i4> CEYLON BRANCH —ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY^ 



tain rebellious Singhalese, who however shortly afterwards re* 

 treated to the mountains, and the clergy were able to restore 

 to some extent the tranquillity of rural congregations and schools.. 

 The mode of corresponding with the classes had not yet been 

 reduced to a fixed plan. This year the Jaffna Consistory con- 

 sulted the Colombo Consistory in what manner the state of 

 Churches and the success of their schools should be communi- 

 cated. The reply was that the most effectual way would be for 

 each consistory to give a particular account in writing of their 

 own sphere, out of which a general statement could be framed 

 at Colombo. The reasons for this suggestion were as follows. 

 1st. Because such appears to have been the practice in the time of 

 Baldeus and others in 1662 and 1663 — 2d. The benefits re- 

 sulting thence, namely a closer union of the several consistories, 

 and their Churches in the Island, which would help to strengthen 

 each others hands, and moreover afford greater pleasure to their 

 brethren in the fatherland. All cordially joined in the sugges- 

 tion, and a resolution was passed to that effect. But its ex- 

 ecution was objected to by His Excellency The Admiral and 

 Governor of Ceylon in Council, who communicated through their 

 Commissary Politic, that he did not approve of their writing to 

 the classes a letter drawn up from the particular letters of the 

 respective consistories, but thought that each consistory should 

 write its own annual report. His Excellency further expressed 

 his opinion that he considered it his prerogative not only to re- 

 ceive through his Commissary Politic who had a seat in the 

 consistory, letters written in that meeting, but also to seal those 

 letters and to forward them to Holland. The Colombo con- 

 sistory strenuously objected to this breach of their resolution of 

 1668, which was sanctioned by the then Admiral and Governor 

 jand undersigned by all the clergy. They objected to the in- 

 novation of having Ecclesiastical letters submitted to the Gover- 

 nor for approval previously to their being forwarded, as con- 

 trary, first, to Ecclesiastical rule, which forbad letters written and 



