William Careys Theology - World Evangelical Alliance

38 William Carey’s Theology
and that the idols shall be destroyed 179 and the false prophets ashamed of their
profession. 180 Zech. xii. 10.14. – xiii. 1.6. this prophesy seems to teach that
when there shall be a universal conjunction in fervent prayer, and all shall esteem
Zion’s welfare as their own, then copious influences of the Spirit shall
be shed upon the churches, which like a purifying fountain shall cleanse the
servants of the Lord. Nor shall this cleansing influence stop here; all old
idolatrous prejudices shall be rooted out, and truth will prevail so gloriously
that false teachers shall be so ashamed as rather to wish to be classed with obscure
herdsmen, or the meanest peasants, than bear the ignominy attendant on
their detection.”
The most glorious works of grace that have ever taken place have been
in answer to prayer. It is in this way, we have the greatest reason to suppose,
that the glorious out-pouring of the Spirit, which we expect at last,
will be bestowed.” 181
In the “Enquiry”, Carey not only thinks and argues from a Postmillennialist
position, but also finds his examples among Postmillennialist missionaries
and theologians.
The Calvinist (Puritan) missionaries mentioned as examples 182 in the
second and third chapters of the “Enquiry” were missionaries to the Indians,
John Eliot (1604-1690) 183 and David Brainerd (1718-1747). 184 Carey’s
original models 185 came too from the sphere of Jonathan Edward’s influ-
179 . Zech. 13:2.
180 . Zech. 13:4.
181 . Carey, “Enquiry”, p. 78-79.
182 . Carey. “Enquiry”, p. 35, 69, 70.
183 . See Wolf-Christian Jaeschke, “Der Indianermissionar John Eliot (1604-1698): Sein
Denken und Wirken nach den ‘Magnalia Christi Americana”, Evangelikale Missiologie
9 (1993) 1: 3-12; Gustav Warneck, Abriß einer Geschichte der protestantischen
Missionen von der Reformation bis auf die Gegenwart, op. cit., p. 46. On Eliot’s
Postmillennialist views, see Sidney H. Rooy, The Theology of Missions in the Puritan
Tradition, op. cit., pp. 224-229; Neville B. Cryer, “John Eliot”, Five Pioneer Missionaries
(London: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1965) pp. 171-231.
184 . See on Brainerd’s theology and postmillennialism Norman Petit, “Editor’s Introduction”
to The Life of David Brainerd, by Jonathan Edwards, op. cit., pp. 24-70; John
Thornbury, “David Brainerd”, Five Pioneer Missionaries, op. cit., pp. 13-91.
185 . See Ernest A. Payne, “Two Dutch Translations by Carey: An Angus Library
Find”, The Baptist Quarterly NS 11 (1942) pp. 33-38; James R. Beck, Dorothy Carey,
op. cit., pp. 53-59; Harald Schilling, “Der geistige und geistliche Werdegang William
Careys ... “, op. cit., pp. 85-86. Schilling mentions also the writings by and on Bartholomäus
Ziegenbalg (1682-1719) and his colleague in Tranquebar, India, Heinrich
Plütschau (1677-1746), as an influence on Carey. This influence cannot, however, be
as well demonstrated, although Carey mentions Ziegenbalg.