第 77 节
作者:
垃圾王 更新:2021-02-24 22:52 字数:9322
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…seven feet by thirty…five。 The portico which fronted the river was composed of six columns; more than four feet in diameter at the base。 The staircase…room was ninety feet in length; twenty…seven in width; and forty…seven in height; with two staircases of cast…iron; of large size and elegant form; prepared at Birmingham。 The spacious grounds were surrounded with iron railing; and the front entrance was adorned with a noble gate; likewise cast at Birmingham。。。
〃The scale on which it was proposed to establish the college; and to which the size of the building was necessarily accommodated; corresponded with the breadth of all the other enterprises of the Serampore missionaries;the mission; the translations; and the schools。 While Mr。 Ward was engaged in making collections for the support of the institution in England; he wrote to his brethren; 'the buildings you must raise in India;' and they determined to respond to the call; and; if possible; to augment their donation from ?500 to ?000; and to make a vigorous effort to erect the buildings from their own funds。 Neither the ungenerous suspicion; nor the charge of unfaithfulness; with which their character was assailed in England; was allowed to slacken the prosecution of this plan。 It was while their reputation was under an eclipse in England; and the benevolent hesitated to subscribe to the society till they were assured that their donations would not be mixed up with the funds of the men at Serampore; that those men were engaged in erecting a noble edifice for the promotion of religion and knowledge; at their own cost; the expense of which eventually grew under their hands to the sum of ?5;000。 To the charge of endeavouring to alienate from the society premises of the value of ?000; their own gift; they replied by erecting a building at five times the cost; and vesting it in eleven trustees;seven besides themselves。 It was thus they vindicated the purity of their motives in their differences with the society; and endeavoured to silence the voice of calumny。 They were the first who maintained that a college was an indispensable appendage to an Indian mission。〃
The next to follow Carey in this was Bishop Middleton; who raised funds to erect a chaste Gothic pile beside the Botanic Garden; since to him the time appeared 〃to have arrived when it is desirable that some missionary endeavours; at least; should have some connection with the Church establishment。〃 That college no longer exists; in spite of the saintly scholarship of such Principals as Mill and Kay; the building is now utilised as a Government engineering college。 But in Calcutta the Duff College; with the General Assembly's Institution (now united as the Scottish Churches College); the Cathedral Mission Divinity School; and the Bhowanipore Institution; in Bombay the Wilson College; in Madras the Christian College; in Nagpoor the Hislop College; in Agra St。 John's College; in Lahore the Church Mission Divinity School; in Lucknow the Reid College; and others; bear witness to the fruitfulness of the