inward unsoundness of all he had outwardly achieved. Many natives, both in the north and in the south, became Roman Catholics; but, in the charges officially brought against the Jesuits, it was alleged to be doubtful whether by affecting idolatry, and tolerating it amongst their proselytes, they had not themselves become converts to Hinduism rather than made Hindus converts to Christianity. They assumed the character of Brahmins of a superior caste, and even composed a pretended Veda. They conducted images of the Virgin in triumphal procession, imitated from the orgies of Juggernaut. Among their most distinguished preachers has been Joseph Vaz (died at Kandy, 1711), who added to the Church thirty thousand converts from the heathen. The Dutch on their coming established the Reformed Church of Holland as the religion of the colony, and the first Presbyterian clergyman began his ministrations in 1642. In 1658 they issued a proclamation forbidding the presence of Roman Catholic priests; and finding this to fail, they issued another forbidding them to administer baptism. They pulled down and broke the Romanist images, and in Jaffna took possession of the churches. But, in spite of all this severity, Romanism kept its ground, and the Dutch missionaries did not succeed. Notwithstanding the thousands of Singalese once enrolled as converts, the discipline of the Dutch Presbyterians is now almost extinct among the natives. Baptism with registration was, in fact, regarded as a government qualification, a badge of civil rights, and submitted to as such. Children were brought in crowds, and the ceremony was performed by arranging them in rows and sprinkling their faces with water as the administrator walked along. Cases are on record where the parent, living far from Colombo, borrowed an infant in the town, and had it baptized and registered in the name of the child who was at home. Since the British rule began, this coercive policy has ceased, and the Gospel has been preached in a MUDALIYAR OR HEADMAN. GAUCHARD-S MISSIONS. Christian spirit. In 1816 Ceylon was made an archdeaconry under the see of Calcutta. It was made a bishopric in 1845. Protestant missions, set on foot by the American Board in 1816, have been uninterruptedly efficient. Upwards of six hundred students have been under instruction from time to time in the American seminary at Batticotta; and of these more than half have openly professed Christianity, and all have been more or less imbued with its spirit. The majority are filling situations of credit and responsibility in the island. The Wesleyans also have been and are still extensively at work with churches, colleges, and schools in North and South Ceylon and the Baptists have useful missions at Ratnapura, at the foot of Adam's Peak and among the pilgrims thither, at Colombo, and at Kandy. Lastly, the Church Missionary Society has been successful in several stations, though of late. years unfortunate hindrances have sprung up through Ritualistic tendencies and claims of the newly-appointed bishop. Out of the taxes levied upon the native population the sum of twelve thousand pounds is annually paid by the government in support of this episcopate and other religious establishments in the island. The Kandy Collegiate School educates a large number of boys and young men. Nevertheless, Brahmanism has still a strong hold upon the Tamils of the north, and Buddhism, with its flower-offering and devil-worship, is still vigorous among the Singalese. Books, too, in favour of Buddhism, with extracts from English writers who extol its early literature, are published and circulated. Evangelical Christianity is, however, gaining ground, and the present census will probably show the number of Protestants to be upwards of seventy thousand. A scheme of disendowment is proposed, to take effect in five years. |