Philadelphia:
Saturday Morning, July 3, 1830
For the Columbian Star and Christian Index.THE VENERABLE CAREY is yet pursuing his modest course of missionary service. The letter below was brought by the same vessel which furnished a communication for our paper from DR. MARSHMAN. The name of Carey is exceedingly dear to all the friends of missions. He is now in a manner the property of the whole Christian world, being loved and admired with equal intensity, both by Baptists and Paedobaptists. Some of the facts here disclosed afford a powerful comment upon the utility of missionary schools. The conversion of thirty souls to the right way of the Lord, seems to have been effected by the instrumentality of one female.
Extract of a letter from Dr. Carey to Elder Joseph Maylin, Penn Township, near Philadelphia.SERAMPORE, 31st Dec. 1829.
My dear brother Maylin, I received yours of the 30th of April, 1829, with the religious communications, magazines, &c. by brother Bennet. Accept my thanks for the same. I suppose that gentleman is gone to the place of his destination before this; as he came to breakfast with me and take my good wishes with him last Tuesday week. I however saw him again on Friday, when I went to Calcutta to preach for the Benevolent Institution. Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are well. I am preserved hitherto, through much goodness, and though I enjoy excellent health, I cannot expect to continue much longer in the church militant. “The days of our years are three score and ten years, and if by reason of strength they be four score, yet is their strength but labor and sorrow.” I am past sixty-eight, and therefore not far from three score and ten. May I join the church triumphant, when my few remaining days have passed away.
INDIA, I am sure, is still dear to you, and my account of its affairs must be interesting. I will therefore give you a short history of what is passing here. The first important thing is the prohibition of burning Hindoo widows with their dead husbands. This was finally stopped by a Government regulation, dated the fourth of the present month; with great labor, some of the most zealous Baboo's in Calcutta, got up a petition against it, while, on the other hand, two addresses of thanks to the Governor General in council for it—one by Europeans, and another by natives, signed by a vast number of persons, has been presented.
The cause of our Redeemer continues to advance. Connected with us are twelve stations, without reckoning Serampore and Calcutta, viz: Celhi, Cawnpore, Allahabad, Banares, Dinagepore, Burripore, Jessore, Dacca, Assam, Burrisal, Chittagong and Arracan, to which I might have added Dum Dum. In all these places, and the country round about them, the Word of God has been preached, and at most of them additions have been made. Three of these stations have been formed since last June, viz. Assam, Burrisal and Burripore. The latter place is about sixteen miles south of Calcutta, its origin is highly interesting. -- Four or five years ago, our Independent brethren met with considerable success at a village below Calcutta. People from that village, anxious to obtain religious information, conversed with the inhabitants of other places with hopeful success. One person in one of these villages, was married to a young woman who had been in one of the Serampore Schools, who talked to them about believer's Baptism, and the result was a deputation from a village unheard of before, to brother Robinson at Calcutta, requesting him to go and visit them. He did so, and after an agreeable interview, sent two native brethren to reside among them and preach to them. The happy result has been an addition to the Bow Bazar church of more than thirty persons from that and neighboring villages.
A young man raised up in the above-mentioned church, named Rabiholm, was set apart to the ministry in another part of the same tract of country, and is settled at Barripore, near which a church has been formed at a village called Lulkiya, which though begun in the midst of much opposition, is now flourishing. When I say, begun in the midst of much opposition, in a storm, I refer to a dreadful assault made by the heathen around, in which an old disciple who was sent among them, was murdered in cold blood. The murderers are apprehended, but being persons of property will probably escape, as nearly all the heathen pleaders in the native courts of justice endeavor to suppress the truth. -- They made two other assaults, but have been brought to justice, which has intimidated them, and our brethren are now in peace.
Believe me to be,
Yours affectionately,
W. CAREY.========== [From W. T. Brantley, editor, The Columbian Star and Christian Index, Volume III, July 3, 1830, p. 9. Scanned and formatted by Jim Duvall.]
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