CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. IS 



proponents instead of ordained persons for the use of the Dutch 

 congregations in the colonies generally, as also for the seamen 

 on board of Men-of-War, did more harm than good ; that these 

 un-ordained persons had no position in the Church, and that 

 the dissolute seamen and Navy officers would be far better in- 

 fluenced by clergymen of some standing and experience. They 

 found also that at the factories the proponents attended more 

 to Civil than Ecclesiastical matters. They further complained 

 that the Batavian Consistory made proponents of persons who 

 had been sent out as Soldiers. These remonstrances were pre- 

 sented by the classis to the East India Company, who appear 

 to have employed proponents instead of ordained men, partly 

 on account of the scarcity of ministers in Holland for Colo- 

 nial service on the one hand, and the increasing demand in their 

 colonies on the other, and partly (if I may venture on an in- 

 ference) for the sake of economy. The company then pro- 

 mised to revert to the old practice of appointing none but 

 ordained ministers, > 



It has been mentioned that separate ministers were requested 

 in 1669 for Matura, Manaar and Negombo, but it ought not 

 to be inferred thence that those places had no located minis- 

 ters before. The number of ministers in Ceylon in early years 

 fluctuated considerably. Sometime there was a liberal supply, 

 both from Holland and from Batavia and then the smaller towns 

 were immediately provided for; at other times frequent deaths 

 or removals to the Coast or to Malacca or Java occasioned 

 vacancies when the principal towns were of course first sup- 

 plied, not unfrequently to the deprivation of outstation. In 1670 

 there were 4 at Colombo, % at Galle, 1 at Matura, 1 at Ma- 

 nar, 3 at Jaffna and 2 at Cochin- The arrival of ministers for 

 the Ceylon service was from Batavia frequently unexpected, owing 

 to arrangements of which the Ceylon Churches were ignorant. This 

 year the state of Native Churches in the Colombo district is 

 represented as not so satisfactory as was wished, owing to cer* 



