第 32 节
作者:垃圾王      更新:2021-02-24 22:51      字数:9322
  admitted to table with company; and are universally treated by the English as an inferior species of beings。  Hence they are often shame…faced yet proud and conceited; and endeavour to assume that honour to themselves which is denied them by others。  This class may be regarded as forming a connecting link between Europeans and natives。  The Armenians are few in number; but chiefly rich。  I have several times conversed with them about religion: they hear with patience; and wonder that any Englishman should make that a subject of conversation。〃
  While the Marshmans gave their time from seven in the morning till three in the afternoon to these boarding…schools started by Carey in 1800 for the higher education of the Eurasians; Carey himself; in Calcutta; early began to care for the destitute。  His efforts resulted in the establishment of the 〃Benevolent Institution for the Instruction of Indigent Children;〃 which the contemporary Bengal civilian; Charles Lushington; in his History extols as one of the monuments of active and indefatigable benevolence due to Serampore。 Here; on the Lancaster system; and superintended by Carey; Mr。 and Mrs。 Penney had as many as 300 boys and 100 girls under Christian instruction of all ages up to twenty…four; and of every race:〃Europeans; native Portuguese; Armenians; Mugs; Chinese; Hindoos; Mussulmans; natives of Sumatra; Mozambik; and Abyssinia。〃 This official reporter states that thus more than a thousand youths had been rescued from vice and ignorance and advanced in usefulness to society; in a degree of opulence and respectability。  The origin of this noble charity is thus told to Dr。 Ryland by Carey himself in a letter which unconsciously reveals his own busy life; records the missionary influence of the higher schools; and reports the existence of the mission over a wide area。  He writes from Calcutta on 24th May 1811:
  〃A year ago we opened a free school in Calcutta。  This year we added to it a school for girls。  There are now in it about 140 boys and near 40 girls。  One of our deacons; Mr。 Leonard; a most valuable and active man; superintends the boys; and a very pious woman; a member of the church; is over the girls。  The Institution meets with considerable encouragement; and is conducted upon Lancaster's plan。 We meditate another for instruction of Hindoo youths in the Sanskrit language; designing; however; to introduce the study of the Sanskrit Bible into it; indeed it is as good as begun; it will be in Calcutta。  By brother and sister Marshman's encouragement there are two schools in our own premises at Serampore for the gratuitous instruction of youth of both sexes; supported and managed wholly by the male and female scholars in our own school。  These young persons appear to enter with pleasure into the plan; contribute their money to its support; and give instruction in turns to the children of these free schools。  I trust we shall be able to enlarge this plan; and to spread its influence far about the country。  Our brethren in the Isles of France and Bourbon seem to be doing good; some of them are gone to Madagascar; and; as if to show that Divine Providence watches over them; the ship on which they went was wrecked soon after they had landed from it。  A number of our members are now gone to Java; I trust their going thither will not be in vain。  Brother Chamberlain is; ere this; arrived at Agra。。。We preach every week in the Fort and in the public prison; both in English and Bengali。〃
  Carey had not been six months at Serampore when he saw the importance of using the English language as a missionary weapon; and he proposed this to Andrew Fuller。  The other pressing duties of a pioneer mission to the people of Bengal led him to postpone immediate action in this direction; we shall have occasion to trace the English influence of the press and the college hereafter。  But meanwhile the vernacular schools; which soon numbered a hundred altogether; were most popular; and then as now proved most valuable feeders of the infant Church。  Without them; wrote the three missionaries to the Society; 〃the whole plan must have been nipped in the bud; since; if the natives had not cheerfully sent their children; everything else would have been useless。  But the earnestness with which they have sought these schools exceeds everything we had previously expected。  We are still constantly importuned for more schools; although we have long gone beyond the extent of our funds。〃  It was well that thus early; in schools; in books and tracts; and in providing the literary form and apparatus of the vernacular languages; Carey laid the foundation of the new national or imperial civilisation。  When the time for English came; the foundations were at least above the ground。  Laid deep and strong in the very nature of the people; the structure has thus far promised to be national rather than foreign; though raised by foreign hands; while marked by the truth and the purity of its Western architects。
  The manifestation of Christ to the Bengalees could not be made without rousing the hate and the opposition of the vested interests of Brahmanism。  So long as Carey was an indigo planter as well as a proselytiser in Dinapoor and Malda he met with no opposition; for he had no direct success。  But when; from Serampore; he and the others; by voice; by press; by school; by healing the sick and visiting the poor; carried on the crusade day by day with the gentle persistency of a law of nature; the cry began。  And when; by the breaking of caste and the denial of Krishna's Christian daughter Golook to the Hindoo to whom she had been betrothed from infancy; the Brahmans began dimly to apprehend that not only their craft but the whole structure of society was menaced; the cry became louder; and; as in Ephesus of old; an appeal was made to the magistrates against the men who were turning the world upside down。  At first the very boys taunted the missionaries in the streets with the name of Jesus Christ。  Then; after Krishna and his family had broken caste; they were seized by a mob and hurried before the Danish magistrate; who at first refused to hand over a Christian girl to a heathen; and gave her father a guard to prevent her from being murdered; until the Calcutta magistrate decided that she must join her husband but would be protected in the exercise of her new faith。  The commotion spread over the whole densely…peopled district。  But the people were not with the Brahmans; and the excitement sent many a sin…laden inquirer to Serampore from a great distance。 〃The fire is now already kindled for which our Redeemer expressed his strong desire;〃 wrote Carey to Ryland in March 1801。  A year later he used this language to his old friend Morris at Clipstone village:〃I think there is such a fermentation raised in Bengal by the little leaven; that there is a hope of the whole lump by degrees being leavened。 God is carrying on his work; and though it goes forward; yet no one can say who is the instrument。  Doubtless; various means contribute towards it; but of late the printing and dispersing of New Testaments and small tracts seem to have the greatest effect。〃
  In a spirit the opposite of Jonah's the whole brotherhood; then consisting of the three; of Carey's son Felix; and of a new missionary; Chamberlain; sent home this review of their position at the close of 1804:
  〃We are still a happy; healthful; and highly favoured family。  But though we would feel incessant gratitude for these gourds; yet we would not feel content unless Nineveh be brought to repentance。  We did not come into this country to be placed in what are called easy circumstances respecting this world; and we trust that nothing but the salvation of souls will satisfy us。  True; before we set off; we thought we could die content if we should be permitted to see the half of what we have already seen; yet now we seem almost as far from the mark of our missionary high calling as ever。  If three millions of men were drowning; he must be a monster who should be content with saving one individual only; though for the deliverance of that one he would find cause for perpetual gratitude。〃
  In 1810 the parent mission at Serampore had so spread into numerous stations and districts that a new organisation became necessary。 There were 300 converts; of whom 105 had been added in that year。 〃Did you expect to see this eighteen years ago?〃 wrote Marshman to the Society。 〃But what may we not expect if God continues to bless us in years to come?〃  Marshman forgot how Carey had; in 1792; told them on the inspired evangelical prophet's authority to 〃expect great things from God。〃 Henceforth the one mission became fivefold for a time。
  CHAPTER VII
  CALCUTTA AND THE MISSION CENTRES FROM DELHI TO AMBOYNA
  1802…1817
  The East India Company an unwilling partner of CareyCalcutta opened to the Mission by his appointment as Government teacher of BengaliMeeting of 1802 grows into the Lall Bazaar missionChrist…like work among the poor; the sick; the prisoners; the soldiers and sailors and the nativesKrishna Pal first native missionary in CalcuttaOrganisation of subordinate stationsCarey's 〃United Missions in India〃The missionary staff thirty strongThe native missionariesThe Beng