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To The Rev. W. J. Fow. Reverend Sir, Mad...
m Proof that he is not God ; and a Dialogue between a _Calvinistic Missionary and Three Chinese Converts * Theseare _prifttedat Calcutta ; and the Rev . W . Adam was to bring some copies with him , and pay us a short visit at Madras * in his ivay to _Jjjnigland ; but _in his last letter , dated 19 tU _^ eptwiber , he says , that the encouraging communications that he had from England and America , may probably reader liis proposed voyage to England unnecessary , and the pamphlets which he intended to bring with him , \) _$ will send by Dawk Banffie . - *• - '¦
Francis de Siiva , the writer of the enclosed letter , is a _Pprtv _^ uese man _j understands Latin , English . _Portuguese , and little Tamul : he is about 23 understands Latin , English , Portuguese , and little Tamul he is about 23 years of age 5 entirely destitute of friends _^ property , home , or _^ h y regular employment for his livelihood _. About three month $ ago , he _becatjie ac _~ quainted vyith my friend Antony _Maliapah , who , on firiding Mm well-inclined to Unitarianism , and _willing to teach English , took him in His _hoose _, in hope
of making him a good Christian ; and accordingly he now studies _Unitariaa books , and teaches Maliapah and ten of his young scholars to read English . He comes with Maliapah and his friends to Pursewaukum _regularly on _Sundays . After divine service , which begins in our chapel half-after ten , and ends about half-after twelve or one o ' clock , he takes his dinner with me _$
passes the evening in _readings hearing , and conversing on useful topics _; ami after evening family prayer , he returns with Maliapah to Hanicollatn . He has translated Josiah Townsend _' s Collection of Scripture Texts , and some
other papers , into Portuguese language . His behaviour has been agreeable : if he continues to conduct himself so , no doubt but he will become a very useful person in our little society . His English learners pay about four rupees a month , to which I add three and half more . With these sums he is very kindly boarded by Maliapah .
I have not yet received the Rev . Thomas Belsham _' s Exposition of Paul ' s Epistles which he has sent , nor the books that the Rev . Dr . Thomas Rees mentions in his letter of the 20 th of February last . Most of my English Unitarian tracts , particularly the small ones , are gone . Our printed Tamul tracts seem to have excited some of the native Roman Catholic Christians to read the Scripture to find out arguments to support their own system , and confute that of the Unitarians . The native Trinitarian Protestants themselves
have said in our hearing , that Unitarians have excited them to read the Scripture with more attention than they ever did before . Of late , very few of this class ever think of " arguing with me . If any of them come to me , as they do sometimes , it is to get some of our printed tracts ; and I am very happy that I am enabled to do so .
Our school at Pursewaukum is discontinued from the first of last month , for the following reasons : —Some of the scholars got their learning , and left the school . Several of my brethren , living more near to _Hauicollam than Pursewaukum , find it more convenient to send their children to the former school ; consequently , the scholars for the latter being a few , the subscribers to our schools also become very remiss in paying their subscriptions—most
of them being poor , the increase of their family pleads an excuse : therefore , the remaining scholars , not above a half dozen , it is thought best , for the present , to send them to the nearest schools . If please God the number of scholars increase , we shall again open a school at Pursewaukum . We are all pretty well 3 every thing goes on quietly , I remain , my Reverend Sir , Your obedient Servant ,
WILLIAM ROBERTS , Near Lunatic Hospital , _Pursewaukurn _, Madras
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Citation
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Monthly Repository (1806-1838) and Unitarian Chronicle (1832-1833), June 1, 1824, page 29, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse.ac.uk/periodicals/mruc/issues/smrp_01061824/page/5/
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