CHRISTIAN FREDERICK SWARTZ

THE FIRST PROTESTANT MISSIONARIES TO INDIA.9aged, wished to go himself, but the King said that onlyyounger men could stand the climate. To the great griefof the King, no Missionaries could be found in Denmark,,so they were sought in Germany.Two young Germans, who had been students of the HalleUniversity, Bartholomew Ziegenbalg and Henry Plutschau, offered themselves, and sailed for India in November1705. They landed in India on the 19th July, 1706rthe voyage having lasted nearly 8 months. Europeansgenerally are thought to be Christians, but many are soonly in name. Many of the Danes at Tranquebar, in thosedays, wTere leading immoral lives, and did not wish Mis sionaries to come to the country. Ziegenbalg and Plutschau were advised to make all haste home again. Theyshowed their commission, signed with the royal seal, butwithout avail.For a time they had to stand in theopen street without a lodging, till some one, having pity onthem, gave them a small house.The two young men, strangers and friendless, mingledmany tears with the prayers in which they besought Godto aid them in their work. They gave themselves dili gently to the study of Tamil, and Ziegenbalg commenceda Tamil Dictionary which was afterward of great serviceto his successors. The Missionaries proposed to build a.church, they themselves contributing more than a year’ssalary toward the expense. It was built of stone, andopened 13 months after their first landing in India. Thefollowing month 9 adults were baptized.After a time the Missionaries wTere reduced to greatdistress. Two ships in which money had been remittedto them were lost.The governor, not only withheldfrom them the salaries allowed by the King, hut threwZiegenbalg into prison on a false frivolous charge. Zie genbalg quietly submitted, and after four months’ con finement, he was released.In 1709 the Missionaries,received much needed supplies of money from Denmark,with which also came a letter to the governor, enjoininghim to assist and encourage the Missionaries. They werealso cheered by the arrival of three fellow-labourers.

10LIFE OF CHRISTIAN FREDERICK SWARTZ.About this time also interest began to be awakened inthe Tranquebar Mission in England. The letters of Ziegenbalg and Plutschau were translated into English. TheChristian Knowledge Society resolved to aid in the trans lation of the Scriptures into the languages of India, andin the establishment of Christian schools. With somemoney sent from England, Ziegenbalg purchased a gardenat Poreiar, near Tranquebar, which is now an importantMission Station.The Tamil translation of the New Testament was com pleted in 1711, but it could not be printed till 1714, whenTamil type was sent out from Germany. Smaller type wasafterward cut at Tranquebar, and the manufacture of paperwas attempted with good success. Failing health obligedPlutschau to return to Europe in 1712, but he could reportthat upwards of 200 converts had been baptized. In 1714Ziegenbalg found it necessary to return to Europe for ashort time. During his stay at home his Tamil Grammarand Dictionary were printed at Halle. In England theChristian Knowledge Society made Ziegenbalg a liberalpresent of money, books, and paper. On his return toIndia, a seminary was established for the training of teachersand catechists, and a new church was erected as the oldone was too small.Worn out with toil before he had completed his 36thyear, on the 23rd February, 1719, Ziegenbalg was seizedwith the pains of death. The friends who stood aroundhis bed repeated some of the words of the Apostle Paul,“I have a desire to depart and to be with Christ.”“That,” said the dying man, “is what I long for.Washed from my sins in His blood, and clothed with Hisrighteousness, may He bring me into His Kingdom !” Anumber of Native Christians and school children stood in theverandah. He desired that all would sing his favouritehymn, “Jesus, my refuge,” and when it was ended hecalmly gave up his soul to God. His loss was mourned overby 355 converts, besides a larger number under instruction.A few months later, three new Missionaries arrived fromEurope. One of them, named Schultze, an able scholar and

DEPARTURE OF SWARTZ FOR INDIA.11good man, completed Ziegenbalg’s translation of the OldTestament, and translated the whole Bible into Hindus tani. He established a Mission in Madras. When in 1742Schultze returned to his native land, the Native Christiancongregation in Madras amounted to about 700 persons.In 1726 the converts numbered 678 ; in 1736 they hadincreased to 2,329 ; and dining the next 10 years 3,812 per sons were baptized.IV.Departure of Swartz for India.Swartz and his two companions, after taking leave oftheir friends at Halle, proceeded to England to obtain apassage to India. They spent six weeks in that country,during which they were diligently employed in learning theEnglish language. The Society for Promoting ChristianKnowledge kindly received and provided for them duringtheir stay in England, and the East India Company, at therequest of the Society, gave the missionaries a free passageto India.The ship sailed on the 29th January 1750. In thosedays there were no steam vessels and ships were dependentupon the winds. After making a promising start, the shipwas driven back and was detained at Falmouth morethan a month by contrary winds. It was, however, provi dential for thus they escaped severe storms. On the12th March they again set sail. During the voyage,morning and evening, the missionaries had meetings forprayer and the reading of the Scriptures; part of the daywas devoted to the study of English. The history ofmissions was another subject which received attention.On the 13th July, to their great joy, Ceylon was sighted,and on the 16th July the ship cast anchor off Cuddalore—5J months after she first left England. By rail and ship,through the Suez Canal, India can now be reached fromEngland in 15 days.The political condition of India when Swartz landed in1750 may first be mentioned.

12LIFE OF CHRISTIAN FREDERICK SWARTZ.The battle of Plassey had not yet been fought, and, withthe exception of Calcutta, Serampore, and Chandernagore,the whole of North India was under Muhammadan rule.In Western India the English had only small settlementsat Bombay and Surat. In South India the English hadMadras, the Chingleput District, Masulipatam, Cuddalore,and a few other parts of the country.There were two ancient Hindu Kingdoms in South India,the Pandya, with Madura as its capital, and the Chola,which at different periods had C on j ever am and Tan j ore asits capitals. These kingdoms were absorbed by the greatHindu Kingdom of Vijayanagar, which, in its turn, wasbroken up by the Mahrattas and Muhammadans.AMahratta power reigned at Tanjore, the Nawab of Arcotruled a considerable portion of South India, with Trichinopoly as its capital.As soon as the ship anchored off Cuddalore, Indians cameon board offering fruit and fish for sale. Swartz sent aletter informing a missionary on shore, named Kiernander,of their arrival, and he sent a boat to fetch them. Afterspending a few days at Cuddalore, they left for Tranquebar where they met with a cordial welcome.Swartz thus describes the occupation of the youngMissionaries at Tranquebar :“At 7 in the morning we begin to practise Tamilalmost the whole forenoon. Three days we have a lessonin Portuguese. From 2 to 3 in the afternoon we againread Tamil. Afterwards every one remains alone till five.From 5 to 6 we practise speaking Tamil. We attend aservice preparatory to baptism as we begin already to un derstand a little. We perceive that God helps us on fromday to day. In the morning and evening we excite eachother by joint prayer and reading the word of God.”Such was the diligence with which Swartz pursued thestudy of Tamil, that in less than four months after hisarrival in India he preached his first sermon in Ziegenbalg’sChurch. His subject was the invitation of Christ to theweary and heavy laden to come to Him

EARLY MISSIONARY LABOURS.V.13Early Missionary Labours.As soon as Swartz had acquired some knowledge ofTamil, he entered vigorously upon the discharge of hisduties. He began a daily catechetical exercise with theyoungest children in the Tamil school, not merely ques tioning them, but explaining the truths of Christianity byexamples taken from common life. He also catechized thechildren of the Portuguese school, and preached everysecond Sunday in Portuguese. He also held two prepa rations for baptism and afterwards baptized many of thecandidates. The increase in the Tamil congregation duringthe year was very pleasing, amounting, including children,to 400.Accompanied by a catechist or other assistant, Swartzand some of the school boys of the first class went outalmost daily to speak to the people. The boys sang hymns,while Swartz and the catechist gave addresses. One ofhis conversations is thus related :A Hindu pretended that he and his countrymen wor shipped the same God as the Christians did, only underother names. Swartz replied, “ The true God must possessdivine perfections ; such as supreme wisdom, omniscience,omnipotence, holiness, justice. Now, nothing of this isfound in your divinities; but, by your own record, ignorance,impurity, cruelty. How can it be said of such thatthey are gods ? You have a proverb, that where sin is,there is no excellence. Now you acknowledge the prac tices ascribed to your gods to be sinful; consequently,by your own confession, they are unworthy of the name.”“That is very true,” said the Hindu; “but if we re ceive even what is false, and think it to be true in ourheart, it is done to us according to our faith.” “ Howcan you adopt,” answered Swartz, “ a sophism which youyourselves, on other occasions, reject ? You are accustomedto say, ‘ If one write the word sugar, and then lick hisfinger, it will not on that account become sweet, thoughhe believe it ever so firmly.’”

14LIFE OF CHRISTIAN FREDERICK SWARTZ.No one ever rebuked sin more frankly than Swartz,yet few have inspired so much affection in the hearts ofthose whom they reproved. Often, when he had beenendeavouring to convince his hearers of the sin and folly ofidolatry, he wonld end with such words as these: “ Donot suppose that I reprove you out of scorn ; no, you aremy brethren ; we are by creation the children of onecommon Father. It grieves us Christians that you haveforsaken that almighty, gracious Father, and have turnedto idols which cannot profit you. You know, becauseyou have often heard, that a day of judgment is beforeus, when we must render up an account. Should youpersist in remaining enemies to God, and hear on that daythe terrible sentence of condemnation, I fear you willaccuse us of not having warned you with sufficient earnest ness. Suffer yourselves, then, to be persuaded, since you seethat we want nothing of you, but that you should turnwith us to God, and be happy.” And the people to whomhe thus spoke, seldom or never failed to declare that theywere convinced of his true friendly intentions towards them.To reason with Hindus to greater advantage, Swartzjudged it necessary to be well acquainted with their reli gion. To this end, after he had attained a good degreeof proficiency in Tamil, he diligently read during five yearsthe Ramayana and other sacred books of the Hindus.Irksome as the task must have been to a mind whichdelighted in Christian thoughts and aspirations, he reapedfrom it this great benefit, that he could at any timecommand the attention of the people, by allusions to theirfavourite books and histories;—allusions which he neverfailed to render subservient to the truth.In such labours and studies the early years of Swartz’sresidence in India passed rapidly away. The older Mis sionaries at Tranquebar quickly discerned that his abilitieswere of no common order; and committed to his super intendence the various congregations and schools southof the river Cauvery. From the time that he rose inthe morning till he returned to rest at night, he wasunceasingly occupied.

EARLY MISSIONARY LABOURS.15In company with a Missionary, named Kohlhoff, Swartzpaid a visit to Cuddalore. They performed most of thejourney on foot, and thereby found numerous opportunitiesof speaking a word in season to the persons, whom theymet by the way, or wTho received them into their houses.With Hindus they reasoned concerning the folly andfatal consequences of idolatry. Some presently turnedaway offended ; others brought forward various doubtsand objections to the doctrine of the Christians. Swartzremarked, “Truly if idolatry were only an error of theunderstanding, the greater number of the heathen wouldalready have renounced it. It is because it is a work ofthe flesh that they hold to it. Many have acknowledgedto us that their love of the pleasures of this present lifeprevents them from giving heed to our words.” To a groupof Sannyasis, the Missionaries spoke of the poverty ofthe soul, and of the source wherefrom true riches arederived.Meeting fishermen with their nets on theshore, they talked with them of the great deceiver whocasts his nets for the souls of men, and the Delivererwho only can rescue the captives entangled in Satan’smeshes. A robber, one of whose feet had been struckoff by order of the magistrate, begged a plaster, which thebrethren gave him, with an earnest exhortation to applyto the Physician who could heal his spiritual wounds.They remained at Cuddalore a fortnight, cheering withtheir hearts’ sympathy and assistance the labourersstationed there, and making almost daily excursions by landor water to the neighbouring places where they preachedboth to Hindus and Mohammedans. After one of thesediscussions, says Swartz, “ How refreshed were we by thesimple faith of a poor Christian woman who received us intoher cottage. We asked her what she had prayed for thatday. ‘ I have prayed to the Lord Jesus, that He will forgiveme my sins, and send me His Holy Spirit,’ said she.”Before leaving Cuddalore they united with their brethrenthere in a solemn renewal of their covenant to serve their[Redeemer with all their heart, and to labour yet more andmore diligently to preach His Gospel to the people.

16LIFE OF CHRISTIAN FREDERICK SWARTZ.Whenever the Missionaries set out on a journey, or re turned from one, when they arrived at another Missionarystation, or departed from it, their first and last employmentwas to bend their knees in prayer to Almighty God with alltheir breljiren. When the travellers returned to Tranquebaron the present occasion, the school-children came out tomeet them with a song of praise; and on their arrival atthe mission house, their brethren and some of the Danishmilitary officers joined in the following thanksgiving andprayer which Swartz offered up : “Praisedbe Thy Name,O Lord, in profound humility, for all the grace, protection,and blessing which Thou hast bestowed on us during thewhole of our journey, of Thine undeserved mercy and forthe sake of Christ our Mediator! May the seeds of theWordwhich we, Thy poor servants, have sown by the way, springup and bear abundant fruit, that we and those who havereceived the Word into their hearts, may adore Thy good ness to all eternity. Our supplications, which we havejointly brought before Thy footstool, for ourselves and theflocks intrusted to us, graciously vouchsafe to hear, and letus perceive it for the strengthening of our faith. And thusbegin anew to bless us and to prosper the work of ourhand. Yea, prosper Thou our handiwork, 0 Lord, for thesake of Christ, and of His bitter sufferings and death !Amen.”On the 19th July, 1756, the fiftieth anniversary of the daywhen Ziegenbalg and Plutschau first landed on the shoreof India, the Missionaries celebrated their first Jubilee.During the half century many trials had befallen the mis sion, but 11,000 souls had been added to the church. Thisnumber was sufficient to inspire gratitude for the past andhope for the future. “This is certain,” says Swartz, “andI learn the lesson daily, that neither is he that plantethanything, neither he that watereth ; but he who altogetherdespairing of his own strength and power, goes forth inhumility with constant prayer to seek the lost and wait forthe former and the latter rain from the Lord, he receiveththe desired blessing, and is preserved from muchdisquietude of heart, and although the blessing be not

17WAR IN THE CARNATIC.instantly visible, yet God enableth me to say, ‘ At Thyword I will let down the net.’ These words are often in mymind; on them I preached my first sermon at the Univer sity, and, by means of them, God has produced in mepoverty of spirit, and at the same time filial reliance onHis word. May He teach it me more and more perfectly.”--K »-VI.War in the Carnatic.During 1757-58, stirring events happened in India. In1757, Clive, in Bengal, gained the victory of Plassey, andlaid the foundation of the British power in that part ofIndia. In the south, the French and English were con tending for supremacy, a war in which several of theIndian princes were involved. The interior of the countrywas much disturbed, particularly by the incursions of theMahrattas, who supported the French. The ravages oftheir predatory troops spread desolation and alarm whereever they appeared.A dispute between the Danish Government and theBaja of Tanjore led to an incursion into the Danish terri tory, in which the Christians were pillaged, and the MissionChurch at Poreiar was considerably injured. The Bajawas informed of a large underground treasure whichwas guarded by demons, who would not permit it to beremoved without the sacrifice of 500 human beings. Itwas reported that the Baja had sent out 50 kidnappersthrough the country who, by throwing a magical powderupon their victims, pretended to deprive them of theirsenses, and thus get possession of them. This so alarmedthe Hindus, that scarcely any but Christians venturedfor some time to travel from one place to another.In 1756, three Muhammadans were baptized at Yepery,Madras, and formed the first fruits of the conversion toProtestant Christianity of that class on the Coromandelcoast.In 1757,.Kohlhoff visited Srirangam, near Trichinopoly,where there is the largest temple in India. He there2

18LIFE OF CHRISTIAN FREDERICK SWARTZ.saw how immense stones were conveyed to the top ofthe highest buildings. It was effected by throwing upa sloping mound of earth against the building, androlling up the stones. Negapatam, on the coast, was atthis time under the Dutch. It was visited by Swartzand Kohlhoff, who met with a kind reception. Afterengaging in various religious services with the Nativeand European Christians, before leaving, the Europeanspresented a collection for the poor at Tranquebar, amount ing to 32 pagodas, a great part of which was contributedby the Dutch soldiers. The Governor promised to builda church for the use of the Native Christians, a promisewhich he fulfilled.The year 1758 was marked by important events. Duringthe night of the 28th April, the French landed a body oftroops near Fort St. David, close to Cuddalore, which,being joined by others from Pondicherry, ravaged andplundered the neighbouring towns and villages in a mostcruel manner. Many of the Roman Catholic Christians fledto their church, where they trusted that, as brethren inthe faith with the French, they should be safe. Someone however having reported that they were English Pro testant Christians, and that it was their church, thepoor Roman Catholics who had taken refuge in it weremassac

Christian Frederick Swartz was born at Sonnenberg, a small town in Prussia, in October, 1726. His father’s