We purpose, from time to time, to lay before the
readers of Good Words a series of Missionary Sketches of a somewhat
varied and miscellaneous character. They will consist of notices of the
lives and labours of missionaries, descriptions of missionary scenes, and
narratives of important events in the history of the propagation of the
gospel. We do not intend to restrict ourselves to chronological, or
geographical, or any other order; but shall claim the privilege of
wandering at our "sweet will" over the fair garden that is spread before
us, now gazing upon some "plant of renown," and now attracted by the
fragrance of some shade-loving violet, whose name and fame are not in all
the churches, but which fills up what were else a blank in the garland of
the King.
We begin with a sketch of the labours of Zie-genbalg
and Plutschou, the first Protestant Missionaries to India.
In the year 1621, the King of Denmark bought from the
Rajah of Tanjore, the city of Tranquebar, with a territory about the size
of a moderate Scottish parish, extending five miles along the sea-coast,
and three miles broad. It was, however, densely peopled, containing
fifteen towns besides the capital. The countrymen of Hamlet seem to have
comported themselves in a very creditable manner, so far as commercial
probity was concerned, and to have gained the respect and the confidence
of the natives, to their no small pecuniary profit. Sad it is, however, to
say, that the small body of Danish officials and traders, living amongst
the heathen, and shut out from the influence of a wholesome public
opinion, did not escape the usual effects of such a mode of life. They
seem to have had a church, and probably they had also, at least sometimes,
a chaplain; but the spirit of evil triumphed over the spirit of good.
Early in the eighteenth century, Dr Lutkens, a good
chaplain of the Danish king, had it put into his heart that his Most
Christian Majesty ought to take steps towards the conversion of his
heathen subjects to the faith of the gospel. He made a proposal to that
effect to his royal master, Frederick IV., and received a commission to
carry into effect the pious design. Under a deep sense of the importance
of the trust assigned to him, Dr Lutkens sketched to himself a standard of
qualifications which he could not find realised in Denmark. He therefore
made application to Dr Franke, of Halle, to select two men with suitable
qualifications for the great and momentous undertaking. Probably most of
our readers are acquainted with the name of this fine old worthy, as
founder of the Orphan House of Halle. He is not less worthy of remembrance
on account of the influence that he long exercised for good over the
numerous students that resorted to his teaching in the Halle university.
The good Professor had at that time in his class two students whom he
considered specially suitable to the object in view. Bartholomew
Ziegenbalg and Henry Plutschou were called by Franke to undertake the
enterprise, and with humility, yet without shrinking, they obeyed the
call.
On the 29th of November 1705, they embarked for India,
and arrived at Tranquebar on the 9th of July 1706, after a voyage of more
than seven months—not more than an average passage in those days, though
somewhat different from the trips of these times, when passengers deem
themselves martyrs, and invoke the thunders of the Times, if those
"horrid old tubs" of the Peninsular and Oriental Company should fail of
landing them at Madras on the twenty-eighth day after leaving England, and
encroach by a few hours on the twenty-ninth ! We like the attitude of the
young missionaries on the voyage,—"The more the stormy and roaring seas
broke in upon us, the more were the joy and praise of God increased in our
mouths, seeing we had so mighty a Lord for our Father, whom we daily
approach, and, as confiding children, put up our prayers to Him." This is
the stuff that missionaries should be made of,—a compound of humble faith
and manly fortitude. In entire keeping was the spirit with which they
afterwards encountered waves and billows more tempestuous than those of
the ocean in its stormiest mood.
On their first arrival at the appointed scene of their
labours, they seem to have been received by the Danish residents with
good-natured indifference. They were assured that the work they had
undertaken was the height of visionary enthusiasm, and that they never
could by possibility have any success. "But they rightly judged, that as
these persons never had made the attempt, they could not be competent to
denounce it with so much confidence." Bight Baconian were the minds, and
right Pauline were the hearts of these young evangelists! The first object
of our missionaries was to put themselves in a position from which they
could hold intercourse with the natives; and for this end they at once set
themselves to inquiries about the characteristics of the native language.
The results of their inquiries upon this subject, we confess that we can
scarcely comprehend from Mr Hough's [The History of Christianity in India.
By the Rev. James Hough, M.A., F.C.P.S. An excellent book, to which we are
indebted for a great portion of the facts in this sketch.] relation of
them. He tells us, that "the Tamul (which they call the Malabar language)
they correctly described as a very regular language, and such as may be
reduced to an exact standard, or rules of grammar. The High Tamul, in
which the Hindu Vedas and Poems are written, is a language of great
beauty; but the Colloquial Tamul is of much more importance, from the
extent to which it prevails. It is supposed to be spoken within the
compass of near three thousand two hundred English miles, and is
understood in almost every part of India; but it is used chiefly in the
Southern Carnatic, where it is spoken in its greatest purity, from a few
miles north of Madras down to Cape Comorin, and from the eastern coast to
the foot of the Ghauts, westward. They could hardly, therefore, attach too
much importance to its acquisition." Surely there is great confusion here.
If the High Tanrnl were really the language in which the Hindu Vedas, and
the great Poems, the "Bamayan" and the "Mahabharat," were written, it must
be the Sanskrit, which may be called High Tamul very much as Great Britain
might be called an island off the coast of Bute. But if it means merely
the more correct form of Tamul, the language of books as distinguished
from the common language of conversation, then it is not true that the
Vedas and Poems were written in it, or the former at least ever even
translated into it. As to the Colloquial Tamul, we cannot
understand how Mr Hough could assert that it is understood in almost every
part of India. We venture to say, that over four-fifths of that immense
land, a man speaking only Tamul would have as much difficulty in making
himself understood as a Scottish Highlander, knowing only the Gaelic,
would have in travelling over Europe.
But let this be as it may, the Tamul was the vernacular
language of Tranquebar, and this language they resolved to acquire. They
found, however, that a large number of the natives had a smattering of
Portuguese, and as this language was easily acquired by men with a good
knowledge of Latin, they argued that by means of it they might be able
much sooner to gain access to a portion of the people; and accordingly
they resolved that one of them should set himself vigorously to the study
of Tamul, while the other should learn Portuguese for immediate use. A
wise resolution, indicating men whose object in studying language was not
dilettantism, but utility. It was determined by lot that Plutschou
should undertake the study of Tamul, and Ziegenbalg that of Portuguese.
The latter had an easy task; the former, one of immense difficulty. He
engaged a native teacher to instruct him in the rudiments of the language;
but as Mr Primrose discovered that an Englishman could not well teach the
Dutch English, unless he himself possessed some knowledge of Dutch, so
Plutschou soon found that his teacher was of little use to him, as teacher
and pupil had no common language. He seems then to have argued somewhat
thus : that he must learn Tamul very much as every infant learns its own
language, by imitation. He and his colleague, therefore, became pupils in
the village school of their teacher, sat upon the ground with the native
children, traced the characters with their fingers in the sand, and in
this way laid the foundation of a more idiomatic knowledge of the language
than is to be reached by the "royal road" of grammars, and dictionaries,
and pundits. It were a fine subject for the artist's pencil to depict
these grave, earnest, grand men thus becoming as little children, not
indeed that they might enter the kingdom of heaven themselves, but that
haply they might be honoured to lead into it some of their fellow-men.
Their self-denying zeal met with its fitting reward. At the end of eight
months Ziegenbalg was able to speak intelligibly to the natives, and in
due time his knowledge of the language, both in its spoken and written
forms, was a subject of wonder to all who came into contact with him.
Plutschou made less rapid, but not less effective progress. However, they
seem at this time to have exchanged their parts, as previously assigned
them by lot. At all events, Ziegenbalg appears henceforth to have confined
himself to Tamul. Thus the missionaries were fairly at work. The love to
God and to man with which their hearts had long been ready to overflow,
now found a channel through which it could pour itself out on every side.
But now their difficulties commenced. The Brahmins saw that they were in
earnest, and began to be in earnest too. Their first step was to deprive
them of the aid of their pundit, from whom they were receiving valuable
instructions respecting the language and literature of the country. By
false assertions, that ever-ready weapon in the hand of Hindus, they
procured his banishment from Tranquebar. Having thus got him from under
the protection of the Danish flag, they accused him to the Rajah of
Tanjore of having disclosed the sacred mysteries of the Hindu religion to
the missionaries. He was loaded with irons, and thrown into prison, where
he remained for some months. Shortly after his liberation he died, in one
sense a martyr in the cause of Christianity, although to the last not a
Christian.
The history of the mission at this time may be stated
in the words which form a compend of the history of the faithful Church
all through:—"A wide door, and effectual, was opened to them, but there
were many adversaries." The gospel was in evil repute among the heathen,
by reason of the ungodly lives of many of its professors. Perhaps
Christianity is the only system of religion that has inconsistent
professors; because it alone has respect to the heart and the affections.
Hinduism, at all events, requires nothing of the heart. Its whole demands
may be complied with by a man without any influence being produced upon
his moral character. A man may be a most exemplary Hindu, and a most
consummate scoundrel. This being the case, it is not worth any man's while
to throw off the profession of Hinduism, which does not interfere with his
living as he lists. Generally speaking, therefore, every man born in
Hinduism is a Hindu, and of course the idea is very natural that in like
manner every man born in Christendom is a Christian; and we have often
heard missionaries say that it is a great point gained when the idea is
apprehended by a native of India that there is a difference between
nominal and real Christians. It is only when they have apprehended this
idea that they can understand that the tendency of the system is towards
holiness, and that its sure effect is holiness in the case of all those
who are really under its influence. "I had hitherto supposed," said a
native to Ziegenbalg, "that the ministers of the Christians exhorted them
to drunkenness and debauchery, for they go direct from church to places
for drunkenness and sensual indulgence." It was probably on account of the
great scandal that was thus brought upon the Christian name, that the
missionaries consented to form a German congregation and to minister to
their countrymen, who, not understanding the Danish language, were unable
to profit by the services of the Danish church. Such ministrations as
these have very frequently been forced upon missionaries, and need not be
a distraction to them, or lead to a diminution of their labours among
those to whom they are specially sent, but may rather be made a healthful
relaxation, and a means of keeping up in their hearts those home feelings
and home sympathies, which are amongst the best counteractives of the
evils of constant intercourse with heathens, and incessant contemplation
of heathenism.
In the early period of the mission, a considerable
portion of their attention seems to have been devoted to the slaves of the
Europeans; and amongst them they had a considerable amount of success. At
their request, the governor ordered all the Protestant inhabitants of
Tranquebar to send their slaves, for two hours every day, to be instructed
in sound principles of religion, with a view to their being admitted, when
ready for baptism, into the Church of Christ. There may be some amongst us
now-a-days that will stigmatise this order as savouring strongly of "Erastianism;"
and we care not to dispute with them. To us it seems that the evil was in
permitting them to have slaves, not in requiring them to have their
slaves instructed. Nor was there any violence done to the consciences of
the slaves. They had been all bought in their childhood, and brought up in
their masters' houses. They had, therefore, no religion, nor any religious
prejudices against the instructions that they were compelled to receive.
Within ten months of their arrival in the country, the missionaries
baptized five adult slaves of this class; and there is every reason to
believe that the ordinance was not administered merely as a matter of
course, after a certain amount of knowledge was attained by the
catechumens, but that they were received into the Church on sound
scriptural grounds.
As soon as the missionaries were familiar with the
languages, they devoted a large portion of their time to educational work.
They had two schools, a Portuguese and a Tamul; and in these they seem to
have spent ordinarily a portion of each day. And then they were
continually preaching; not perhaps always with the external formalities
that are technically connected with that term, but reasoning and
exhorting, in the house and by the wayside; with twos or threes or with
hundreds; preaching the word, instant in season, out of season. More
formal services they had on Sundays and Fridays, the Sunday services being
in Portuguese in the morning, and in Tamul in the evening; and on Fridays,
vice versa. A series of doctrinal lectures by Ziegenbalg, on the
principles of the Christian faith, were afterwards published in the Tamul
language, and are still read with interest and profit by missionaries, and
recommended by them to the notice of the people. On the 5th of September
1707, they had the happiness of baptizing nine adult converts from
Hinduism, and several more on the 15th. But these last were probably
slaves.
In these varied labours, ministering to the young and
the old, the bond and the free, the fair European and the swarthy native,
the rich and the poor, the learned and the ignorant, these devoted men
spent, and were spent, becoming all things to all men, if by any means
they might save some. And some they did save, through God's grace blessing
their labours.
Perhaps the department of labour to which Ziegenbalg
devoted the greatest portion of time and study, and with the least
apparent return, was discussion with the pundits or learned natives. And
yet we doubt not that these produced beneficial results indirectly, by
exalting the respectability of the mission and the missionaries, and so
attracting the attention of many who would otherwise have turned away from
them. Some of these discussions lasted four or five hours, and were
conducted with great propriety on either side. Ziegenbalg, with all his
zeal, was essentially a gentleman, and there is something gentlemanly in
the Indian pundit when he has to deal with a man of learning.
Towards the end of 1708, Ziegenbalg entered upon a new
and most important work, the translation of the Bible into the Tamul
language. This is the grand turning-point of every Protestant mission, or
we should rather say, of Protestant missions in every country. It may seem
strange that a man should have set about the translating of the Scriptures
into a language of which he knew not a word but twenty-seven months
before. But Ziegenbalg was an extraordinary man. In that short period he
had made extraordinary progress in the language. Simultaneously with this
work he carried on another, the composition of a Tamul dictionary; or
rather two; for although Mr Hough does not mention it, he composed not
only the ordinary dictionary, but also one of all the poetical words and
phrases in the language, a work of great value to those who have occasion
to compose works suited to the pundits and the literati of the country.
"These numerous works," says Mr Hough, "which required that their minds
should be free from extraneous care, were actually conducted under
sufferings from want and oppression. The monthly expenditure upon their
schools was now increased to between forty and fifty dollars— a large sum
to pay out of their own scanty stipends; and while struggling with
pecuniary difficulties, their enemies, whose rage against them was
fomented instead of appeased by their meekness and perseverance, proceeded
so far as to procure the incarceration of Ziegenbalg for four months, on
some frivolous charge, which proved unfounded." For this last enormity the
Danish authorities must be held responsible. It is vain to say that they
could only act upon the information laid before them, and were bound to
treat a charge brought against Ziegenbalg by his enemies as they would
have treated a charge that might have been brought by Ziegenbalg against
the most reprobate of his enemies. If this be law, the worse for law!
Without doubt, it is at all events the very opposite of justice. Of
course, the authorities were bound to inquire into the charge; but they
ought to have accepted such bail as Ziegenbalg could offer. His word of
honour would have been quite sufficient to secure his attendance when
called upon. It would appear that his detention was not a mere gentle
restraint, but an actual imprisonment of the most rigid kind ; for we
learn incidentally that his translation was suspended, which would not
have been the case, we may be sure, if he had been allowed access to his
books and papers. Meantime, the Word of God was not bound. The steady,
persevering labours of the missionaries were beginning to tell, not only
in Tranquebar, but in the neighbouring country, and when additional
labourers (Messrs Grundler, Boeving, and Jordan) arrived in the middle of
1709, they found the field white unto the harvest. These new missionaries
brought out with them a very seasonable supply of money, a number of
valuable books for the mission library, and a complete medicine-chest. At
the same time arrived imperative orders from the King of Denmark to the
governor of Tranquebar to render the missionaries whatever aid or
protection they might require. And thus, with gradually improving
prospects, yet in the midst of immense difficulties, perils from their own
countrymen, and perils from the heathen, these apostolic men carried on
their good work; in their greatest perils and their deepest poverty,
staying themselves upon their God and Saviour, and experiencing the
faithfulness of His most gracious promise, "Lo, I am with you always."
It seems to have been Prince George of Denmark, husband
of our Queen Anne, and his chaplain, Dr Boehm, that brought the Tranquebar
mission under the notice of the English, and procured for it the valuable
assistance of the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign
Parts. In 1709, this society voted a grant of £20 and a case of books to
the Tranquebar mission, and larger sums in subsequent years. They
afterwards sent a printing-press, which reached just in time to enable the
missionaries to proceed with the printing of the New Testament. It gives
us a striking view of the state of feeling, and the state of communication
in India, a century and a half ago, that when the first remittance of
money and books arrived in Madras, the missionaries sent two natives to
receive them. But the British authorities, to whom, as having come in a
Company's ship, they were consigned, did not deem it expedient to intrust
them to natives, and Ziegenbalg was obliged to go for them himself!
Comparing the state of things indicated by this fact with the present
state of matters in India, we come to a conclusion directly opposite to
the prevalent idea, that everything has been stationary in that country.
For ourselves, we believe that there is no country in the world in which
so much progress has been made as in India during the last century.
Before the missionaries received aid from England, they
had resolved that one of them must go to Europe, to represent to the King
of Denmark the persecutions to which they were subjected at the hands of
his subordinates, and to obtain increased pecuniary support. Both these
objects were happily anticipated, as has just been told; and the
missionaries were thus enabled to labour in concert till the autumn of
1711, when declining health constrained Plutschou to return to Europe. It
need not be said that his colleague had from the first occupied a far more
prominent position than he; but we must not thence conclude that
Plut-schou's labours were either few or unimportant. In every great
enterprise there must be variety of gifts and variety of powers, hand and
foot, as well as eye and brain. Melancthon could not have taken the place
of Luther, yet Martin would not have been much more than half of what he
was had he wanted his Philip. In the days of chivalry each knight must
have his squire. The little urchin who blew the bellows of the organ
enunciated a grand principle in political economy when he said, '' I think
we did pretty well in that piece." Albeit, therefore, Plutschou's
name occurs but rarely in the history of the mission, yet we doubt not
that he too filled an important place, and has a fair record on high.
Plutschou was accompanied to Europe by a native youth,
who was sent to Halle for the completion of his education. Our readers who
remember the interest that was produced a few years ago by the arrival of
Rajahgopaul in Scotland, will be able to understand the effect of the
visit of a Christian native of India nearly a century and a half earlier.
It was not long ere Ziegenbalg was compelled to follow
his colleague to Europe. He was originally of a delicate constitution, and
he could not learn to spare himself, or to take any care of himself. He
therefore, when left alone, soon fell ill, and left the field of his
labours in October 1714, taking with him another convert, with whose aid
he carried on during his voyage the translation of the Old Testament, and
the composition of the Tamul dictionary. His reception in Denmark and in
England was most cordial. The Kings of Denmark and of England, his old
preceptor Professor Franke of Halle, and Archbishop Wake of Canterbury,
vied with each other in attempts to render his visit pleasant to himself,
and profitable to the interests of the mission. But he could not stay
here. His health was recruited. He had taken the best human security for
its continuance by marrying a pious and intelligent wife. The interests of
the mission had been advocated in the proper quarters, and on the 4th of
March 1716, he and his bride embarked for the far East. Great was the joy
of all when he returned to Tranquebar, and told of all the way in which
the Lord had led him, and especially of the promises of aid he had
received in "generous England."
And now the mission had well-nigh attained that state
of felicity which is said to appertain to the country whose annals are
blank. There was as much hard work as ever, and of more varied kinds, but
the strain and the jar were less. The opposition had abated, both from the
favourable influence of the King of Denmark, and from the increased and
constantly increasing respectability of the Christian community, who were
now able to shield each other from the persecutions of their heathen
countrymen. In fact, the mission was now one of the established
institutions of the country, and was recognised as such by friends and
foes. There was no department of missionary work that was not now in
vigorous operation at Tranquebar. Preaching of the gospel to all who would
hear it in the Danish territory; itinerating in the surrounding districts,
though this was carried on at great risk, on account of the opposition of
the heathen Rajah; schools for the young ; printing of books and tracts,
and especially of the translated Word of God, and in order thereto
paper-making, and apparently type-founding; all these entered into the
daily occupations of Ziegenbalg and his colleagues.
But the chariot of fire was at the gate, which was to
convey Ziegenbalg from his abundant labours to his superabundant reward;
and the horses were impatiently champing the bits. He had been ill in
October 1718, and if he had taken rest then, it would appear, humanly
speaking, that he might have recovered. But he could not rest. And in the
beginning of the year a relapse ensued, and prostrated him on the bed,
which soon proved to be his bed of death. "Throughout his sickness nothing
was heard from his lips but prayer and devout ejaculations of praise, in
the language of that sacred volume in whose translation he had been so
long engaged. On the morning of his last day on earth he rose early, and,
as he was wont, joined with his wife in prayer. Soon after he was seized
with extreme pain; and when told of St Paul's desire to depart and be with
Christ, he answered in a feeble voice, 'So do I desire. God grant that,
washed from my sins in the blood of Christ, and clothed in His
righteousness, I may depart from this world to the kingdom of heaven.' As
his agonies increased, he was reminded of the same apostle's confidence in
prospect of eternity; 'I have fought a good fight, I have finished my
course, I have kept the faith : henceforth there is laid up for me a crown
of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give me at
that day; and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his
appearing.' Upon which he said, 'In this warfare I will endure hardness,
through Christ, that I may obtain that glorious crown.' Shortly after he
faintly added, ' I can hardly speak any more. May the Lord command what I
have said to bring forth fruit! Daily have I resigned myself to the will
of my God. Christ has said, "Where I am, there also shall my servant be!"'
He then requested that one of his favourite hymns might be sung—Jesus
meine Zuversicht, (Jesus my Saviour)—with the accompaniment of the
violin. The singing ended, he desired to be placed in an arm-chair; and
soon after he calmly fell asleep in Jesus. The composure of his departing
spirit presented a striking contrast to the lamentations of the
beholders."
We are afraid that some of our readers may be disposed
to smile at the idea of the good man dying to the sound of the fiddle. To
us it seems in beautiful keeping with the whole scene, and the scene
itself in as beautiful keeping with the life that went before.
So lived, and so died in the thirty-sixth year of his
age, Bartholomew Ziegenbalg, a brave man, a humble Christian, a devoted
and a successful missionary. And now, ye readers of Good Words, so
live ye also, doing good unto all as you severally have opportunity; and
so may ye die, in the faith of the gospel, triumphing over death, and may
ye share the eternal joys which are around the throne of the Lamb!