countries　would　be　preferable；　if　other　circumstances　permit；　but　sometimes　Government　would　not　allow　this；　and　sometimes　other　things　may　close　the　door。　　Missionaries　however　must　knock　loud　and　push　hard　at　the　door；　and　if　there　be　the　smallest　opening；　must　force　themselves　in；　and；　once　entered；　put　their　lives　in　their　hands　and　exert　themselves　to　the　utmost　in　dependence　upon　divine　support；　if　they　ever　hope　to　do　much　towards　evangelising　the　heathen　world。　　My　situation　in　the　college；　and　Brother　Marshman's　as　superintending　the　first　academy　in　India；　which；　I　likewise　observe；　has　been　established　and　brought　to　its　present　flourishing　state　wholly　by　his　care　and　application；　have　made　our　present　situation　widely　different　from　what　it　was　when　first　engaged　in　the　mission。　　As　a　missionary　I　could　go　in　a　straw　hat　and　dine　with　the　judge　of　the　district；　and　often　did　so；　but　as　a　Professor　in　the　College　I　cannot　do　so。　　Brother　Marshman　is　placed　in　the　same　predicament。　　These　circumstances　impose　upon　us　a　necessity　of　making　a　different　appearance　to　what　we　formerly　did　as　simple　missionaries；　but　they　furnish　us　with　opportunities　of　speaking　to　gentlemen　of　the　first　power　and　influence　in　government；　upon　matters　of　the　highest　importance　to　the　great　work　in　which　we　are　engaged；　and；　as　a　proof　that　our　opportunities　of　this　nature　have　not　been　in　vain；　I　need　only　say　that；　in　a　conversation　which　I　had　some　time　ago　with　one　of　the　secretaries　to　Government；　upon　the　present　favourable　bias　of　government　and　the　public　in　general　to　favour　all　plans　for　doing　good；　he　told　me　that　he　believed　the　whole　was　owing　to　the　prudent　and　temperate　manner　in　which　we　had　acted；　and　that　if　we　had　acted　with　precipitancy　and　indiscretion；　he　had　every　reason　to　believe　the　general　feeling　would　have　been　as　hostile　to　attempts　to　do　good　as　it　is　now　favourable　to　them。

〃I　would　not　wish　you　to　entertain　the　idea　that　we　and　our　brethren　in　Calcutta　are　resolved　upon　interminable　hatred。　　On　the　contrary；　I　think　that　things　are　gone　as　far　as　we　may　expect　them　to　go；　and　I　now　expect　that　the　fire　of　contention　will　gradually　go　out。　　All　the　distressing　and　disagreeable　circumstances　are；　I　trust；　past；　and　I　expect　we　shall　be　in　a　little　time　on　a　more　friendly　footing。　　Much　of　what　has　taken　place　originated　in　England。　Mistakes　and　false　conclusions　were　followed　by　all　the　circumstances　I　have　detailed。　　I　think　the　whole　virulence　of　opposition　has　now　spent　itself。　　Our　brethren　have　no　control　over　us；　nor　we　over　them。　　And；　if　I　am　not　mistaken；　each　side　will　soon　acknowledge　that　it　has　gone　too　far　in　some　instances；　and　ultimate　good　will　arise　from　the　evil　I　so　much　deplore。

〃Having　now　written　to　you　my　whole　sentiments　upon　the　business；　and　formerly　to　my　very　dear　Brother　Ryland；　allow　me　to　declare　my　resolution　not　to　write　anything　further　upon　the　subject；　however　much　I　may　be　pressed　thereto。　　The　future　prosperity　of　the　mission　does　not　depend　upon　the　clearing　up　of　every　little　circumstance　to　the　satisfaction　of　every　captious　inquirer；　but　upon　the　restoration　of　mutual　concord　among　us；　which　must　be　preceded　by　admitting　that　we　are　all　subject　to　mistake；　and　to　be　misled　by　passion；　prejudice；　and　false　judgment。　　Let　us　therefore　strive　and　pray　that　the　things　which　make　for　peace　and　those　by　which　we　may　edify　one　another　may　abound　among　us　more　and　more。　　I　am；　my　dear　brother；　very　affectionately；　yours　in　our　Lord　Jesus　Christ；　W。　CAREY。〃

〃14th　May　1828。

〃MY　DEAR　BROTHER　ANDERSONYours　by　the　Louisa；　of　October　last；　came　to　hand　a　few　days　ago　with　the　copies　of　Brother　Marshman's　brief　Memoir　of　the　Serampore　Mission。　　I　am　glad　it　is　written　in　so　temperate　and　Christian　a　spirit；　and　I　doubt　not　but　it　will　be　ultimately　productive　of　good　effects。　　There　certainly　is　a　great　contrast　between　the　spirit　in　which　that　piece　is　written　and　that　in　which　observations　upon　it；　both　in　the　Baptist　and　Particular　Baptist　Magazines；　are　written。　　The　unworthy　attempts　in　those　and　other　such　like　pieces　to　separate　Brother　Marshman　and　me　are　truly　contemptible。　　In　plain　English；　they　amount　to　thus　much'The　Serampore　Missionaries；　Carey；　Marshman；　and　Ward；　have　acted　a　dishonest　part；　alias　are　rogues。　　But　we　do　not　include　Dr。　Carey　in　the　charge　of　dishonesty；　he　is　an　easy　sort　of　a　man；　who　will　agree　to　anything　for　the　sake　of　peace；　or　in　other　words；　he　is　a　fool。　　Mr。　Ward；　it　is　well　known；'　say　they；　'was　the　tool　of　Dr。　Marshman；　but　he　is　gone　from　the　present　scene；　and　it　is　unlovely　to　say　any　evil　of　the　dead。'　　Now　I　certainly　hold　those　persons'　exemption　of　me　from　the　blame　they　attach　to　Brother　Marshman　in　the　greatest　possible　contempt。　　I　may　have　subscribed　my　name　thoughtlessly　to　papers；　and　it　would　be　wonderful　if　there　had　been　no　instance　of　this　in　so　long　a　course　of　years。　　The　great　esteem　I　had　for　the　Society　for　many　years；　undoubtedly　on　more　occasions　than　one　put　me　off　my　guard；　and　I　believe　my　brethren　too；　so　that　we　have　signed　writings　which；　if　we　could　have　foreseen　the　events　of　a　few　years；　we　should　not　have　done。　　These；　however；　were　all　against　ou