4to. [48], 144 pp., with the 2 letterpress title-pages, in Dutch and Tamil, the dedication to the leading officials of the VOC in Latin, Dutch and Tamil, the preface in Dutch and Tamil and the main text in Tamil. Later 18th century maroon hair-sheepskin(?), rebacked in red morocco and with new endpapers. Stains from former mildew (treated), mostly in the foot margin of the first few and last few pages, otherwise in good condition.

The VOC brought a printing press to Ceylon in 1732 to set up the island's first printing office together with the Dutch Reformed Church, the first book (a Sinhalese prayer book) appeared at Colombo in 1737; in 1741 the VOC's press in Colombo had printed Willem Konyn's Sinhalese translation of the Heidelberg catechism, but it had received disappointingly little use and Bronsveld hoped his own Tamil translation would meet greater success. At his request it was submitted to the consistory for revision in April 1753 and the consistory's readers, though Bronsveld had criticised some of their translations, compared his with the Latin and Dutch versions and declared it an accurate and faithful translation in readily understandable language in keeping with Tamil syntax, etc. The consistory sent it to the island's governor for permission to have it printed and Bronsveld turned it over to the printing office in late November 1753.

A major impetus for setting up the press was the fact that after the Dutch wrested control of much of Ceylon from Portugal with help from the indigenous population in 1640, the Portuguese Catholic priests still retained a great deal of influence and were able to convert some Tamils and Sinhalese. The VOC saw this as a threat to its powerbase and economic position, which centred on the cinnamon trade. They therefore encouraged the Dutch Protestant Church to expand its missionary work, hoping it would curtail the Portuguese Catholic missionary work.

The work is a Tamil translation of the Heidelberg catechism by reverend Sigisbertus Abrahamsz. van Bronsveld, printed and published in Colombo for the Tamil-speaking Protestant congregation there, for schools and for missionary work.

Bronsveld (1723-1769) was born in Colombo, he studied theology at Leiden University, completing his dissertation on the salvation of the Indians in 1747. He returned to Colombo, working as minister of the church there from 1748 to his death. He was preaching in Tamil and Sinhalese by 1752. In that year, he and his wife quarreled with some who found him too critical of the translations made by others but not strict enough in enforcing religious rules. He was charged together with two others with the task of revising De Melho's Tamil psalms.

The work is set in roman, italic and 3 sizes of Tamil types, with the pages numbered in Tamil alphabetic numerals.

Extremely rare, we locate copies at Cambridge, BL, Royal Danish Library, Columbia (New York), and Franckesche stiftungen hauptbibliothek.

Landwehr, VOC 701.