Chap.XL VI. A Defcriftion of CEYLON. 
8ii 
The Dutch 
Mlnifiers 
in the In- 
dies under- 
go more 
Difficulties 
than the 
Romanifts* 
But the greateft Trouble that belongs 
to a Minifter in thefe parts, is the In- 
flrudion to be given both to young and 
old by way of mouth, which is beft done 
by way of Queftion and Anfwer, which 
makes the deepeft Impreflion into the 
Minds of thefe tender Chriftians. Be- 
fides, as the Malabar Tongue is fo diffi- 
cult to attain to, that none of our Mini- 
fters dare pretend to the Perfeftion of 
it ; fo on the other hand, they may learn 
without much trouble, as much as is requi- 
fite for the inftrudting them in the main 
Points of our Religion. Add to this, 
that our Minifters undergo much more 
Fatigue in their Stations than the Romljh 
Ecclefiafticks, who preach very feldom \ 
and each Church having its peculiar At- 
tendant, they are not oblig'd to travel 
from place to place as we do. Befides, 
that they bring the Ponuguefe Language 
commonly along with them, which ours 
are forc'd to learn upon the fpot, not 
without great difficulty •, not to mention 
feveral other Difadvantages on our fide, 
fufficient to convince thofe who extol the 
Merits of the Romrjh Clergy upon that 
fcore, and vilify ours : thefe I would have 
confider, that at this time there are no 
more than two or three Minifters belong- 
ing to all thefe Churches, which had no 
left than forty in the time of the PortH- 
guefes ; and we have three Sermons every 
Sunday, and one in the Week j befides 
the conftant Vifitations of the Churches 
in the Country. 
Before my departure, I took care to 
have the next following Pieces tranflated 
(the fame being revis'd by me before) 
out of the Portuguefe into the Malabar^ 
by Franm de Fonfeca.^ a Member of the 
Keform'd Churches. 
" 7 he Gofpel of St. Matthew. The 
" LefTer Catechifm. Inftrudtions for 
Communicants. Qjjeftions and An- 
" fwers out of the New Teftament, 
Short Queflions and Anfwers concern- 
ing the chief Matters contain d in the 
Old Teftament. ( This was not quite 
perfected at the time of ray departure. ) 
Confolations for the Sick. Formulary 
of Baptifm, both for Children and o- 
" thers. Morning and Evening Prayers, 
" as alfo Devotions to be ufed both before 
" and after Sermons, and before and after 
" Meals. Prayers for Rain and a fruitful 
" Seafon. Thankfgivings on account of 
" Vidtories obtain'd againft our Enemies, 
Prayers to be us'd in the Army before an 
" Engagement. Prayers for Criminals 
before Execution. .Formulary and Pray- 
" ers of Marriage. Some Pfalms of 
Vol. HI. 
a 
David {Qt in Metre after the Malabar ^V)"^' 
falhion. Some Sermons, wjc. upon the 
*' Nativity of Chrift, upon his Pafiion, and 
''Death, Refurreftion and Afcenlfon; 
" upon the fending of the Holy Ghoft, 
" the Circamcifion of our Saviour, the 
" Hiftory of the Wife Men of the Eafl, 
" the Refurredion and Day of laft Judg- 
" raent upon Charity due from one 
Chriftian to another, out of Luke lo. 
Who is our Neighbour ? the rejoycing 
of the Angels in Heaven for the Con- 
verfion of a Sinner, upon the Qjieftion 
" of the Pharifees, Mat. \ z. v. 38. and 
" fuch like. 
I had abundance of other Sermons by 
me in the Portuguefe Language, but for 
want of a good Interpreter (whom I 
mention'd before, having his hands full 
with the reft ) the fame was fain to be 
defer'd till another opportunity, tho at 
the fame time I never thought it con- 
venient to overcharge thefe People with 
many Books, purfuant to the Opinion 
of Mr. John Aiaatz.uyker our General, 
in his Letter fent to me from Batavia.^ 
Sept. 18. 1662. 
J Could not without an extreme 
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tisfadtion undevftand the happy Con- 
dition of the Churches in Jafnapat- 
naniy and the Effects of your Induft ry. 
God Almighty blefs your Endeavours 
and Zeal to the honour of his holy 
Name, and the Salvation of many 
thoufand Souls. Being in great wane 
of Books for the Churches and Schools 
of this Country, it is impoffible to 
gratify your defire, efp.ecially fmce 
many of thefe Books are very ill ma-, 
nag'd by fome People. I hope you are 
pretty well provided by this time, 
that your good Intentions may not be 
difappointed for want of them. Tho 
in my opinion Reading and Writing are 
things not fo abfolutely necelTary for the 
" Edification of thefe poor Wretches, as 
that, they may be inftrufted in the 
Fundamentals of Religion, which con- 
lifts in few Points. For in cafe we 
pretend to propagate Chriftianity by 
reading and writing, ! am afraid ic 
will prove both tedious and chargeable 
to the Company. To promote this 
holy Work we have fent three Mini- 
fters, whereof two are gone with the 
Ships to Malabar., and the third is late- 
ly arriv'd with the Yacht the yichilles : 
they are all three young Men, and 
not long ago came from Holland.^ and 
confequently moft likely to do confi- 
derable Service for a long time, provi- 
Mmm m m 2 "•■^ ded 
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