An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the by William Carey
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AN ENQUIRY INTO THE
OBLIGATIONS OF CHRISTIANS,
TO USE MEANS FOR THE
CONVERSION OF THE HEATHENS.
IN WHICH THE RELIGIOUS STATE OF THE DIFFERENT
NATIONS OF THE WORLD, THE SUCCESS OF FORMER
UNDERTAKINGS, AND THE PRACTICABILITY OF
FURTHER UNDERTAKINGS, ARE CONSIDERED,
BY WILLIAM CAREY.
For there is no Difference between the Jew and the Greek;
for the same Lord over all, is rich unto all that call upon him.
For whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
How then shall they call on him, in whom they have not
believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they
have not heard? and how shall they hear without a Preacher?
and how shall they preach except they be sent?
PAUL.
MDCCXCII.
INTRODUCTION
As our blessed Lord has required us to pray that his kingdom may come,
and his will be done on earth as it is in heaven, it becomes us not
only to express our desires of that event by words, but to use every
lawful method to spread the knowledge of his name. In order to this,
it is necessary that we should become, in some measure acquainted with
the religious state of the world; and as this is an object we should
be prompted to pursue, not only by the gospel of our Redeemer, but
even by the feelings of humanity, so an inclination to conscientious
activity therein would form one of the strongest proofs that we are
the subjects of grace, and partakers of that spirit of universal
benevolence and genuine philanthropy, which appear so eminent in
the of God himself.
Sin was introduced amongst the children of men by the fall of Adam,
and has ever since been spreading its baneful influence. By changing
its appearances to suit the circumstances of the times, it has grown
up in ten thousand forms, and constantly counteracted the will and
designs of God. One would have supposed that the remembrance of the
deluge would have been transmitted from father to son, and have
perpetually deterred mankind from transgressing the will of their
Maker; but so blinded were they, that in the time of Abraham, gross
wickedness prevailed wherever colonies were planted, and the iniquity
of the Amorites was great, though not yet full. After this, idolatry
spread more and more, till the seven devoted nations were cut off with
the most signal marks of divine displeasure. Still, however, the
progress of evil was not stopped, but the Israelites themselves too
often joined with the rest of mankind against the God of Israel. In
one period the grossest ignorance and barbarism prevailed in the
world; and afterwards, in a more enlightened age, the most daring
infidelity, and contempt of God; so that the world which was once
over-run with ignorance, now _by wisdom knew not God, but changed the
glory of the incorruptible God_ as much as in the most barbarous ages,
_into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and
four-footed beasts, and creeping things_. Nay, as they increased in
science and politeness, they ran into more abundant and extravagant
idolatries.
Yet God repeatedly made known his intention to prevail finally over
all the power of the Devil, and to destroy all his works, and set up
his own kingdom and interest among men, and extend it as universally
as Satan had extended his. It was for this purpose that the Messiah
came and died, that God might be just, and the justifier of all that
should believe in him. When he had laid down his life, and taken it up
again, he sent forth his disciples to preach the good tidings to every
creature, and to endeavour by all possible methods to bring over a
lost world to God. They went forth according to their divine
commission, and wonderful success attended their labours; the
civilized greeks, and uncivilized barbarians, each yielded to the
cross of Christ, and embraced it as the only way of salvation. Since
the apostolic age many other attempts to spread the gospel have been
made, which have been considerably successful, notwithstanding which a
very considerable part of mankind are still involved in all the
darkness of heathenism. Some attempts are still making, but they are
inconsiderable in comparison of what might be done if the whole body
of Christians entered heartily into the spirit of the divine command
on this subject. Some think little about it, others are unacquainted
with the state of the world, and others love their wealth better than
the souls of their fellow-creatures.
In order that the subject may be taken into more serious
consideration, I shall enquire, whether the commission given by our
Lord to his disciples be not still binding on us,--take a short view
of former undertakings,--give some account of the present state of the
world, consider the practicability of doing something more than is
done,--and the duty of Christians in general in this matter.
AN ENQUIRY, &c.
SECT. I.
_An Enquiry whether the Commission given by our Lord
to his Disciples be not still binding on us._
Our Lord Jesus Christ, a little before his departure, commissioned his
apostles to _Go_, and _teach all nations_; or, as another evangelist
expresses it, _Go into all the world, and preach the gospel to every
creature_. This commission was as extensive as possible, and laid them
under obligation to disperse themselves into every country of the
habitable globe, and preach to all the inhabitants, without exception,
or limitation. They accordingly went forth in obedience to the
command, and the power of God evidently wrought with them. Many
attempts of the same kind have been made since their day, and which
have been attended with various success; but the work has not been
taken up, or prosecuted of late years (except by a few individuals)
with that zeal and perseverance with which the primitive Christians
went about it. It seems as if many thought the commission was
sufficiently put in execution by what the apostles and others have
done; that we have enough to do to attend to the salvation of our own
countrymen; and that, if God intends the salvation of the heathen, he
will some way or other bring them to the gospel, or the gospel to
them. It is thus that multitudes sit at ease, and give themselves no
concern about the far greater part of their fellow-sinners, who to
this day, are lost in ignorance and idolatry. There seems also to be
an opinion existing in the minds of some, that because the apostles
were extraordinary officers and have no proper successors, and because
many things which were right for them to do would be utterly
unwarrantable for us, therefore it may not be immediately binding on
us to execute the commission, though it was so upon them. To the
consideration of such persons I would offer the following
observations.
FIRST, If the command of Christ to teach all nations be restricted to
the apostles, or those under the immediate inspiration of the Holy
Ghost, then that of baptizing should be so too; and every denomination
of Christians, except the Quakers, do wrong in baptizing with water at
all.
SECONDLY, If the command of Christ to teach all nations be confined to
the apostles, then all such ordinary ministers who have endeavoured to
carry the gospel to the heathens, have acted without a warrant, and
run before they were sent. Yea, and though God has promised the most
glorious things to the heathen world by sending his gospel to them,
yet whoever goes first, or indeed at all, with that message, unless he
have a new and special commission from heaven, must go without any
authority for so doing.
THIRDLY, If the command of Christ to teach all nations extend only to
the apostles, then, doubtless, the promise of the divine presence in
this work must be so limited; but this is worded in such a manner as
expressly precludes such an idea. _Lo, I am with you always, to the
end of the world._
That there are cases in which even a divine command may cease to be
binding is admitted--As for instance, if it be _repealed_, as the
ceremonial commandments of the jewish law; or if there be _no
subjects_ in the world for the commanded act to be exercised upon, as
in the law of septennial release, which might be dispensed with when
there should be no poor in the land to have their debts forgiven.
Deut. xv. 4. or if, in any particular instance, we can produce a
_counter-revelation_, of equal authority with the original command, as
when Paul and Silas were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the
word in Bythinia. Acts xvi. 6. 7. or if, in any case, there be a
_natural impossibility_ of putting it in execution. It was not the
duty of Paul to preach Christ to the inhabitants of Otaheite, because
no such place was then discovered, nor had he any means of coming at
them. But none of these things can be alledged by us in behalf of the
neglect of the commission given by Christ. We cannot say that it is
repealed, like the commands of the ceremonial law; nor can we plead
that there are no objects for the command to be exercised upon. Alas!
the far greater part of the world, as we shall see presently,
are still covered with heathen darkness! Nor can we produce a
counter-revelation, concerning any particular nation, like that to
Paul and Silas, concerning Bythinia; and, if we could, it would not
warrant our sitting still and neglecting all the other parts of the
world; for Paul and Silas, when forbidden to preach to those heathens,
went elsewhere, and preached to others. Neither can we alledge a
natural impossibility in the case. It has been said that we ought not
to force our way, but to wait for the openings, and leadings of
Providence; but it might with equal propriety be answered in this case,
neither ought we to neglect embracing those openings in providence which
daily present themselves to us. What openings of providence do we wait
for? We can neither expect to be transported into the heathen world
without ordinary means, nor to be endowed with the gift of tongues,
&c. when we arrive there. These would not be providential interpositions,
but miraculous ones. Where a command exists nothing can be necessary to
render it binding but a removal of those obstacles which render
obedience impossible, and these are removed already. Natural
impossibility can never be pleaded so long as facts exist to prove the
contrary. Have not the popish missionaries surmounted all those
difficulties which we have generally thought to be insuperable? Have
not the missionaries of the _Unitas Fratrum_, or Moravian Brethren,
encountered the scorching heat of Abyssinia, and the frozen climes of
Greenland, and Labrador, their difficult languages, and savage
manners? Or have not English traders, for the sake of gain, surmounted
all those things which have generally been counted insurmountable
obstacles in the way of preaching the gospel? Witness the trade to
Persia, the East-Indies, China, and Greenland, yea even the accursed
Slave-Trade on the coasts of Africa. Men can insinuate themselves into
the favour of the most barbarous clans, and uncultivated tribes, for
the sake of gain; and how different soever the circumstances of
trading and preaching are, yet this will prove the possibility of
ministers being introduced there; and if this is but thought a
sufficient reason to make the experiment, my point is gained.
It has been said that some learned divines have proved from Scripture
that the time is not yet come that the heathen should be converted;
and that first the _witnesses must be slain_, and many other
prophecies fulfilled. But admitting this to be the case (which I much
doubt[1]) yet if any objection is made from this against preaching to
them immediately, it must be founded on one of these things; either
that the secret purpose of God is the rule of our duty, and then it
must be as bad to pray for them, as to preach to them; or else that
none shall be converted in the heathen world till the universal
down-pouring of the Spirit in the last days. But this objection comes
too late; for the success of the gospel has been very considerable in
many places already.
[Footnote 1: See Edwards on Prayer, on this subject, lately re-printed
by Mr. Sutcliffe.]
It has been objected that there are multitudes in our own nation, and
within our immediate spheres of action, who are as ignorant as the
South-Sea savages, and that therefore we have work enough at home,
without going into other countries. That there are thousands in our
own land as far from God as possible, I readily grant, and that this
ought to excite us to ten-fold diligence in our work, and in attempts
to spread divine knowledge amongst them is a certain fact; but that it
ought to supercede all attempts to spread the gospel in foreign parts
seems to want proof. Our own countrymen have the means of grace, and
may attend on the word preached if they chuse it. They have the means
of knowing the truth, and faithful ministers are placed in almost
every part of the land, whose spheres of action might be much extended
if their congregations were but more hearty and active in the cause:
but with them the case is widely different, who have no Bible, no
written language, (which many of them have not,) no ministers, no good
civil government, nor any of those advantages which we have. Pity
therefore, humanity, and much more Christianity, call loudly for every
possible exertion to introduce the gospel amongst them.
SECT. II.
_Containing a short Review of former Undertakings for
the Conversion of the Heathen._
Before the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ the whole world were either
heathens, or jews; and both, as to the body of them were enemies to
the gospel. After the resurrection the disciples continued in
Jerusalem till Pentecost. Being daily engaged in prayer and
supplication, and having chosen Matthias, to supply the place of Judas
in the apostolic office, on that solemn day, when they were all
assembled together, a most remarkable effusion of the Holy Spirit took
place, and a capacity of speaking in all foreign languages was
bestowed upon them. This opportunity was embraced by Peter for
preaching the gospel to a great congregation of jews and proselytes,
who were from Parthia, Media, Elam, Mesopotamia, Judea, Cappadocia,
the proconsular Asia, Phrygia, Pamphylia, Egypt, Lybia, Crete, Arabia,
Rome, &c. and at the first effort God wrought so powerfully that three
thousand were converted, who immediately after were baptized, and
added to the church. Before this great addition they consisted of but
about _an hundred and twenty persons_, but from that time they
continually increased. It was but a little after this that Peter and
John, going up to the temple, healed the lame man; this miracle drew a
great multitude together, and Peter took occasion while they stood
wondering at the event, to preach Jesus Christ to them. The
consequence was that five thousand more believed.
This was not done without opposition; the priests and sadducees tried
all the methods they could invent to prevent them from preaching the
gospel. The apostles, however, asserted their divine warrant, and as
soon as they were set at liberty addressed God, and prayed that a
divine power might attend their labours, which petition was heard, and
their future ministry was very successful. On account of their
necessities who were engaged in this good work, those amongst them who
had possessions, or goods, sold them, and devoted the money to pious
uses.
About this time a man and his wife out of great pretensions to piety,
sold an estate, and brought part of the money to the apostles,
pretending it to be the whole; for which dissimulation both he and his
wife, were struck dead by the hand of God. This awful catastrophe
however was the occasion of many more men and women being added to the
church. The miracles wrought by the apostles, and the success
attending their ministry, stirred up greater envy in the priests and
sadducees, who imprisoned them; from which confinement they were soon
liberated by an angel; upon which they went immediately as they were
commanded and preached in the temple: here they were seized, and
brought before the council, where Gamaliel spake in their favour, and
they were dismissed. After this they continued to prosecute their
work, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for the
name of Christ.
By this time the church at Jerusalem was so increased that the
multiplicity of its temporal concerns was the occasion of some
neglects, which produced a dissatisfaction. The apostles, therefore,
recommended to the church to chuse seven pious men, whose office it
should be to attend upon its temporal affairs; that _they might give
themselves to prayer, and the ministry of the word_. Seven were
accordingly chosen, over whom the apostles prayed, and ordained them
to the office of Deacons by imposition of hands: and these things
being settled the church increased more and more. One of these
Deacons, whose name was Stephen, being a person of eminent knowledge
and holiness, wrought many miracles, and disputed with great evidence
and energy for the truth of Christianity, which raised him up a number
of opponents. These soon procured his death, and carried their
resentment so far as to stir up such a persecution that the church,
which till now had been confined to Jerusalem, was dispersed, and all
the preachers except the apostles were driven thence, and went every
where preaching the word.
A young man whose name was _Saul_, was very active in this
persecution; he had been educated under Gamaliel, a member of the
Sanhedrim, was a person of promising genius, by profession a Pharisee,
and much attached to the jewish ceremonies. When Stephen was stoned he
appeared much pleased with it, and had the custody of the clothes of
his executioners; and from that time was fired with such a spirit of
persecution himself, that he went about dragging some to prison, and
compelling others to blaspheme the name of the Lord Jesus. Neither was
he contented with exercising his rage at Jerusalem, but went to the
chief priests and obtained testimonials of authority to carry on the
same work at Damascus. But on his way, as he was almost ready to enter
into the city, the Lord changed his heart in a very wonderful manner;
so that instead of entering the town to persecute, he began to preach
the gospel as soon as he was able. This presently brought upon him the
same persecution which he had designed to exercise upon others, and
even endangered his life, so that the brethren found it necessary to
let him down the city wall in a basket by night, and so he escaped the
hands of his enemies. From thence he went to Jerusalem where he
preached the word, but being persecuted there, he went to Cesarea, and
from thence to Tarsus.
In the time of this trouble in the church, Philip went and preached at
Samaria with great success, nay so great was the work that an
impostor, who had deceived the people with legerdemain tricks for a
long time was so amazed, and even convinced, as to profess himself a
Christian, and was baptized; but was afterwards detected, and appeared
to be an hypocrite. Besides him a great number believed in reality,
and being baptized a church was formed there. Soon after this the Lord
commanded Philip to go the way which led from Jerusalem to Gaza, which
he did, and there found an eunuch of great authority in the court of
Ethiopia, to whom he preached Christ, who believed, and was baptized;
after which Philip preached at Ashdod, or Azotus.
About the same time Peter went to Lydda, or Diospolis, and cured Eneas
of a palsy, which was a mean of the conversion not only of the
inhabitants of that town, but also of the neighbouring country, called
Saron, the capital of which was Lasharon; and while he was there, a
circumstance turned up which tended much to the spread of the truth. A
woman of Joppa, a sea-port town in the neighbourhood, dying, they sent
to Lydda for Peter, who went over, and when he had prayed she was
raised to life again; which was an occasion of the conversion of many
in that town. Peter continued there preaching for some time, and
lodged at the house of a tanner.
Now another circumstance also tended to the further propogation of
Christianity, for a Roman military officer who had some acquaintance
with the Old Testament Scriptures, but was not circumcised, was one
day engaged in prayer in his house at Cesarea, when an angel appeared
to him, and bid him send for Peter from Joppa to preach in his house.
Before this the work of God had been wholly confined to the jews, and
jewish proselytes, and even the apostles appeared to have had very
contracted ideas of the Christian dispensation; but now God by a
vision discovered to Peter that Christianity was to be spread into all
nations. He accordingly went and preached at the house of Cornelius,
at Cesarea, when several were converted, and baptized, and the
foundation of a church laid in that city.
Some of the dispersed ministers having fled to Antioch in Syria, began
to preach to the greeks in that city about the same time, and had good
success; upon which the apostles sent Paul and Barnabas, who
instructed and strengthened them, and a church was formed in that city
also, which in a little time sent out several eminent preachers.
In the Acts of the apostles we have an account of _four_ of the
principal journies which Paul, and his companions undertook. The
first, in which he was accompanied by Barnabas, is recorded in the
xiii. and xiv. chapters, and was the first _attack_ on the heathen
world. It was a journey into the lesser Asia. In their way they passed
over the island of Cyprus. No sooner had they entered on their
undertaking, than they met with great difficulty; for Mark, whom they
had taken as their minister, deserted them, and returned to Jerusalem,
where, it seems, he thought he should enjoy the greatest quiet. Paul
and Barnabas however went forward; in every city they preached the
word of the Lord, entering into the jewish synagogues and first
preaching Christ to them, and then to the gentiles. They were heard
with great candour and eagerness by some, and rejected by others with
obstinacy and wrath, and cruel persecution. One while they had enough
to do to restrain the people from worshipping them as gods, and soon
after, Paul was stoned, dragged out of the city, and left for dead.
Having penetrated as far as Derbe, they thought proper to return by
the way that they came, calling at every city where they had sown the
good seed, and finding in most, if not all these places, some who had
embraced the gospel, they exhorted and strengthened them in the faith,
formed them into a church state, and ordained them elders, fasted and
prayed with them; and so having commended them to the Lord on whom
they had believed, returned to Antioch in Syria, from whence they
first set out, and rehearsed to the church all that God had done with
them, and how he had opened the door of faith to the gentiles.
About this time a dispute arising in the churches concerning
circumcision, Paul and Barnabas were deputed to go up to Jerusalem, to
consult the apostles and elders on the subject. This business being
adjusted, they, accompanied with Judas and Silas, returned to Antioch
with the general resolution, and continued there for a season,
teaching and preaching the word of the Lord.
Paul now proposed to Barnabas, his fellow-labourer, that they might
visit their brethren in the places where they had been already, and
see how they did. To this Barnabas readily acceded, but a difference
arising between them about taking _John Mark_ with them, who had
deserted them before, these two eminent servants of God were parted
asunder, and never appear to have travelled together any more. They
continued however each to serve in the cause of Christ, though they
could not walk together. Barnabas took John, and sailed to Cyprus, his
native island, and Paul took Silas, and went through Syria and Cilicia
to Derbe and Lystra, cities where he and Barnabas had preached in
their first excursion.
Here they found Timothy, a promising young man, whom they encouraged
to engage in the ministry.
Paul being now at Lystra, which was the boundary of his first
excursion, and having visited the churches already planted, and
delivered to them the decrees of the apostles and elders relating to
circumcision, seems to have felt his heart enlarged, and assayed to
carry on the glorious work of preaching the gospel to the heathen to a
greater extent. With Silas and Timotheus he in his second journey[2]
took a western direction, passing through Phrygia, and the region of
Galatia. Having preached the word in these parts with considerable
success,[3] he and his companions wished to have gone into the
proconsular Asia, and afterwards assayed to go into Bythinia; but
begin forbidden of the Holy Ghost, who seems to have had a special
design of employing them elsewhere; passing by Mysia they came down to
Troas on the sea-coast. Here a vision appeared to Paul, in which he
was invited to go over to Macedonia. Obedient to the heavenly vision,
and greatly encouraged by it, they with all speed crossed the Egean
Sea, and passing through the island of Samothracia, landed at
Neapolis, and went from thence to Philippi, the chief city of that
part of Macedonia. It was here that Paul preached on a Sabbath day to
a few women by a river side, and Lydia, a woman of Thyatira, was
converted and baptized, and her household with her. It was here that a
poor girl, who brought her employers considerable profit by
foretelling events, followed the apostles, had her spirit of
divination ejected, on which account her masters were much irritated,
and raised a tumult, the effect of which was, that Paul and Silas were
imprisoned. But even this was over-ruled for the success of the
gospel, in that the keeper of the prison, and all his house, were
thereby brought to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and were
baptized.