"Henke to Basel"

Wonders whether his letters have not arrived in Basel. Glad to get letters. Cry for letters from the Frankfurt Mission Committee. Joy of having Kissling for a fortnight at Christianborg in November. Kissling gave gloomy account of mission in Liberia. Henke asks committee to send Kissling and Sessing here, only Sessing should be less unfriendly in his behaviour (report of unkindliness came by a boat — due probably to ill health). The Africans are less ready to listen to God's word than Salbach thought. But God's word is the hope. He has been sick and sickly all the time and can persue his work only with difficulty. The last Governor Lind had erected in his days a school for the Negro slaves of the king, but did not intend to teach them to read and write, only to teach Danish to them and "Christian morals" as he expressed it. The commandments and especially the apostolic creed in the catechism of Luther he has changed with blasphemous hand to make them more understandable to an African child. Henke frankly told him, that he desired and demanded that they would remain untouched. In this case, he said, there will be no religious instruction. This is of course better than giving them a paganism in another form. With trembling he rejoices over the arrival of the new governor (Hain, who arrived three days ago). Gives advise in the matter of distributing the Lord's supper.

30.01.1831

30.01.1831

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3 pages