6 THE STORY OF THE LALL-BAZAR BAPTIST CHURCH. as at was places of Christian worship existed in Calcutta, the Presidency and the Mission Churches, and these were very thinly attended. The Rev. Messrs. Brown and Buchanan were the first amongst the Honourable Company's Chaplains to seek the good of souls; and the following extract from the memoirs of the former will prove the statement to be correct:-Mr. Brown found, on his arrival in Calcutta, in 1786, that a deep ignorance in religious subjects, and a careless indifference to Christian duties, were but too prevalent there living witnesses can testify that the Lord's Day, that distinguishing badge of a Christian people, was nearly little regarded by the British as by the natives; the most noted distinction being hardly more than the waving of the flag headquarters, excepting as it was the well known signal for fresh accessions of dissipation. In short, it would hardly be believed in Calcutta now, how the Sunday was openly neglected then. Some instances might be adduced that are absurd, others ridiculous. 'Is it Sunday?' Yes, "for I see the flag is hoisted rather customary breakfast table phraseology on Lord's Day mornings. A lady, on being seriously spoken to on her utter disregard of the day, maintained that she always religiously observed it, 'for,' said she, 'every Sunday morning I read over the Church service to myself, while my woman is combing my hair!' Another lady being urged to attend Divine Service said, 'she had been more than twelve years a resident of Calcutta, and twice married: but it had been out of her power in all that time to go to church, because she had never had an offer from any beau to escort her there and hand her to a pew.' She was perfectly serious in urging this difficulty, and on its being removed, by an immediate offer from a gentleman who was present to usher her into the church, she accepted the engagement to go on the following Sunday. It was frequently urged, that there would be no use in keeping holy the seventh day in a heathen country, since the common people not being, as in England, Christians, the example was not needed. The domestic morning work-table was nearly as regularly surrounded on Sunday forenoons as the card-table was on Sunday evenings. One lady, who indeed professed to feel scrupulous respecting the use of her own needle judged nevertheless it would be absurd to restrain that of her husband's daughter, since she was the child of a native mother and could be nothing better than the durzee (tailor) and she, therefore, ought and should do her needlework the same as they do on Sundays equally with any other day. "These specimens drawn from domestic life previous to 1794, are taken from the three classes of superior European society in Calcutta, the families of the Civil and Military services and the Agents. And if, as is usually thought to be true, the female sex is the most noted for piety in every land, the state of the male part of the British society in India, it must be supposed, was still less favourable to the interests of the Christian religion at that period. In truth, no business any more than pleasure, was discontinued on the Lord's Day. This, then, was the state of religious feeling among the Europeans and Indo-British inhabitants of Calcutta forty years ago." As Statham's book was published in 1832, forty years back, would take it to 1792 just before Dr. Carey landed. In the Calcutta Christian Observer of 1856, there is a remarkable letter from Dr. Duff, which he begins thus: "Change, change, change, has begun to lay its innovating hand on many of India's most venerated institutions as well as on the habits and usages connected with the outer and inner life of myriads of its inhabitants," and then he proceeds to contrast the differences between 1830 and 1856, i.e., since his arrival in the country, under the following heads: -- 1. Time occupied in passage to or from India, i.e.--Sailing vessels via the Cape, with steamers via Red Sea. 2. Post and Telegraphs.-Formerly 12 months elapsed before a reply could be received from Home; now a much shorter period elapses. 3. Trade. Formerly restricted by special License; now open to all. 4. Formerly no properly made roads.-Now excellent ones. 5. Travelling-.Three or four miles an hour by a palki; now by horse vehicles at double or treble that rate. 6. Railways. None then; now 125 miles opened from Calcutta. 7. Post. Formerly country letters and papers were slowly carried at exorbitant * rates of postage, whereas now they are *The following are instances of this: 1. On 23rd November 1798, Dr. Carey wrote from Mudnabatty, to Rev. S. Pearce of Birmingham that some one had sent him by Post a Volume of Scott's Sermons from Madras without carried swiftly by horse vehicle at a penny stamp for India and sixpence for Home. 8. Telegraphs.-None then; but recently introduced for conveying messages. 9. Then no Coal mines; now there are some. AS TO CALCUTTA, 1. The printing Press was only beginning to be known; now upwards of 50 native presses exist. 2. The English language was only beginning to be recognized as important; now there are tens of thousands to whom English is familiar. 3. Then only one Government College for higher English education; now several. 4. Then no Hindu educated in English literature had become Christian; now many have. 5. Then the Government of India-Home and Foreign— looked askance at missionaries and for the most part ignored their labours as either fanatical or worse; whereas now they have formally and officially recognized them as benefactors of India, and adds: "Noting these changes within the past 25 years it is difficult to grasp what changes may be effected in the years to come," so that if the contrast is taken back to 1793 and brought down to 1908 the difference must, obviously, be perceived by even the most casual or indifferent observer. a letter and he had had to pay 32 rupees as postage for it on its arrival there. 2. On 2nd June 1810 an officer wrote to Dr. Carey from Nagpore asking for Hindustani Scriptures by the Cuttack route, and added: "If by that route I shall be able to obtain a single book of the Hindustani Scriptures for the expense of 40 or 50 rupees postage, I shall be made very happy and shall esteem myself exceedingly obliged to you. The expense also of conveyance my Agent will pay you." CHAPTER II. THE BEGINNING. IT was small, as such things usually are, but the work developed and grew apace, and even within Dr. Carey's own lifetime, went beyond his highest expectation. There is no need to go into all the troubles and anxieties that Mr. John Thomas and Dr. Carey experienced jointly and separately during the first few years of their residence in this country. They were nearly of the same age, the former having been born on 16th May 1757, and the latter on 17th August 1761. They were full of zeal and determination, and, moreover, in the prime of life when they landed towards the end of 1793. In course of time they took charge of Indigo Factories and carried on the Lord's work, and when Mr. Fountain arrived in 1796 he joined in the indigo work. In September 1798 a printing press was purchased and set up at Mudnabatty. But the arrival of Messrs. Marshman, Ward, Brunsdon and Grant in October 1799 brought about a change, the significance of which they did not appreciate to the full at the time. These new missionaries found a hospitable shelter at Serampore under the Danish flag. Mr. Grant, however, died within a fortnight of their arrival. When the new missionaries realized the great hostility of the British Government to Mission work and the encouragement that was held out to them by the Governor of Serampore, they felt that it would be better for Dr. Carey to come down to them than for them to go up to him. After some demur Dr. Carey was led to sell off his indigo factory at Kidderpore in the District of Malda and all its belongings; and, after packing up his printing press, he accompanied Messrs. Ward and Fountain to Serampore, where he arrived on 16th January 1800. Having been received by the Governor-Colonel Bie-in a friendly manner on the following day the missionaries formed their plans for work. They set apart the 24th April 1800 as a Day of Thanksgiving for the establishment of the Mission under such favourable circumstances; for the Divine goodness towards them and also for the receiving into the Church the newly arrived missionaries. After the termination of the Thanksgiving service, the missionaries organised a Church. Dr. Carey was chosen Pastor and Mr. Fountain and Dr. Marshman were appointed Deacons. The address from the Society to the missionaries, dated 7th May 1799, was read, together with a letter from Rev. S. Pearce, and the substance of an address by Mr. Booth. Before they separated they voted an address of thanks to the Governor of Serampore for the support they had received from him and the Danish authorities at a period when, but for their kindness, three of their number would have been sent back to England. It is on record that "it was a good day." Towards evening Dr. Carey preached from Romans xii. 12, "rejoicing in hope," and, to heighten their enjoyment, letters from England arrived in the midst of these solemn exercises. The following hymn, written by Mr. Fountain, who was familiarly known in the Mission Circle as the Chief Musician, as he could sing, was sung during the exercises of the day:-- MISSIONARY THANKS. This day be sacred to the Lord While we in grateful lays And tune our hearts to praise. Each individual here can say, |