138 CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



sued herein was as follows : The clergymen selected such 

 texts or subjects as they thought suitable to native congre- 

 gations ; on these the proponents were required to compose 

 sermons in Dutch, which after being read and corrected were 

 returned to the proponents to be translated into Singhalese 

 or Tamil as the case might be, and used. They were re- 

 quired to compose a fresh sermon at least once a fortnight. 

 When complaints occur about the proponents, their back- 

 wardness in making fresh sermons is also mentioned as an 

 instance of their indolence. Great importance was attached 

 however to these agents for propagating Christianity, but 

 the necessity of close inspection was often felt. Complaints 

 frequently occur of their inert character, especially in the 

 Jaffna District, where the low state of Christianity was as- 

 cribed partly to the indolence of the two native proponents, 

 who it was remarked, had not been the means of bringing 

 a single native, who outwardly professed to be a Christian, 

 to join the church as a communicant, and that even their 

 own wives and relatives were not members. 



The plan usually followed for the formation of native 

 churches was as follows : A school was first established in a 

 village, which became the focus of the surrounding country. 

 Here not only children received instruction, but adults were 

 made acquainted with the Christian religion, for whose be- 

 nefit divine service was held on Sundays by the School- 

 in aster, or by a proponent, and at the annual visitation of 

 the clergyman and scholarch, after the examination of the 

 school, a sermon was preached to the people collected to- 

 gether on such occasions, baptism administered to the chil- 

 dren of professing Christians, and the marriages of parties 

 whose banns had been duly published by the schoolmaster 

 or Tomboholder, were solemnized. When any native wished 

 to become a communicant, he had to intimate his wish to 

 the Scholarchal Commission, and at the visitation immedi- 

 ately following, the candidate was examined and publicly 

 admitted, after strict enquiries had been made into his life 

 and conduct. This investigation was repeated every year, 

 respecting all the members. At whatever school station 

 church-members existed, the Lord's Supper was also admi- 

 nistered. When thus a small congregation had been formed, 

 a proponent was located among them, and when the church 

 came to a still more flourishing state, one or two of their 

 leading men were selected to fill the office of elder or dea- 

 con. But these never formed a separate session or consis- 

 tory, but were, together with their congregation, subject to 



