44 CEYLON BRANCH — ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY. 



tianity, they are and remain nevertheless the enemies of Christ., 

 bis cross and his truth, they submit to him but in appearance* 

 You know how cautiously the Jewish hurch acted with their 

 proselytes, as also the primitive christians when they admitted' 

 many out of heathenism as members of ( hrist Church, That 

 laudable example ought the overseers of Christ still 'to follow. 

 As to our remark about Europeans : you know how heinous' 

 the sin of perjury is, and how severely it was punished even 

 among pagans, as appears from the writings of Plato, Plutarch. 

 Sophocles &c, who said that even the posterity of perjurers 

 were visited with the sins of their fathers. And what is more 

 proper than that they, for whose prosperous .voyage a day of 

 prayer is solemnly set apart, should also join and pray for 

 themselves. And what offence fornication among christians must 

 cause to heathens you can yourselves judge. How desirable 

 therefore that all we have mentioned be removed and reformed. 

 To that end we shall do our best, and recommend you to. 

 guard with all vigilance against these offences ; and is your la- 

 bour in. vain, you have the inward satisfaction of having done 

 your sacred duty. " 



In reply to the application for more ministers, the classis 

 replied, that their delegate had appeared before the Council of 

 XVII and forcibly represented the likelihood of the Island be- 

 coming destitute of ministers by the occurrence of the least in- 

 convenience ; that there was a time when the Island had 14 

 or 15, and that there were now but 4 capable of doing duty, 

 of whom Agotha, at Galle was far advanced in life ; Doude, 

 at Jaffna not yet restored to health; and that since the last 

 18 months they had been deprived of 5 ministers. The arrange- 

 ment was then made that one or two who could be spared in 

 Java and Malacca should proceed to Ceylon. A selection of 

 six was also made, four for Java and its dependencies, one for 

 Ceylon, and one for the Cape, the latter being required to preach 

 in French as well as in Dutch for the benefit of the French 

 refugees settled at the Cape. 



