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　motive　as　Carey　had。　　In　an　obscure　village；　toiling　save　when　he　slept；　and　finding　rest　on　Sunday　only　by　a　change　of　toil；　far　from　libraries　and　the　society　of　men　with　more　advantages　than　his　own；　this　shoemaker；　still　under　thirty；　surveys　the　whole　world；　continent　by　continent；　island　by　island；　race　by　race；　faith　by　faith；　kingdom　by　kingdom；　tabulating　his　results　with　an　accuracy；　and　following　them　up　with　a　logical　power　of　generalisation　which　would　extort　the　admiration　of　the　learned　even　of　the　present　day。
  Having　proved　that　the　commission　given　by　our　Lord　to　His　disciples　is　still　binding　on　us；　having　reviewed　former　undertakings　for　the　conversion　of　the　heathen　from　the　Ascension　to　the　Moravians　and　〃the　late　Mr。　Wesley〃　in　the　West　Indies；　and　having　thus　surveyed　in　detail　the　state　of　the　world　in　1786；　he　removes　the　five　impediments　in　the　way　of　carrying　the　Gospel　among　the　heathen；　which　his　contemporaries　advancedtheir　distance　from　us；　their　barbarism；　the　danger　of　being　killed　by　them；　the　difficulty　of　procuring　the　necessaries　of　life；　the　unintelligibleness　of　their　languages。　　These　his　loving　heart　and　Bible　knowledge　enable　him　skilfully　to　turn　in　favour　of　the　cause　he　pleads。　　The　whole　section　is　essential　to　an　appreciation　of　Carey's　motives；　difficulties；　and　plans：
  〃FIRST；　As　to　their　distance　from　us；　whatever　objections　might　have　been　made　on　that　account　before　the　invention　of　the　mariner's　compass；　nothing　can　be　alleged　for　it　with　any　colour　of　plausibility　in　the　present　age。　　Men　can　now　sail　with　as　much　certainty　through　the　Great　South　Sea　as　they　can　through　the　Mediterranean　or　any　lesser　sea。　　Yea；　and　providence　seems　in　a　manner　to　invite　us　to　the　trial；　as　there　are　to　our　knowledge　trading　companies；　whose　commerce　lies　in　many　of　the　places　where　these　barbarians　dwell。　　At　one　time　or　other　ships　are　sent　to　visit　places　of　more　recent　discovery；　and　to　explore　parts　the　most　unknown；　and　every　fresh　account　of　their　ignorance　or　cruelty　should　call　forth　our　pity；　and　excite　us　to　concur　with　providence　in　seeking　their　eternal　good。　　Scripture　likewise　seems　to　point　out　this　method；　'Surely　the　Isles　shall　wait　for　me；　the　ships　of　Tarshish　first；　to　bring　my　sons　from　far；　their　silver　and　their　gold　with　them；　unto　the　name　of　the　Lord；　thy　God。'Isai。　lx。　9。　This　seems　to　imply　that　in　the　time　of　the　glorious　increase　of　the　church；　in　the　latter　days　（of　which　the　whole　chapter　is　undoubtedly　a　prophecy）；　commerce　shall　subserve　the　spread　of　the　gospel。　　The　ships　of　Tarshish　were　trading　vessels；　which　made　voyages　for　traffic　to　various　parts；　thus　much　therefore　must　be　meant　by　it；　that　navigation；　especially　that　which　is　commercial；　shall　be　one　great　mean　of　carrying　on　the　work　of　God；　and　perhaps　it　may　imply　that　there　shall　be　a　very　considerable　appropriation　of　wealth　to　that　purpose。
  〃SECONDLY；　As　to　their　uncivilised　and　barbarous　way　of　living；　this　can　be　no　objection　to　any；　except　those　whose　love　of　ease　render