tenth of the income of the Society for general purposes) stating that from the inadequacy of their resources, they had placed upon the funds of the Society four of the stations which had hitherto been supported by Serampore. This letter was read after the "confidential statement," and was totally disapproved by Dr. Marshman, who added, that “his statement was to be considered the proposal of the Serampore Missionaries, as the letters which he had forwarded to his colleagues, [Dr. Carey and Mr. J. Marshman] would alter their minds on the subject."

It was at length proposed, by a member from the country, and who was not of the Central Committee, that "the Society should take upon itself to provide for the whole of the stations connected with Serampore, by which the friends there would be relieved, and their union with the Society at home perpetuated." This proposal, so far as appeared, met with general and hearty concurrence,* and the two following resolutions were adopted, nemine contradicente:

"1. That the Committee, actuated by the desire they have always felt to aid the Missionary efforts of their Serampore brethren to the utmost of their power, and which led them to make a proposal to the same effect in September 1823, agree to take upon themselves the stations specified, together with the remaining three, in respect of which expence is incurred by their Serampore brethren, viz. Jessore, Dacca, and the Arracan country, trusting that by this arrangement all cause of future differences will be removed; and that the liberality and exertions of the friends of the Society will furnish them with the means of fulfilling these additional and important engagements.

66 II. That for the management of the Out-stations, now to be connected with the Society, the whole of our Missionary brethren in Calcutta, Serampore, and other Stations in Bengal, be requested to act as a Corresponding Committee; and that it would highly gratify this Committee for Dr. Carey to act as President of such Corresponding Committee."

On meeting again the next morning, all hopes of an adjustment of differences were again destroyed, by Dr.

*The following persons were present:-Rev. Messrs. Anderson, Angas, Birt, Blundell, Chin, Coles, Copley, Cox, Dyer, Edmonds, Giles, Gray, Griffin, Groser, Hinton, Hoby, Hughes, Ivimey, Kinghorn, Mileham, Newman, Page, Pritchard, Roberts, Saffery, Smith, Upton, Waters, Wilkinson; Messrs. Blight, Bosworth, Beddome, Foster, Gurney, Gutteridge, Hanson, Lomax, Marshall, Shaw, and Wilson. Several others were invited who could not make it convenient to come, including Steadman, Kershaw, and Winterbotham.

Marshman refusing to accede to them, as he said, "to consent to such an arrangement would be totally and entirely destructive of the cause of God in India,"" &c. &c. His two reasons were," first, that the distance between Serampore and Calcutta was such as not to allow of a Committee to meet so often as the case would require; and secondly, that the ideas entertained by the Missionaries at these two stations, on the subjects which would come under discussion, differed so widely, as to render their combination most undesirable." This explanation having been given, the chairman requested each member of the Committee present to state his opinion, seriatim, after which, it was

"Resolved, nemine contradicente, that the Committee have received, with unfeigned regret, the communication from Dr. Marshman (which he will make in writing) of his declining their propositions: and beg to assure him that no other motive than an anxious desire to perpetuate union between the Serampore brethren and themselves dictated those resolutions."

"As it appeared to the Committee, that Dr. Marshman's principal objection to the resolutions arose from the proposal to associate the Calcutta Missionaries with those at Serampore in the management, it was suggested, on the part of the Committee, that the direction might be left in the hands of Drs. Carey and Marshman, during their lives, it being left to the Society to nominate their successors: and such was the anxiety to prevent a separation, that at the close of the day it was unanimously resolved to appoint a Sub-committee of seven, with the chairman and secretary, to confer with Dr. Marshman the next morning, with a view to devise some plan, if possible, which may preserve perfect union and co-operation between the Serampore friends and the Committee."

The Sub-Committee consisted of Mr. Gutteridge (the chairman); the Rev. Dr. Cox, of Hackney; the Rev. Messrs. Anderson of Edinburgh; Edmonds, of Cambridge; Hinton, of Reading; Hoby, of Weymouth; Roberts, of Bristol; Mr. Hanson, and the Secretary.

They met Dr. Marshman according to appointment, and presented the result of their conference to the Committee in the following report.

“Dr. Marshman having stated that he found it impossible to accede to the transfer of the stations, as proposed in the first reso

lution of the Committee, and that his confidential instructions from Serampore prevented it, the Sub-Committee felt that they had nothing left them further to do, than to report this fact to the Committee."

The following extract from a private Circular, dated March 22, will shew the feelings of the Committee on this occasion:

"The Committee having received this report, felt that the union between the Society and the Serampore brethren had been, by the latter, definitely dissolved; Dr. Marshman having declared that the instructions of his brethren, with which his own judgment entirely concurred, constrained him to pursue an independent course.

"The fact, therefore, is precisely this-Deeply sensible of their own responsibility for the proper disposal of public contributions, the Committee could not feel themselves justified in appropriating their funds to the maintenance of Stations beyond their control, and wholly under the superintendence of a College, the Council of which is wholly an irresponsible body, and which is in part only a Missionary establishment; especially as any grant of money would not preclude a further application, from our brethren, in their separate capacity as a distinct and independent body, to that very public who had previously contributed."

A few members were, therefore, deputed to draw up for public information a statement of the fact: which, after various modifications, was agreed to by the Committee, as inserted in the Missionary Herald for April.

This was as follows:

"Fen Court, March 23, 1827.

"Several years ago it was officially announced, that as the Missionaries at Serampore had been enabled so far to exceed the expectations of their first supporters, as largely to promote the propagation of the gospel, by funds which they had themselves originated, a material change had resulted in relation to the Society from whence they sprang; in consequence of which, the brethren of that station acted independently in the management of their concerns.

"Subsequent experience has shewn, that the continued operation of the cause alluded to in the preceding statement, has occasioned considerable embarrassment in the practical arrangements of the Society and their brethren at Serampore. The means of obviating this difficulty have been seriously considered

in a special meeting of the Committee, assembled to confer with Dr. Marshman on the subject, which has terminated in the full conviction that, under present circumstances, it is most expedient that the Society at home, and the Missionaries at Serampore, should be publicly understood to constitute two distinct and independent Missionary bodies.

"Under these circumstances, they wish their mutual friends to understand, that they feel united, of course, respecting the general advancement of the Redeemer's kingdom, and only desire that their respective efforts may be so conducted, as that the blessing of God may rest upon them.

Signed

"On behalf of the Baptist Mis- "On behalf of the Serampore sionary Society,

JOHN DYER."

brethren, JOSHUA MARSHMAN."

You will, I doubt not, recollect that the meeting of the former day, was opened by your engaging in prayer, that the Spirit of wisdom might direct our deliberations. Nor ought you to have forgotten that you approved of the expression in the resolution, that "the Committee had received with unfeigned regret the communication from Dr. Marshman of his declining their propositions." Where then is your consistency? You now declare that "all that has occurred," since 1815, respecting the Serampore Missionaries, "has, in fact, only tended to increase your esteem and affection;" and yet what occurred on March 16, 1827, you acknowledged had caused you "unfeigned regret!"

LETTER VII.

Containing a Summary of the principal Subjects in dispute.

MY DEAR BRother,

I purpose in the next three letters, to give the reader a Synopsis, by bringing all the parts of the controversy under one view. These relate to the connexion in which the Missionaries originally stood to the Society; to the right of the Society to the Missionary property at Serampore; to the independence claimed by the Missionaries, and the sense in which it was conceded by the Committee; and, finally, to their withdrawment from the Society.

1. As to the connexion in which the Missionaries originally stood to the Society.

I have already discussed this subject in my second letter, chiefly in regard to the repeated assertions of Dr. Marshman, that Dr. Carey was never, properly speaking, in connexion with the Society as such; but rather with Mr. Fuller as a brother who engaged with him in his purpose of attempting to evangelize the heathen. For this purpose he has introduced part of a conversation of Mr. Fuller given by Dr. Ryland, in relation to the origin of the Mission: I will copy the whole. "While on a journey with a confidential friend, he once remarked, Friends talk to me about coadjutors and assistants, but I know not how it is, I find a difficulty. Our undertaking to India really appeared to me, on its commencement, to be somewhat like a few men, who were deliberating about the importance of penetrating into a deep mine, which had never before been explored. We had no one to guide us, and while we were thus deliberating, Carey, as it were said, Well, I will go down if you will hold the rope!' But before he went down, (continued Mr. Fuller) he, as it seemed to me, took an oath from each of us, at the mouth of the pit, to this effect, that while we lived, we should never let go the rope."