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Life of Dr. Morrison.
JAN.
a leading part, was raising the Anglo-Chinese College at Malacca. The foundation-stone of this institution was laid on the 11th of November, 1818, by major William Farquhar, formerly English resi- dent and commandant of Malacca. To the history of the College down to this time we cannot at present refer,-its fortune has been various. But for the benefit of our readers, we transcribe the "Anglo- Chinese College Deed," given in Vol. II. pp. 47-51, as it discovers the intentions of the original founders.
"I, Robert Morrison, D. D. of the University of Glasgow, having been sent to China in the year of our Lord, One Thousand Eight Hundred and Seven, by a Society of Christians meeting in London, and composed of men- bers of various British Churches for the purpose of learning the Chinese language, rendering the Sacred Scriptures into the said tongue, and compos- ing an English-Chinese Dictionary, with the ulterior view of the diffusion of the Christian Religion in China, and the Extra-Ganges nations; and having, in the
year 1818, nearly brought these several works to a conclusion, my mind was led to pray to God for direction, and to meditate on what further means could be used to bring about the final object of my mission.
"The Divine Providence having increased my personal property in a small degree, I determined to appropriate One Thousand Pounds sterling to found a College, to be called the Anglo-Chinese College, the object of which should be the cultivation of English and Chinese literature, in order to the spread of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
"As the above preamble shows, the cultivation of literature is not to be considered the final object of the Institution, but attended to as a means of effectuating, under the blessing of God's Holy Spirit, the conversion to the faith of Christ of the Extra-Ganges nations who read or speak the Chinese language; so, on the other hand, the College must never be considered as a mere dwelling-house for Christain missionaries, but as a place devoted to study, with apartments only for the Principal of the College, and such other persons engaged in tuition, or the appropriate studies of the College, as it can accommodate with rooms.
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Having intrusted the building of the College to the Rev. William Milne, my first associate in the Chinese Mission, and we, unitedly, having laid our views and wishes before the public, soliciting their pecuniary aid, and they having confided in the sincerity of our intentions and deemed our object laudable, and deserving the pecuniary aid of Christians,-ull monies received from the donors and subscribers (whose names are written in the College record) are to be considered as appropriated solely and inalienably to the objects stated in the preamble.
"The College, then, and its funds, shall never be diverted from the original object, stated in this deed by any authority whatever; whether by the will of the Founder, or of the first Principal of the Anglo-Chinese College, the Rev, William Milne, or of any Trustees hereafter to be appointed.
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