CHAPTER VIII.

RESIDENCE AT CAWNPORE.

After Mr. Martyn had taken his departure for Calcutta, the clerical duties connected with Cawnpore devolved upon Mr. Corrie. Some idea of the varied and laborious nature of those duties will have been gathered from the foregoing correspondence, and will have been sufficient to explain the anxiety with which the arrival in India of additional Chaplains was made the subject of enquiry. Not the least fatiguing portions of a Chaplain’s duty were the long journeys he was repeatedly called on to make, for the purpose of solemnizing marriages between Europeans, and administering the Sacrament of Baptism to their children. Two journeys of this kind Mr. C. had to undertake within a month after he had been in the sole charge of Cawnpore:--one into Bundelcund, the other to Coel, distant at least 200 miles up the country. In the latter journey Mr. C. was accompanied by a young friend; and under date of Nov. 20, remarks,

“COEL. Arrived here this morning, to marry a couple. I have reason to be thankful that my pride, and angry feelings have been more in subjection towards the servants this journey. I have, however, to lament one instance of undue anger; but, in general, their perverseness has not caused the impatience and excitement as on former occasions; ‘be not high-minded, but fear:’ ‘by faith ye stand.’ During the journey to Mynpoorie, G., expressed, on the whole, true christian conduct, love of the word of God, and prayer, and often feeling impressions of his own unworthiness before God, and the need of the Holy Spirit’s grace, to perfect him in holiness; which, also, on Sunday evening, he spoke of, as if he felt their comforting and sanctifying power. May the Lord God, the Saviour, confirm, strengthen, and establish him!

“At Mynpoorie, the proposition for public worship was readily entertained, and most of the station, (in all fifteen,) attended at the judge’s house on Sunday. I preached on the benefit of the scripture history, with some boldness, and comfort to myself; and there was a great attention given; and afterwards two baptisms.”

It would seem from circumstances noticed in his Journal, that in consequence of his declining to take part in some frivolous amusements that were going on at Coel, Mr. Corrie did not meet with that kindness and social regard which he might naturally have expected; and his affectionate spirit seems to have been somewhat deeply wounded.

“O my God!” he observes, “I bless thee that thou didst deign to look upon me, and to call me to the adoption of a son, through the grace of Christ! I have said unto my soul, ‘The Lord is my portion in the land of the living.’ Why should a soul its thirst bemoan, who has a fountain near? I would not take one step backward to conciliate their [favour.] ‘Let them return to thee, but return not thou to them.’ [Jerem. xv. 19.] My soul adores the divine will in this command. No more would I go to the world. I have observed much of late, what Newton expresses in the hymn, ‘Prayer answered by crosses.’ I have been desiring to be more dead to the world, and the Lord has been pleased to make it bitter to me.”

His Journal then proceeds:--

“Agra, Nov. 26th. Arrived here yesterday morning from Coel. In the morning, on viewing the magnificent remains of this city, I was not duly sensible of the vanity of earthly glory. O that my mind were always alive to the vanity of present things, in comparison of eternal!

“In consequence of orders from Colonel B., the European artillery, to the amount of four hundred, attended divine service in the dewan. I stood on the marble slab which was occupied formerly by the vizier, when handing up petitions to the emperor, in the balcony above. Many of the officers attended; I preached from Malachi iii. 18. I much fear they did not understand me, but a general attention was given: in the afternoon, I went out to Nonilla, and baptized three children; several of the young officers attended, and kneeled down very devoutly. My heart rejoiced, and was raised to God for a blessing upon them. To all appearance, they are such as our Lord, in the days of his flesh, would have loved; my soul desires their salvation. Oh, that the Lord would take them effectually in hand! Oh, the depth of divine wisdom and knowledge! Alas, that these engaging forms of human nature should be slaves of sin, and so, objects of the divine displeasure. Just and righteous are thy ways, O king of saints! Oh, how I ought to praise God for the acceptance He gives me among men who yet are by no means conformed to His word! Oh, may the good Lord make them willing and obedient, that they may be blessed with all spiritual blessings in Christ; and, may all their kindnesses be returned a hundred fold into their bosoms!”

Some further particulars of Mr. Corrie’s journey up the country, as well as of his flock at Cawnpore, are found in the following letter.

TO THE REV. H. MARTYN.

“Cawnpore, Dec. 21, 1810.

“I returned last night from Muttra and Agra, and found your’s of the 3rd instant.... If I were in Calcutta, I should vote against your preaching every week. If you will not take rest, dear brother, come away back, and understand, if you can, from those in power, if I am to be permitted to remain with you here, or not. At Agra there will be little labour among the Europeans; some good, I suppose, might be done among the native christians. I this time visited the Roman Catholic place. The premises are large, but every thing going to decay from the covetousness of Angelo. There is a church of one long room, the roof arched, at the east end a round recess, like the Mosques of the Mahomedans, and a picture of the Virgin with a child half as large as herself, over the high altar. At Agra we had no public worship on Sunday; there was nobody in garrison, and the Artillerymen were a far way off. Colonel M. sent after me a draft for 1600 rupees!!! I suppose he meant to try, whether a mighty bribe would not prevail to draw me from our purpose.[70] I returned it with thanks, and have heard no more of the matter. I have been with Captain P. who commands the 53rd, and he will send to desire the Regiment to be marched to Church on Sunday. I hear from C--, that the society continues to walk in the fear of the Lord, and are, I hope, multiplying in number. Some new members are to be admitted to-night, I do not know how many. I regret to hear, the man of the 8th. you remember, has been behaving ill since I was here, yet there is one it seems, who is disposed to come out from among them. He has been often with C--, so I shall go down as I intended and fixed with the schoolmaster of the 8th. though the above man was the first encouragement, and must now be kept at a distance. I should not forget to tell you, of dear Harrington’s continued stedfastness, and attention to the men when I am absent, which is no doubt one reason of their consistency. S. has invited the religious men to a dinner on Christmas day. They must be greatly comforted by these circumstances, no longer constrained to hide themselves through fear of man. We are all well, blessed be the Lord our Saviour. May you increase in strength of body, and be strengthened with all might by the Spirit in the inner man. Love to all the saints. All here wish you grace, mercy, and peace.

“I shall proceed with all care with Mirza. There is no fear of any further inconvenience. I have resisted; he has submitted; we are now as before. I have not seen him to-day, but will, (D. V.,) write fully about him in a few days.”

Letters which Mr. Corrie addressed to Mr. Martyn and Mr. Brown respectively, a week later than the preceding date, give a pleasing account of the state of the congregation at Cawnpore; and supply, also, a specimen of the difficulties with which the earlier Missionary labourers in India had to contend, in their efforts to secure translations of the Word of God into the native languages.

TO THE REV. H. MARTYN.

“Cawnpore, Dec. 26, 1810.

“Yesterday divine service was appointed at eleven. Few of the soldiers came, but the body of the church was entirely filled with the gentry. Colonel and Mrs. W. came, and brought many of the officers of the 8th. The civilians too, were all present. We had upwards of fifty at the Lord’s table:--three complete tables. Among them the above and Dr. M., Captain and Mrs. E., Mr. G. S. and Harrington of the 53rd, with many of the soldiers beside the society.... There were three more admitted to the society on Friday night. On Sunday one part of the 53rd were marched to Church. At two, I therefore went to the school-room of the 8th, and about thirty came. One of them has lately been several times to the Church: several of them were disposed to be attentive. S. had a number of the religious men at dinner. Harrington dined with us, and after dinner we went over and staid awhile at S.’s. It was a very happy time.... Mr. G. has been reading Newton on the Prophecies, and has now Edwards on Redemption. This, with his attendance yesterday, and general sobriety, looks well. Captain G. and P. are both unwell; E. is better: I fear his impressions are gone; B. has been unwell too; perhaps you do not know him, he is an acquaintance since you left. Indeed, I have seen them almost all, but have not been at the mess.

“Yesterday I baptised my little boy by the name of Osman Daniel.[71] The child afterwards was reading the Gospels almost all day. I have not shewn your _muvishtee_ to Fitrut. He has got to the end of Joshua, and does on an average more than two chapters a day. Beside that without your reviewing his work, it will be but little worth; and if he were doing it by task work, it would be still more incorrect. The first discontent he shewed was only the usual policy of an Indian to try how far his influence extended; I took no notice of it, but positively refused his demands; and for two or three weeks made no inquiry after him, on which he came entirely into the old plan. He comes every day, and we translate a collect or two: and in this way I shall have the Prayer book, as well as the Bible translated. We have begun a little work of Mrs. Sherwood’s also, in the manner of the Pilgrim’s Progress, which I tell him, he shall receive some gratuity for doing. This seized upon him instantly, and he would fain have taken the book with him; but I would not allow that, lest the greater work be hindered.”

Mr. Corrie’s private reflections on the religious services mentioned above, were as follow:

“25th. [Dec. 1810] A large attendance at church, and above fifty attended at the Lord’s table. O may their souls be nourished by grace divine! My own heart all the morning unfeeling and hard, during the whole of divine worship; and at dinner on going to S.’s. to see their party of godly men, and joining in a hymn with them, my soul melted under a sense of the Lord’s grace and love to me. O may this impression remain; and may its constraining influence attend me! Prepare me for my evening work, O Lord the Spirit, Amen!”

TO THE REV. D. BROWN.

“Cawnpore, Dec. 26, 1810.

“I send enclosed a letter to Martyn; if he is gone to sea, you will peruse it, and send it after him. The account of Fitrut and the translation, you are concerned in, as much as he is, and I shall give you an account of our progress from time to time. We are all here very busy in one way or other, but with all our bustle we should not be missed if taken away from the face of the earth. I trust, however, some seed is sowing, that may spring up another day. The half-caste lad, I have had now a year, during which, not one instance of misconduct has come to my hearing. Yesterday he seriously devoted himself to the work of a Missionary, after a free choice, on my part, given him, to be a writer, or any thing else, I could serve him in. He has begun to-day to learn Latin from Lieut. Harrington, who is teaching one of the officer’s sons, and an orphan European boy, Latin. He is now about eighteen; he is reading and writing Persian too, and learning to translate into Hindoostanee his native tongue. The other native boys make considerable proficiency. I keep a strict hand over them.”

On the first day of the new year, Mr. Corrie again wrote to Mr. Martyn, but it was chiefly about private matters. The letter, however, to Mr. Brown, which enclosed that to Mr. M. is of more general interest.

TO THE REV. D. BROWN.

“Cawnpore, Jan. 1, 1811.

“I send another note for Martyn. He tells me you must wait for paper from England before you can print the Hindoostanee. The late arrivals in our department are not favourable specimens of their labours at Cambridge and Leadenhall street. They are frightened, I fancy, by the Twinings,[72] &c.: but yet what can they do if men will not offer themselves? During my late journeys in these parts, I observed the idol-temples and the mosques, in most places falling to decay, and with little appearance of being frequented. Here and there a rich underling of some of the Company’s servants has retired and built a pagoda to commemorate his ill-gotten wealth; but in general, the spirit and fury of idolatry does not appear. I have thought much, if the time were but come for the labourers to enter in, the gospel would not fail to be attended to. But where are the labourers? At best, I was never but an under-servant, and now my hands are full of Europeans: and the Company’s Chaplains will always be so, unless there were more of them. May we have more of the spirit of prayer, that the Lord may ‘give the word,’ and then ‘great shall be the company of the preachers!’

“I have very little comfort in the work of the ministry among the Europeans. I consider it always a secondary consideration, yet how to be doing it more for the heathen, I know not. At Agra, I suppose there may be greater opportunities; but Martyn will not hold up many months under the duties of this station, so I hope to be continued with him.”

The following extract from his Journal informs us of Mr. Corrie’s private occupations and purposes:--

“January 2nd, 1811. I am much occupied in reading Greek, and other exercises, tending, I hope, to mutual benefit with H., but let me not deceive myself in fancying it all duty, when it is all so agreeable. The children have made considerable progress during the past year: as much as I could expect. James has begun Latin, under the express idea of becoming a teacher of others: and may he have grace to give himself willingly to this work! I am very much taken up with schemes for the furtherance of the gospel; but little is yet done. The Europeans require more time and labour than I have to give [to them.] Blessed be God for some success among them. O may they [who fear God] increase in number! During the year, my proficiency has been very scanty: some knowledge of the history of this country, some proficiency in Hindoostanee; the Hindoostanee catechism: these are my chief employments, beside my ministry among the Europeans. I purpose to be more in the study of these languages, more in writing sermons, more attentive to the children; to translate the Pilgrim’s Progress, the Prayer book, and any other work that may be useful to the children. Lord, direct my steps, and make me an instrument of good for Jesus’ sake, Amen!”

It will be recollected that, in consequence of a sermon which Mr. Brown preached on New-year’s day, 1810, an important effort was made to supply the Christians of Tanjore with Bibles. Encouraged, it would seem, by the success which attended that effort, Mr. Martyn, whilst in Calcutta was induced to occupy Mr. Brown’s pulpit on the 1st of January, 1811, for the purpose of making “An appeal on behalf of 900,000 Christians in India who were in want of a Bible.” This Sermon not only produced a lasting effect on those who heard it delivered, but having been printed and widely circulated, called forth among the Europeans in India, a strong feeling of sympathy in behalf of the native Christians, and contributed mainly towards the formation of an Auxiliary Bible Society in Calcutta. It is to these circumstances that allusion is made in the following letter; although the Auxiliary Society was not actually formed till the 21st of February.[73]

TO THE REV. D. BROWN.

“Cawnpore, Jan. 28, 1811.

“I am much pleased with the idea of an Auxiliary Bible Society. I wonder the thought had not occurred before. When we receive Martyn’s sermon I hope we shall be able to get you help from this [place]. I have mentioned the sermon in several places, and it will be read here with great eagerness. We have no support from our new General: he sets but a very indifferent example to the community, whilst he is quiet and civil enough in private. ‘To the poor the gospel is preached,’ and they receive it, though not in great numbers.

“I have had five long journeys since November, and expect to go to Bareilly next week to attend two marriages. At the other end of the cantonments I have lately begun to assemble the Light Dragoons on a Thursday evening. At first many came, and a few still continue to attend. Most of our Hymn-books are distributed, and numbers of the Bibles, but few of the New Testaments....

“I am at present in very good health, and strong to labour. We have service three times on Sundays, and on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday evenings. The distance between the two European regiments, makes double labour, but (blessed be God!) it is not labour in vain. And whilst there is no service that could well be dispensed with I can do nothing better than patiently ‘spend and be spent,’ while strength remains. Even now the hospitals are sadly neglected, but the godly men, and especially Harrington, supply the lack with great diligence.”

Of the journey to Bareilly (about 170 miles distant from Cawnpore) there is a short notice in Mr. C’s Journal, dated,

“February 21st. I have had a journey to Bareilly. H. went with me to Futtyghur. I have reason to bless God for preservation from angry tempers during the journey, and for the much sweet converse I had with H. In riding along, our manner was to read a sentence from a book, and to converse upon it; or sing a hymn. In this way weariness was prevented, and my heart often burned within me. Let me however watch and pray that the things which I have wrought be not lost. O, may I never be suffered to faint or grow weary in the heavenly way! My inward frame and spirit is sadly prone to this. I have to drag this ‘body of sin’ along with me. How often would my spirit sit down to rest; or, wearied with the constant load, yield to the death! Lord, preserve and uphold me to the end! Amen.”

During the two months following the date of this extract, Mr. Corrie was chiefly occupied with the ordinary clerical duties at Cawnpore. Besides these however, he did not cease to employ himself in urging on the translation of the Old Testament into Hindoostanee, which Mirza Fitrut had commenced under the superintendence of Mr. Martyn; and Mr. C’s correspondence about this time shews him, also, to have been actively engaged in furthering the objects contemplated by the Calcutta Bible Society, and in collecting subscriptions for it. Thus in a letter to Mr. Brown, Mr. C. observes,

“April 8, 1811.

“I wrote to Fitrut on the receipt of your last. He sends word, that he is unwell, but will come over soon. I expect him daily, but suppose he will raise obstacles. The copy of Martyn’s sermon which Mr. T. sent me, has not been at home a day since it arrived. Applications from all hands are daily made for it. The people are astonished at the _number_ of Christians in India. Whilst they have been objecting to conversion, behold a harvest is already gathered! I have the promise of many subscriptions, chiefly, indeed, from those who have not much to give; but till I can tell them all about you in Calcutta, I know not exactly on what ground to ask for subscriptions.”

And, again, in a letter to Mr. Brown, during the same month:--

“By Fitrut’s desire I send you the enclosed. Before it arrives, you will have determined on his request. He is now ready to set off, but that I do not choose absolutely to promise the increase of salary he wishes for. In the meantime, he is going on translating, and he comes every morning for an hour or two, to superintend my translations also. No _banghy_ has yet arrived with sermon &c., but Col. P. has written to Lieut. L., assistant commissary here, requesting his aid and exertions for the Bible Society. He sent a sermon and a copy of the proceedings, &c.[74] Mr. Lumsdaine, accordingly, is getting subscriptions from his friends. The general has given 200 rupees, and the plan of the society is generally approved. The public attention has been greatly excited, and our friends here thought it advisable to give the subject all the publicity possible; so yesterday, I gave notice from the pulpit, that on Sunday next, I shall preach a sermon on the subject of the Holy Scriptures, and state the views of the society lately formed in Calcutta, in aid of the British and Foreign Bible Society in London, &c. I had before waited on Mr. L. and agreed to act in concert. Thus, more advantage to the cause is likely to arise than we ever hoped for; we want only copies of proceedings, &c., to gratify the attention thus far excited, before it subsides.

“The religious men of the 53rd., I understand, mean to give each a month’s pay. They say, they have before been called upon for a month’s pay, to help to carry on the war, much more will they contribute ‘to the help of the Lord against the mighty.’ I have great reason for thankfulness for the acceptance the word of God has among us. The church is usually crowded in the part allotted to the gentry, and our societies increase considerably. Even the wild Irish Roman Catholics of the 8th Light Dragoons, pay great attention, and the Thursday evenings attendance increases. A sergeant, his wife, and several others of them, appear in good earnest seeking salvation. The Company’s Europeans are the least attentive, and indeed, with a few exceptions, the Company’s officers are the least constant at church. I have a Hindoostanee congregation of nine, every morning, and am going through the Epistles with them. The half-caste lad I have mentioned, has began to read to them. He continues to give good hope that his heart is in the work; and the children also, continue improving. I am often greatly exhausted from the frequent public services, and feel often much inward weakness. Should I ever be relieved from this, I would try to get to sea for a few weeks, just recruit strength, and prevent the frame from giving way entirely. I have many thoughts about Benares; if you send the copies of proceedings to E., I fear he will never distribute them. You should send some to Robinson. I am desirous to see the proceedings of Martyn, when you can spare his letter. You cannot suppose how widowed I feel from his absence.... Mr. Y. tells me there is a Bible Depository in Calcutta. Who has the charge of it? I have been applied to for information about it, but could give none.... To-day, I have a letter from Martyn dated 19th March, ‘Bombay,’ containing extracts from Simeon, on _not_ taking fees, far more pointed than his cautions to P.”

But assiduously occupied as Mr. Corrie thus appears to have been in furthering every plan that promised to yield moral benefit to his fellow-men, he was nevertheless alive, at the time, to the importance of watching over the state of religion in his own soul. On the anniversary of his birth-day he writes:--

“April 10th. This day I am thirty-four. It was the night I heard of my mother’s death, February 1798, that I first remember my resolutions made to be religious. Till the summer of 1801, I went on sinning and repenting, as I thought; but quite ignorant of the author and finisher of salvation. In the latter end of that year, my views of scripture truth became more distinct; and, since then, I have gone on my way, ‘looking unto Jesus;’ but every year has brought me, it should seem, only experience of my own depravity. True, I have experience of ‘the Lord’s mercy,’ too, in that I am ‘not consumed;’ and the fulness, freeness, and efficacy of the ‘fountain opened’ to purify my guilty soul is so fully known to my soul, and my own hope in that ‘blood shed for the remission of sins,’ so stayed, that my own guilt does not dismay me, as it otherwise might well do: at the same time, one propensity after another to evil starts up so unavoidably, that doubtless, my soul is ‘full of wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores:’ to Thee, therefore, O divine Physician, do I turn my fainting eyes. I come to Thee for healing, that it would please Thee to cast the salt of Thy grace into this impure fountain, that the streams may be purified from the noxious qualities, which now render unfruitful the whole field of the soul. O Lord, I pray that the overflowings of sin may be restrained; teach me to watch and pray; quicken me to diligence in this work, and service; enable me to ‘give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine;’ to ‘give myself wholly to them, that my profiting may appear’ in the edification of thy people, through the Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ!”

“June 10th. This day nine years ago, I was ordained a deacon; and on the twelfth of June, two years after, a priest. I have sinned grievously in respect of personal holiness; and, during the last year, also, I fear, as much as ever. I know not what to do against my strong foe, ‘whose name is legion.’ The Lord knows I purpose perpetual enmity with every sin; and, I think, if it were the will of God to take away every disposition to evil, I should rejoice; but, at the same time, should require such measures of grace to keep me humble, as seem out of the way of God’s usual method to bestow. Indeed, when I feel such a disposition to self-importance in a very short time, if my evil dispositions are quiet, what devilish pride should I not be puffed up with, if my heart were freed from corruption. Blessed be God, I can say, that no sin hath dominion over me; yet do I not justify myself: though I am often surprised, and get a spiritual fall, yet the enemy cannot keep me down: by faith I rise, by faith I stand; and ‘in the Lord have I righteousness and strength.’ I have been at Cawnpore about a year; and since October have had the whole charge: ten are added to the (religious) society since then; and several are enquiring after the ways of godliness. Some of the light dragoons, (especially sergeant R.) are, I hope, seriously impressed. Gracious God, I praise Thee for these fruits! I have to mourn my unprofitableness among the better sort. I think I am not suited to do good by much visiting, and, therefore, stay at home. I have been employed a great deal in translating for the children; and Nicholas is very hopeful: these in all are six, besides those who came yesterday. God of all grace, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, give me a larger portion of the Holy Spirit’s grace: make me holy in body, soul, and spirit; ‘holiness becometh thy house.’ O Lord, my soul is athirst for holiness. Teach me how to preach holiness through the Spirit, and by the Saviour! But, I am forbidden by the doctors to preach, on account of this liver. May I pray the more for the souls around me: O for a spirit of grace and supplication! To Thee, O Lord, have I dedicated myself; at thy table, yesterday, did I give myself away to Thee; and, though the watchful enemy robbed me of part of the benefit, yet, I know, thou hast accepted me: Thou didst sit at thine own table; it was a season of refreshment to many, as well as to myself; about fifty attended; in the evening, a large congregation. I hope soon to establish worship for the Hindoostanees; James, I trust, is fully bent on this work, though he has a good deal of youthful levity about him. Lord, bless all my flock, my dear family, and friends! Bless my soul, O Lord, and let my soul praise Thee at all times!”

The following letter to Mr. Simeon, whilst giving a general outline of the religious condition of Cawnpore, as presented during Mr. Corrie’s ministrations at that station, explains also, the lofty, self-denying principle on which both Mr. Martyn and himself had decided to waive the accepting of any fee for the celebration of marriages, &c.

“Cawnpore, June 4, 1811.

“As your Indian friends are, at this time, widely separated, I shall not be likely to trouble you with repetition of intelligence from this quarter, and I know you will take part in the hopes and fears attending the work of the ministry in this place. You will, I hope, hear from Mr. Martyn himself from Persia; the last I heard of him was from Bombay, March 19th. He had benefited little, or nothing, from the change. Since his departure, I have had much encouragement in my work. I began with a very discouraging impression of my unfitness to stand up in his place, but the word delivered in weakness, has been attended with power to several. Ten have been added to the religious society, and several are on probation, in one of the European Regiments; in the other, some good has been done, and even from among the Company’s Artillery-men (surely the most hardened against all good, of any set of men I ever saw) five are become regular attendants at the Lord’s Table. We might have hoped for more abundant fruit; but that it was the Divine will I should be laid up a third time with the liver, and obliged to desist from all labour but the Sunday’s duty. I am now so affected with mercury, that I cannot appear next Sunday, but I am happy to say, that for several days the pains have left me, and I trust the disease has subsided. I hope the life, thus repeatedly renewed to me, will be more than ever devoted to the work of the ministry, for truly I find no life like living to Christ. His service is perfect freedom and a great reward!

“My absence from the Irish regiment has been most felt; as in the English regiment, one of the officers, a nephew of the late Dr. Elliston of Sidney College, has supplied my lack of service, by reading &c., having ‘first given himself unto the Lord.’ We have every Wednesday evening a party of friends, who take sweet counsel together. It consists, when altogether, of a Lieutenant of Dragoons and his wife, the Paymaster of the 53rd and his wife, an Assistant Surgeon, the above Lieutenant, my sister, and a young lady who is living with her; we sometimes have beside, another Surgeon and his lady, who have been brought up among religious people; an officer on the staff here, and, now and then, a friend from the country; and there are others, who approve and are hopeful, though they do not yet care to come out from the world. When we thus happily meet, we are encouraged to think, the whole world must speedily bow before the word of the Lord; but, alas, we return again with the complaint of Melancthon. The multitude, alas, tread heedlessly the broad way!

“You will know of the formation of an Auxiliary Bible society in Calcutta. It has raised ‘no small stir about that way.’ Here we have had good success, but the enemy also has been at work. My application to the Commander of one of the corps here, was yesterday returned, with many concessions as to the purity of our motives, but representing this new association as the most dangerous thing imaginable, and praying me, and others, to desist from promoting the objects of it. In two entire regiments, out of the five, we have been thus hindered, but blessed be God, we have a majority, even in point of numbers. One undeniable benefit has arisen from it, even to the English; for after a sermon I preached on the subject, April 28th, we had a greater number of applications for English Bibles, than for many months together before.

“During this month my school of Christian boys has increased to nine. I hear them myself twice a day, and find they learn even quicker than many English boys. Some of the parents, seeing how desirous I am to retain these children at school, plague me not a little for money to support themselves also, saying they must otherwise remove to some other place, and take their children with them. The Christian man I left at Chunar, has within these few days arrived here, having left his charge. The house I fitted up, is still used for public worship by the Europeans, but no one pities my poor black flock, so they are again left in the wide wilderness. A few of them, who have, I trust been made partakers of the Holy Ghost, and have tasted of the good word of God, attend the service in English, though they understand nothing of what is said, yet they hear the name of ‘_Jesu Kreesht_,’ and, that, they say, ‘is pleasure.’ At this place there are many Christians of Portuguese descent, but, in language and manners, quite Hindoostanees. Through two of my Christian people, who, I trust, are real Christians, a desire has been excited among them for hearing and reading the Scriptures. The youth I have mentioned, of European descent, is with me still, and very promising. I hope to establish worship in Hindoostanee, in a month’s time, for the above native christians here, and to make this lad officiate. If I were able to officiate myself, I would not set him so forward yet, but our friends here advise that, considering the difficulty of again putting affairs in the train they now are, we had better secure the present opportunity, and hope and pray that the Lord will be with us, till Martyn’s return, when he will find the way he had prepared, somewhat carried forward, and may enlarge it after, as he judges proper. He had addressed himself to the multitude at large who used to assemble every Sunday evening, on his lawn, till his health and strength were exhausted. My health and strength have been brought nearly as low, though I have a stronger constitution to renew upon; so I set the above servants to work at the houses of individual Christians, and now hope to establish a small congregation from among them, against our brother’s return.

“From Bombay, M. sent me a part of a letter of your’s, on the subject of fees, which he desired me to consider. I beg leave to state a few particulars on that subject for your information. First, all in the army, below the rank of Captain, are obliged to use the strictest economy, in order to maintain a family. A Captain may live without care, but, if it be considered that he must send his children to England for education, it will be easily believed, that every married military man, who has a family, is likely to be poor to the end of his service, with the exception of a few, who get staff-appointments, and they are almost the only ones who are ever able to return home. When we are sent for to a distance, the expences of travelling are paid by the parties, which usually costs from forty to sixty pounds. It is usually the younger officers who marry, for the old ones almost all live in sin: and indeed from the above circumstances, together with the few opportunities of religious instruction, most of the young ones too; and some have told me plainly, that they could get nobody to marry them, and if they could, they had not money to give, as was usually expected by the Chaplains. For these causes, from the first, I wished to decline being an obstacle in the way of any. Sometimes young men marry the daughters of old Indians by native mothers, but though the father could often give a fee in this case, he has himself sacrificed conscience to money, and thinks any one would do the same, and how are we to convince him to the contrary, but by refusing his money? The civilians who marry, are also usually of the younger part, and have nothing to spare without borrowing, which they can do indeed too easily. The elder civilians are altogether as preposterously paid to excess, and indeed there are very few of them, who are not in consequence, so vain, and carry themselves so high, that I know not how we can shew them the folly of trusting in these things, but by refusing the opportunities of obtaining them. On this head, there will he difference of opinion, but my humble judgment is, to renounce the fee, to convince them by all possible means, that a man’s life consisteth not in these things. In so doing, we are not injuring our successor, because he has a sufficiency of income for all the purposes that his station in life can require. I suppose you do not care whether we be able to keep a carriage, or not, if we should ever return; and suppose we save but enough to pay our passage to England, the retiring pension is an abundant provision for our necessities. I suppose, that even a chaplain marries, and has children, then even he has plenty to educate them, though his usefulness here may be thereby confined, and in what situation would it not be so? I see no motive for receiving fees that ought to be entertained a moment, but that of taking them to give to the poor, and such has been the state of things among the British here hitherto, that the mention of such a motive would have excited derision, as mere hypocrisy. It has never been conceived, that a man came to India, except to make money. After all, dear Sir, we have no such thing as a regular fee; we are military chaplains, and the general could order us to officiate, in any part of the district, there being no legal impediment: _you_ can recover the accustomed offering by law; _we_ have no law on the subject, nor do the soldiers ever, on any occasion, offer a fee. We have indeed custom on our side, but it is a custom that has made the name of Chaplain an offence. Would government but appoint a regular supply of Chaplains, and let any reasonable fee be appointed, for occasional duties, as a part of their subsistence, it would be well. O, I wish that some of the young men around you, did but see the different stations of India, where numbers of their countrymen are actually falling into the jaws of infidelity and deism, for the want of some one merely to remind them of the customs and opinions of their native land. They come out boys; they leave the Sabbath and public worship behind them; they straightway fall into sinful habits, and grow to argue for that, which they would once have blushed to mention. But what, if the young clergy knew, and pitied, and were willing to come over and help us, what could they do whilst the way is shut against them? Consider, this district contains, I know not the exact number, but I know twelve subordinate stations, at each of which, there will be from twenty to forty English and native Christians in the Company’s service; at Allahabad, one hundred miles to the east, there are about two hundred Europeans alone; at Futtyghur eighty miles to the west, there are at least as many, and at Bareilly not much less than a hundred. To these places, the Chaplain of Cawnpore must go, to celebrate marriages, for this is the only duty he cannot be dispensed with for; but as to all other religious services, they are left entirely destitute, and from the long habits of indifference they have been in, it is not always, even when we do go, that we can have public worship. O, dear Sir, ought the immense revenues of this fruitful land to be wholly appropriated to the purposes of merchandize! Ought the souls of our own countrymen, not to speak of the natives, to be weighed in the balance against bales of silk and cotton! Surely this system will have an end!

“Mr. Thomason was so kind as to send me some Christian Observers, with the paper war with the Christian Advocate.[75] These are exceedingly interesting to us, and you cannot confer a greater favour, than by forwarding to this country, supplies of Christian Guardians, Eclectic Reviews, Christian Observers, &c. We can lend them about, they are read with avidity, and excite much conversation about religious books.

“I hope this will find you renewed in the outer, as well as in the inner man. The Lord can send by whom he will, but my soul would mourn to hear, that that candlestick, which was the means of guiding me into divine light and peace, was removed from Cambridge. May your latter days, dearest Sir, be more blessed than the former, and when heart and strength shall fail, may you have the assurance in your own soul, that God is the strength of your heart, as well as the portion you have chosen for ever!

“If there were to be a quantity of copies of the Christian Guardian sent out yearly, they would be eagerly purchased by the religious soldiers, and would be highly useful. The Christian Observer is above their modes of thinking.

[70] Mr. Martyn and Mr. Corrie had agreed to decline all fees for the solemnizing of marriages, &c. The reasons for their decision on that matter are given at length in a letter to Mr. Simeon, dated June 14, 1811.

[71] A little boy who was rescued from death, during a famine, and brought up by Mr. C.

[72] Twining was the name of the gentleman who was for expelling all Missionaries from India. See above p. 119.

[73] History of the Bible Society, vol. ii. pp. 108, and seq.

[74] The Calcutta Auxiliary Bible Society printed 1000 copies of the first six Reports of the Parent Society, for circulation in India.

[75] Dr. E. Pearson, Master of Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge, between whom and Mr. Simeon, some Pamphlets were exchanged on the subject of Mr. Simeon’s preaching.