The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-12-29
A Humble Hero.

A Humble Hero.
Terse Comments on the Uniform Pray
er-meeting Topic of the Young Peo-
pies Societies for December 80
''Carey and Missions in India" Isa,
54:2, 3.
BY WILLIAM T. ELLIS.
Tt is but little more than one hum
dred years ago that midas pioneer
missionary sailed from England to en-
ter upon his life work in that country.
Discouraged by public sentiment in
England, the missionary enterprise in
India was slow in unfolding, but the
advent Of missionaries in that coun-
try marks the actual beginning of the
great Protestant missionary movement
of modern times. The name of the
first English missionary in India, Will
liam Carey, stands foremost in the an
nails of missionary achievement.
William Carey was born in England
in 1851. the son of a weaver, and early
in his boyhood he was apprenticed to
shoemaker. lacking thus all advan-
tages of education. Poverty. however,
did not prevent him from pursuing his
studies. having as the ideal of his life
the preaching of the gospel. AS he
worked day by day at the humble
cobbler's bench he made himself IA
miliar with Latin. Greek and Hebrew,
while near at hand hung large.
homemade map of the world which
he covered with notes regarding the
religion population and condition of
the different countries.
The shoemaker soon became
preacher. which, he was wont to re-
mark, was the business of his life,
while he merely cobbled shoes to pay
expenses The great passion of his
life, however. was mission work in
foreign lands. and he was but await
ing the opportunity which should open
to him the door to this new field of
labor.
Expect great things from God; at
tempt great things for Cod was the
text of Carey's famous sermon at Not
tngham, as result of which the first
English missionary society was formed
in 1898. and Carey was al once sent to
India as its first representative.
All Europeans not in public service
were at tbs time forbidden to set foot
in the Fast India com pany's territories
in India without special license. So
infexible was the official opposition to
the missionaries that Carey and his
companion. an English surgeon, John
Thomas, were obliged on their arrival
in Calcutta to register as indigo plant
ers to avoid expulsion. For six years
this young missionary. the one repre-
senting Christian England in India
was obliged to lay aside his cherished
plans and to engage in the occupation
of the planter. In. this obscure way
began the work of English missions in
the great empire.
Carey's familiarity with the Ian
guages soon won for him a position as
professor in Fort William college, Cal
cutta, for which he received salary
of $500 a year. For himself and
family he reserved 5000 a year, giving
the remainder to the missionary work.
Carey was an evangelist, a prea
and a teacher, but his great achieve
ment was translation. This "conse-
Grated cobbler," as he was sneeringly
called by Sydney Smith, translated the
Bible into twenty-four languages and
dialects of India thus opening the
scriptures to 3OO,0OO,0O human be-
ings. His success as a translator has
won for Carey the title of THE Wy
cliffe Of the East"
After seven years residence in India
Carey was joined by two other mis-
sionaries sent out by the English Bap-
fist society, Marshman and Ward.
Having been ordered to leave the
these two men had taken ref
uge at Serampore, and here they were
Joined by Carey, who was also glad to
escape from British hostility. TOgeth-
er these three men lived and worked
as missionary statesmen, breaking ev-
highroad Of missionary activity in In
dia- They laid the foundation for al
most every subsequent missionary en-
deavor. whether in school or college, /
in organizing native preachers and
workers. or in endeavoring to abolish
the crimes committed in the name of
the Hindu religion
X X
A characteristic story is told of Car
ey in connection with his efforts to
abolish the custom of the burning of
widows on the funeral pyre of their |
husbands. When. in 1929, the govern |
ment sent him for translation a pro- |
clamation fixing the penalty for this |
act, he threw off his gown, despite the |
fact that it was Sunday, and at once
began to work instead of to preach. |
lest another life be lost through delay |
Christian England laughed when |
Sydney Smith sneered at William Car /
ey as a ''consecrated cobbler," going |
on fools errand to convert the /
heather. But when Carey died at the |
age of seventy-three years he was /
visited by the bishop of India, the head |
Of the Church of England in that land |
who humbly invoked the blessing of |
the dying missionary. Carey had been /
denied a landing-place when he arriv- |
I'd in India, but when he died the gov /
dropped all its flags to half
mast in honor of a man who had done +
more for India than any of their gen. /
erals. The universities of England, |
Germany and America paid tribute to /
mis- learning, and today Protestant I
christianity honors him as one of its