"In the last number you inserted several passages taken, from the preface to the first accounts which were published under the sanction of the Bartlett's Buildings' Society, of the Protestant missions in India. I shall now proceed to lay before your readers some extracts from the accounts themselves.

"The first letter contained in this volume is from James Finck, who was sent out as a printer from England to India. It is dated from Rio Janeiro, October 20, 1711.

"Hitherto,' says this pious missionary, the Lord hath helped us, and delivered us out of many visible dangers, when human wit and reason seemed to be put to a nonplus. Under these circumstances, a man hath a daily opportunity for improving himself in prayer, patience, resignation, and particularly in a hearty reliance upon the power and good. ness of God, whose help then generally begins, when human support is at a stand. As for those trials in particular, that happened within the ship itself, I must previously acquaint you, that our vessel was unfortunately crowded with abundance of profane and disorderly people. The character of the generality of my fellow-travellers is drawn up at large, Psal. Ixxiii; which Psalm, as it hath often afforded me matter of meditation, so it hath left a deeper impression on my mind, after I have seen the dreadful disaster which befel those men who did but a little before boast of their sins, and did not hide them. As for Governor Collet, I must needs say, that from the very first hour of my being admitted into his acquaintance, he hath expressed to me much kindness, and a readiness to favor the design in which I am engaged.

"Two days after our arrival here, he invited me to accompany him into the town, which I readily did, but desired him withal, that I might not go as a bare passenger, but as one of his domestics or officers. This he complied with: and I found afterwards, that such a caution was very necessary, in a place over-run with gross idolatry and superstition. Besides this, you must know that the Inquisition is (as in the other Portuguese territories), so very flagrant in Brazil, that one can't take sufficient precaution amongst a people so much enslaved by the authority of Rome. At our arrival here, near a hundred persons were just embarking

for Portugal, in order to be tried there at the Holy Office.* They were suspected of favoring Judaism.

"The negro slaves, making up in number near eight thousand souls, are in a pitiful condition. All the evidence they have of their reception into the Christian Church, amounts to no more than the knowledge they have of their being sprinkled with water, together with the Pater-Noster, which they are taught to rehearse. Besides this, they have images of some of their saints, as for instance, that of St. Francis, or St. Anthony, &c. hanging about their neck, as a badge of the Christian religion.""

"While Mr Finck continued at Rio Janeiro, a French squadron arrived there, besieged and took the town, and captured all the ships in the harbor, and among the rest that in which he sailed.'

"I was no sooner fixed,' he observes, 'on board one of the French ships of war, but I took a survey of what things I had left of the goods I was provided with at my departure from England, the whole of which now consisted in the following pieces: one coat, one shirt, one cravat, one Bible, and one copy of Arndt his True Christianity in Latin. Besides this, I had the unwelcome news told me, that we were altogether ordered to Martinico, before we must so much as think of going to France. These, and a great many other dismal accidents, together with the melancholy con sideration of what I had suffered already, and what I was still to suffer, ruffled me with various doubts and perplexities. When I endeavored to dispose my mind to a liking of, and submitting to Divine Providence, I found myself altogether uncapable to fathom the appointments which now surrounded me; the Devil, you know, never failing to improve outward afflictions to his own advantage, by tempting the soul to unbelief, mistrust, and other black and sinister thoughts about the dispensations of an over-ruling Providence. One time I thought, shall now that work be destroyed in its infancy, which hath been attended with so many favorable marks of Providence; and shall those goods and charitable supplies, to which so many well-disposed souls in England have contributed, to support thereby the poor Heathen converted to Christianity, be left in the hands. of men, who will employ them to quite other ends and pur

"To the honor of our government, it is stipulated, in the last trea. te, that the Inquisition shall have no farther power in the Brazils."

poses? Such and the like thoughts did arise within me, when I considered the loss of what I had about me. When I looked upon my own person, I thought I might perish, perhaps, under the hardships that would undoubtedly befal me as yet. Whatever of selfishness and self-seeking adhered to this work on my side, was plainly discovered to me in so violent a conflict of thoughts. This I was not much aware of, whilst things went on in a smooth manner, without trial or troubles: however, in the midst of these black reflections, tossing my mind up and down, I found now and then a little ray of comfort in my heart, over-cast with the clouds of dark and dismal judgments: particularly some verses in the 18th Psalm left a comfortable impression on my mind, where the Psalmist calls the Lord his stay in the day of calamity, bringing him at last into a large place. By such and the like Scriptures, seasonably coming into my thoughts, I did somewhat recover, and began to hope, that all this adversity might serve as a real teacher, to inculcate the more upon my mind the great lesson of self-resignation to the Divine wili, a qualification so highly necessary to those that will do any good in a corrupted world.'

"Things, however, turned out far more favorably than he could have expected. The ship was ransomed, and suffered to proceed on its voyage, and Mr. Finck permitted to resume his place on board. The printing-press,* types, letters, paper, books, &c. were restored to him, excepting a number of copies of St. Matthew's Gospel in Portuguese, which had been dispersed by the French among the people of Rio Janeiro.

"And now,' adds this pious missionary, 'let every one that is but a little acquainted with the steps of Divine Providence judge, whether the finger of God be not visibly seen in all these transactions? For my part, I cannot but confess, that I find myself more convinced than I am able to express, that the Lord is still with the design, and that he will bring to a happy conclusion a work, which hitherto hath met with so many fierce obstructions from the common enemy of souls, that so his glory may be raised in the midst of our weakness.'

A printing-press, with all its utensils, and a fount of types, commonly called Pica, were sent in this ship to the missionaries, by the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge."

"The next letter in the collection is dated from Tranquebar, September 23, 1712, is signed by Zeigenbalgh and Grundler, and is addressed to Mr. Henry Newman, whom I apprehend to have been the Secretary of the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, although in this I may be mistaken, as I do not find him any where styled Secretary. He appears nevertheless to have been the ordinary medium of communication between the Society and the Missionaries. They thus address that gentleman:

"We have greatly rejoiced at the Christian care and charity where with you are affected towards the mission in India. We assure you hereby of our hearty gratitude for your labor of love: may the Lord be pleased not only to keep constantly open such hearts as he, in love, hath once inclined to this work, but stir up also more such souls, as by all possible means may support the propagation of the Gospel of Christ in India!

"It hath, indeed, proved a powerful motive to us to praise the Lord, when we read, in the two letters, sent us by the Honorable Society for promoting Christian Knowledge, what considerable steps had been taken both in Great-Britain and the West-Indies, towards magnifying and exalting the Lord Jesus in the souls of men. Truly those that are children of God cannot but relish such heavenly works. To this is to be added, that the said Society, by the providence and influence of the Lord, have now begun these two years past to concern themselves also about our heathenish East India, and to contrive ways and means, whereby the light of life may be conveyed to these dark regions, to enlighten the hearts of men: particularly, that they are pleased to assist us, the most unworthy servants of God among the Heathen, with good advice and seasonable contributions: by all this, we have been the more excited to praise and extol the name of the Lord with our congregations gathered in these parts.

"We send here a letter to the Honorable Society, with some additional papers joined thereto, and we heartily wish with them, that by such a correspondence once established, the work of God may be powerfully promoted among the Pagans. We shall think it no small satisfaction to give you a continued account of the progress of this undertaking, as often as possibly we can, either by English or other ships. We freely own, that God hath filled our hearts with fervent de

sire to labor after the salvation of the Heathen in these countries, and his mercy hath signally attended us hitherto. And although the obstruction we have met with, doth still contin ue to hinder us from making any considerable progress in a work, the possibility of which we are fully convinced of; yet we know also, that though the Lord seems to tarry with his help, he will certainly come in his time, and not tarry. We shall then go on with the greater readiness, after our labor, by various tribulations, hath been tried and refined from the adhering dross of corruption. By such trials, the work of converting the Heathen is raised on a firm and strong foundation, and it is hoped, will grow up at last so that the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.

"About the delivery of the press and paper, several difficulties have been started at Madras, which, however, have at length been so far removed, that now we are in possession of it. We are now busy about fixing the press in our house, and are in hopes that we shall be able to print a few sheets within three months, by way of a specimen, in order to send some copies for a satisfaction to our benefactors, either by such English ships as are now ready to sail, or by those that depart in January next from Madras. And truly, as our benefactors in England are the first that have found ways to convey to us a press, and thereby disperse the word of God on this Heathenish coast; so they have the greater reason to rejoice at it, particularly, because they have a share in all the future blessings which are like to spring up among the Heathen by this means. In the mean time we hope that you will take care to see the ransom paid for it again. The seven chests with things sent us by the last ships, have, by the industrious Captain Martin, been safely delivered to us.""

"The third letter is of the same date, and from the same persons, as the last; and is addressed to the Society for promoting Christian Knowledge. It bears a pleasing testimony to the active zeal of that Society, and will be found to contain much that is important."

"Rev. and Hon. Sirs,

"With hands lifted up to the Lord, we do from the bottom of our hearts render most humble thanks to that great and good God, who by his heavenly call hath excited you, worthy gentlemen, to concern yourselves about promoting the knowledge of Christ, not only in Europe and the Wes