CHAPTER XXII.

STRICT OR OPEN COMMUNION WHICH !

WHEN the missionaries banded themselves into a Church on the 24th April 1800, it was on the lines of "Strict" (or, Close) Communion as Particular Baptists. Dr. Marshman and Mr. Ward were open Communionists when they left England, and "the beloved Commander of the Criterion" as they usually designated Captain Wickes, though a Presbyterian, always communed with them on the voyage. But Dr. Carey had imbibed the principle of Strict Communion from Mr. Fuller and the other ministers of Northamptonshire, and, on the formation of the Church at Serampore persuaded his colleagues to adopt it. The Communion Table was, therefore, closed against all who did not belong to the Baptist persuasion and Captain Wickes on his return to Bengal was informed--though not without the deepest reluctance that the rules of the Church no longer permitted him to unite with them at the Sacrament. Mr. Ward more particularly deplored this rigid, and, as he thought, unlovely proceeding, though he considered it his duty not to destroy the harmony of the Church and Mission. But after the Rev. Mr. Brown had taken up his permanent residence at Serampore in April 1803, the subject was frequently brought under discussion, and Mr. Ward urged the reconsideration of a rule which debarred many Christian friends from partaking of the Sacrament at the Mission Chapel, in con. junction with those whom they held in high esteem. Dr. Marshman was influenced by these arguments, and brought Dr. Carey round to the same views, and the Communion Table was opened to all who professed the same Christian sentiments. This was in 1805 after the Church at Serampore had for more than five years adhered to the practice of Strict Communion.

As one result of the relaxation to "open" Communion, Mrs. Brown the wife of the Senior Chaplain, then the head of the Ecclesiastical Department at the Presidency, partook periodically of the Ordinance with the missionaries. Mr. Ward recorded in his journal, that the alteration was not effected by his arguments, though he should have thought it an honor if it had been so, that their newly arrived brethren (Moore, Rowe, Biss, Mardon apparently) had adopted it cheerfully and that all the sisters seemed to have been previously on "the amiable side of the question."

"I rejoice, he said, that the first Baptist Church in Bengal has shaken off that apparent moroseness of temper which has so long made us appear unlovely in the sight of the Christian worldI am glad that this Church considers real religion alone as the ground of admission to the Lord's Table. With regard to a Church state, a stricter union may be required, but, to partake of the Lord's Supper worthily requires only that a man's heart be right. towards God."

Mr. Fuller, however, when he heard of the change upbraided the missionaries for their disregard of a "positive ordinance" but his language, though earnest, was always kind and dignified.

However in the year 1811 they again reverted to the practice of Strict (or, Close) Communion, and the following is the record in Mr. Marshman's book about this matter:

During the present year (1811) the Church at Serampore reverted to the practice of strict Communion after having for four years (it was really six years) adopted the opposite rule of admitting to their Communion Table those Christian and missionary brethren, who did not coincide in their views of the ordinance of baptism. The chief agent in this movement was Dr. Marshman. Mr. Fuller, a staunch strict communionist had for some time engaged in a controversial correspondence with Mr. Ward on this question. Mr. Ward brought it to a close by stating that he was not convinced by his reasoning, and that, in his judgment men might fall into mistakes regarding not only common commands, but positive institutions and yet not incur a forfeiture of the right of Communion, but he thought the matter one of very small moment compared with the great work of evangelising the heathen. Dr. Marshman, however, appears to have been convinced by Mr. Fuller's arguments and transmitted his own views

on the subject in a very elaborate epistle. But he hesitated long to bring the question forward in a practical shape, lest he should wound the feelings of his affectionate colleague. At length he communicated his thoughts to Mr. Ward by letter and proposed that the Church at Serampore should resume its former principle on the subject of Communion, stating that he was willing to take upon himself the responsibility and the odium of announcing this change of practice to those who had hitherto communed with them. On the spur of the moment Mr. Ward replied that he would rather die than go in for such a measure. Dr. Carey's mind was not free from doubts, but he thought Strict Communion the safer side. The other missionaries were disposed to coincide with him and with Dr. Marshman and, Mr. Ward, with his habitual sweetness of disposition, said he should offer no further opposition, and make no attempt to divide the Church, only he wished it to be distinctly known to all whom the decision might affect, that "the change was not made with his consent."

In recording the event in his own journal Mr. Ward remarked: r "Mr. Pritchet, the Independent missionary, preached in the morning after which Brother Marshman interdicted him the Lord's Table."

But this wide and irreconcilable difference of opinion was never suffered to produce the slightest alienation of feeling or to interrupt the harmony of their co-operation.

When Dr. Ryland heard of this he was exasperated beyon measure and gave vent to his indignation in the strongest language, upbraiding Dr. Marshman with having set up a "Baptist Caste.” It may be remarked here, in passing, that years afterwards, the gentleman, who used to record the minutes of the Lall Bazar Church invariably wrote that so and so were "Baptisted," not, baptized, evidently tinged with the idea of a "Baptist Caste."

But the Church is now practising Open Communion and has done so for many years past to the knowledge of the present writer, although all the documents relating to the Trust describe it as а Particular Baptist Church. How or when the change

was made is not traceable from the records which are extant. There is no Minute or Resolution of the Church on the subject on record since 16th June 1825, nor anything to indicate when the change was made.

CHAPTER XXIII.

LICENSES AND PASSPORTS.

As shown in the introductory chapter Mr. Wilberforce and his friends succeeded in getting a certain important Resolution passed in 1792 when the Charter Act for 1793 was under discussion. Had it been acted up to much of what subsequently took place in India would have been averted, but the enemies of religion were determined that it should be inoperative so ignored it entirely, hence all the scenes that have been described in some of the preceding chapters.

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When therefore in 1813 the discussion about the renewal of the Company's Charter for another twenty years came up fight had to be gone through over again and Mr. Fuller and Mr. Robert Hall and their friends, and Mr. Charles Grant and his friends had to fight strenuously and were at length successful so far as to obtain in the Act which received the Royal assent on the 21st July 1813 the insertion of a clause relating to persons desirous of going to India for the purpose of promoting the religious and moral improvement of the natives, beneficial in their result though not such as to preclude absolutely the oppressions of a resolved infidelity and despotism.

The principal clauses in that Act are Nos. 33, 34, 35, 36, of which the following is a brief official abstract as given in volume I. of Dr. Cox's History of the Baptist Mission:

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If the Court of Directors think fit to refuse application for permission made in behalf of such person, they are to transmit the application to the Board of Commissioners, who, if they see no valid objection to granting the permission may authorise the said person to proceed to any of the Company's principal Settlements provided with a certificate of sanction from the Directors. The Court of Directors, however, may make representation concerning such person to the Board of Commissioners, and those persons on arriving in the East Indies are to be subject to the Regulations of

the Local Governments. Further, the Government in India may declare the certificate and license of such persons to be void, if they shall appear by their conduct to have forfeited their claims to protection.

But as the reader might prefer to have the full text of those clauses, a transcript of them is given below for ready reference :---

"XXXIII. And whereas it is the duty of the Company to promote the interest and happiness of the native inhabitants of the British Dominions in India, and such measures ought to be adopted as may tend to the introduction among them, of useful knowledge and of religious and moral improvement and in furtherance of the above objects sufficient facilities ought to be afforded by law to persons desirous of going to and remaining in India for the purpose of accomplishing these benevolent designs so as the authority of Local Governments respecting the intercourse of Europeans with the interior of the country be preserved, and the principles of the British Government, on which the natives of India have hitherto relied for the free exercise of their religion inviolably maintained. And whereas it is expedient to make provision for granting permission to persons desirous of going to and remaining in India for the above purposes and also to persons desirous of going to and remaining there for other lawful purposes: Be it therefore enacted that when and as often as any applications shall be made to the said Court of Directors for or on behalf of any person or persons desirous of proceeding to the East Indies for permission so to do, the said Court shall, unless they shall think fit to comply therewith, transmit every such application, within one month from the receipt thereof to the said Board of Commissioners for the affairs of India and in case the said Commissioners shall not see any sufficient objection thereto, it shall and may be lawful for the said Commissioners to direct that the said person or persons shall at his, or their, own special charge, be permitted to proceed to any of the said principal Settlements of the said Company: and that such person or persons shall be furnished by the said Court of Directors with a certificate or certificates according to such form as the said Commissioners shall prescribe, signifying that such person or persons hath or have so proceeded with the cognizance and under the sanction of the said Court of Directors, and that all such certificates shall entitle the persons obtaining the same, so long as they shall properly conduct themselves, to the countenance and protection of the several Governments of the said Company in the East Indies and parts aforesaid, in their respective pursuits