On this day 216 years ago, the “father of modern missions” William Carey published an influential 87-page manuscript entitled An Enquiry into the Obligations of Christians to Use Means for the Conversion of the Heathens. The book starts with the following statement, which was considered radical at a time when the chief duty of the church in England was thought to be to people in England:
“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.”
The book then goes on to provide a Biblical justification for missions, it discusses the history of missions both in New Testament times and subsequently, and it then describes a survey of the present state of the world, so far as it was known. Great Britain was described as having 12 million inhabitants, with their religion “protestants, of many denominations”. France had 24 million inhabitants who were “Catholics, deists and protestants”. India and Indostan had 160 million inhabitants who were “Mahometans and pagans”. Many other countries are described, including, interestingly, “New Holland” (presumably Australia) with 12 million “pagans”. This was written just four years after the first European settlement in Australia.
Towards the end of the book, Carey answers objections to going to foreign lands to preach the gospel. This is what he says about dangers:
“In respect to the danger of being killed by them, it is true that whoever does go must put his life in his hand, and not consult with flesh and blood; but do not the goodness of the cause, the duties incumbent on us as the creatures of God, and Christians, and the perishing state of our fellow men, loudly call upon us to venture all and use every warrantable exertion for their benefit?”