Principles of Divinity, lately published. We were overjoyed to hear the children of the blacks answer so prettily to all the questions of the Christian religion; but were much amazed to see, that the Christians use their slaves so hard, and (as it was said,) deny them the very benefit of baptism, whereby they might be initiated into the Christian faith.'

"Tranquebar, July 12, 1706. Since the Lord, in his infinite mercy, has been pleased to bring us hither safe and sound; we find ourselves in duty bound, most humbly to return thanks for so signal a favor, and likewise to encourage our friends to join with us, in so noble an exercise; being fully assured, that your prayers and good wishes have all along attended us hither. We arrived in good health on the 9th July, and were received with great joy.'

"This place lies under the 11th degree this side the line, and is altogether inhabited by Malabarian Heathens; so that we shall find work enough cut out for us here, without being obliged to go further up into the country, for the present. We converse daily with them, and allow every one a free access to us: which is the reason that they begin to love us heartily.'

"Sept. 16, 1704-Having given you, in a preceding letter, some account of the idols of the Malabarians; I shall now proceed both to their own language and that of the Portuguese. With the latter of these, we have hitherto endeavored to acquaint ourselves, supposing it might prove a help for the better discharge of our pastoral function towards the poor Heathens. In learning the Portuguese we have passed through many difficulties, having been all along destitute, both in our ship and in this country, of all manner of useful helps to get it. Besides this, we perceived a vast difference betwixt the vulgar Portuguese, spoke here by many heathens themselves, and the manner of speaking it in Portugal. We thought it therefore necessary, to render the fundamentals of this latter dialect so familiar to us, that we might be able afterwards to condescend also to the more vulgar form ofspeaking. In order to this, we had a strange providence attending us, in getting a New Testament in the native Portuguese, together with a grammar, compiled for the benefit of such Portuguese as have a mind to learn Latin. By daily reading of these two books, and continual hearing and speaking that tongue, we have at last make so considerable a progress in it, that we are able pretty well to cate

chize the heathens in Portuguese. We design now to set down in that language a collection of the chief heads of the whole Scripture, and of the Christian doctrine, and then get them translated into Malabaric. However the Malabarian language being involved in far more difficulties than the Portuguese, we at first were at a stand, not knowing whether it would be wisely done to spend our time in learning it.' 'But at last we agreed that one of us should employ himself to get the language of the country to such a degree, as to be fit to improve it to the main scope we are sent hither for. In order hereto we cast lots; and the lot falling on Mr. Plutscho, he readily embraced it, and now applyeth himself entirely to the learning of that language. As for me, though I don't design to be quite without the knowledge thereof, (spending an hour or two every day to that purpose:) yet the chief bent of my endeavors will be to set down the more substantial points of the Christian doctrine in Portuguese, and get them translated by some able interpreter into Malabaric, whereby one thing or other will stick to my memory from time to time. To facilitate the whole design, we maintain a particular schoolmas ter in the house, in hopes that God will second it with his blessing.' 'A few days ago, I caused the Lord's Prayer, together with another for true conversion, first made in the Portuguese tongue, to be put into Malabaric, for the use of such Heathens, as have a mind to embrace the Christian religion. I began also to collect a dictionary, with the help of my colleague.' 'It were to be wished, that the Malabaric tongue was taught and learnt in Europe with as great industry as any other of the eastern languages; especially since these Heathens are a very numerous people, and make a large body of the eastern nations. By this means, they might, under God's assistance, be rescued from their gross blindness and ignorance; if protestant kings and powers would but readily join in lending a helping hand to so glorious a work, and furnish a competent stock, for making the necessary preparations towards it.'

""My schoolmaster has often put such philosophical questions to me, as really made me believe, that in searching their notions, one might discover things very fit to entertain the curiosity of many a learned head in Europe. I am now in search after them, and get them transcribed at no small expense; it being very useful for our design, to have

a competent insight into the grounds their idolatrous worship is raised on, and into all the other matters relating thereto. Such a discovery may in time prove a mean to strike at the very fundamentals of their religion, and convince them of the groundlessness the whole structure of their idolatry rests on, and at last, after the removal of such prejudices, clear the way for true and substantial knowledge.

"Truly, the Malabarians being a witty and sagacious people, will needs be managed with a great deal of wisdom and circumspection. Our schoolmaster argueth daily with us, and requireth good reasons and arguments for every thing. We hope to bring him over to the Christian knowledge; but he is confident as yet, that one time or other we shall all turn Malabarians, and in this hope he takes all the pains imaginable, to render things as plain and easy to us as possibly he can.

"This day an eminent black merchant paid us a visit, and gave an occasion to many a good discourse. The chief stress of our conference ran upon the folly of the Malabar idols; and he being entirely upon our side, and addressing himself to our schoolmaster, told him in plain terms, what great reasons the Malabarians had to turn to the one and only true God. Such kind of visits and conferences we enjoy almost every day, having, for our better conveniency, hired a house to ourselves. The Roman Catholics are in the mean time very vigilant, to play us some ill trick or other, and their spies have been with us but just now; but we civilly dismissed them. May the Lord God of Hosts, whose work we design to promote, protect us, and gather unto himself at last a church and peculiar people from among this wild inultitude of Heathens! And then let the devil and his infernal herd rage against it to the utmost; we know there is an over-ruling Power, confining him to such boundaries, as he will not be able to transgress.'

“Oct. 16, 1706.—-At our arrival here, we were like to be much cast down, by reason of finding every thing vitia. ted and corrupted among the pagans, by the scandalous life of our Christians. Besides this, we perceived soon enough, that our attempt upon the conversion of the Heathens, seemed to the greater part of the Christians themselves a ridiculous piece of work; and some did not stick to discover their utter dislike of an undertaking of this na

ture *

But notwithstanding all this, we continued in daily prayers and supplications to God; beseeching him, that, since we had so little aid and encouragement to expect from men, He himself would open a door unto us, and favor us the more with his wonted mercy and goodness, which then commonly begins to act, when things seem to be at the worst. Hereupon the Lord was pleased powerfully to support us by a comfortable instance of his providence, assuring us thereby that he himself would bear witness to our ministry among the Heathens.'

"You may perhaps still remember the words spoken once while we were yet with you: If the Lord should be pleased to grant us the conversion of but one soul among the Heathens, we should think our voyage sufficiently rewarded. Now seeing our desire has been answered thus far, I could not but impart these glad tidings, to the praise of God, and your own satisfaction."

"As soon as we came to anchor here, a pretty young man of the Malabarian race, coming to our ship, made some inquiry about us, and asked me: whether I would not take him to be my servant? Whereupon I consulted with my colleague, and we both thought it to be a providence; and so took him into our service. His name is Modaliapa, of about twenty years of age. His mother, being still alive, is of good extraction; her grandfather having been a prince of this country. His father served the East-India Company here, and got a great deal of wealth: but before he died he gave all away to the Company, with this request, that they would employ his son in their service, and see him well educated; and he deposited a certain sum of money for this purpose. But all being come to nothing, both his own nd his mother's estate being lost or consumed, this young man hath been reduced to such a low condition, that he is fain go to service for his livelihood.

"This young Malabarian, after he had been with us for about eight days, and seen our life and conversation, became extraordinary kind to us, insomuch that he would ask

* "Then, as now, it appears, that the great opposers of missionary attempts were to be found among men calling themselves Christians; the Scott Warings, and the Bengal Officers of other times. It was, however, reserved for the present day, to witness the desecration of the clerical character, by an unmeasured hostility to such benev olent undertakings"

in the Portuguese tongue (which he understands very well), whether he might not always stay with us, and go over one time or other to Europe? We replied: if this was his earnest desire, he ought then to embrace the Christian religion, and learn our language. He said: as for the Christian religion, he would first be instructed in the fundamental principles thereof, and get a competent knowledge of our way of worship. But as for the High Dutch, he fell to it immediately, beginning now to read and speak many things pretty well. We at that time understood but little Portuguese.' 'However, we employed some others now and then to inform him in several points relating to religion, especially in the doctrine of the only true God, and his Son, Jesus Christ, with the Holy Spirit: likewise in the doctrine of our misery and fallen condition, &c. This made such an impression upon him that he freely confessed, the way of worship used by the Malabarians, was erroneous, and that of the Christians true. In all this he expressed himself with so much ingenuity and good sense, that I was surprised thereat, as expecting no such thing from a heathen. The 25th of July, one visited us, who was thoroughly acquainted with the Portuguese language. To him Modaliapa applying himself in discourse, began to talk of the kings in Europe, rehearsing them all over one after another. I gave him to understand by that friend, who likewise spoke German, that true and real Christians were spiritual kings, and inheritors of many glorious possessions purchased by Christ. His answer was, he believed all this; but said, that in this dignity such only had an interest, as had here constantly conversed with God, and been entirely bent upon an holy life.'*

"The 30th of July, I took a walk with him into the country, quite alone. And truly, I had then many a useful discourse with him. The sun most brightly shining upon us, I asked him, among other things, whether the Malabarians did worship the sun like one of their gods? He said, they did: but as for me, said he, I own the sun to be only a creature of the great God. He added: 'As sure as I am, that the way we are walking in, is the right way, and all other ways, in relation to the place we are going to, are wrong; so fully am I also convinced, that all that I have heard and seen from you, is right and true; but our heathen

* "Much more passsed at this meeting, which seemed to make a deep impression on the mind of the young Malabarian."