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CEYLON RKANCH 



expedition at Cochin. We have on Sundays preaching thrice, 

 catechising once, and a catechizing on Thursdays. There are 

 in the country 39 Churches, which are also schools of instruc- 

 tion to 12,000 children, who by the grace of God are improving. 

 In all these places sermons are read in Tamil on the Sabbath 

 days, to which the people resort in great numbers. One of 

 our ministers is always out in the country. May God bless 

 the work to His glory, to the accession of souls, and to our 

 salvation." There were at this time 4 clergymen stationed at 

 Colombo. They complained to the classes of the great scar- 

 city of Dutch Elementary School-books, catechisms and sta- 

 tionery, stating that as the children of the Dutch colonists 

 were springing up, the demand of school materials was on the 

 increase. The classis replied that they had presented the ap- 

 plication to the Representatives of the East India Company, 

 who said, that they were always in the habit of sending school 

 materials together with their other stores, but that they were 

 not just then prepared to supply Ceylon immediately. 



I mentioned in my introductory paper on the Ecclesias- 

 tical establishment of the Dutch in Ceylon, that either on the 

 arrival of a minister in the Colony, or on his removal from one 

 station to another, he was always furnished with a letter of re- 

 commendation from the Consistory he left to the Consiston- he 

 was to join : copies of many such letters are preserved ; the 

 quotation of one from Colombo to Jaffna dated 1668, which is 

 one of the shortest, may serve as a specimen. "Herewith goes 

 over to you the Rev. Servateus Clavius, a man who to us and 

 to our meeting has appeared in every respect to be gifted with 

 peculiarly sound judgment and learning, and who, we trust, 

 will be to God's Church of great edification, and occasion to 

 you Reverend brethren much delight and satisfaction, and 

 prove very profitable for the increase of the tender Christianity 



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