CEYLON BRANCH—ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 145 



Pieris and Christoffel Fernando were very amply examined 

 by the Rev. Rector Wetzelius on the punishment of sin, 

 the covenant of grace, the Mediator, his offices, natures and 

 state of humiliation. They answered very well on the pro- 

 posed questions and objections, and gave proofs not only of 

 diligence, but also of proficiency, and a good comprehension 

 of the subjects learned by them. Afterwards three newly 

 admitted were examined in the Latin language by the Con- 

 rector Vrolyk, and had made remarkable progress therein 

 — and lastly other fifteen scholars were heard who had also 

 made progress under their teacher Johannes Andreas Yan 

 Paravicino, in the rules of Dutch grammar, as also in learn- 

 ing divine truths from the compendium of D'Outreyn, being 

 able not only to repeat by heart several chapters of it, but 

 also to translate the same from Dutch into Singhalese and 

 Malabar, which also the two above named students Abra- 

 ham Pieris and Christoffel Fernando did, and which is a 

 "necessarium requisitium" in these scholars, being designed 

 to make known in their native tongue to their brethren 

 after the flesh, the word of God. 



At least this is the object in view, and we hope that satis- 

 faction will be given in this respect for the building up of 

 J esus' kingdom among these natives, on which we heartily 

 wish Jehovah God may bestow his blessing — and to this 

 end may the laudable work of the Singhalese printing press 

 be a fruitful means ; which press has been brought to a 

 sufficient stage of perfection by the virtuous and indefati- 

 gable care of our most noble Governor. And since we can- 

 not but expect that it will in time co-operate wonderfully 

 to propagate gospel doctrine among the hitherto very igno- 

 rant degraded and superstitious native Christendom, which 

 according to the state of the Rev. Mr. Saakens, who this 

 year renewed the inspection of schools in the Colombo Dis- 

 trict, consists of 52,556 baptized persons, both Singhalese 

 and Malabars, of whom fully 500 are communicants and to 

 whom the Lord's Supper is administered quarterly by the 

 Rev. Wetzelius, in the above named stations, viz. Negombo, 

 Caltura and Cotta : the Singhalese proponents Simon Pe- 

 rera, Louis Pieris and Philip Emanuelsz contributing, ac- 

 cording to their ability, to the edification of native Christ- 

 endom in Colombo ; while the two transmarine churches of 

 Tutucoryn and Calpentyn, have not been visited the last 

 time, but their visitation will no doubt be resumed in a 

 short time, 



Ifc " ' T . * 



