Part 2
In April, 1789,
Carey was called to the pastorate of Harvey Lane Church at Leicester. Here he
was brought into association with men of culture, and books were freely placed
at his disposal. The course of events was now rapidly moving toward the formation of
the missionary society. At the annual meeting of the association held at
Nottingham, Carey was one of the preachers. He chose for his text Isa. liv. 2,
3, which was paraphrased as follows: "Expect great things from God,"
"Attempt great things for God." The impression made by the discourse
was so decided that the following resolution was passed: " That against
the next meeting at Kettering, a plan should be prepared for the purpose of
forming a society for propagating the gospel among the heathen.
The meeting was
duly held on October 2, and a collection of thirteen pounds made; so the great
missionary enterprise was duly inaugurated. At this time a ship surgeon, John
Thomas, who had been in India, and had preached to the Hindus, had just
returned to England, and was trying to establish a fund in London for a mission
to Bengal. Carey suggested that it might be desirable for the society to co-operate, and a resolution was passed to send Mr.
Thomas and Mr. Carey into India as missionaries. Many difficulties arose before
their final departure, June 13, 1793, when Mr. and Mrs. Thomas and their child, Mr. Carey and his family, consisting of wife
and three children, embarked.
After a voyage
of five months they arrived at Calcutta, November 9. Thomas's knowledge of
India was an advantage to Carey ; but his lack of judgment, and the debts he
had incurred in his residence there, estranged from the missionaries some
European Christians who had otherwise been their friends. Calcutta being found
too expensive as a place of residence, they removed to Bandel for a time. But
no facilities for missionary work were afforded them there; so they returned to
Calcutta, where they underwent vicissitudes of all kinds until June, 1794, when
Mr. George Udny, at Malda (a former friend of Mr. Thomas), offered the management of two
indigo manufactories respectively to Carey and Thomas. The factory which Carey
was to superintend was at Mudnabatty ; and besides a salary of 200 rupees per
month, he was promised a commission upon the sales. Carey at once communicated
with the secretary of the society that he should not need more supplies, and
expressed the hope that another mission be begun elsewhere. The duties at the
factory allowed time for the work of the mission.
Mr. Carey
made such progress in the study of Bengalee as to be able to preach
intelligibly to the natives. He started a school, and worked vigorously at
translation. In the midst of his great work he lost his little son Peter, and finally was himself
prostrated with the fever, which lasted several months. Carey remained in
Mudnabatty until Jan. 10, 1800, when, with his wife and four children, he
joined a little colony of missionaries, who, through his influence, had come to
India and settled at Serampore, a little village founded by the Dutch in 1755.
The missionaries found a home in a large house in the middle of the town,
purchased from a nephew of the Danish governor. They lived in perfect unity, “and
what one had was another's," and thus began the great missionary
enterprise at Serampore.
The name of the
first Hindu convert was Krishnu Pal, and the baptism of this native was a most
memorable scene. Carey going down into the river, taking first his son Felix
and baptizing him, using English words ; then Krishnu went down and was baptized, the word:; being in Bengalee. All
was silence and attention. The governor could not restrain his tears, and everyone
seemed to be impressed with the solemnity of this sacred ordinance.
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