turning many to righteoufnefs! May GOD Almighty fo ftir up the minds of his faithful people, that every one that hath but little, may do his diligence to give of that little; and may others, be bountiful, as GOD hath enabled them! may we all by this means fecure to ourselves the continuance of GoD's favour; and may our charity still spread itself more and more, till it cover a multitude of our fins! Laftly, may the bleffing of God attend this labour and work of ours, that our Saviour CHRIST may have a Church here amongst us dedicated to his fervice; and that we ourfelves alfo may at laft be presented a glorious Church to CHRIST the head of it, not having spot or wrinkle or any fuch thing; but that it may be holy and without blemish! These things, my Brethren, I thought it my duty to put you in mind of, though you cannot well be unmindful of them yourselves; but if we fhould hold our peace, even the ftones in the wall would immediately cry out. Wherefore let me beseech you, in the name of God, to confider of it, take advice, and fpeak your minds. Now to God the Father, GOD the Son, and GOD the Holy Ghost, be afcribed, as most due, all honour, power, might, majefty and dominion, both now and for evermore. Amen. BOMBAY, JUNE 19, 1715 After After Sermon in the morning, being the first Sunday after Trinity, 1715, I waited on the Governor, the Honourable William Aiflabie, Efq; according to custom, at his lodgings in the Fort, before dinner; who was pleased to address me very friendly in these words: Well, Doctor, you have been very zealous for the Church this morning. Please your Honour, I think there was occafion enough for it, and I hope without offence. Well then, if we must have a Church, we will have a Church! Do you fee and get a book made, and fee what every one will contribute towards it, and I will do first. Which was accordingly done, leaving a blank for the Company's fubfcription, which was afterwards filled up with ten thousand rupees. A rupee is half a crown. The Honourable William Aislabie, Efq; General and Governor of Bombay, &c. gave leave for the building of Bombay Church, June 19, 1715. The Worshipful Stephen Strutt, Efq; Deputy Governor of Bombay, &c. laid the firft ftone, November 18, 1715. The Honourable Charles Boone, Efq; Prefident and Governor of Bombay, &c. gave order for the opening the Church of Bombay, Dec. 25, 1718. To Mr Thomas Wilfhere and Mr Jarvis Clerke, Merchants at Surat. Gentlemen, Bombay Caftle, Aug. 5, 1715. HAVING by GOD's permiffion lately undertaken the rebuilding of our ruinous Church at Bombay, and gotten confiderable large fubfcriptions thereunto amongst the inhabitants of this place, much greater than could have been expected; we should not at this time have been burdenfome to you, but forafmuch as the work is great, and the defign of it fo generally useful, our request is, that you would be pleased to strengthen our hands in promoting this good work, and encourage it what you can amongst the Gentlemen at Surat. We have herewithal fent you the Sermon which was preached upon the occafion, and if you think fit fhall tranfmit to you a lift of our fubfcriptions, not doubting of your favourable concurrence with us in this matter; which we fhall always acknowledge in commemorating your affistance, and praying for our benefactors. Gentlemen, Your moft humble fervants, To the Reverend Richard Cobbe and Mr Ephraim Bendall at Bombay. Gentlemen, Surat, August 16, 1715. YOUR letter of the 5th inftant came to hand the 13th. The rebuilding the Church at Bombay, which you advise us you have undertaken, is in our opinions a very good and commendable work, and we are glad you have found fo good encouragement therein by large contributions thereto, as is you fay beyond what you could have expected. We fhall not on our parts be backward in promoting your defign by raifing what we can among the Gentlemen here; but we think it neceffary to have a lift of the fubfcriptions at Bombay, which we defire you to fend us, as alfo the Sermon mentioned to accompany your letter, but omitted. We are, Gentlemen, Your most humble fervants, To the Right Rev. Father in GOD John by divine permiffion Lord Bishop of London. My Lord, Bombay Caftle, Oct. 5, 1715.. HAVING had the honour of paying my refpects to your Lordship a little before I left England, I remember the charge you were pleased to lay upon me, the giving your Lordship fome account of this ifland, and the ftate of religion here; the particulars of which I hope you will excufe, not having as yet been fufficiently inftructed in the manners and cuftoms of the inhabitants of this Place; but, generally fpeaking, they are a people wholly given up to idolatry and fuperfti C 3 tion, tion, ignorant and poor; they confift chiefly of Moors, Gentous, Portuguese and Cooley Chriftians, fome converts which the Portuguese have made by marrying into their families, the better to ingratiate themselves with the natives. The whole island in circumference is about twenty miles, and eight in length, much healthier than heretofore, or than is ufually reported; which may be attributed not only to the prohibiting the Buckfho, the fmaller fort of Fish, with which they used to dung their ground and trees in thefe parts; but to the stopping up and repairing feveral fea-breaches, which formerly overflowed a third part of the ifland. The foil itself is poor and barren, a fandy rock, producing little elfe befides Batty, Coco-nuts and a few Greens; however we are plentifully fupplied with variety of provifions from the neighbouring coafts; Syrah Wine, which is our chief liquor, we have from Perfia, very ftrong and wholefome, but not fo well tafted; Arrack from Goa or Batavia; and extraordinary good Wheat from Surat, with which we make the best bread in all India. We have three good forts here, and one ftrong built and well fortified caftle. The number of inhabitants, together with the English, are reckoned about 16000 fouls, of different languages as well as religions; the Moors and Gentous have their Mofqués and Pagoda's, the Portuguese feveral, I think five Churches, fupplied with Padres and Clerico's from Goa'; but the English have only a private Chapel for their public Devotion. Here are indeed the remains of a fpacious Church formerly intended, but never brought to perfection, the ruins of which are to this day a ftanding monument of reproach to us among the heathen to a proverb; but this re proach |