60 CEYLON BRANCH— ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY* 



be spared. The Colombo minister who hal to visit Calpen* yp. 

 this year was obliged to proceed not only to Tutucoreen but 

 even to Cochin, which were also vacant Churches. 



In 1 745 not only from ten to twelve printed editions both in 

 Singhalese and Tamil of catechisms large and small, of prayers, 

 formularies, sermons, and of the New Testament had successively 

 come to light, but also a work was in circulation for the be- 

 nefit of Singhalese readers, consisting of 243 octavo pages, en- 

 titled, the doctrine of truth and Godliness. Three successive 

 years complaint was uniformly made of indifference and small amount 

 of religious knowledge am ong native christians. But the Reformed 

 Church met with increased opposition from popery ; its emis- 

 saries were stated to be in all places drawing away the peo- 

 ple. These agents, who appear to have held the office of ca- 

 techists, were, on account of their colour and dress, not distin- 

 guishable from other people, and therefore difficulty was found 

 in discovering and apprehending them. Their influence had so 

 far increased, that several Singhalese refused to answer certain 

 questions of the catechism out of which they were taught, al a 

 ledging that they were Roman Catholics. 



In 1750 the Roman Catholics in the Negombo district ad- 

 dressed a Memorial in Tamil to Government, which was referred 

 to the consistory for consideration. It contained the following 

 complaints. That as the petitioners adhered to the Roman Ca- 

 tholic faith which had been taught two hundred years ago to 

 their forefathers, they did not wish their children to learn in 

 the Government schools tenets which were contrary to their be- 

 lief, and which it grieved them to hear rehearsed by their chil- 

 dren on their return from school. That to escape the Go- 

 vernment penalty or fine they got their children baptized in 

 the Reformed Church and let them attend school, but that they 

 were nevertheless in the practice of secretly baptizing the same 

 children into the Romish Church. That although they had been 

 taught in the schools to deny, yet that they still believed and 



