preach to the Malabarian converts in their own language, and Mr. Berlin made an useful, earnest lecture in Portuguese. The people seemed far more attentive, serious, and composed in their behavior, than our Europeans generally are. And the children whom I heard catechised in Portuguese, have juster notions of religion, and are greater proficients in true Christian knowledge, than those of a more advanced age are among us. I have no time to enlarge upon the order and good discipline that are kept up in the three schools, nor the continual successful labors of the missionaries. The governor, and the Danish minister of Tranquebar, gave Mr. Grundler an extraordinary character, and confirm the good opinion I always had of him. He is a man of great probity, sobriety, prudence, and every good quality, necessary to render him capable of carrying on the work of the mission. Mr. Berlin is also a very pious, diligent youth, and seems to have a genius for languages, which is very requisite in a missionary: he made so great a progress in the Portuguese tongue, that he was master of it in one year, and now preaches in it with great ease and fluency. As for Mr. Adler, he is an artist so useful and ingenious, that he deserves the greatest encouragement. I saw the paper-mill he is now a making: it is in great forwardness, and will be finished, he says, in a few months.'"*

Mr. Gillies, (quoting Millar's and Prince's Histories, with their authorities,) furnishes an account of this mission down to the year 1740.

"There is another pamphlet," says he, "giving an account of the religion, government, and economy of the Malabarians, sent by the Danish missionaries to their correspondents in Europe, translated from high Dutch and printed at London in 1717. The whole is pleasing and edifying, by way of question and answer. But I shall only notice a few queries. Quest. 2, 'Have you discovered some true workings of grace in the souls of these catechumens? are you sure there is more in their conversion than a bare external compliance with, and verbal confession of the Christian doctrine? what proofs and indications have you of an inward work of grace? Ans. After the Gospel of Christ had begun to be preached to this Heathen world, many commotions have been observed among Heathens, Mahometans, and Po

*Christian Observer, vol. x, p. 137-139.

pishly affected Christians. Before we began to preach here, every one thought himself safe in his wonted way of religion, without any doubt about his future salvation; but after we have begun to call in question the goodness of their religion, and alarmed them into some doubts and apprehensions, many have exclaimed against us, and loaded our labor with lies and calumnies: others have been so far convinced, as to own, they stand in need of a thorough conversion, and been willing to discourse with us more at large about their better concerns; but then they have suffered themselves to be diverted from so good a design by the cunning of Satan. Others of the Heathen have agreed with us in many points, and have approved of whatever is written in the word of God concerning a holy and virtuous life; but then they have refused the name of Christians, pretending they could be saved without all this. Some at last have been entirely convinced of the necessity of believing on Christ, and of being baptized in his holy name, and have fully complied with these terms. However, before their admission to so sacred an ordinance, they have been faithfully instructed in the most necessary articles of our religion, especially about the nature of faith in Christ, and true repentance preceding it. Whenever we found so desirable a change in some degree upon their minds, attended with a hearty desire to be admitted to baptism, we then made no further delay in administering it to them, for fear of giving their friends occasion to obstruct the design, and by the craft of the devil, to make them return to Heathenism, as it has happened to some: yet none have ever been admitted to baptism, without previous instruction in the principles of the catechism for two or three months together. None of these Catechumens but has had his share both of outward afflictions and inward temptations, during that time wherein he was prepared for baptism. When baptised, we must leave them to the powerful operation of the good Spirit of God, and thank the Lord for so promising a beginning he has hitherto granted to our weak endeavors, in rescuing some from heathenish errors and superstitions, particularly in the midst of so many impediments that surround us on all hands. Quest. 3. What method do you observe in preaching and administering the sacraments? Ans. When I first began to preach in Malabaric, I did always choose such a sentence of Scripture as treated upon an article of faith, and this I explained in an easy doctrinal manner. According to this method I preached

twenty-five sermons, and therein I opened, as well as I could, the principal branches of our holy religion. Afterwards being straitened in time, I could not set down any longer my sermons at large, but was fain to preach without the help of such notes. However, I did earnestly meditate upon every point I was to propose, that I might deliver it in a good connexion, and with all plainness-expounding the text, and then applying it by way of instruction, correction, consolation, &c. My fellow laborer has hitherto preached on the Gospels in the Portuguese tongue, and in that language he catechises every week. In the administration of the holy communion, we follow the liturgy of the church of Denmark; every one that intends to receive the sacrament must give notice of it eight days before. During this time he is every day catechised one hour, admonished, and prepared for receiving that ordinance. Baptism is likewise administered conform to that ritual.""

"The fourth volume of letters, concerning the propagation of Christianity by the Danish missionarics, is not yet published, so far as I know. I write this in August, 1723; but by several letters printed at London in the year 1720, it appears, that the said missionaries wrote to our present sovereign king George, the following letter."

"TO THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN.

""IT is not unknown to your majesty, that God hath inclined the heart of his Danish majesty king Frederick the fourth, to begin the propagation of the Gospel among the heathen in the East Indies, with the management whereof we, the unworthy servants and dispensers of the word of God, are intrusted; and, according to the talents God has been pleased to bestow upon us from above, we endeavor with all diligence and fidelity, both by preaching and writing, to promote the conversion of the Gentiles. There are many pious and learned gentlemen in your majesty's kingdom, who take great pleasure in this work, and have seconded it in the best manner, both by their good advice and assistance; and your majesty having been graciously pleased to permit Bartholomew Ziegenbalgh, one of the underwritten missionaries, when at London last year, with all humility to give your majesty a verbal account of the whole undertaking, we cannot but entertain good hopes from thence, that your majesty will receive with some satisfaction, from the

midst of the heathen in this country, our joyful acknowledgments for the favorable inclinations your majesty was pleased to express towards the work of conversion carried on among them. Among all the crowned heads of the Protestant powers, your majesty, by means of the large extensive commerce your subjects are engaged in with other nations, hath the fairest opportunity of publishing the Gospel of Christ in divers languages, among those that do not believe it, and thereby to promote the conversion of the Heathen: and it is not a small number of your majesty's subjects, as well those of the first rank, as others in a lower station, who heartily espouse the propagation of the Gospel, and promoting Christian knowledge. These considerations make us hope, that your majesty being firmly seated on your throne, will be more at leisure to regard and lay to heart the spreading of the saving Gospel of Christ in the Pagan world. This will be accompanied with a continual blessing in this life, and an eternal reward in that which is to come. As we desire hereby to return our most humble acknowledgments for the great assistance received from your majesty's supjects of Great Britain, towards carrying on this work in the heathen world; so we do further most humbly beseech your majesty, to have this most Christian design in most gracious remembrance, and to continue to favor both the mission and us who are engaged in it. We wish your majesty, and all the royal family of Great Britain, a plentiful effusion of Divine grace, and all temporal blessings, with a happy and prosperous government; and continue with the greatest submission, &c.' "Written at Tranquebar in the East Indies, upon the coast of Coromandel, January 2d, 1717. BARTHOLOMEW ZIEGENBALGH, JOHN ERNEST GRUNDLer.'

To which letter our sovereign returned the following answer. It is a most acceptable relation you have given us in a letter, dated the 2d of January of this present year, not only because the work of conversion to the Christian faith begun among the Heathens, does, by the grace of God, prosperously advance; but also, that in this our kingdom is shown so much of laudable zeal, towards supporting the propaga tion of the Gospel. We wish you heaith and strength long to discharge your function, with a continued happy success: and as we shall be always very well pleased to hear of the

progress thereof, so we shall at a proper season, be found ready to assist you in what shall tend to the promotion of this affair, and your encouragement. Given at our palace at Hampton-court, Aug. 23, 1717, the fourth year of our reign. We remain graciously inclined to you,

GEORGE R.'"

"To this letter the said missionaries made a suitable return; as follows.

"TO THE KING OF GREAT BRITAIN, ETC.

"Your majesty's most gracious letter of Aug. 23, 1717, came to us on the 4th of May following. We received it with, the greatest joy imaginable, and were highly comforted and quickened in our zeal for the glory of Almighty God, when we read these your majesty's most gracious expres sions: "As we shall be always well pleased to hear of the happy success and progress of this work, so we shall, at a proper season, be found ready to assist you in what shall tend to the promotion of this affair, and your encouragement." Your majesty hereby most graciously allows us to make a further report of the state of our affairs, and we thence conceive joyful hopes, that your majesty will add to the glorious title of defender of the faith; the noble character of its zealous promoter, not only by supporting the reign of Jesus Christ in your own dominions, but also by promoting and extending it among the heathens and infidels, in the most remote parts of the world. Therefore, after having heartily thanked God Almighty for inclining your majesty's heart toward so holy a design, and with the profoundest submission acknowledged your majesty's high favor toward us your unworthy servants; may it please your majesty to accept of the following account of the state of that work in which we are employed. We the missionarics on our part are endeavoring, according to the measure of the grace God Almighty has imparted to us, plentifully to spread abroad the seed of the word of God among the Heathens in their own language, there being no other means for touching the hearts of Heathens, in order to their conversion. We also maintain Indians to assist us as catechists, for which function we first prepare them, by instructing them in the saving faith of Jesus Christ, and then send them to pro pagate it among the Heathens. To such places whither the instruction of the Gospel by word of mouth cannot reach, we send our printed