William Careys Theology - World Evangelical Alliance

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2.2. Carey’s Postmillennialism
Postmillennialism in the “Enquiry”
Let us examine the central indications of Carey’s Postmillennialism in
the ‘Enquiry”.
Carey had two questions to answer about the Great Commission: 1. Was
the Great Commission directed only to the apostles or is it valid for all
Christians of all eras? 2. Can the Great Commission be fulfilled?
Answering the first question, Carey points out that the Great Commission
is binding “even to the end of the age.” (Mt. 28:20) 162 One of his best
arguments for the validity of the Commission is the fact that it includes the
command to baptize that all churches and theologians consider valid. 163 If
the Great Commission was directed only to the apostles, churches would
have to stop baptizing people.
The answer to the second question arises from Carey’s Postmillennial
expectation of missions’ final success. Premillennialism, which molded
Post-Classical missions, did not assume such achievement, but only the
conversion of a minority from each nation.
In his introduction, Carey expresses no doubts that God would build his
kingdom on this earth to the same extent as the devil’s present government:
“Yet God repeatedly made known his intention to prevail finally over all
the power of the devil, and to destroy all his works and set up his own kingdom
and interest among men, and extend it as universally as Satan had extended
his.” 164
Very early in the “Enquiry” Carey refutes objections to the continuing
validity of the Great Commission on eschatological grounds:
“It has been said that some learned divines have proved from Scripture that
the time is not yet come that the heathen should be converted; and that first
the witnesses must be slain, 165 and many other prophecies fulfilled. But admitting
this to be the case (which I much doubt 166 ) yet, if any objection is made
162 . William Carey, “Enquiry”, p. 9.
163 . Ibid., p. 9. See also James R. Beck, Dorothy Carey, op. cit., p. 63
164 . William Carey, “Enquiry”, p. 5.
165 . Rev. 11:7
166 . (Footnote by Carey:) See Edwards on Prayer, on this subject lately re-printed by
Mr. Sutcliffe.