ROBERT MORRISON A MASTER-BUILDER Palntmf[by Cltt'nnery, 16:1! ROllER'I' MORRISON AND T\\'O OF HIS CIIIKESE ASBISTJ\NTS ROBERT MORRISON By MARSHALL BROOMHALL EDITORIAL SBCRBTARY1 CHINA INJ:.AND MISSION AOTHOlt 01" Islam ,·,. c1,;,.,., Pi01U1r Work ;,. H,.,.,.,., In Qwst of G,d, Fait!, ,.,.d Fa,ts, etc. ~ croq>k Af>X~fflCfllY lkp.O.i.oy Ti81'1C" 1 Cor. iii. 10 THE CHINA INLAND MISSION LONDON, PHILADELPHIA,TORONTO MELBOURNE AND SHANGHAI 1924 Prl,.i,d in Sculf4,uJ ~y T•wnlntll & Sf,rars, Edi,.b11rg-h EDITORIAL NOTE Tms volume is the fourth of a uniform series of new missionary biographies, in the preparation of which a group of unusually able writers are collaborating. The enterprise is being undertaken by the United Council for Missionary Education. The series make no pretence of adding new facts to those already known. The aim rather is to give to the world of to-day a fresh interpretation and a. richer understanding of the life and work of great missionaries. K. M. A.E.C. U.C.M.E. 2 EATON GATE S.W.1 6 TO THE REV. CHENG CHING-YI, D.D. CHAIRMAN OF CHINA'S FIRST NATIONAL OBlUSTIA.N CONFERENCE THIS LIFE OF TJIE FIRST PROTESTANT HISSIONABY TO THAT GR_JiJA.T COUNTRY Ill Al'FECTIONATELY DEDICATED "We express OUl' appreciation for the work of the missionmes who through untold difficulties have blazed the way and laid down the foundation of a great structure for nat.ional evangeliza.tion, and for ihe Christian Churches in the Wi>Alt through whose faithful support the missionary work has been developed and attained its present growth." "We Chinese Christians declare that we have the commission from the Head of the ChUl'Ch, Jesus Christ, to proclaim the Gospel to every creature." "We confidently hope that the time will soon come when the ChUl'ch of China will repay in part for that which she has bountifully received from her mother ChUl'Ches in the West, the loving tributes of the daughter-eontributiollll in thought, life and achievement for the enrichment of the ChUl'Ch catholic." From The M UMgt of tht. 011/,l'cl,,, The Report of Commission III of the National Christian Conference, which Commission was composed of Chinese Christians only, with Dr Cheng Ching-yi as Chairman. viii AUTHOR'S PREFACE " THE pioneer is forgotten " wrote Robert Morrison in a fit of depression. To him in his lonely post it seemed so, but the statement is not true for all time. The pioneer, like the prophet, may be despised or even slain by his contemporaries, but posterity will build his tomb. In Morrison's case he lived to be honoured beyond most missionaries, and time has only added lustre to his name. It is fitting that his life and work should be again recalled, for a new and promising chapter in the evangelization of China has commenced. The Chris­ tian Church which Morrison set forth to found in the land of Sinim has lately claimed the right to administer her own affairs where able to do so. The great gulf between a land with no followers of Christ -we speak of the Protestant Church alone-and a land with a Church strong enough to desire self• government, has, thank God, been bridged. On the one side of that great span stands Morrison, the dauntless master-builder, and on the other side the first National Christian Conference which met at Shanghai less than two years ago. It was the writer's privilege to be present on that memorable occai.ion in May 1922, when twelve hundred delegates, half of whom were Chinese repre­ sentatives of widely scattered Churches, unan­ imously elected a distinguished Chinese Christian to fill the Chair. The day had dawned when the X Robert Morrison missionary body were called upon to recognize that they must be willing to decrease that the indigenous Church might increase. To gaze at that gathering, to hear it sing Luther's triumphant battle song " A safe stronghold our God is still,,, was to be impressively reminded of the fact that the pioneers and martyrs of the past had not suffered and died in vain. And among that cloud of witnesses Robert Morrison naturally stands alone primua inter pares. The chief sources for the personal element in Robert Morrison's life are the invaluable journals and letters preserved in the Memoirs compiled by his widow ; A Parting Memorial published by Morrison himself in 1826; and William Milne's A Retrospect of the First Ten Years. To these must be added a brief and instructive study of Morrison which appeared in The Presbyterian of August 28th, 1918, by Mr R. S. Robson of the Presbyterian His• torical Society of England, resident in Newcastle, to whom the writer is indebted for this and other aid gladly given. For the setting and background the writer has enjoyed a residence of more than ten years in China, a brief stay in Canton and neighbourhood, and a fairly close acquaintance with the needful literature. No attempt has been made to indicate by foot­ notes the writer's many obligations, though some authorities have been named where this seemed called for. The story has of necessity been told from a western standpoint, for it is the life of a westerner whose trials and difficulties largely arose from the antagonism of China to any world but her own. It is freely acknowledged that there is a mutual Author's Preface Xl responsibility for the clash of two conflicting civiliza­ tions, for to quote a Chinese proverb, " You cannot clap with one hand." If more emphasis has been laid upon the obscurantism of China than upon the selfish aggressions of the West, it is from no desire to gloss over the sins of the western world, but because the strict limits of this biography have not permitted a discussion of the larger question. The quotations at the head of most chapters are taken from Morrison's own writings, because in no other way could his views on many subjects be included in so small a volume. The task to which Morrison consecrated his powers is as yet only partially accomplished. The evangelization of one quarter of the human race is a greater undertaking than is generally recognized. There is still ample scope for the pioneer in vast unoccupied regions, there· are tribal languages un­ mastered and unreduced to writing, which are still· without the music of the Gospel story ; there are millions of Chinese Moslems for whom practically nothing has been done ; and there is yet unlimited scope for fellowship and camaraderie with the Chinese leaders in the older and more developed stations. May this story of the labours of an un­ daunted master-builder stir the Christian Church anew to fresh effort to complete the enterprise and to " bring forth the headstone with shoutings, crying, Grace, grace unto it." MARSHALL BROOMHALL CHINA INLAND M1ssrnN, LoNDON January 16th, 1924 CONTENTS PAGJI AUTHOR'S PREFACE ix TABLE OF DATES xv OllAP. I. THE GREAT CLOSED LAND • l II. A GREAT TRADITION AND A LITTLE CHILD • 6 III. THE HIDDEN MAN OF THE HEART 14 IV. HIGH EMPLOY • 22 V. THE CALL OF CHINA • 27 VI. THE VOYAGE 85 · VII. OLD CANTON 41 VIII. FACING LIFE'S TASK • 51 IX. So:r,IE MOMENTOUS DECISIONS 60 X. OVERLAPPING EXTRAORDINARY 69 XI. A COLLEAGUE AT LAST 74 XII. THE ULTRA-GANGES MISSION 81 XIII. DISMISSED BUT INDISPENSABLE • 86 XIV. LONELY AND IN CONSTANT APPRE- BENSION. 98 xv. AN IONA IN THE EAST 110 xiil XIV Robert Morrison OIUP, PAGE XVI. TRANSLATING THE SCRIPTURES 116 XVII. SORROW UPON SORROW 126 XVIII. AN INTERNATIONAL IMPASSE 185 XIX. THE GREAT FIRE 145 XX. AFrER FIFrEEN YEARS 152 XXI. Two YEARS IN ENGLAND 160 XXII. IN STRESS AND STORM 170 XXIII. ALL MANNER OF SERVICE 188 XXIV. MISSIONARY REINFORCEMENTS 191 XXV. A PAINFUL PARTING 199 XXVI. FAITHFUL UNTO DEATH 210 XXVII. UNFADING GLORY 222 EPILOGUE 226 APPENDIXES • 229 INDEX • 285 TABLE OF DATES 1782 BirtA of Bobtrl Morriaon 1783 Amerfoa.n Independenoe reoognied by Great Britain 17811 RtmOl!al of Morriaon's family lo Newcastle Birth of William Milne 1789 French Revolution. Fall of Bastille 1798. Bobe.rt M orrwm jdintd ChureA in N etDC<,U/Je Dr MOl!eky urged tran11lation of the Scriptures tnlo Chim.u 1802 Morrwm a,,piied lo Hozt<m Academt1 a, a candidate for 1kt Minutrg 1803 Brocled London for residenee at Ho:don Academy 1804 Applied to London Miaaionary Boeietg. Entered tk Mi.uionarg Academy at Goapor 1805 Settled in Londtm for tAe atudy of mediciM, astron.om11 .and CAinue Battle of Tr&fa.lgar 1807 Sailed for China. Rea&led Canton Sep~mber 7f4 1808 Rented tM Fre:ni/1 Footory in Canton 1809 Married to Mi& Mary Morton at MtuJaO. Appointed Chinue Tramlator to Ea11t India Company's Footory 1810 Printed one tlw!uand copies of the Act8 of the AJJOBtlu in Ohi11£8e 1811 TraMlated St Luke'& Go&pil. Completed C.U'Tl,ll8t Grammar 1812 Chinue Edict forbidding fhe printing of books in CMnue on the Chri&tian. religion 1813 Jlr and Jlra William Milne retuJAed Macao Morrwm wmpkted tramlation of the New TMtamem 1814 Tour of 1kt Malay Archipelago bg Mime Morri&on'a firat convert, T8at A-ko, baptiud 1815 Mrs Morruon and children 8ailed for England Mr and Mr& Milna &ailed for Mala«a to commen.ce the Ullra­ Ga111Jes Mi.uion Ba.ttle oi Wa.terloo xv xvi Robert Morri"son 1815 OrdQIJ received from Oourt of Director/J of the EMt India Oompany in London for Morri1Jon's dismissal 1816 Brili!Jh EmlxutJg under Lord Amherst, fo Peking, with Morri8on tUI I nterpreJl!!I" Milne baptiwl hui flrBt convert, Leang A-fa, at M alaua 1817 Degru of Doctor of Divinity conferred upon Morri.ton by the University of Glaligow 1819 Death of Mrs Milne Oompletkm of the translation of tlie Old and New il'utamentB 1820 Mr11 Morrill01& and children reJurned to JIIJIXW 1821 Death of Mrs MorriBOn 1822 Death of William Milne Ffre of Canton; Eaat lnd.ia Oompany'I Facrorg dmroyed 1824 Morrillon arrived in England for fir,t and only furkmgh.