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was the first of the true Anastatosantes of the modern world； as only an English…speaking man could beof the most thorough； permanent； and everlasting of all Reformers； the men who turn the world upside down； because they make it rise up and depart from deadly beliefs and practices； from the fear and the fate of death； into the life and light of Christ and the Father。
Who were his predecessors； reckoning from the Renascence of Europe； the discovery of America； and the opening up of India and Africa？ Erasmus comes first； the bright scholar of compromise who in 1516 gave the New Testament again to Europe； as three centuries after Carey gave it to all Southern Asia； and whose missionary treatise； Ecclesiasties； in 1535 anticipated； theoretically at least； Carey's Enquiry by two centuries and a half。 The missionary dream of this escaped monk of Rotterdam and Basel； who taught women and weavers and cobblers to read the Scriptures； and prayed that the Book might be translated into all languages； was realised in the scandalous iniquities and frauds of Portuguese and Spanish and Jesuit missions in West and East。 Luther had enough to do with his papal antichrist and his German translation of the Greek of the Testament of Erasmus。 The Lutheran church drove missions into the hands of the Pietists and MoraviansWiclif's offspringwho nobly but ineffectually strove to do a work meant for the whole Christian community。 The Church of England thrust forth the Puritans first to Holland and then to New England； where Eliot； the Brainerds； and the Mayhews sought to evangelise tribes which did not long survive themselves。
It was from Courteenhall； a Northamptonshire village near Paulerspury； that in 1644 there went forth the appeal for the propagation of the Gospel which comes nearest to Carey's cry from the same midland region。 Cromwell was in power； and had himself planned a Protestant Propaganda； so to the Long Parliament William Castell； 〃parson of Courteenhall；〃 sent a petition which； with the 〃Eliot Tracts；〃 resulted in an ordinance creating the Corporation for the Promoting and Propagating the Gospel of Jesus Christ in New England。 Seventy English ministers had backed the petition； and six of the Church of Scotland； first of whom was Alexander Henderson。 The corporation； which； in a restored form； Robert Boyle governed for thirty years； familiarised the nation with the duty of caring for the dark races then coming more and more under our sway alike in America and in India。 It still exists； as well as Boyle's Society for advancing the Faith in the West Indies。 The Friends also； and then the Moravians； taught the Wesleys and Whitefield to care for the negroes。 The English and Scottish Propagation Societies sought also to provide spiritual aids for the colonists and the highlanders。
The two great thinkers of the eighteenth century； who flourished as philosopher and moralist when Carey was a youth； taught the principles which he of all others was to apply on their spiritual and most effective side。 Adam Smith put his finger on the crime which had darkened and continued till 1834 to shadow the brightness of geographical enterprise in both hemispheresthe treatment of the natives by Europeans whose superiority of force enabled them to commit every sort of injustice in the new lands。 He sought a remedy in establishing an equality of force by the mutual communication of knowledge and of all sorts of improvements by an extensive commerce。5 Samuel Johnson rose to a higher level alike of wisdom and righteousness； when he expressed the indignation of a Christian mind that the propagation of truth had never been seriously pursued by any European nation； and the hope 〃that the light of the Gospel will at last illuminate the sands of Africa and the deserts of America； though its progress cannot but be slow when it is so much obstructed by the lives of Christians。〃
The early movement which is connected most directly with Carey's and the Northamptonshire Baptists' began in Scotland。 Its Kirk； emasculated by the Revolution settlement and statute of Queen Anne； had put down the evangelical teaching of Boston and the 〃marrow〃 men； and had cast out the fathers of the Secession in 1733。 In 1742 the quickening spread over the west country。 In October 1744 several ministers in Scotland united； for the two years next following； in what they called； and what has since become familiar in America as； a 〃Concert to promote more abundant application to a duty that is perpetually bindingprayer that our God's kingdom may come； joined with praises；〃 to be offered weekly on Saturday evening and Sunday morning； and more solemnly on the first Tuesday of every quarter。 Such was the result； and so did the prayer concert spread in the United Kingdom that in August 1746 a memorial was sent to Boston inviting all Christians in North America to enter into it for the next seven years。 It was on this that Jonathan Edwards wrote his Humble Attempt to promote Explicit Agreement and Visible Union of God's People in Extraordinary Prayer for the Revival of Religion and the Advancement of Christ's Kingdom on Earth。
This work of Edwards； republished at Olney； came into the hands of Carey； and powerfully influenced the Northamptonshire Association of Baptist ministers and messengers。 At their meeting in Nottingham in 1784 Sutcliff of Olney suggested and Ryland of Northampton drafted an invitation to the people to join them； for one hour on the first Monday of every month； in prayer for the effusion of the Holy Spirit of God。 〃Let the whole interest of the Redeemer be affectionately remembered；〃 wrote these catholic men； and to give emphasis to their 渃umenical missionary desires they added in italics〃Let the spread of the Gospel to the most distant parts of the habitable globe be the object of your most fervent requests。 We shall rejoice if any other Christian societies of our own or other denominations will join with us； and we do now invite them most cordially to join heart and hand in the attempt。〃 To this Carey prominently referred in his Enquiry； tracing to even the unimportunate and feeble prayers of these eight years the increase of the churches； the clearing of controversies； the opening of lands to missions； the spread of civil and religious liberty； the noble effort made to abolish the inhuman slave…trade； and the establishment of the free settlement of Sierra Leone。 And then he hits the other blots in the movement； besides the want of importunity and earnestness〃We must not be contented with praying without exerting ourselves in the use of means。。。Were the children of light but as wise in their generation as the children of this world； they would stretch every nerve to gain so glorious a prize； nor ever imagine that it was to be obtained in any other way。〃 A trading company obtain a charter and go to its utmost limits。 The charter； the encouragements of Christians are exceeding great； and the returns promised infinitely superior。 〃Suppose a company of serious Christians； ministers and private persons； were to form themselves into a society。〃
The man was ready who had been specially fitted； by character and training； to form the home organisation of