14 



CEYLON BRANCH 



Holland for Colonial service on the one hand, and the increas- 

 ing demand in their colonies on the other, and partly (if I may 

 venture on an inference) for the sake of economy. The Com- 

 pany then promised to revert to the old practice of appointing 

 none but ordained ministers. 



It has been mentioned that separate ministers were 

 requested in 1669 for Matura, Manaar and Negombo, but it 

 ought not to be inferred thence that those places had no located 

 ministers before. The number of ministers in Ceylon in early 

 years fluctuated considerably. Sometime there was a liberal 

 supply, both from Holland and from Batavia, and then the 

 smaller towns were immediately provided for ; at other times 

 frequent deaths or removals to the Coast or to Malacca or 

 J ava occasioned vacancies, when the principal towns were of 

 course first supplied, not unfrequently to the deprivation of out- 

 stations. In 1670 there were 4 at Colombo, 2 at Galle, at Matura, 

 1 at Manaar, 3 at Jaffna, and 2 at Cochin. The arrival of 

 ministers for the Ceylon service was from Batavia frequently 

 unexpected, owing to arrangements of which the Ceylon 

 Churches were ignorant. This year the state of Native 

 Churches in the Colombo district is represented as not so satis- 

 factory as was wished, owing to certain rebellious Singhalese, 

 who however shortly afterwards retreated 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 consulted the Colombo Con- 

 sistory, in what manner the state of Churches and the success 

 of their schools should be communicated. 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 rea- 



