which they only desire for themselves, and that you would consult in these matters what is conducive to the peace, security, and welfare of the Church, not indeed giving place, even for an hour, to those prejudiced or wicked brethren who pretend to set up the right of the heathen magistrates to name Church Governors, against that of the See of Antioch, but not denying even to the gainsaying and the prejudiced, that character which is allowed them by the nation, if it should appear on due examination and trial by the faithful, the priests, and doctors of Malabar, that the character of Bishop does of right belong to them. By these mild means, and by inviting a fair and impartial trial of all doubtful matters, the peace and order of the Church will be best promoted. Our brethren and fathers of the English Church all look with the greatest interest and affection on the state of the Church of the Apostle St. Thomas, in Malabar, all desire earnestly to see it in peace and prosperity, and its connexion with Syria unimpaired, and they all will hear with sorrow of the violent removal of your Legate from this country. I am now engaged, as is my bounden duty, in giving an account of these transactions, with the whole of the wishes of our blessed Father concerning them, to our venerable Father and Lord Mar Carolus, Primate of England.

&c. &c. &c.

THOMAS ROBINSON,

Priest and Ramban of Mar Reginald the Blessed.

VOL. II.

3 R

EXTRACTS FROM A LETTER TO THE REVEREND WILLIAM ROY, SECRETARY TO THE MADRAS DIOCESAN COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE PROPAGATION OF THE GOSPEL.

Tanjore, October 19, 1826.

Our dear Father, the late revered Bishop Heber, arrived here early on the 25th of March, and on the day following, which was Easter Sunday, he preached at the Mission Church in the Little Fort a most impressive sermon on Rev. i. 8. “I am he that liveth and was dead, and behold I am alive for evermore." The powerful truths that proved the glory of the Saviour, and the most affecting arguments to prevail on every one to trust in Him, and to love and honour Him, made a deep impression on the hearts of the hearers. His Lordship then administered the Holy Sacrament to thirty persons of the English, and fifty-seven of the Tamul congregation. A great part of our native congregation, who understood English, attended the divine service, and although they could not have understood every particular of the learned, yet very awakening sermon of his Lordship's, being, however, much affected by it, after divine service they unanimously prayed his Lordship to grant them a copy of the same; most condescendingly he told them that he would send them a copy of it with some alterations, that they might be able to understand it better. We greatly lament that this kind promise cannot now be accomplished!

After divine service, his Lordship also signified his intention of seeing the Tamul congregation in the evening, and appointed the day following for the confirmation of the English and Tamul young people who were presented to him after Church. In the evening Divine Service was performed in Tamul at the Mission Church in the Little Fort. It commenced at half-past six. The Church was illuminated by the kindness of our Resident, Captain Fyfe. The Liturgy was read by the Rev. Mr. Bahrenbruck, and

Nullatambi, native priests. The Rev. Dr. Cæmmerer preached on St. John xi. 25. After the conclusion of the sermon, his Lordship pronounced the blessing in Tamul from the altar, correct, and distinct, to the great surprise and joy of the whole native congregation.

On Easter Monday, in the forenoon, after the reading of the service, twelve young persons of the English, and fifty of the native congregation, were confirmed by his Lordship, the former in the English and the latter in the Tamul language. The correctness with which his Lordship pronounced every word in Tamul, was not only striking, but will be always remembered by our native Christians as a proof of the apostolic spirit which was in him, a proof of his fervent zeal and benevolent disposition to promote the eternal welfare, not only of Europeans, but also of the poor natives.

In the evening, after the sermon, his Lordship delivered a most affecting address from the altar, to the missionaries and the native priests who were present, animating them to zeal and diligence in the discharge of their important work, under all trials and difficulties, according to the example of the holy Apostle and of Schwartz, the founder of this, and of the Trichinopoly mission. The address was delivered near the remains of the venerable Schwartz, and thereby rendered more affecting to every one present. It was delivered extempore. It seems his Lordship had no thought of delivering this address when he entered the chapel, and the thought struck him only at the sight of the number of missionaries and native priests whom he saw before him. Although it was delivered with remarkable plainness, yet every word of it came with power, and went through the heart. Oh how glad would I be if I had a copy of that excellent address! May a merciful God help us by his Holy Spirit, that we may always remember and do what has been told us by our dear Father!

On the three following days his Lordship spent a great part of the forenoon and afternoon in enquiring into the various con

cerns of the Tanjore and Tinnevelly Missions, gave necessary directions to the missionaries to be observed by them for the good of those missions, and had the kindness to signify to them those directions in a letter written with his own hand, on Friday the 31st of March, the day he left Tanjore for Trichinopoly. Petitions were also presented to his Lordship by native priests, catechists, and poor. He received them with great condescension, granted the relief solicited for, and promised to do what could not have been done immediately. Two of the native teachers at this place were presented to his Lordship as fit subjects for being ordained, and were approved of by him.

The Rev. G. Sperschneider, who had been lately on a visit to the mission at Trichinopoly, having made mention, among other particulars, about eleven young people there who wished to be confirmed, I set out for that place in order to present them to his Lordship for confirmation, and arrived on the 2nd of April with the Rev. Mr. Schreyvogel. We attended divine service at St. John's, and had the happiness of hearing another very impressive sermon preached by his Lordship on 1 John v. 6, 7. His Lordship then let me know, by his chaplain, that as the English and Tamul confirmations could not conveniently be performed at the same time, he was purposed to confirm the young people of the Tamul congregation, early the following morning at the Mission Church in the Fort. In the evening his Lordship confirmed about seventy persons of St. John's parish, and delivered afterwards from the pulpit a most affectionate address to the young people in particular who were confirmed, to be faithful to their sacred engagements, and to watchfulness and prayer.

Agreeably to his Lordship's desire the Tamul congregation assembled very early on Monday morning the 3rd of April, at the Mission Church in the Fort. His Lordship arrived at sun-rise, and after the reading of usual prayers, he confirmed in Tamul eleven young persons of the Trichinopoly mission. The service was solemn and affecting, and I sincerely hope that every one of

those who were confirmed by the hands of our late dear Father, were deeply impressed with a lively sense of the solemn act performed by them. The service was concluded by the blessing pronounced by his Lordship in Tamul.

After service his Lordship took a view of the Mission Church, and expressed his regret at the decayed state it was in, and the distress of the mission, adding that, after deliberation, he would communicate his thoughts for the repair of the Church, and the good of the Trichinopoly mission; he also took a view of the English and Tamul schools, and the missionary's house, which are all built near the Church. A great part of the Tamul congregation being still present, his Lordship exhorted them to be Christians not only in name but in reality, to shine as lights before the heathen among whom they lived. He promised to send them soon a missionary, and wished that God would pour down his blessings upon them. He then very kindly took leave of me, and returned to the house of Mr. Bird, Circuit Judge. Little did I think that that was the last farewell-and never to see him again in this world!

Three hours had hardly elapsed since his Lordship left the Church, when a rumour was spread in the Fort that his Lordship had been taken dead out of the bath in which he went after his return from the Fort. The first notice was brought to me by one of the catechists, who came running out of breath, and delivered the mournful news with bitter cries and lamentations. I could give no credit to the melancholy report, till it was confirmed by a note from the Rev. Mr. Wright, which informed me that our dear Father was no more an inhabitant of this world.

In the afternoon I called on Mr. Robinson; we shed our tears over the smiling countenance of our late dear departed Father, and comforted ourselves with the thoughts of a better world, where there will be no sorrow, and where all tears will be wiped away. It is mournful, indeed, to reflect upon the sudden and abrupt manner in which our dear Father was removed from