{
  "bookName": "History of Christianity in India: Source Materials",
  "authorName": "M. K. Kuriakose",
  "publisherName": "Indian Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge",
  "publicationYear": 2011,
  "chapterNumber": 52,
  "chapterName": "1705. Royal Declaration given by Frederick IV of Denmark to the First Protestant Missionaries to India",
  "pageFrom": 57,
  "pageTo": 58,
  "pages": [
    {
      "pageNumber": 57,
      "ocrText": "SOURCE MATERIALS\n57\nmaintain a Minister and Schoolmaster in the Island of St. Helena,\nwhen the said island shall come into the hands or possession of the\nsame Company; and also one Minister in every Garrison and\nsuperior Factory, which the same Company, or their successors,\nshall have in the said East Indies, or other parts within the limits\naforesaid; and shall also take a chaplain on board every ship\nwhich shall be sent by the same Company to the said East Indies,\nor other parts within the limits aforesaid, which shall be the burthen\nof 500 tons, or upwards, for such voyage; the salary of which\nchaplain shall commence from the time that such ship shall depart\nfrom England; and moreover, that no such Minister shall be sent\nby the same Company to the said East Indies, or other parts within\nthe limits aforesaid, until he shall have been first approved by the\nArchbishop of Canterbury, or the Bishop of London, for the time\nbeing; all which said Ministers, so to be sent, shall be entertained,\nfrom time to time, with all due respect.\nAnd we do further will and appoint, that all such Ministers as\nshall be sent to reside in India, as aforesaid, shall be obliged to\nlearn, within one year of their arrival, the Portuguese language,\nand shall apply themselves to learn the native language of the\ncountry where they shall reside, the better to enable them to instruct\nthe Gentoos, that shall be the servants or slaves of the same\nCompany, or of their agents, in the Protestant Religion, and that\nin case of the death of any of the said Ministers, residing in the\nEast Indies, or other parts within the aforesaid, the place of such\nMinister, so dying, shall be supplied by one of the Chaplains out\nof the next ships that shall arrive at or near the place where such\nMinister shall happen to die.\n52. ROYAL DECLARATION GIVEN BY FREDERICK IV\nOF DENMARK TO THE FIRST PROTESTANT\nMISSIONARIES TO INDIA (1705 A.D.)\nThe first Protestant missionaries to serve in India, Ziegenbalg\nand Plutschau of Halle University in Germany, were sent under the\npatronage of Frederick IV, King of Denmark. This Declaration\nconstituted their authorisation and instructions. Cited in J. Fred\nFenger, History of the Tranquebar Mission, Appendix I, pp. 309-311.\nLetter of Appointment\nWe, Frederick IV etc., do hereby make known to all concerned,\nthat We in Our Royal favour have engaged and appointed, and do\nherewith engage and appoint Mr. Bartholomew Ziegenbalg, to go\nas a Missionary from here to Eastern India, and there to apply",
      "status": "completed"
    },
    {
      "pageNumber": 58,
      "ocrText": "58\nHISTORY OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA\nhimself with all diligence to instruct the heathens who dwell within\nOur territory and on the borders thereof, in the holy doctrine, as\nset forth in God's Word and professed in the Symbolic Books of\nthis realm agreeing to the Augsburg Confession, and to bring them\nto the knowledge of salvation, according to the further terms of\nthe instruction, which We in Our Royal favour shall for that purpose\ncommunicate to him. Our greeting etc.\nCopenhagen, 17. Nov. 1705.\n(A similar Royal letter was written for Mr. Henry Plutschau\non the same day)\nInstruction\naccording to which\nWe, Frederick IV, King of Denmark and Norway etc., do in Our\nRoyal favour desire, that Mr. Henry Plutschau, born in Mecklen-\nburg, whom we have resolved to send to Eastern India as a Missio-\nnary, should with all submission conduct himself on his voyage\nout to and there in India, until Our further Royal orders.\n1. He shall, on the whole voyage out, betake himself with all\ndiligence to those on board ship, who have been in Eastern India\nere this, and who are somewhat acquainted with the native language\nin order that he may learn from them something of that language.\n2. Having by the grace of God safely arrived in the country,\nhe shall, in the name of Jesus, heartily calling upon the same, at\nonce begin the work for which he is sent out, and shall labour\namong the pagans, as existing circumstances shall make it prac-\nticable.\n3. Although it is of some help, to improve the little rest of the\nknowledge of God, which men still have by nature, and thus to lead\nthem to the knowledge of God which he has revealed in his Word,\nand it is left to the Missionary himself to judge when and in what\nmanner this may be done with advantage, yet he shall always\nspecially betake himself to God's Word, not doubting that God will\nmake the power laid therein prove effectual among the heathens.\n4. He must hold and handle there in Eastern India nothing\nbesides the holy doctrine as it is written in God's Word and repeated\nin the Symbolic Books of this realm after the Augsburg Confession,\nand teach nothing besides it. And as Christ himself began his\nprophetic office by preaching repentance, and commanded his\ndisciples to preach repentance and remission of sins, so also he\nmust follow the same course.",
      "status": "completed"
    }
  ]
}