Josiah Goddard

Josiah Goddard, painted in 1838

Josiah Goddard (1813–1854) was an American Baptist missionary in China.

Rev. Josiah, Goddard was born in Wendell, Mass., Oct. 27, 1813, became a hopeful Christian in 1826, and was baptized in May, 1831. He graduated at Brown University in 1835, and at the Newton Theological Institution in 1838. Ordained to the Baptist ministry, Goddard and his wife, Eliza (Abbot), were appointed by the Baptist Board for Foreign Missions to work with the Chinese in Siam (Thailand) and they sailed in December, 1838. They landed at Singapore in June, 1839, and proceeded to the place of their destination, Bangkok, Siam, arriving there Oct. 16, 1840. He was to direct his special attention to the Chinese of that city, of whom there were many thousands. At Bangkok in 1842, Josiah Goddard succeeded William Dean as pastor of the first Chinese Baptist church, where he prospered in the work of preaching the gospel to the heathen. He also finished the translation of the Gospel of John, and it was printed. He prepared for the press some Christian tracts and an English and Chinese vocabulary, and labored there for six years until his health failed.

In 1848 the Goddards moved to Ningpo (Ningbo), northeast Chekiang (Zhejiang) Province, China. This was a response to a severe attack of bleeding at the lungs suffered by Goddard. The change of climate arrested the progress of the disease, and allowed him to continue his work. To do this he was obliged to learn an entirely new dialect of the Chinese language to be understood by the natives of Ningpo. For several years he was busily occupied with his missionary labors, and the Lord owned these efforts in the conversion of the heathen and the building up of his cause in the city where he had made his home. Josiah mastered the Tie-Chu dialect and preached to a new congregation. He was best known for the quality of his translation work, some of which was among the first English to Chinese. From 1842 to 1854 he completed five tracts, a catechism, a vocabulary, and the entire New Testament. His work and life came to an end September 4, 1854.

The Goddard children, some of whom married members of the William Dean family, produced several generations of Baptist missionaries in China, including Josiah Ripley Goddard, Augusta Fanny Dean, Anna Kate Goddard, Francis Wayland Goddard, and Anna M. Corlies.

Dr. Dean accords to Mr. Goddard traits of character which rank him among the ablest of our missionaries. "His native endowments were superior; his education had been extended and thorough; his study of the Chinese language had been patient and successful; his knowledge of the sacred languages and literature was accurate and familiar, and he brought to his work a large share of common sense and sound judgment, and a warm heart and high-toned Christian principles." [From William Cathcart, editor, The Baptist Encyclopedia, 1881. - jrd]

Visible in this portrait of Goddard is the text of a sermon he has drafted that portends his voyage, "Now no one could for a moment contemplate The spirit of Christ without [being] convinced that It was a spirit of love to the world?the whole world?."

Collections from American Universities:

1. Separate portraits of Josiah and his wife, Eliza, are now part of the Brown University Library collection, having been donated by the Goddard family. Their portraits were done by Erastus Salisbury Field prior to their departure for the Far East. Oil on canvas, painted by the American artist Erastus Salisbury Field. 28 3/4 in. Courtesy of the Brown University Portrait Collection, Brown University, Providence, R.I.

2. University of Rochester: consists of 13 items. Most of them were presented by William Dean. Each bears a “University of Rochester No.XXXX/Presented by Wm. Dean, D.D.” bookplate. Of those not presented by Dean, one came from Issachar J. Roberts 羅孝全 (1802-1871), with the handwritten note, “For University of Rochester/Rochester N.Y./With Rev. I. J. Roberts's compliments's/Shanghae, China. 1854” and a “University of Rochester. No.4596/Presented by Rev. I. J. Roberts of Shanghae, China” bookplate. Another one was presented by Josiah Goddard, with the handwritten note, “Rochester University/Care of the President/Compts of J. Goddard.”

Bibliography

Goddard published a number of tracts, including:

• (the New York Public Library)(Digitized Apr 2, 2008 )
• A Temperance Tract: An Inquirer's Guide
• A History of Elijah
• His New Testament in Chinese was first published in 1853 for the American and Foreign Bible Society
• A nineteenth-century biographical sketch of Goddard is included in William B. Sprague, Annals of the American Baptist Pulpit (1860)
• Francis W. Goddard, Called to Cathay (1946).

References

• Alexander Wylie, Memorials of Protestant Missionaries to the Chinese:Giving a List of their Publications and Obituary Notices of the Deceased p114-115 American Presbyterian Mission Press, Shanghai 1867