CEYLON BRANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 3T 



tion in the arts and sciences, infusing at the same time, but 

 imperceptibly their religious tenets ; and that they thus gained 

 the confidence of the people, and secured the good will of the 

 learned in the land. The clergy of the Dutch Church in Cey^ 

 Ion wished to profit from this plan. They observed that the 

 more civilized portion of the inhabitants set a high value on na- 

 tural philosophy ; that they were fond of astrology, suppo- 

 sing their daily actions and pursuits to be regulated by the in* 

 fluence of good and evil planets, being in the habit of consult- 

 ing their astrologers as to the planets under which their chil- 

 dren were born, to hear their fate foretold. The classes were 

 therefore recommended in their selection of ministers for Ceylon 

 to give the preference to such as were proficient in the scien« 

 ces ; not only that their knowledge may gain them the esteem 

 of the natives, but also to instruct the students of the seminary 

 on the same subjects, and thus assist to rectify the prevailing 

 erroneous notions of the native of the heavenly bodies and of 

 the solar system, and in that manner also to lead the people up 

 to the knowledge of the only true Creator of heaven and earth. 



The Rev. ^ Simon Cat was day and night employed in Sing- 

 halese ; he had translated part of the gospel of Matthew ; and 

 Was now making preparations for the seminary ; his Singhalese 

 dictionary was completed, but his age being more than 60 years, 

 prevented his going on so successfully as to meet the demand, 

 A Tamil version was completed of the Epistle of James; and 

 of the Acts up to the 14th chapter. 



In 1693 three ministers arrived, of whom one devoted him« 

 self to the seminary, and the other went to live in the country 

 for the sake of greater facility in acquiring Singhalese. One 

 was removed from Jaffna to Tranquebar, another from Cochin 

 to Colombo. In 1695 Marinus Mazius, an eminently useful 

 man, had reached his 80th year, and was allowed to retire from 

 service, but continued to attend the consistory meeting and as- 

 sist his brethren with his experience of Indian Churches* Th§ 



