India Christiana. A discourse, delivered unto the Commissioners, for the Propagation of the Gospel…

¶ Unto many of the Faithful, the Matters now to be related, will be Good News from a far Country. It will be a pleasure unto them who are Waiting for the Kingdom of GOD, when they see some opening of it in the Eastern as well as the Western INDIES. It will be an Addition unto the pleasure, to see the Harmony which True, Right, Genuine PIETY will produce, in Persons that are in many Sentiments as well as Regions, distant from one another. And if that Article of our Creed, The Communion of Saints, be illustrated in this Correspondence, Of this also we will say, How Good and how pleasant is it?

¶ UNto many of the Faithful, the Matters now to be related, will be Good News from a far Country. It will be a pleasure unto them who are Waiting for the Kingdom of GOD, when they see some opening of it in the Eastern as well as the Western INDIES. It will be an Addition unto the pleasure, to see the Harmony which True, Right, Genuine PIETY will produce, in Persons that are in many Sentiments as well as Regions, distant from one another. And if that Article of our Creed, The Communion of Saints, be illustrated in this Correspondence, Of this also we will say, How Good and how pleasant is it?

In the Latter End of the Year, 1714. the Illustrious Dr. Franckius, did me the Honour of writing to me, from Hall in the Lower Saxony, a very large Letter, which has been since Translated and Published (by that Man of an Excellent Spirit, Mr. B•ehm) in London. And from that Letter, I will now transcribe one Historical passage, which will Introduce those that are now going to be divulged.

I can't but Entertain you on this occasion with another Charitable work, but of a very Singular Nature, and Extending it self as far as the Coast of Coromandel in the East-Indies. In the Year •705. Two Young Candidates of Divinity, Bartholomew Ziegenbalgh, and Henry Plutscho, Natives of Germany, were sent by Frederick IV. the present King of Denmark, to the East-Indies, to attempt the Conversion of the Malabar-Heathens there. They arrived safely at Tranquebar, in the Month of June, 1706. and immediately applied themselves to Learn the Portuguese and Malabar Tongues. The Latter of these Languages, tho' exceeding Hard and Intricate, was, within Eight Months time, so far Mastered by Mr. Ziegenbalgh, that he began to Preach to the Malabar Heathen in it, and by this Means, to Explain unto them the Method of Salvation. In Effect, GOD left not their Endeavours without a Blessing: For soon after, some of these Heathens being wrought upon by the Word of Salvation, did shake off their Pagan Idolatry, and readily came over to Christianity. And this hopeful Beginning proved a New Encouragement unto these