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resources, a service was holden there, to set apart Mr. Carey and Mr. Thomas his colleague, as missionaries to the heathen world. Their passage was taken on board an East Indiaman; and they proceeded to Ryde, in the Isle of Wight, to await the summons for embarkation. The difficulties and disappointments which befell them, almost to the extinction of their hopes and those of the Society, with the singular manner in which they were surmounted, await the attention of the reader in the ensuing chapter. But we shall previously offer for his perusal a valuable fragment from the hand of Mr. Fuller, entitled 'an attempt at a memoir of brother Carey.' That the respected writer conducted it to no later a period than to a few months subsequent to his arrival in India, will be regarded with unfeigned regret.

'From his first religious concern, his mind was much employed in obtaining just and scriptural sentiments. He thought the notions of many who called themselves calvinists, but who in fact were hypercalvinists, were, in various important particulars, unscriptural, and unfriendly to all attempts for the conversion of sinners; and as to arminianism, he had no leaning that way, considering it as subversive of the doctrine of grace. He therefore endeavoured to form a system of his own, without any human help; and which for substance proved the same with that of the ministers with whom he afterwards associated. I have heard him say, that he did not recollect to have received his views of divine truth from writer or any preacher, but merely from reading his bible; but that,

when he found a number of brethren whose sentiments and feelings accorded with his own, it yielded him great satisfaction. The writings of president Edwards were afterwards of much use to him; and he drank in the leading principles of that great writer with approbation and delight.

While he was at Moulton, the congregation being few and poor, he followed his business, in order to assist in supporting his family. His mind, however, was much occupied in acquiring the learned languages, and almost every other branch of useful knowledge. I remember, on going into the room where he employed himself at his business, I saw hanging up against the wall a very large map, consisting of several sheets of paper pasted together by himself, on which he had drawn, with a pen, a place for every nation in the known world, and entered into it whatever he met with in reading, relative to its population, religion, &c. The substance of this was afterwards published in his 'inquiry.'

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These researches, on which his mind was naturally bent, hindered him, of course, from doing much at his business; and the people, as was said, being few and poor, he was at this time exposed to great hardships. I have been assured, that he and his family have lived for a great while together without tasting animal food, and with but a scanty pittance of other provision.

'I have been told that, about this time, some person made him a present of a folio volume in Dutch, and that, for the sake of reading it, he obtained a grammar,

and learned that language. This I know, that soon afterwards a Dutch pamphlet was put into his hand, and he actually translated it, and made a present of the translation to me, which I have still by me.

It was while he was at Moulton that he wrote the manuscript which was afterwards printed under the title of An Inquiry into the Obligations of Christians to use Means for the Conversion of the Heathen.' He would also be frequently conversing with his brethren in the ministry on the practicability and importance of a mission to the heathen, and of his willingness to engage in it. At several ministers' meetings, between the years 1787 and 1790, this was the topic of his conversation. Some of our most aged and respectable ministers thought, I believe, at that time, that it was a wild and impracticable scheme that he had got in his mind, and therefore gave him no encouragement. Yet he would not give it up; but would converse with us, one by one, till he had made some impression upon us.'

'His labours at Moulton, notwithstanding all his difficulties, were blessed to the increase of the church and congregation. Their place of worship was rebuilt, and he spared no pains in assisting his congregation to get through the expense of it. But, after all, it was not a situation suited to him, either for acquiring or imparting knowledge.

'The church at Leicester, about this time, was sunk into a melancholy state. Antinomianism, both in principle and practice, had gained the ascendancy, so that the upright part of the church were unable to make any effectual resistance. An association of mi

nisters and churches being held there in June, 1787, a solemn remonstrance was made by them against the corrupt state of that church. The consequence was, the best part of them took courage, and some of the principal offenders were separated. Both the deacons were excluded; and Blackwell, the pastor, resigned. They were now supplied by the pastors of other churches, till they might be provided with a pastor of their own. Amongst others, Mr. Carey sometimes went as a supply. His labours being acceptable, and it being understood that his usefulness, as well as his comfort, was much confined at Moulton, it became a matter of consideration whether he should be invited to remove. At length he was invited. After carefully weighing matters on both sides, he wrote down on a sheet of paper his own thoughts and feelings, both for and against it, and gave it to some of his brethren in the ministry for advice. In this paper, I well remember, there was much of the upright, disinterested man of God. The result was, however, that in 1788, he removed to Leicester.

'Soon after his arrival, he paid his respects to the Rev. Mr. Robinson, with whom, to the last, he maintained a good understanding. It has been said, though I do not recollect to have heard Mr. Carey mention it, that Mr. R., in that conversation, asked him if he approved of dissenting ministers getting hearers from those churches where the gospel was preached, or, as he pleasantly called it, sheep-stealing? To this, Mr. C. answered, Mr. R., I am a dissenter, and you are a churchman; we must each endeavour

to do good according to our light. At the same time you may be assured, that I had rather be the instrument of converting a scavenger that sweeps the streets, than of merely proselyting the richest and best characters in your congregation.'

'On looking into the state of the church, he soon found that antinomianism had taken deep root in it, and that many who stood as members were unworthy of a place in the house of God. After some attempts at purgation, which he found difficult if not impossible to accomplish, he, with the advice of the best members, proposed their dissolving their church relationship, and beginning anew. This proposal was acceded to. They did not, however, refuse any one who had been a member before; but merely required the signature of a declaration that they were willing and determined to keep up in future a strict and faithful discipline, according to the New Testament, let it affect whom it might. This requisition answered the end. A considerable number of loose characters kept back, who of course were, after a time, declared by the church to be no longer members. Thus the church was in a manner renovated. Days of fasting and prayer were set apart, in which there was much of a spirit of importunity and brotherly love; and regular prayer-meetings were constantly and well attended.

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The party who refused to renew covenant, however, became Mr. Carey's deadly enemies. They reproached him as a man who did not preach the gospel; and when he was ordained pastor, one of them, more bold than the rest, threatened, when the

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