Memoir of William Carey, D, D Late Missionary to Bengal,

Professor of Oriental Languages in the College of Fort William,

Calcultta by Eustace Carey. Hartford: Canfield and Robins, 1837.
(PDF, digitized by Google). Pages 1 455 of 634 summarized by
Joe Drisdale.

Following Eustace Careys introduction, the memoir begins

with his uncles brief account of his background and upbringing.

He came from a line of school masters, and was raised on a

steady diet of Scripture study and weekly worship (probably

typical in that day of the Church of England tradition). He

loved reading in the sciences, history, and about voyages. But

his reading did include religious material. He also loved

gardening, which he learned from his uncle, Peter. His early

contempt for dissenters begins to change after tormenting over

his theft of a shilling. Later, on a day of prayer and fasting,

he attended a worship service and sermon that included on

Hebrews 13:13. The passage stuck, convincing him to embrace the

evangelical faith, which led to adult baptism and alignment with

Particular Baptists. He also confesses his lifelong awareness of

sins that have always attended me.

The memorial note penned by Careys sister (Mary) points

out that William had a scorbutic disorder, and that the family

recognized his mental aptitude, inquisitiveness, and strong

determination by the time he was six years old. She further

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recognized in their correspondence through the years how her

brother was enabled to faith on a faithful God.

From the time he began probationary preaching, he was

preoccupied with the Christian responsibilities both to believe

and to publish the gospel throughout the world. The formation of

a society for this purpose was slow in coming together, but

after Carey delivered his sermon of 1792 in Nottingham, the

reluctant committee members acquiesced. This led to establishing

the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel amongst the

Heathen.

The missions initial plans for departure were thwarted

because of unsettled financial obligations created by his

traveling companion and fellow missionary, Mr. Thomas. The delay

gave them one final attempt the talk Mrs. Carey into joining

them, which she did. They finally were able to secure passage on

reasonable terms, and with the good favor extended by the

captain under relatively comfortable conditions. But the

voyage was slowed by occasional bad weather and violent winds,

which Carey interpreted as a lesson in bearing up and working

against the tide in Christian service. This insightful statement

was proven repeatedly throughout this memoir.

After their arrival, Carey had his first encounter with

demonic spirits (possession by Bhoot), and reasoned that because

this reality was exposed in Scripture, Christians should be more

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attentive to the devils schemes. He also learned of more of the

schemes of his fellow traveler. Thomas separated from the

Careys, with the hope of setting up a profitable medical

practice, and quickly went through their funds. Then, when

William came across a deal to get forty acres, along with free

rent for the first three years, he learned that Thomas had used

all their money on his medical start-up.

Carey was not deterred, though. He continued his

translation work and preaching including to mahomedans

while traveling over the next months with Ram Ram Boshoo (who

became a trusted friend). And, although he lacked the necessary

supplies and food, he seemed to come into timely refreshment

when things looked bleak. His family was graciously allowed to

live in Deharta, for instance, as a guest of the superintendent

of the local salt works plant when they had completely exhausted

their provisions. Shortly thereafter, he was extended an offer

for regular employment by Mr. Udney in his indigo business.

Eustace notes at this juncture of the biography that the

Carey family began to live more comfortably, although the salary

was meager and William earmarked more than one fourth of the

income to missionary expenses. In fact, for his entire life he

set aside all but the bare necessities for this purposegiving

him the privilege of dying poor.

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 The letters and journal entries following Eustaces insert

cover a variety of topics and activities: Carey comes across the

bones of a child hanging in a basket (no explanation); his wife

and eldest son have had dysentery for almost a year; he remains

optimistic about planting his first church; makes good progress

in his translation work; buries his five year old son who died

of dysentery; he becomes very weak and sick; learns that Udney

plans to relocate him; consistently preaches, develops a plan

with Thomas for two colleges; spends time with God daily; has

divine worship every Sunday; journals his Q and A style of

apologetic dialogue with various people (revealing his depth of

understanding the area customs and religions).

Eustace comments that one of the greatest challenges for

missionaries is the communication expertise to break inside the

listeners worldview, which has been corrupted by various forms

of idolatry and lies. This statement points to the slow

missionary progress in India at this juncture: no real

conversions among the indigenous population, and Ram Ram fell

away.

Carey often journals his own carnal tendencies and his

unceasing need for God. He plows ahead, though, outlining in a

letter to Mr. Fuller (the society) what supplies will be needed

to go forward with printing the Bible. He and to a lesser

degree Thomas continue to make progress on the translations.

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Careys correspondence with the Baptist Society notes this, as

well as his progress in preaching the gospel, the addition of

students, and resettlement at Kidderpore (to include additional

housing missionaries and printing facilities), as necessitated

by the loss of Udneys indigo factories.

Eustace inserts a comment on the efforts of area governors

to deny missionaries permission to preach the gospel,

threatening arrest and expulsion from the country. Instead they

would promote idolatry and then tax the rituals. Furthermore,

the new missionaries were prevented from uniting with their

members. Subsequently, the focus is on reestablishing the

missionary base in Serampore (which is a Danish settlement).

Carey and Ward estimate their expenses, which will be offset by

a planned school there and sales from some of the Bibles (they

have their paper and press, and the Bible translations are

nearly finished).

A house with room for all the families and a chapel is

purchased. Also noteworthy is the fact that Careys concern to

free the missionary effort from any financial encumbrances is

more pronounced in his writings. By this time several of the

missionaries have died, and he wanted to ensure that the effort

would remain viable in the future. His journal reflects a high

degree of optimism to that effect, and does his letter to Dr.

Ryland at this time. He notes his Bengali professorship offer

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from the provost of a newly formed college in nearby Fort

William. The missionaries have finally started going out to

preach on their own legs. And, for the first time, he records

an advancement in the missionary projects primary aim. Several

of the Hindus who had attended his recent church meeting gave

open testimony of their recognized personal sinfulness and the

need and desire for salvation in Christ, and they also have

begun to share (including printed material in the native

language) with friends and family members. Five of them are

baptized shortly thereafter. Carey further notes the many

conversions in India of Europeans (military officers, judges,

collectors, etc.); that the church is up to sixteen members; his

oldest son, Felix, has now been baptized and another son had (he

thought) converted to God. Finally, he expresses his undaunted

hope of making progress among local populations.