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The Church of England magazine,
Volume 15 By Church Pastoral-aid Society, London
" The society, I know, will bear with me if I write more
at large on such a theme ; for he whom I mourn and wish to honour was
one of its most faithful friends, as well as mine.
" The Rev. Edward Jarrett Jones was a
student of Bishop's college, having come out to India in the same ship
with the present revered bishop of Calcutta, who always felt, I
believe, a warm interest in his well doing, and by whom, I have reason
to know, he was highly esteemed as one of the most efficient pupils of
that noble institution. May it send forth many such. Mr.
Jones was one of those?would they were more
numerous?who, although remarkably well grounded in the doctrines of the
gospel, was never content to rest satisfied with what he had attained,
but always employed such time as was spared to him from his mere active
and laborious duties, to increase his knowledge, well aware that he
thereby increased his faith. Few men of his age, making allowance for
the difficulty of obtaining good books in southern India, were were so
well read as he in the sacred classics of our church; though these
studies were always kept in subordination to the one most needful study
for him who is to teach others the way, the truth, and the life?a
regular study of the bible. I have never met with one who knew the
bible more accurately? knew it as one immeasurable, eternal truth. He
delighted not in unhinging, or at least in shaking, the feith of others
or his own, by opposing text to text, or by disputing about isolated
passages hard to be understood : he accepted the scriptures as the
oracles of God, and he saw in every page one vast connected scheme of
mercy and love in Jesus Christ. This he felt, and therefore taught; he
believed, and therefore he spoke; in simplicity and godly sincerity he
preached Christ crucified, warning his hearers to ' kiss the Son lest
he be angry, and so they perish from the right way'?the way in which he
strove to walk consistently, yet humbly, confessing himself a sinner,
and proving himself a Christian. From what 1 have said, it will readily
be concluded that, as a clergyman of the church of England, Mr. Jones
was exemplary. He was deeply imbued with the spirit of the prayer-book,
and always bore in mind that he had deliberately, and at the most awful
period of his life, pledged himself to God that he would ' give his
faithful diligence always so to minister the doctrines and sacraments
and the discipline of Christ, as the Lord hath commanded, and at this
church and realm bath received the same, according to the commandments
of God; so that he would teach the people committed to his care and
charge, with all diligence, to keep and observe the same.' He never
permitted himself therefore to trifle with this engagement, and, while
he gloried in the office of a minister of Jesus Christ, he always
recollected that it was through and in the church of England that he
had received his commission to preach his gospel. Thoroughly persuaded
that the system of his church was admirably adapted to the wants of the
native Christians, he shrunk from mutilating her evangelical services,
or from crippling her godly discipline ; and, while he found no
difficulty in attaching them to the former, he laboured to present to
them the latter, as it once existed in our father-land, and where ' it
is much to be wished that it may be restored again.' At the same time,
he was quite free from illiberality towards those who conscientiously
differed from him on these points, having attained, through the grace
of God, to that rare combination of unflinching faithfulness with
perfect charity.
" As a friend he was?what I knew him to be, having tried him often, and
never found him wanting?a friend indeed. Mr. Jones's
knowledge of missionary work was as valuable as in India it is rare,
having, in the course of his ten years' sojourn in the country, not
only resided some time in Madras, and made himself thoroughly
conversant with the constitution and working of our church societies,
but having accompanied me as my missionary chaplain during two long
visitation tours, in the course of which he had ample and peculiar
means of acquainting himself with the actual state of some of our most
important missions, in which his strong practical good sense readily
enabled him to detect whatever might be wrong, or weak, or faulty, and
to suggest the best available remedy. His heart, however, seemed to be
always with.his own flock; and, when away from them on other duties, he
kept a most regular correspondence with his catechist, so that, '
though absent in the flesh, yet was lie with them in the spirit, joying
and beholding their order, and the stedfastness of their faith in
Christ.' His mission, consequently, at Cuddalore was particularly
promising, and as a missionary clergyman he merited the highest praise.
" Sober-minded, watchful, firm without severity, and charitable rather
than indulgent?for indulgence is oft en want of real love?making every
allowance for the weakness of the heathen, and none for the falsehood
of heathenism, he constantly stood up before them, as stood up the
prophet Elijah, calling to them,' Choose ye this day whom ye,will serve
: if the Lord be God, follow him; but if Baal, then follow him.' There
was in his mind and practice no halting between two opinions, no
tampering with that semiheathenism?caste, the deceitfulness of which,
and its opposition to the spirit of the gospel, he denounced with a
boldness, which, if adopted by all Christian missionaries, would soon
crush it among our [native flocks; and we may be assured that until it
is crushed Christ will never reign in their hearts, and that a ' caste
Christian' is not of those who have forsaken all to follow him. The
order preserved in his church, and schools, and district, was
excellent? all was of a piece, and quietly and consistently Christian.
Some of his flock, erteonraged by his love, never weary in well doing,
were in the habit of coming to him privately every morning for advice
or comfort, both so needful to the despised native Christian in India;
and he readily and cheerfully gave to each his portion in due season.
They only who know the wearisomcness of native complaints, and the
great expenditure of time which they entail upon their minister, can
appreciate this conduct. The faithful loved hfm, the wavering feared
him, but all respected him ; and it was indeed a joyful and a pleasant
thing to see him among his people at Cuddalore, where he has now found
that early and honoured resting place ?a missionary's grave.
" It is not for us to presume to scan the decrees of Providence. God's
ways are past finding out. A widowed native church in India is a very
sad night, for the days of her widowhood must necessarily be many; and,
even if there were always a minister ready to fill the place made
vacant by death or by sickness, the poor people do not easily adapt
themselves to his style of preaching, or hear his voice, which is to
them for a long time the voice of a stranger.
" Let us content ourselves, however, with knowing that our loss is his
gain. His call has been early, and to us most unexpected; but let us
humbly hope that he was not unready for the gathering. Some are slow,
and others are comparatively quick, in attaining to Christian maturity;
and, when the fruit is ripe, God putteth in the sickle. Our faith in
the promise of Christ to be always with his church is proved by such
trials as this. Doubtless he will raise up others to do his work here
as everywhere, ' that his way may be known upon earth, his saving
health among all nations.' It were as ungrateful as wicked to question
it. God has been very gracious to India in granting to it many faithful
men; men who, though, * from the time that they came into Asia, they
have been pressed out of measure, above strength, insomuch that they
despaired even of life,' have yet persevered steadily unto the end,
looking unto Jesus; and, however his chnrch in India may be troubled on
every side, yet shall it not be distressed; however perplexed, yet
shall it not be in despair; however persecuted, yet shall it not be
forsaken; however cast down, yet shall it not be destroyed; because
greater is he that is in it, than he that is m the world.
"I am, always, the Society's devoted friend, and affectionate servant,
G. T. Madras."
" Coimbatore, India, Angnst 6th, 1842."
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