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CEYLON BRANCH 



to that language, and had translated D'Outrein's sketch of 

 religion ; and that these two be relieved of their ministerial 

 duties in Dutch, by the other clergy, in order that more leisure 

 be given for their Singhalese studies. The proposal was gladly 

 accepted. Mr. Wetzelius was highly spoken of for his attain^ 

 ments; he preached in Singhalese also with great success to a 

 concourse of natives. The Kegombo proponent, having proved 

 a disgrace to his calling, was dismissed, but the two who had 

 been lately promoted from the seminary were conducting them- 

 selves well, and appeared useful. Frequent complaints were 

 made about two Jaffna proponents. 



In 1729 the Dutch congregation was represented to be in 

 a flourishing state, under the figure of a vine, which can indeed 

 bear good grapes, though the number be not great, nor all 

 come to perfection, nor be so apparent to spectators ; but the 

 husbandman can satisfy himself that the vine has not been 

 neglected, and that the fruit though not abundant is of a good 

 quality. A great drawback to the Dutch congregation was 

 that its members, being mostly Company's servants, were not 

 permanent, but had continually to remove from one station to 

 another. But the next year it was remarked that they could 

 be more exemplary. The state of native Christians was said 

 this year, to be melancholy, heathenism had revived among 

 nominal Christians ; temples and sanctuaries for images ex-, 

 ceeded in number the Churches and schools, which latter had 

 often to be closed on account of priests who had settled almost 

 in every village, to destroy what had been built up with much 

 care, and who were more esteemed than the clergyman. In 

 the Colombo district however things were not so bad ; there 

 was no public manifestation of heathenism ; while many were 

 found at the annual visitation to possess a decent amount of 

 knowledge, and an eagerness to learn, which was encourag- 

 ing and hopeful. 



