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diff --git a/4283.txt b/4283.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..16de82d --- /dev/null +++ b/4283.txt @@ -0,0 +1,3600 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Brazilian Sketches, by T. B. Ray + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Brazilian Sketches + +Author: T. B. Ray + +Posting Date: July 9, 2009 [EBook #4283] +Release Date: July, 2003 +First Posted: December 30, 2001 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BRAZILIAN SKETCHES *** + + + + +Produced by Robert Rowe, Charles Franks and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines. + + + + + + + + + + +Brazilian Sketches + +By + +Rev. T. B. Ray, D.D. + + +Educational Secretary of the Foreign Mission Board of the Southern +Baptist Convention. + +TO MY WIFE WHO SHARED THE JOURNEY WITH ME + + + + + +CONTENTS + + I. THE COUNTRY + II. THE CAPITAL, RIO DE JANEIRO + III. A VISIT TO A COUNTRY CHURCH + IV. TWO PRESIDENTS + V. THE GOSPEL WITHHELD + VI. SAINT WORSHIP + VII. PENANCE AND PRIEST + VIII. THE GOSPEL TRIUMPHANT + IX. JOSE BARRETTO + X. CAPTAIN EGYDIO + XI. FELICIDADE (Felicity) + XII. PERSECUTION + XIII. THE BIBLE AS A MISSIONARY FACTOR + XIV. THE METTLE OF THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN + XV. THE TESTING OF THE MISSIONARY + XVI. THE URGENT CALL + XVII. THE LAST STAND OF THE LATIN RACE + APPENDIX + + + + +FOREWORD. + + +I was dining one day with a very successful business man who, although +his business had extensive relations in many lands, was meagerly +informed about the work of missions. I thought I might interest him by +telling him something of the effects of missions upon commerce. So I +told him about how the civilizing presence of missionary effort creates +new demands which in turn increases trade. He listened comprehendingly +for a while and then remarked: "What you say is interesting, but what I +wish to know is not whether missions increase business--we have +business enough and have methods of increasing the volume--What I want +to know is whether the missionary is making good and whether +Christianity is making good in meeting the spiritual needs of the +heathen. If ever I should become greatly interested in missions it +would be because I should feel that Christianity could solve the +spiritual problem for the heathen better than anything else. What are +the facts about that phase of missions?" + +These words made a profound impression on me, and since then I have +spent little time in setting forth the by-products of missions, +tremendously important and interesting though they are. I place the +main emphasis on how gloriously Christianity, through the efforts of +the missionary, meets the aching spiritual hunger of the heathen heart +and transforms his life into spiritual efficiency. + +Since this is my conception of what the burden of the message +concerning missions should be, it should not surprise anyone to find +the following pages filled with concrete statements of actual gospel +triumphs. I have endeavored to draw a picture of the religious +situation in Brazil by reciting facts. I have described some of the +work of others done in former years and I have recorded some wonderful +manifestations of the triumphant power of the gospel which I was +privileged to see with my own eyes. These pages record testimony which +thing, I take it, most people desire concerning the missionary +enterprise. More arguments might have been stated and more conclusions +might have been expressed, but I have left the reader to make his own +deductions from the facts I have tried faithfully to record. + +No attempt has been made to follow in detail the itinerary taken by my +wife and myself which carried us into Brazil, Argentina and Chili in +South America, and Portugal and Spain in Europe. It is sufficient to +know that we reached the places mentioned and can vouch for the truth +of the facts stated. + +I have confined myself to sketches about Brazil because I did not +desire to write a book of travel, but to show how the gospel succeeds +in a Catholic field as being an example of the manner in which it is +succeeding in other similar lands where it is being preached vigorously. + +I wish to say also that I have drawn the materials from the experiences +of my own denomination more largely because I know it better and +therefore could bear more reliable testimony. It should be borne in +mind that the successes of this one denomination are typical of the +work of several other Protestant bodies now laboring in Brazil. + +The missionaries and other friends made it possible wherever we went to +observe conditions at close range and under favorable auspices. To +these dear friends who received us so cordially and labored so +untiringly for our comfort and to make our visit most helpful we would +express here our heartfelt gratitude. We record their experiences and +ours in the hope that the knowledge of them may bring to the reader a +better appreciation of the missionary and the great cause for which the +missionary labors so self-sacrificingly. + +Richmond, Va. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + +THE COUNTRY. + + +We had sailed in a southeasternly direction from New York twelve days +when we rounded Cape St. Roque, the easternmost point of South America. +A line drawn due north from this point would pass through the Atlantic +midway between Europe and America. If we had sailed directly south we +should have touched the western instead of the eastern coast, for the +reason that practically the entire continent of South America lies east +of the parallel of longitude which passes through New York. + +After sighting land we sailed along the coast three days before we cast +anchor at Bahia, our first landing place. Two days more were required +to reach Rio de Janeiro. When we afterwards sailed from Rio to Buenos +Aires, Argentina, we spent three and one-half days skirting along the +shore of Brazil. For eight and one-half days we sailed in sight of +Brazilian territory, and had we been close enough to shore north of +Cape St. Roque, we should have added three days more to our survey of +these far-stretching shores. Brazil lies broadside to the Atlantic +Ocean with a coast line almost as long as the Pacific and Atlantic +seaboards of the United States combined. Its ocean frontage is about +4,000 miles in length. + +This coast line, however, is not all the water front of Brazil. She +boasts of the Amazon, the mightiest river in the world. This stream is +navigable by ships of large draught for 2,700 miles from its mouth. It +has eight tributaries from 700 to 1,200 miles and four from 1,500 to +2,000 miles in length. One of these, the Madeira, empties as much water +into the larger stream as does the Mississippi into the Gulf. No other +river system drains vaster or richer territory. It drains one million +square miles more than does the Mississippi, and in all it has 27,000 +miles of navigable waters. + +The land connections of Brazil are also extensive. All the other +countries on the continent, save Chili and Ecuador, border on Brazil. +The Guianas and Venezuela, on the north; Colombia and Peru on the west; +Bolivia, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay on the south--eight countries +in all. + +It is indeed a vast territory. The United States could be placed within +its borders and still there would be left enough Brazilian territory to +make a State as large as Texas. + +Almost from the time we sighted land until we rounded the cape near +Montevideo, we could see the mountains along the shore. The mountains +extend far interior and up and down the length of the country. The +climate of the tropical Amazon Valley is, of course, very hot, but as +soon as the mountains are reached on the way south the climate even in +the tropical section is modified. The section south of Rio, on account +of the mountains and other forces of nature, has a temperate climate, +delightful for the habitation of man. Each of these great zones, the +tropical, the subtropical and the temperate, is marked more by its +distinctive leading products than by climate. Each of these sections +yields a product in which Brazil leads the world. The largest and most +inexhaustible rubber supply in the world is found in the Amazon Valley +region. The central section raises so much cocoa that it gives Brazil +first rank in the production of this commodity. The great temperate +region produces three-fourths of all the coffee used in the world. Of +course, there is much overlapping in the distribution of these +products. Other products, such as cotton, farinha, beans, peas, +tobacco, sugar, bananas, are raised in large quantities and could be +far more extensively produced if the people would utilize the best +methods and implements of modern agriculture. The mountains are full of +ores and the forests of the finest timber, and the great interior has +riches unknown to man. It has the most extensive unexplored region on +earth. What the future holds for this marvelously endowed country, when +her resources are revealed and brought to market, no one would dare +predict. Few countries in the world would venture a claim to such +immense riches. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + +THE CAPITAL, RIO DE JANEIRO. + + +The city of Rio is the center of life in Brazil. We entered the Bay of +Rio after nightfall on the sixth of June. The miles and miles of lights +in the city of Rio on the one side, and of Nietheroy on the other, gave +us the impression that we were in some gigantic fair grounds. +Missionaries Entzminger, Shepard, Maddox and Mrs. Entzminger came +aboard to welcome us and bring us ashore. We were taken to the Rio +Baptist College and Seminary, where we were entertained in good old +Tennessee style by the Shepards. This school building was built in 1849 +by Dom Pedro II. for a school which was known as the "Boarding School +of Dom Pedro II." It accommodated two hundred students. The Emperor +supported the school. In 1887 the school was moved to larger quarters. +Dr. Shepard is renting the property for our college, but our school +like Dom Pedro's has outgrown these quarters and we are compelled to +rent additional buildings some distance away to accommodate the +increasing number of students. There are about three hundred students +in all departments. + +As we studied the situation at close range, we had it driven in upon us +that one of the greatest needs in Brazil is the one Dr. Shepard and his +co-laborers are trying to meet in this school. Three-fourths of the +population of Brazil cannot read. We need, above all things now, +educated leaders. What a call is there for trained native pastors and +evangelists! Some of the Seminary students have been preaching as many +as twenty-one times a month in addition to carrying their studies in +the school. Dr. Shepard has been forced to stop them from some of this +preaching because it was preventing successful work in the class room. +The need is so great that it is very difficult to keep the students +from such work. + +I must not go too far afield from the subject of this chapter, but I +must take the time to say that nothing breaks down prejudice against +the gospel more effectively than do the schools conducted by the +various mission boards. One day a Methodist colporter entered a town in +the interior of the State of Minas Geraes and began to preach and offer +his Bibles for sale in the public square. Soon a fanatical mob was +howling around him and his life was in imminent peril. Just as the +excitement was at the highest two young men belonging to one of the +best families in the place pressed through the crowd and, ascertaining +that the man was a minister of the gospel, took charge of him and drove +off the mob. They led the colporter to their home, which was the best +in the town, and showed him generous hospitality. They invited the +people in to hear him preach, and thus through their kindness the man +and his message received a favorable hearing. It should be remembered, +too, that these young men belonged to a very devout Roman Catholic +family. + +What was the secret of their actions? They had rescued, entertained and +enabled to preach a man who was endeavoring to propagate a faith that +was very much opposed to their own. The explanation is that they had +attended Granberry College, that great Methodist school at Juiz de +Fora. They had not accepted Protestant Christianity, but the school had +given them such a vision and appreciation of the gospel that they could +never again be the intolerant bigots their fellow townsmen were. The +college had made them friends and that was a tremendous service. First +we must have friends, then followers. Nothing more surely and more +extensively makes friends for our cause than the schools, and it must +be said also that they are wonderfully effective in the work of direct +evangelization. + +The First Baptist Church commissioned Deacon Theodore Teixeira and Dr. +Shepard to pilot us over the city. The church provided us with an +automobile and our splendid guides magnified their office. It is a +MAGNIFICENT city, indeed. The strip of land between the mountains and +the seashore is not wide. In some places, in fact, the mountains come +quite down to the water. The city, in the most beautiful and +picturesque way, avails itself of all possible space, even in many +places climbing high on the mountain sides and pressing itself deep +into the coves. Perhaps no city in the world has a more picturesque +combination of mountain and water with which to make a beautiful +location. It has about a million inhabitants, and being the federal +capital, is the greatest and most influential city in Brazil. + +Most of its streets are narrow and tortuous and until recently were +considered unhealthy. A few years ago the magnificent Avenida Central +was cut through the heart of the city and one of the most beautiful +avenues in the world was built. Twelve million dollars' worth of +property was condemned to make way for this splendid street. It cuts +across a peninsula through the heart of the city from shore to shore, +and is magnificent, indeed, with its sidewalks wrought in beautiful +geometrical designs, with its ornate street lamps, with its generous +width appearing broader by contrast with other narrow streets, with its +modern buildings. + +There is another street, however, which is dearer to the Brazilian than +the Avenida. He takes great pride in the Avenida, but he has peculiar +affection for the Rua d'Ouvidor. Down the Ouvidor flows a human tide +such as is found nowhere else in Brazil. No one attempts to keep on the +pavement. The street is given over entirely to pedestrians. No vehicle +ever passes down it until after midnight. In this narrow street, with +its attractive shops filled with the highest-priced goods in the world, +you can soon find anyone you wish to meet, because before long everyone +who can reach it will pass through. In this street the happy, jesting, +jostling crowd is in one continuous "festa". + +In passing through the city one is greatly impressed by the number of +parks and beautiful public squares, and in particular with the +wonderful Beiramar, which is a combination of promenades, driveways and +park effects that stretches for miles along the shore of the bay. What +a thing of beauty this last-named park is! There is nothing comparable +to it anywhere. When Rio wishes to go on a grand "passeio" (promenade) +nothing but the grand Beiramar will suffice. + +One cannot help being impressed also by the prevalence of +coffee-drinking stands and stores--especially if he meets many friends. +These friends will insist upon taking him into a coffee stand and +engaging him in conversation while they sip coffee. On many corners are +little round or octagonal pagoda-like structures in which coffee and +cakes are sold. The coffee-drinking places are everywhere and most of +them are usually filled. The practice of taking coffee with one's +friends must lessen materially the amount of strong drink consumed by +the Brazilian. Nevertheless, that amount of strong drink is, alas, +altogether too great. + +The greatest nuisance on the streets of Rio, or any other city of +Brazil, is the lottery ticket seller. These venders are more numerous +and more insistent than are the newsboys in the United States. There +are all sorts of superstitions about lotteries. Certain images in one's +dreams at night are said to correspond to certain lucky numbers. Dogs, +cats, horses, cows and many other animals have certain numbers +corresponding to them. For instance, if one should dream tonight about +a dog, he would try tomorrow to find a lottery ticket to correspond in +number with a dog. Say the dog number was thirty-seven. This man would +try to find a ticket whose number ends in thirty-seven. Such a ticket +would be considered lucky. The ticket sellers often call out as they +pass along the street the last two numbers on the tickets they have to +sell, and if a man hears the number called which corresponds to the +animal he dreamed about last night, he will consider it lucky and buy. +There are also many shops where only lottery tickets are sold. No evil +has more tenaciously and universally fastened upon the people than has +the evil of gambling in lotteries. There are 310 Federal lotteries, +besides many others run by the various States. These 310 lotteries +receive in premiums the enormous sum of $19,399,200 every month--about +one dollar for every individual in Brazil. A portion of the profits +amassed by the lottery companies is devoted to charity, a portion to +Roman Catholic churches and a portion goes to the government. Even +after these amounts are taken out, there is ample left for the +enrichment of the companies' coffers to the impoverishment of many very +needy working people. + +It is difficult to write temperately of Rio de Janeiro. There is such a +rare combination here of the primitive and the progressive, of the +oriental and occidental, that one is inclined to go off into +exclamation points. On the Avenida Central one sees numbers of street +venders carrying all kinds of wares on their heads and pulling all +sorts of carts, making their way in and out among the automobiles, and +handsome victorias PULLED BY MULES. We note also all types of people. +The Latin features predominate, but the negro is in evidence, the +Indian features are often recognized, and mingled with these are seen +faces representing all nations. One is impressed with the dress of the +people. Who is that handsomely-groomed, gentleman passing? From his +fine clothes you think he must be a man of wealth and influence. Who is +he? He is a barber. That one over there is a clerk. But why these fine +clothes? Ah! thereby hangs the tale. Appearance is worshiped. Parade +runs through everything, even in the prevailing religion, which, alas, +is little more than form--parade. Don't get the idea that everybody is +finely dressed and that every handsomely-dressed man is a barber. Many +are able to afford such clothes and are cultured gentlemen. One notices +most the dress of the lower classes, the most striking article of which +is the wooden-bottom sandals into which they thrust their toes and go +flapping along in imminent peril of losing the slippers every moment. +The remainder of the clothing worn by these beslippered people consists +often of only two thin garments. Certainly this is a place of great +contrasts. But somehow these contrasts do not impress one as being +incongruous. They are in perfect keeping with their surroundings. Rio +is really a cosmopolitan city and is a pleasant blending of the old and +the new. + +There are several places from which splendid views of the city can be +had, but none of them is comparable to the panorama which stretches out +before one when he stands on the top of Mt. Corcovado. The scene which +greets one from this mountain is indescribable. The Bay of Rio de +Janeiro, with its eighty islands, Sugar Loaf Mountain, a bare rock +standing at the entrance, the city winding its tortuous way in and out +between the mountains and spreading itself over many hills, the open +sea in the distance and the wild mountain scenery to the back of us, +constitute a panorama surpassingly beautiful. + +Nictheroy lies just across the bay. We went over there one night and +spoke in the rented hall where our church worships, and spent the night +in the delightful home of the Entzmingers. The next morning, before +breakfast, Dr. Entzminger showed me over the city. Nictheroy has forty +thousand inhabitants and is the capital of the State of Rio de Janeiro. +It is a beautiful city and offers a wide field for missionary work. Its +importance is apparent. + +We have a church in the populous suburb of Engenho de Dentro. We were +present there at a great celebration when the church cleared off the +remainder of its debt and burned the notes. The building was crowded to +its utmost capacity. The people stood in the aisles from the rear to +the pulpit. They filled the little rooms behind the pulpit and occupied +space about the windows. There are about seventy members of the church. +A far greater progress should be made now that the debt as well as +other encumbrances have been removed. + +There are in Rio the First, Engenho de Dentro, Governors Island and +Santa Cruz churches, and twelve preaching places, four of which are in +rented halls. Missionary Maddox utilizes many members of the churches +in providing preaching at these missions. There are only a very few +paid evangelists in this mission, but a great many church members are +glad to go to these stations and tell the gospel story. + +Besides our Baptist work, the Southern Methodists are conducting a very +prosperous mission. They have several churches and a station for +settlement work. The Presbyterians and the Congregationalists have some +excellent churches and the YMCA is one of the most flourishing in South +America. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + +A VISIT TO A COUNTRY CHURCH. + + +That I may give you a glimpse of the country life in Brazil, and also +some impression of country mission work, I invite you to take a trip +with Missionary Maddox and myself to the little hamlet of Parahyba do +Sul, in the interior of the State of Rio. + +On Monday, June 13th, we boarded a six AM train for Parahyba do Sul, +which we reached about ten o'clock. It is a charming town situated on +the river by the same name. This river reminds one of the French Broad, +though the mountains are not so high and precipitous as the North +Carolina mountains. The mountains, too, in this section are not covered +with trees, but with a tall grass, which, being in bloom, gave a +beautiful purple color to the landscape. The railroad climbs up the +mountain sides from Rio in a very picturesque manner. + +The Parahyba do Sul Church is three miles over the mountains from the +station, in the house of Mrs. Manoela Rosa Rodrigues. The house is +constructed with mud walls and a thatched roof. The floors are the bare +ground, which is packed hard and smooth. There are two rooms, with a +narrow hall between them and a sort of "lean to" kitchen. The largest +room, which is about fifteen feet square, is devoted to the church. The +most prominent piece of furniture in the house is the pulpit, which +stands in this room. This pulpit is large out of all proportion to +everything else about the place. It was covered over with a beautifully +embroidered altar piece. The two chairs placed for Brother Maddox and +myself were also entirely covered with crocheted Brazilian lace. I +hesitated to occupy such a daintily decorated seat. + +This church of forty-six members maintains three Sunday schools in the +adjoining country and six preaching stations, members of the church +doing the preaching. Every member gives to the college in Rio 200 reis +(six cents) a month, and to missions, etc., 300 reis (nine cents) per +month. This is munificent liberality when we take into consideration +their exhausting poverty. + +Our coming was a great event with them. We were met at the station by a +member of the church, who mounted us on a gray pony apiece and soon had +us on our way. He walked, and with his pacing sort of stride he easily +kept up with us. His feet were innocent of shoes. He says he does not +like shoes because they interfere with his walking. Underneath that +dilapidated hat and those somewhat seedy clothes we found a +warm-hearted Christian, who serves the Lord with passionate devotion. +He often preaches, though he has very little learning. He is mighty in +the Scriptures, having committed to memory large sections of them, and +has a genuine experience of grace to which he bears testimony with +great power. + +We arrived at the church about eleven o'clock. We were received with +expressions of great joy. Mrs. Manoela was so happy over our coming +that she embraced us in true Brazilian style. We were shown into our +room, where we refreshed ourselves by brushing off the dust and +bathing. How spick and span clean was everything in that room, even to +the dirt floor! + +Before we had completed our ablutions, the good woman of the house +called Maddox out and asked what she could cook for me. She thought I +could not eat Brazilian dishes. He told her, to her great relief, that +I could eat anything he could. Quite right he was, too, for we had been +traveling all the morning on the sustenance furnished by a cup of +coffee which we had taken at the Rio station a little before six +o'clock. We were in possession of an appetite by this time that would +have raised very few questions about any article of food. + +Soon we were seated at the breakfast table, which was placed in the +church room with benches around it for seats. I was honored by being +placed at one end of the table. What a meal it was! Not only had Mrs. +Manoela taxed her own larder, but the other members, who by this time +had arrived in large numbers, had brought in many good things. I cannot +tell what the dishes were, for the reason that I do not know. It is +sufficient to say that every one was good--perhaps our appetite helped +out our appreciation of some of them. There were as many as eight +dishes the like of which I had never tasted before. How do you suppose +I managed it when they served some delicious cane molasses, and, +instead of bread to go with it, they served cream cheese? I asked +Maddox how I should work this combination. He replied by cutting up his +cheese into his plate of molasses and eating the mixture. I did the +same thing, and I bear testimony that it was fine. By the time the +breakfast was concluded, I had scored a point with our good friends, +for they thought that a stranger who could render such a good account +of himself at a Brazilian breakfast must be very much like themselves. +(Let us explain about Brazilian meals: They take coffee in the early +morning. Bread and butter is served with the coffee. Breakfast, which +is a very substantial meal, is served about eleven o'clock. Dinner, +which is the chief meal of the day, is served about five o'clock in the +afternoon. At bedtime light refreshments are served, which are often +substantial enough to make another meal). + +After breakfast was over, and it was some time before it was over, for +the crowd had to be fed, we assembled for worship. The congregation was +too large for the little room, so the men built a beautiful arbor out +of bamboo cane. When Maddox told me we were to hold services under an +arbor I was dissappointed, for somehow there had come over me a great +desire to speak from that large pulpit in the little room. My +dissappointment was short-lived, however, for when we reached the arbor +there were the pulpit and the lace-covered chairs! It was a gracious +service. The Spirit of the Lord was upon us. The sermon lost none of +its effect from the fact that it had to be interpreted, because Maddox +interpreted it with sympathy and power. + +After preaching, four were received for baptism. They were not +converted at this service, but had been expecting to come for some +time. Maddox baptized them in the spring branch, which had been +deepened by a temporary dam being thrown across it. One of those +baptized was a woman ninety years of age. + +Our time was growing short now. Maddox changed his clothes in a hurry. +We had to catch the four o'clock train. We did stop long enough to +drink a cup of Brazilian coffee. Such coffee! I will not attempt to +describe it, because our friends in the States can not understand. +There is nothing like it in this country. We took time, too, to say +good-bye. The whole crowd lined up and we went the length of the line, +bidding everyone a hearty godspeed. The Brazilian not only shakes hands +with you, but he embraces you heartily. Yes, some of the good matrons +embraced us. It was a novel experience for me, but a mere custom with +them, and the act was performed with such modest restraint that any +possible objectionable features were eliminated. Having said good-bye +to them all we mounted our gray ponies, and, led by our barefooted +friend, rode away with thanks-giving in our hearts for the good +fellowship with the saints of Parahyba do Sul. + +The tie of love for a common Lord had bound our affections to them. +Their simple-hearted sincerity and devotion had helped us. Their zeal +had contributed to our faith. One incident touched me especially. Just +before breakfast a little girl about four years of age, led by her +mother, brought to us a package containing some Brazilian cakes. When +we opened the package there lay on top a piece of folded paper on Which +was written: "How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that +bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good +tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, thy +God reigneth' '(Isa. 52:7). Presented to our brother pastors, Maddox +and Ray by Archimina Nunes." Instantly there arose in my heart the +prayer that God would speed the day when his swift-footed messengers +shall publish the good tidings of peace to all this vast and needy land. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + +TWO PRESIDENTS. + + +It was our good fortune while in Rio to be received by the President of +the Republic, Dr. Nilo Pecanha. Missionaries Shepard, Langston and +Ginsburg and Dr. Nogueira Paranagua escorted me. When we started I +suggested that we take a street car. Not so those Brazilians! We must +go in an automobile. We were very careful to wear our Prince Albert +coats, too; for, above all things, the Brazilian is a master in +punctilious ceremonies. We were ushered into the waiting room by a +doorkeeper, a finely-liveried mulatto with a large chain around his +shoulders to indicate his authority. The waiting room was full of +people, but we were not kept waiting long. We sent in our cards and +soon we heard our names announced and we were led into the presence of +the private secretary. After a few words of explanation by Dr. +Paranagua, the secretary retired to ask the President if he would see +us. He returned presently and showed us into the audience chamber, +which was a large and tastefully decorated room. Around the walls were +several groups of chairs, placed in true Brazilian style somewhat as +follows: A cane-bottomed divan was set with its back to the wall, then +several cane-bottomed chairs were placed at right angles to it in two +rows facing each other, usually four in a row. The President guided me +between these chairs and took a seat on the divan and motioned me to a +seat by his side. He is a man of slight build, with a mild expression +which wins confidence. He was most informal in his speech and spoke in +a candid and unreserved manner which quickly put us at ease. + +I told him, through an interpreter, that we had come from a visit to +the Minister of the Interior, with whom we had been in conference about +the status of Brazilian schools. The President expressed his great +pleasure over our coming to see him and said that he had personal +knowledge of what our denomination is doing and of some of the workers. +He was satisfied that our object was altruistic and for the good of the +country and people; that so far as depended upon him, he was ready to +give us the full benefit of his official position. As proof of his wish +to see absolute religious freedom, he cited an instance of how he had +protected some monks in the Amazon Valley recently. These men were in +straits and he had sent soldiers to liberate them, and then turning +with a smile to Ginsburg, he said that he also never abandoned his +friend Solomon when he was attacked. He refreshed our minds upon the +fact that lately, when certain priests in the city of Rio had attempted +to resist the government over a disputed piece of property which had +been granted them under the old regime, he gave them to understand that +if they did not behave themselves, the door was open and they could +leave the country. They soon came to terms. As to his successor, the +President said that the incoming President was of the same party and +would carry out the same policies, ideas and ideals. These policies +meant absolute liberty of thought, conscience and speech, which is +guaranteed by the constitution. Before the interview closed, he again +expressed his pleasure at receiving a representative of an American +institution, convinced as he was that the propaganda of our schools, +morals and ideals would draw the two nations closer together, and that +he was ready to encourage us to that end. "We are following the ideals +of the United States," he said, "which we recognize as our elder +sister." He expressed peculiar pleasure over the prospect of our +establishing a college and he assured us that the Brazilian government +would put no obstacle in the way of our purpose, but that it would do +all in its power, on the other hand, to encourage us. + +While we are meeting Presidents, I would like to introduce you to +another one upon whom the salvation of Brazil depends more largely than +it does upon any occupant of the chair of chief magistrate. It is +possible for the man who has been elevated by the ballots of his people +to serve in a large way the moral good of his people and we thank God +for all rulers who rule with justice and liberality in the interest of +liberty and the common good. But far greater and far more serviceable +than these are those choice spirits who, by embracing the gospel of +Christ, give themselves devoutly to bringing in His reign in the hearts +of men. Such spirits, by the sheer force of their characters, wield a +far more abiding influence for the help of their fellows. The man I +wish to introduce is Dr. Nogueira Paranagua, the President of the +Brazilian Baptist Convention. + +He belongs to one of the oldest and most aristocratic families of the +State of Piauhy. He was Governor of his state at the time of the +institution of the Republic. After the establishment of the Republic, +he was elected to the National Congress for a term of four years. Then +he was elected to the Senate and served nine years. He is a skilled +physician and is married to a Swiss lady of fine family. His family +connections occupy one quarter of the State of Piauhy. He is, at the +present time, Treasurer of the National Printing Concern, which does +not occupy all of his time. The remainder of his time he devotes to the +practice of his profession and to the preaching of the gospel. He is a +deacon in the First church in Rio. He is not an ordained minister--he +is simply an humble man of God. He is an ardent patriot who believes +that the salvation of Brazil can be realized only through the gospel of +Christ, to which he gives his life and all. + +Now I, for one, believe that the theory of Dr. Nogueira is the one that +will finally lead Brazil into the fullness of life and power it is +capable of attaining. It is well to have written in the constitution +the guarantee of religious and political liberty. It is well to have +Presidents who courageously carry into effect the provisions of this +constitution, but the highest good is not attained until behind all +documentary guarantees is a personal righteousness in the people. Dr. +Nogueira's insistent advocacy of Christ for Brazil is the one thing +that gives assurance of a genuine righteousness that will exalt the +nation. + +He is the President of a remarkable body. It was our privilege to +attend the Brazilian Baptist Convention which met in Sao Paulo, June, +1910. It was composed of sixty delegates, about one third of whom were +missionaries. The remainder were natives. They came from all parts of +Brazil. One man from the Madeira Valley traveled three weeks on his +journey to Sao Paulo. They represented 109 churches, which had a total +membership of 7,000. These churches increased by baptism twenty-five +per cent, last year. They maintain a boys' school and a theological +school at Pernambuco, a school for boys and girls at Bahia, a boys' +school at Nova Friburgo, a girls' school at Sao Paulo and the crown of +the school system, the Rio Baptist College and Seminary in the capital. +They have a Publication Board to produce Sunday School and other +literature, a Home Mission Board to develop the missionary work in the +bounds of Brazil, and a Foreign Mission Board, which conducts foreign +mission operations in Chill and Portugal. While their country is so +needy, they believe in the principle of foreign missions so thoroughly +that they gave last year for foreign missions as much per capita as did +the churches in the bounds of the Southern Baptist Convention. One +night during the Convention, I addressed them upon the subject of +foreign missions, and after I had finished speaking one of the +missionaries came forward and said he had thought that in as much as he +had given his life to foreign mission work, he was not under any +special obligation to contribute money to this cause, but now he saw +his error and proposed to give as a means of grace and in order to +discharge his duty to the larger cause. + +What a privilege it was to attend this Convention! All of us took our +meals at the Girls' College and by this arrangement we had a most +delightful time socially. It is a fine body full of good cheer, hope, +faith, courage, consecration. To come to know them--missionaries and +native Christians alike--is to enter into fellowship with some of the +choicest and most indomitable spirits that have ever adorned the +Kingdom of our Lord. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + +THE GOSPEL WITHHELD. + + +When I went to South America I decided that I would spend little time +upon the material aspects of the trip, but would, on the other hand, +attempt to arrive at an understanding of the religious conditions and +needs of the people. I consider that the religious needs are the +abiding and vital interests of any people. + +I knew also that Brazil is counted as being a Roman Catholic country +and the consideration at once arose in connection with this fact as to +whether this religion affected the life and thought of the people +sufficiently to satisfy their religious needs. If it does, then let us +be honest enough to recognize it, and if it does not, let us be +courageous enough to assume our responsibility towards it for we must +hold that the great justification for missionary effort is the +evangelical and not the polemical one. If there is no greater reason +for our entering a country than for the purpose of fighting the +Catholics, then I, for one, am frank to say that I do not think we +ought to spend our energies in any such field. The question for us to +settle is whether there is a real call for the preaching of the gospel +in a given country. That question can be answered only by a candid +consideration of the facts in the case and not by the bigoted notion +that all who do not agree with us are to be driven from the face of the +earth. + +What is the religious status of Brazil? Is there any call for +Protestant effort? I answer after giving serious study to this +question, and after personal observation of the effects of the +religious practices upon the people, that there is the same imperative +call for missionary effort in Brazil that comes from China or any other +heathen country, viz., the gospel is not preached to the people. + +The priests hold services, to be sure, in the churches, but there are +many churches in Brazil in which there has been no pretense of +preaching a sermon within five years. The priests do not preach. They +say mass, read prayers and sing songs in Latin, a language which is not +understood by the people. Occasionally, a Catholic fraternity will +invite a special orator to preach a sermon upon some great feast day. +This visiting brother does not preach. His theme upon such an occasion +would either be a discussion of the special saint whose day is being +celebrated, or he would speak upon some civic question which had more +or less to do with the moral or political life of the people. In the +interior these special occasions occur only once every two to five +years, so that even this semblance of a sermon comes rarely. In the +cities these special addresses are made on one saint's day each year or +on some special anniversary, or when some dignitary is making a visit. +Usually this dignitary will say a mass and not preach. When one of +these special days occurs the preaching is not heard very extensively +for the reason that the noise and commotion about the stalls for +gambling, drinking and other attractions is sufficient to drown the +voice of the speaker. These side-show attractions fill all available +space about the building, giving it the appearance of a circus more +than anything else. They are run by individuals who pay a tax to the +church for the privilege. The preaching is not the feature of the day, +the chief object seeming to be to furnish amusement for the people and +money for the church. It cannot be said that on such days the gospel +can possibly be preached successfully. + +Occasionally there is held in the church what is called a special +mission. This is conducted by visiting monks. We would expect that on +such occasions the gospel would be preached, but such is not the case. +They hear confessions in the morning. A special premium is placed upon +the celebration of marriages during the mission, because these visiting +monks will make a cheaper rate than the resident priests. For this +reason the majority of the priests do not like to have these monks come +in for special missions, and would not conduct them but for the fact +that the bishop compels them to do so. The addresses delivered by the +monks in these special missions are not sermons. They either upbraid +the Protestants, speak against civil marriage (the only legal marriage +in Brazil is that performed by a civil officer), inveigh against the +Republic, discourse upon the lives of the saints, assail Luther and +other reformers, or urge confession, penance and submission to the Pope. + +Furthermore, the Bible is withheld from the people. The circulation of +no book is so bitterly opposed as that of the Bible. It is true that +the Franciscan monks are trying to introduce an edition of the New +Testament which contains special comments attacking Protestants. These +special editions are very expensive and difficult to secure. The person +who wishes to buy one of these Bibles must get permission from the +vicar of his parish, and if the would-be purchaser is inclined towards +Protestantism, the vicar will refuse to grant permission. The priests +are not very much in sympathy with the idea of circulating even this +annotated edition of the New Testament. + +In Armagoza, near Bahia, the Franciscan monks held, three or four years +ago, a mission and sold about 1,000 of these Catholic Scriptures. It +seems that the Protestants had also been circulating a Testament which +had the same general appearance as that sold by the Franciscan monks. +When the monks had sold out their supplies, they heard of what the +Protestants had done and inasmuch as the people could not distinguish +between the true book and the false, they ordered the people to bring +back all of the books to the monks, under the promise that they would +examine them, eliminate the Protestant book and return to the owners +the authorized Bible. The people brought back their books in good +faith. The monks took them, but never returned them. Neither did they +return the money. + +On the 22nd of February, 1903, there occurred a public burning of +Bibles in Pernambuco. This was done in defiance of the Protestant work +with the evident purpose of intimidating the Protestant workers and +arousing a public sentiment against them. + +But having failed in this, their first effort, they decided to try +another even more ostentatious. + +Although it is illegal to burn any religious document publicly, yet the +first burning passed unnoticed by the officials of the law. But not so +the second. + +Having incurred the censure and ill-will of many of the most thoughtful +and liberal-minded, even of the Catholics themselves, by the disgrace +of February 22nd, the directors of the Anti-Protestant League decided +to make a grand rally on the occasion of the league's first +anniversary, September 27th. And to realize this, they published about +two weeks beforehand a very extensive program. The program said that +"there will be burned 26 Bibles, 42 Testaments, 45 copies of the Gospel +of Matthew, Luke 9, John 12, Mark 4 and Acts 9", besides a great many +other useful books. In the list also there were some three hundred +copies of different religious Protestant papers. + +According to the program the bishop was to preside. The public burning, +however, was not performed. Such pressure was brought to bear upon the +officials that they interfered. It was even discussed in the National +House of Congress. But in spite of all opposition, not to be completely +defeated, they burned the Bibles in the back yard of the church. + +These examples are sufficient to demonstrate the attitude of the +priests towards the Scriptures, and we must concede that any church or +set of men who by such methods withhold from the people the Word of God +cannot be said to preach the gospel. He is an enemy of the gospel who +puts any restraint upon the circulation of the Scriptures. It is wise +indeed for the sake of their cause that these opponents of +Protestantism should oppose the circulation of the Scriptures, for we +shall cite numerous instances of how the Bible unaided has broken down +Romish superstition and turned men from dark error into the light of +the glorious gospel of Jesus. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + +SAINT WORSHIP. + + +What is the real religion of the Brazilians? It is more a saint worship +than anything else. Saint worship is at its core. Mary is the chief +saint. All prayers are made to her. She is the intercessor. The Litany +is all addressed to Mary. It runs, "Oh Mary, hear us, etc." She is +worshiped under different aspects--Mary of the Sailors, Mary of the +Conception, Mary of the Candles, Mary of the Rosary, ad infinitum. Even +Christ is worshiped as a saint. The patron saint of Campos, for +instance, is called Sao Salvador (St. Savior). The city of Bahia is +called Sao Salvador. Its patron saint is Jesus. + +A saint is an intercessor between man and God. Because of his holiness, +he has favor with God, and therefore the people pray to him. Very few +consider the saint lower than God. They offer sacrifices, make prayers +and burn candles to the saint. + +St. Anthony of Padua is a very hard-worked saint. He has placed upon +him the double duty of furnishing suitors for all the young women and +of leading the armies of the Republic to victory. No wonder this +overworked saint gets into trouble. Young women place him in their +rooms, burn candles and offer prayers before him. He is dressed up in +the finest toggery and is given great honor. If, however, after awhile +he does not bring along the suitor, he is given a sound beating, or he +may be hung head downwards in a well or stood on his head under a +table. These indignities are heaped upon him in order to force him to +produce the suitor which the young lady very much desires. He is also +the military saint. In the time of the Empire, he was carried at the +head of the army and had the rank of a colonel. Even after the Empire +was abolished, he retained his rank for many years and received from +the government the salary of a colonel. Such an idol was in Bahia and +his salary was discontinued only five years ago. The money went, of +course, to the priest in the church where the image was kept. + +Every town, village and country seat has its protecting saint. In time +of drouth they in many places carry the saint through the streets in +procession. He is taken from his place in the church to some hut, +maybe, where he is placed beneath the altar. This is done in order to +cause him to bring rain. After the rain comes he is taken out and with +great distinction is replaced in his original niche. They do this +sometimes in the case of a scourge of insects or disease. + +Late one evening, after Missionary Ginsburg and I had returned from a +trip into the interior of the State of Bahia, we arrived in the city of +Nazareth. It is a town of about 10,000 inhabitants. We were to wait +here until the following morning for the boat which was to take us to +Bahia. + +As we went down the street we saw a great throng of people surging +about an image which was being carried upon the shoulders of some men. +Two priests walked in front to direct the movements of the procession. +More than half of the people in the city must have been in the +procession. They paraded far out into the country, crossed to the +opposite side of the river, wound themselves back and forth through the +narrow streets until a late hour at night. At eleven o'clock just +before we retired, we stood for some time watching the procession pass +the hotel where we were stopping. It was a miserably ugly little image, +gaudily decorated. It was being paraded through the streets for the +purpose of staying the plague of smallpox, which at that time was +scourging the town. When we saw the procession last it had been +augmented by such numbers that it appeared as if the entire city was +following this image. They seemed to believe that it could really charm +away the smallpox. + +This is not an isolated case. It is typical. Every patron saint has +laid upon him at times the responsibility of breaking a drouth or the +effects of a dreadful scourge which may be afflicting the people. It is +the veriest sort of idolatry. + +One of the most pitiful exhibitions of superstition to be found in +Brazil is that in connection with the many shrines to which pilgrimages +are made by thousands of people and at which places great miracles are +supposed to be performed. In Bahia there is a famous shrine called Bom +Fim (Good End). It is located on a hill in the suburbs of the city. +Years ago tradition has it, the image of San Salvador was found on the +summit of this hill. A priest took charge of the image and removed it +to a church. On the following morning the image was missing, and upon +going to the spot where he first found it, he discovered the image. +Again he took it to the church, and again on the following day, he +found the image at the original place. The tradition was, therefore, +started that the image had fallen from Heaven to the top of the hill, +and every time it was removed from this spot it, of itself, returned. +So it was taken for granted that the image desired its shrine built on +this spot. At first there was a little shrine constructed, and +afterward was built the magnificent edifice which now shelters the +image. + +To this place the thousands go annually upon pilgrimages. One of the +most gruesome spectacles to be found anywhere is in a side room near +the altar. From the ceiling are suspended wax and plaster of paris +reproductions called ex-votos of literally every portion of the +body--feet, hands, limbs, heads, all portions--the ceiling space is +completely covered with these uncanny figures. The wall is hung with +pictures, which portray all sorts of scenes, such as a man in +shipwreck, a carpenter falling down a ladder, a child falling out of a +second-story window, death chambers of various people, etc. These +figures and pictures are intended to represent miracles. When these +people were in their afflictions they prayed to the image of the Good +End and made a promise that if they should recover they would bring one +of these votive offerings of the part affected, whether of man or +beast, to the shrine. Some of them came before the cure was effected, +and with a prayer, left the image behind and the cures of their disease +or afflictions were attributed to the image of Bom Fim. It is said that +when this church is given its annual cleaning, just before the +celebration of the saint's day, thousands of people congregate here, +roll in the waters which are used to wash out the building, and drink +the filthy stuff, deeming it to be holy. There is hardly a more +revolting scene to be found anywhere, and all in the name of religion. +Until recently, when the police put an end to it, a most disgusting +species of holy dance was observed on this annual day in which the most +sensual practices were indulged. + +Perhaps the most famous shrine in all Brazil is in the far interior of +the State of Bahia on the San Francisco River. It is the famous Lapa. +The image has its shrine in a cave in a very remarkable geological +formation. One hundred thousand people make pilgrimages to this shrine +every year from all of the States in Brazil. The last Emperor himself +made a visit to this shrine. From June to August of last year $20,000 +was collected from the pilgrims. Our missionary, Jackson, met a man who +had been on the way six months. It required him a year to make this +trip. The same missionary saw a family from the State of Alagoas which +had been on the journey six weeks. Dr. Z. C. Taylor says he passed +through sections that had been almost depopulated because the men had +sold out their homes, horses and cattle in order to seek a miracle in +their favor at this same shrine. Fire destroyed the image in 1902. +Protestants were accused of setting fire to it because a missionary was +near at the time. (He was forty miles away.) In the controversy that +arose the missionary noted that, inasmuch as the new image was sent by +freight and not by ticket, it must be an idol and not a saint. Suffice +it to say, that a new image was placed and the people are worshiping it +with the same zeal with which they worshiped the old, even though the +new one came by freight and the old one was supposed to have fallen +from Heaven. It is believed to have miracle working power and to give +great merit to one who makes the pilgrimage to it. + +In the daily paper called the "Provinca," published in Pernambuco, +there was printed on August 23, 1910, the following telegram from the +city of Rio, the capital of the Republic. + +"The Seculo (Century) of today announces that on St. Leopold street in +Andarahy (a suburb of Rio) there was discovered a fountain of water in +a hollow rock, in which a plebian found an image of a saint. + +"This image," adds the Seculo, "although in water, did not present the +least vestige of humidity. The news of this curious discovery was +immediately circulated, and there was a great pilgrimage, including a +reporter of the Seculo, to this miraculous fountain in Andarahy." + +It is very probable that this telegram heralds the advent of a new +shrine, because it is in this fashion that these so-called +miracle-working shrines are brought into existence. + +Not all of these shrines are canonized, but nevertheless they have +power over the people. As we were making a trip into the interior of +the State of Pernambuco we passed a station called Severino. Near the +station we could see a splendid church building which had been +constructed in honor of St. Severino. This saint is not in the +calendar, not recognized by the church nor the bishop, yet it is +popular all over Brazil. Many people are named after him, and to this +shrine are brought many of the same sort of things as were described in +connection with the shrine of the Good End. This idol is stuffed with +sugar-cane pith. The head of it was found in the woods some time ago. A +tradition was started that an image had fallen from Heaven. The +superstitious people believed the report and soon a shrine was in full +operation, which today, even though it be not canonized, is exerting a +far-reaching influence. The owner of the shrine gave up his farming and +lives handsomely on the offerings the deluded bring to his private +shrine. + +In one of the most magnificent churches in Bahia is an image of a negro +saint. This holy being won his canonization as a reward for stealing +money from his master to contribute to the church. That is it: Do +anything you please, provided you share the spoils with the church. + +Across the breast of the Virgin's image in the church of Our Lady of +Penha in Pernambuco, before which church the Bibles were burned in +1903, are written the following words: "One hundred days' indulgence to +the person who will kiss the holy foot of the Holy Virgin." This +pitifully expresses, perhaps, the thought behind saint worship. It is +the hope that the aching of the sinful heart may find some assuagement +through the worship of these gilded, gaudy images. It is claimed by the +priests and some of the more intelligent that the image worshiped is +only a concrete representation of the saint, and it contains +symbolically the spirit of the saint. To be sure! This is exactly the +reason the more intelligent fetish worshiper in Africa assigns for +worshiping his hand-made god. The etone or piece of wood is a +representative of God and to a degree contains His spirit. Such worship +is condemned as being idolatry in the African. The thing which is +idolatry in the African must be idolatry in the Catholic. Even the +Catholics will condemn the idol worship of the heathen, and yet this +same Catholic church has in scores of places in South America and in +other heathen lands, taken the identical images worshiped by the +heathen and converted them into Catholic saints. + +In the city of Braga, in Portugal, is a temple which centuries ago was +devoted to Jupiter. It was afterward converted into a Catholic church +and dedicated to St. Peter. The idol Jupiter, with two keys in his +hand, was consecrated into St. Peter. In another part of the same city +is a temple devoted to Janus in Roman times, which was turned into a +temple dedicated to St. John. The idol which formerly was worshiped as +Janus is being now worshiped as St. John. In the same temple there is +an image now consecrated as St. Mark which was formerly the god Mars. +The saint worship in Brazil is just as heathenish. In China Buddhist +idols were renamed Jehosaphat by the Jesuits and worshiped. Their +practices in Brazil are in keeping with their methods in other lands. + +What is the difference between a worshiper who thus seeks indulgence +through the worship of an image in Brazil and a like worshiper with a +like soul need bowing before a similar wooden image in Africa or China? + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + +PENANCE AND PRIEST. + + +Confession and penance play a large part in the religious life of the +common people. The priests exercise great ingenuity to preserve the +confessional. The better educated classes have long ago deserted the +confessional, but it still holds sway over the common people and hangs +like a dark shadow over the immoral deeds of the priests. Along with it +flourishes the performance of penance. These two hand-maidens in +wrong-doing often thrive in an absurd way. + +In Penedo, the capital of the State of Alagoas, a new wharf was being +built and the money granted by the Government was not sufficient to +complete the work. The contractors approached the two monks who were to +hold a mission in the city during February, 1904, and offered to pay +them $500 if they would instruct the people to, in penance, carry +across the city the stones which had been brought from the interior. A +large quantity of building material had been brought down by rail and +needed to be transported across to the wharf. The monks agreed, gave +instructions accordingly, and in one week the people carried these +stones across the town to the wharf. The transfer of these stones would +have cost $2,500. At least 10,000 people engaged in this colossal act +of penance. They came from two counties. Thus the contractors, by a +little skillful manipulation, made penance save them considerable money. + +In some of these penances the people wear crowns of thorns on their +heads and cords about their necks and go barefooted through the streets +of the city in their pilgrimages to the church. All, that through these +means they may find some ease for the conscience which accuses them of +evil. + +What shall I say of the priests? I believe I will say nothing. I +declined steadily to soil the pages of my note book with the records of +the immoral deeds of these men. I will let speak for me an educated +Brazilian, a teacher in an excellent school in Pernambuco, who is not a +professing Christian, but who, like a great many of his class, admires +Christianity very sincerely. When Mr. Colton, International Secretary +of the Young Men's Christian Association, passed through Pernambuco in +June, 1910, he was given a banquet by some of the leading men, which +event offended so grievously the Catholic authorities that they +published in the "Religious Tribune," their organ, a bitter diatribe on +the Young Men's Christian Association. The professor, to whom I +referred, who is now one of the leading judges in the state, published +the following answer to this attack. He is in far better position to +speak authoritatively about the Brazilian priests than I am. His +article ran as follows: + + +"FURY UNBRIDLED." + +"The official organ of the diocese of Olinda could not on this occasion +control its great animus. It threw aside its old worn-out mantle of +hypocrisy, it precipitated itself furiously and insolently against the +Y.M.C.A. It not only does not forgive, but does not fear to +excommunicate the local and State authorities who appeared at the +banquet nor the directory of the Portuguese reading rooms who lent +their hall to said Y.M.C.A. + +"After affirming that the evangelization of Brazil means its +unchristianizing the clerical organ begins to call the members of the +Association and Protestants in general wolves in sheep's clothing. + +"But we ask, to whom does this epithet apply better? To us who dress as +the generality of men, thus leaving no doubt as to our sex and freeing +our consciences from the ignominious Roman yoke, direct ourselves by +that straight and narrow way which leads to salvation; or to this black +band which secretly and maliciously makes of a man its prey from the +moment in which he sees the light of day until the moment in which he +goes to rest in the bosom of the earth? To us, Who having no thirst for +dominion, seek to cultivate in man all the noble attributes given by +the Creator, to us who teach clearly and without sophistry and gross +superstitions the plan of salvation as it is found in the word of God; +or to this legion of corrupt and hypocritical parasites, corruptors of +youth, whose character they seek to debase and villify by means of the +confessional? + +"The only object of the wolf in dressing himself as a sheep is to +devour the sheep. And these shaven heads know perfectly well why we +cite the chronicles of the convents; they know from personal knowledge +who are responsible for the greater part of the illegitimate children, +and they have no doubt about the permanency and progress of +prostitution. + +"But they have effrontery, these priests! + +"What has the priesthood done in Brazil in about 400 years? The answer +is found in facts that prove the absence of all initiative of will, of +strength, of energy and of activity. Brazil has only been a field for +torpid exploitation by these gain-hunting libertines. And what of the +attacks against private and public fortunes? + +"Happily, for some years, the public conscience has been awakening and +the people are beginning to know that a priest, even the best of them, +is worthless. + +"Freed from an official religion, the Brazilian people have really made +progress in spite of the hopelessness of Romanism that perverts all +things and resorts to ail sorts of schemes to preserve its former easy +position. + +"We, pirates? Ah! deceivers. Then we, who present ourselves loyally +without subterfuge, proclaiming the divine truths, speaking logically, +without artifices or superstitions, are pirates? You noble priests are +noble specimens of Christian culture, I must confess! You are such good +things that France has already horsewhipped you out of the country, and +Spain, whose knightly race is regaining the noble attributes +obliterated by the iron yoke of Romanism, is about ready to apply to +you the same punishment. + +"There is no doubt that the priest is losing ground every day. All +their manifestations of hate and satanic fury are easily explained. + +"One easily recognizes the true value of the explosion of vicious +egotism found in the official organ of the diocese of Olinda. The +priest this time lost his calmness and let escape certain rude phrases +as if he were yet in the good old times when he could imprison and burn +at his pleasure. Console yourselves, reverend lord priests, everything +comes to an end, and the ancient period of darkness and obscurity +exists no more in Brazil." + + +What is the net result of such religious life as we have been +portraying? The common and more ignorant people accept without very +much questioning the teachings and practices which we have explained. +The better educated people, especially the men, have lost confidence in +the priesthood. Scarcely an educated man can be found who believes in +the moral uprightness of the priest. The chief hold the Church has upon +the better classes is a social and not a religious one. Births, +marriages, deaths, alike are great social events, and upon such +occasions, because it is custom to have a priest, the better classes of +people even call in the services of the priests, in whom they have no +confidence. The effect upon the beliefs of these better classes is most +distressing. Spiritism, materialism and atheism are rampant, and one +could well believe that these people set adrift without spiritual +guides are in a worse condition than if they were still devout +believers in the ancient practices of the Roman church. They are far +more difficult to reach because they have imbibed the philosophies of +spiritism, materialism and atheism. An atheist in South America is just +as difficult to approach as he is anywhere. The devout Catholics are +easier to reach with the gospel. The devout Catholic has at least one +element which must always be reckoned with in dealing helpfully with an +immortal soul. He has reverence, which thing many of those people who +have been swung away from their faith have not. I take no comfort in +the fact that the people in large numbers are deserting the Roman +Catholic church and are being set adrift without any form of religion. +One could wish that they might be held to their old beliefs until we +could reach them with the virile truths of the gospel of Jesus. + +We come back to it--the gospel is not preached in Brazil except as it +is preached by the Protestant missionary. The need is just as great for +gospel preaching in this country as it is in China. + +One day after I had finished speaking to a congregation in Castello, +back in the interior from Campos, an old English woman came up to me +and expressed her great pleasure over having the privilege of hearing +once more the gospel preached in English. I had spoken in English, and +the missionary had interpreted what I had to say into Portuguese. She +had heard the sermon twice. She had been in Brazil thirty-odd years. +She and her husband had lived in the far interior. They had recently +moved down to Castello that they might be near the little church where +they could have the opportunity of worshiping God. She told me that +back in the town in which they had lived they had left two sons who +were engaged in business for themselves. These two sons had been born +in Brazil, and yet in all their lives THEY HAD NEVER HEARD A GOSPEL +SERMON. Yes, these people are without the gospel and this is our +justification for carrying to them the message of life. For them Christ +died, and to them, because they have not heard, He has sent us that we +might bring His precious message of eternal salvation, for "How shall +they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they +hear without a preacher?" + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + +THE GOSPEL TRIUMPHANT. + + +It is often claimed that the progress of the gospel is slower and more +difficult in Catholic countries than in outright heathen lands. Such +statements can be answered only by an appeal to the facts in the case. +What are the facts? The Foreign Mission Board of the Southern Baptist +Convention has been conducting operations in Brazil for about thirty +years. It has been doing work in China for more than sixty years. +During all the time since work--was opened in Brazil, the Board has had +about three times as many missionaries in China as it had in Brazil, +with the result that at the present time we have 9,939 members of our +churches in Brazil, as against 9,990 members of our churches in China. +We have worked less than half as long in Brazil and with one-third of +the missionary force. Last year with a missionary force one-third as +large in Brazil as it was in China, there were 635 more baptisms in +Brazil than there were in China. There were 1,534 baptisms in China and +2,169 in Brazil. The same sort of comparison between our work in Italy +and Japan would make the same showing. This is not to make a +prejudicial statement concerning the work in any field. We make it +simply to show that the gospel does succeed remarkably in the Catholic +countries. The fact is, the rate of progress is far greater in the +Catholic country than it is in the heathen land. The gospel does +succeed in Catholic countries. What is said here of the work of this +one Board can be said just as truly of the others. + +It was our privilege to witness some remarkable demonstrations of the +power of the gospel while we were in Brazil. About 3:30 o'clock one +afternoon we arrived in Genipapo in the interior of the State of Bahia, +after having ridden since early morning upon the railroad train through +a mountainous country which, with its tropical vegetation, held our +keenest interest. We were met at the station by some members of our +church, who escorted us to the home of Polycarpo Nogueira. Mrs Nogueira +is a very devout Christian. Some years ago she learned that her mother +had embraced Christianity. Mrs. Nogueira set out upon a journey of 130 +miles on muleback to her mother's home for the purpose of taking out of +her mother's heart her belief in the gospel. She succeeded in shaking +her mother's faith and also the faith of her brother. She now +determined to prepare herself to combat this Baptist teaching which was +spreading over the country. She marked passages of Scripture which she +proposed to use against the Baptists. But when she used them she grew +ashamed because she became conscious of the fact that she had +misapplied the Word which she then gave deeper study. The Word of God +took hold of her own heart and she in turn was converted. Her first +thought was concerning her mother and brother 130 miles away. Again she +took the long journey on muleback in order to lead her loved ones to +Christ. She was able to re-establish her mother's faith, but to this +day her deep regret is that her brother does not believe. + +We had a great service at the church that night. The crowd was so large +that we held the services out in the open. Seven stood to confess their +surrender to Christ. The good deacon of the church was so thoroughly in +the spirit of the occasion and in such sympathy with me that he +declared he could understand my English. He really seemed to catch it +before the missionary could interpret it. + +On the following day we reached St. Inez, the station at the end of the +railway, and spent the night in a poor excuse of a lodging house called +the Commercial Hotel. + +At 7 o'clock on the following morning, which was Sunday, we started on +horseback for Arroz Novo, an excellent country church fifteen miles +away. A young brother named John Laringeiro (John Orangetree) had +brought horses for us. Before his conversion he was an arch persecutor, +and since he has become a Christian he has been called upon to suffer +even more bitter persecution than he ever inflicted upon others. He is +struggling to care for his mother, and as the pastor of the church at +Rio Preto, he is a most acceptable gospel preacher. + +It was a fine ride into the country, over hill and mountain and +deeply-shaded valley. After we had ridden about half the length of our +journey several brethren from Arroz Novo (New Rice) met us to escort us +to the church. A mile or two further we were met by another company, +who swelled the number of our dashing cavalcade to about twenty-five. +It was dashing, too, for they were hard riders. It was a very joyous +and cordial reception committee. Finally we rode into sight of the +church, winch is located on a high hill commanding a grand panorama of +the mountains. As we approached we saw two long lines of people +standing facing each other in front of the church. The men were on one +side and the women on the other--about 600 of them. As we rode up the +congregation sang a hymn to give us welcome. We dismounted when we +reached the end of the two lines and walked down between them to the +church. Now it is the custom in Brazil upon festal occasions to strew +the meeting place with oleander and cinnamon leaves and to throw rose +petals and confetti upon those they wish to honor. These good people +observed this custom generously that day. A wide space of the ground in +front of the church was strewed with leaves, and they showered such +quantities of rose petals and confetti upon us that we were beautiful +sights by the time we reached the door. + +We entered the very creditable church building into which the people +now poured until every foot of space was occupied. There was hardly +room left for me to make gestures as I spoke. It was ten o'clock. The +people had been present since four engaged in a prayer meeting. We +began the service immediately. The Spirit of the Lord was upon us to +preach the gospel. Afterward we called for those who wished to make +confession of their faith in Christ. We pushed back the people a little +bit in the front and the space thus made vacant was immediately filled +with those who wished to confess their Lord and Savior. We saw that +others wanted to come, so we asked them to stand where they were. All +through the audience they rose. Then began the examination of these +candidates. Numerous questions were put to them by the missionary and +the pastor of the church. Sometimes as many as twenty-five or even more +questions would be asked an individual so great was the care exercised +in examining those who wished to become members of the church, and what +impressed me most was the fact that after every question they could +think of had been asked, they would ask if anyone present could endorse +him. Whereupon someone, if he could recommend the candidate would, +after a brief speech of endorsement, make a motion to receive him. + +Over to my right rose a young woman who was the most beautiful woman I +saw in Brazil. Her name was Elvira Leal. She had been favorable to the +gospel for some time and had suffered cruel persecution from her +father. The tears streamed down her face as she spoke, saying, "You +know my story and what I have been called upon to endure for the +gospel's sake, but this morning I must confess the Lord. I cannot +resist the Spirit longer." I learned that her father, in order to force +her to give up her faith, had dragged her across the floor by her hair. +He had brandished his dagger over her heart, threatening to take her +life; he had forced her to break her engagement to be married to the +young preacher, John Larinjeiro, who had brought the horses for us; he +had declared he would kill both of them rather than to allow them to +marry, and at the time we were there she was compelled to live in the +home of a neighbor, so violent had become her father in his opposition +to her adherence to the gospel. That morning, however, she said though +she knew it involved suffering, she would follow her Savior at whatever +cost. + +By the time the missionary had finished examining this woman, a man had +crowded near to the front and indicated that he wished to say +something. It was John Larinjeiro's brother. He said that for two years +he had been impressed with the gospel, but because of the persecution +in his own home he had held back. When years ago his mother had been +converted, he went to persuade her to give up her religion. Persuasion +failing, he persecuted her severely. She finally told him that his +efforts were of no avail because she could not give up her faith in +Christ, yet if he would take the Bible and show her where she was +wrong, she would give it up. He secured a gospel circulated by the +priest and also "The Manual of Instructions for Holding Missions" and +both of these confirmed his mother's faith, and he had no more to say. +The Word impressed itself upon his heart and he became sympathetic to +the gospel. Then trouble arose. His father-in-law, he said, had +threatened to take his wife and children from him and to put him out of +his own home. His wife had persecuted him and declared she would leave +him if he made the confession he desired to make. He said that he did +not know what to do, but had come forward to ask us to pray for him. +Then the congregation fell upon its face, as far as such a thing was +possible, and prayed. I could not understand all they said in the +prayers because they were spoken in Portuguese, but so mighty was the +presence of the Spirit and so irresistible was the appeal sent up to +the throne of Grace that I knew before the prayers ended what the +result would be. As soon as the prayers were concluded, the man stood +up and said, "News travels quickly in this country. It may be that when +I reach home I shall find my wife and children gone, but whatever may +be the cost, I cannot resist the Spirit today. I must confess my Lord +and ask for membership in the church." Of course, he was received. A +letter received from the missionary some months later informed me that +the father-in-law had carried out his threat and did take away the wife +and children. + +Numerous others stood to make confession, and the examination continued +far past one o'clock, 'till twenty-one were received for baptism. This +marvelous outpouring of the Spirit of Christ enabled us to see with our +own eyes the power of the gospel demonstrated in the saving of souls in +Brazil. + +After the service we went to breakfast in a house near by. The crowd, +according to custom, came into the dining room, as many of them as +could, to hear the conversation while we sat about the table. The walls +of the building were made of mud, the floor was the bare ground, in the +corner of the room, surrounded by a mud puddle, stood a water jar, +around which the chickens were picking. I kicked a pig out of my way, +accidentally stepped on a dog, but nothing daunted, fell to with good +will and ate, asking no questions. + +After a few hours' ride, upon our return journey in the afternoon, we +reached the town of Olhos d'Agua (Fountains of Water) through which we +had passed upon our outward journey in the early morning. There is a +very good church at this place which has suffered cruel persecution. +Upon the doors of every Protestant house in the town have been painted +black crosses. They were placed there at night by the Catholics to keep +the Devil from coming out. The black cross of derision has become a +mark of honor in that community. We were greeted by a splendid audience +that night and the gospel again was honored. More than a dozen people +accepted Christ and made confession of Him. + +I was greatly interested in Brother Raymundo, who is the leading member +of this church. Formerly he was a great persecutor. He was an enemy to +Antonio Barros, who is now a leading member in the church at Arroz +Novo. Barros was converted at Lage, and when he met Raymundo he greeted +him, at which Raymundo was greatly surprised. Barros explained his +action by saying that he had found Christ and wanted to live at peace +with all men. The fact that his enemy should embrace him and beg his +pardon greatly impressed Raymundo. Upon the invitation of Barros, +Raymundo attended the meeting that night. He was touched by the gospel +and was converted. He now had to experience the same persecution he had +inflicted upon others. His enemies wrote to the merchants in Bahia and +told them that he was out of his mind. So persistent was their +persecution that he was compelled to give up his business. His credit +was destroyed by these reports. He moved away from Olhos d'Agua, but +when the native pastor left the place recently Raymundo returned in +order to hold the work together. He now makes his meager living by +trading, and through great sacrifice leads the congregation in a very +acceptable service. + +We returned to St. Ignez by ten o'clock that night, tired and happy +over what our eyes had seen and our hearts had felt. It had been a day +of triumph for the gospel. + +On Monday we started on our journey for Santo Antonio. When we passed +through Genipapo we found Brother Polycarpo Nogueira at the station. He +had come to ask about a passage of Scripture I had pointed out to him +on the night when we stayed in his home We had urged him to accept the +gospel and he hesitated. I quoted to him, "Everyone, therefore, who +shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father in +Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him, will I deny before +my Father who is in Heaven." Mat. 10:32, 33. He told us about a +wonderful meeting held in the church on Sunday, in which one had been +converted and many others were deeply interested. He himself was +evidently moved upon by the Spirit. May the word we gave him lead him +to Christ. + +Some hours further on we passed through Vargem Grande, where we have +another church. Several people boarded the train to accompany us to +Santo Antonio. One of them was Fausto de Almeida. When the ex-priest, +Ottoni, visited Vargem Guande some years ago to preach the gospel this +man Almeida, with a great crowd of boys equipped with tin cans, met him +at the station. This troupe escorted Ottoni to the church and stood +outside making as much noise as possible. He offered the ex-priest a +loaded cigar, which Ottoni declined with kindly thanks. The minister's +conduct was so gentle and kind that Fausto, when he bethought himself, +went home in a rage, became intoxicated, and in order to vent his +wrath, went out into his back yard and fired his pistols. A little +later one of his sisters was converted, and by her good testimony not +long after that when she died, he was greatly impressed. Another sister +was converted and gave him a Bible, which he read and in which he found +the message of Christ. He obeyed his Lord, and in spite of violent +opposition on the part of his wife, is today in a faithful and +effective way, building up the church at Vargem, Grande. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + +JOSE BARRETTO. + + +When we reached Santo Antonio de Jesus at two p. m. we found a throng +at the station to meet us. They gave us a royal welcome, receiving us +literally with open arms. After this hearty greeting we formed a +procession and marched two and two through the streets of the city to +the church. They wished us to take the lead in the procession, but we +declined the honor and finally took position about the middle of the +line. They seemed to march through every street in the city, so eager +were they to impress the population that there was somebody else in the +world besides their religious persecutors. When we arrived at the +church they showered us once more with rose petals and confetti. After +prayer we were taken to the home of Jose Barretto to be entertained. + +Now, this same Jose Barretto is a very remarkable character. He was +formerly Superintendent of the Manganese mines near by and very active +in politics. If any questionable work needed to be done in order to +influence an election Jose was called upon to do it. He is a great, +strong fellow, more than six feet in height and weighs, perhaps, 250 +pounds. He was a violent man, fearless and desperate. I noted many +scars on his face which were evidences of many dangerous encounters. He +did not deign to steal the ballots, but would take possession of the +ballot box, extract from it the proper number of votes, destroy them, +seal the box and allow the count to be made. No one dared withstand +him. He was just as violent in his opposition to the Protestants. He +declared that he would beat any Protestant who should ever come into +his house. + +Well, one day his own brother-in-law came to see him. This +brother-in-law was blind and also a Christian. After a while Jose and +his wife were commiserating the brother over his blindness when he +said, that though his eyes were clouded, his soul saw the light of +life. His sister said to him, "You must be a Protestant." He replied, +"Yes, thank God, I know Jesus Christ." She was so frightened that she +fainted, because she had visions of her burly husband pouncing upon her +blind brother and beating him to death. Her husband resuscitated her +and soothed her by saying, "I know I have said all of these things +about what I would do to the Protestants, but I hope I am not mean +enough to strike a blind man and certainly I would not injure your +brother." That night the brother asked them to read the Scriptures. +They had no Bible, but did possess a book of Bible stories, one of +which the sister read, and then the brother asked permission to pray. +Jose Barretto had always been reverential, and so he knelt in prayer. +So earnest and childlike was the praying of the blind brother and so +fully did he express the real heart hunger of the great, strong man +that when the prayer was finished, Jose Barretto said very sincerely, +"Amen." He became deeply interested in the gospel. + +When the brother left, the Spirit of God so impressed Jose that he felt +he must look up a New Testament which he had taken from an employee +some time ago. He had looked at this book which he had taken from the +employee's hands, and finding no saints' pictures in it, concluded that +it was that hated Protestant Bible the priests were trying to keep from +being circulated, and had thrown it into a box in the corner of his +office. Now he went to this box, fished out the New Testament, brushed +the dust from its pages and read from it the word of life. The blind +brother, in the meantime, had gone to Santo Antonio and told what had +happened. The chief of police of the city, who was a Christian and the +President of the Baptist Young People's Union, declared that he was +going out to see Jose. "I have been afraid to go," he said, "because +Jose has been so violently opposed to the gospel." + +He went and found the strong man poring over the pages of the book in +his effort to find the way of life. He explained the gospel and +Barretto was soon converted, as was also his sister. His wife held on +to her old faith. She would pray, but would use the Crucifix. Finally +the husband and sister decided they would burn the idol, which they +accordingly did. When the wife saw that no dreadful calamity befell the +house she concluded that the idol was a powerless thing and gave her +heart to Christ. + +The life of Jose Barretto since that time has been a burning light. He +has been as zealous in following Christ as he ever was in following +evil, though not so violent. His witness has been honored amongst his +own family and relations especially. They have been forced to realize +that there is something in Christianity which can produce such a +remarkable change in the life of such a violent man. When we were in +his home we learned of a family of twenty-one, some distance out in the +country, who were ready to make confession of their faith and be +baptized. They were anxious for the missionary to come and baptize them +and to organize a church in one of their homes. These people were the +relatives of Jose Barretto. It is marvelous how the witness of his life +is bearing fruit. He lost his position as Superintendent by his +acceptance of Christ, but is now making a living as a coffee merchant. + +We had a remarkable service at the church that night. A great throng +pressed into the building, and Jose Barretto was the chief usher. I +have never seen a man who could crowd more people into a building than +could he. After the house had been packed there still remained on the +outside a crowd as large as that sandwiched into the building. I +preached the gospel once more, speaking, of course, in all of these +services through an interpreter. When I called for those who would +confess Christ I did not ask them to come forward because there was no +room for them. They stood here and there over the audience until more +than twenty expressed themselves as having accepted Christ and desiring +membership in the church. When one man stood amongst this number I +noticed that Jose Barretto was very deeply moved. His great frame shook +with emotion. I learned afterwards that the man who stood was a police +sergeant, who in the old days had been Jose's confederate in his +political crookedness. That night this man stood acknowledging his sins +and asking for membership in the church. Jose's faithfulness had won +him. Once more we witnessed a marvelous victory of the gospel. + +On the very day on which we visited Santo Antonio and were entertained +in the home of our good brother Jose Barretto, this great stalwart +fellow who had been such a violent opposer of Christianity and who had +previously lived such a desperate life, was met on the street by one of +his former schoolmates. His schoolmate chided him for becoming a +Christian and insinuated that Jose's conversion was an act of weakness +and also that he would not hold out very long. He went further to say +many severe things in criticism of the cause of Protestant +Christianity. Jose Barretto replied, "You ought to be ashamed of +yourself for finding fault with the thing which has produced such a +change in my life. You know the kind of character I have been in this +community. You know how violent and sinful I have been and you know at +this time how I am living. A religion which can produce such a change +as this does not deserve ridicule." The man turned and slunk away. In +the meantime, there had gathered around them a number of people, +because they knew how serious a matter it was for anyone to oppose him, +and they expected to see something violent take place that day. Being +emboldened by the mild answer which he gave to his persecutor, others +began to ask questions. Finally one of them asked him this question: +"Suppose someone should strike you in the face in persecution, what +would you do?" And then the great, strong violent man who had been made +meek and humble by his acceptance of Jesus gave an answer which showed +him to be genuinely converted to the Spirit of Jesus. He said: "I am +not afraid of such a thing as that happening, for the reason that I +propose to live in this community such a life for the help of my +brothers that no one will ever desire to strike me in the face," and +these others turned shame-stricken away from him. He threw down before +that community the challenge of his life, and that is the thing that +not only in Brazil, but here in our own land, must finally win for our +King the triumph which is His due. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + +CAPTAIN EGYDIO. + + +What brought about the readiness of this territory in the interior of +the State of Bahia for the acceptance of the gospel? Perhaps the brand +of burning which did more than any other to shed light through the +entire section over which we passed, was the person of Captain Egydio +Pereira de Almeida. He was one of several brothers of a good country +family which owned large possessions in the interior 150 miles from the +city of Bahia. He was an intense Catholic, but never a persecutor. At +one time he was Captain in the National Guards. He was political boss +of his community and protector for a small tribe of Indians. He was a +hard-working, law-abiding citizen. + +In order to know the story we must go back a little. In 1892 Solomon +Ginsburg sold a Bible to Guilhermino de Almeida on the train when he +was going to Armagoza. Ginsburg had only one Bible left and felt +constrained to offer it to the stranger across the aisle. The man said +he had no money and did not care to buy. The missionary pressed him and +finally sold him for fifty cents a Bible worth four times that amount. +That night his fellow passenger heard the missionary speak in the +theater in Armagoza and seemed to enjoy especially the hymns the +preacher sang. The missionary marked for him the Ten Commandments and +other passages in the Bible. + +When the man reached his home at Vargem Grande a few days afterward he +told his brother Marciano de Almeida of his encounter with the +missionary, of how he had bought the Bible which he did not want and of +the Ten Commandments the missionary had marked for him. He very +willingly gave his Bible to his brother. Marciano read the book and was +particularly impressed with the Ten Commandments. + +Now, we must introduce into this narrative another character in the +person of good Brother Madeiros. Some time before this, having become +interested in the gospel, he had gone to Bahia and had been instructed +by Missionary Z. C. Taylor in the truth to such good purpose that he +gave himself to the Lord. His neighbors at Valenca, his native town, on +learning of his having accepted Christ, drove him out, and he moved to +Vargem Grande. But he found no rest in his new home, for his fellow +townsmen so persecuted him that he was compelled to live in the +outskirts of the town. He was the first believer in Vargem Grande. When +Marciano de Almeida became interested in the Scriptures he went to see +Madeiros and was instructed by him in the gospel. He told the +persecuted saint that he would stand by him from now on, for Marciano +had experienced a marvelous conversion. + +On learning that his images were idols, Marciano collected all +immediately and burnt them, greatly to the disgust of his family and +the whole town. He began at once to declare the Word of God, and though +he was as gentle as a lamb, he was also as bold as a lion in defending +the gospel. + +When his brother, Captain Egydio de Almeida, who lived sixty miles +away, learned that Marciano had become converted, he made the journey +to take out of his brother's heart the false teaching which he had +imbibed. He pitied his brother, thinking that Marciano's mind had +become unbalanced. When Captain Egydio arrived at his brother's in +Vargem Grande, being a very positive man, he set about the business of +straightening out his brother with dispatch and determination. He +failed in his purpose, and then called in a priest. When he returned +with the priest Marciano asked the two to be seated. Immediately the +priest inquired, "What is this I am hearing about you, Marciano?" He +replied, "Mr. Priest, I am thirty-five years old and you never gave me +the Bible, God's Holy Law and as God ordered it. I came by it through +the Protestants whom you have always abused. You have taken my money +all these years for mass, saying you would take the souls of our kin +out of a purgatory that does not exist. You taught me to worship idols +which God's Word condemns. You sprinkle my children for money, marry +them for money, and when they die you still demand money to save their +souls from an imaginary purgatory. The Bible teaches me, on the other +hand, that God offers me a free salvation through Jesus Christ." The +priest rose and said good-bye without offering a word of explanation. +Seeing the priest thus defeated, Captain Egydio turned to old Brother +Madeiros, who happened to be present, and said: "If you continue to put +these false doctrines in my brother's head I will send a couple of +Indians here to take off your head." "Yes," replied Madeiros, "you may +cut off my head, but you cannot cut off my soul from God." Captain +Egydio returned home breathing out plagues upon himself and his family. +He drank heavily at every grog shop on his way and scattered abroad the +news about his family's disgrace. He was a man of a kind heart, and +though he did not embrace the truths of his brother's religion, he did +show his brother great consideration and, being a political leader for +that district, became his brother's protector. + +When his wrath had cooled down somewhat he began to recall many things +Marciano had told him about the Bible, and as he looked upon his many +expensive idols set here and there in niches about his home, he said to +himself: "Well, did Marciano say these images do nothing. They neither +draw water, cut wood nor pick coffee. They do not teach school, they do +not protect our home, for there is one covered with soot. There is +another the rats have gnawed, and recently another fell and was broken. +How powerless they are." Then he remembered the Bible which a believer +had given him years before. He began to examine it in a closed room. Ag +he read he prayed, "Oh, God, if this religion of Marciano be right, +show it to me." + +He seemed to be making good progress. But about this time he received +word that his brother and the missionary R. E Neighbor were coming to +see him. The priest had also heard of the approaching visit and had +sent a letter to Captain Egydio's son warning him against the coming +men, saying that they were emissaries of the United States and wished +to lead the Almeidas astray. The letter bearer was instructed to +deliver the letter to the son and not let the father know anything +about it, but he said, "I cannot do that because I must be true to my +old captain," so he gave the letter to Captain Egydio. He wag greatly +disturbed over the warnings the priest had given and tried to induce +his children to give up the reading of the pamphlets and Scriptures he +had given to them, which thing they refused to do. + +His brother and the missionary came according to agreement and Captain +Egydio, true to his word, went with them to the town of Areia to +protect them while they were engaged in conducting a gospel service in +the public square. The priest of the town sent the police to prevent +the Protestants from conducting the meeting. The sergeant, who had been +under Captain Egydio when he was Captain in the National Guards, was +one of the detail sent to suppress the meeting. He declared that he +would stand by his old Captain, for the men knew that under the +Constitution the missionary had a perfect right to hold the meeting. +The meeting was held, but under such unfavorable circumstances that the +Captain stood forth and said: "I have not declared myself a Protestant, +but from this time I shall be a Protestant and propose to give my life +to the spread of this faith." + +It happened that one day he was called to visit a boy who had been +shot. As he rode along through the open fields he was burdened with +prayer to God. Suddenly he felt a strange feeling and he seemed to hear +a voice saying, "You are saved." Immediately he knew that the Lord had +visited him with His blessed salvation. He shouted as he rode along the +way, "Glory to God. I am redeemed." He rode on in this state to the +home of the boy. Seeing the boy could not live, he began to exhort him +to look to Christ for salvation, and just before the boy's spirit +passed out from him, he made confession of his Lord. The Captain +returned to his home overflowing with joy. He galloped his horse up to +the door, shouting, "Glory, hallelujah, I am saved." He embraced his +wife and children and all stood back staring at him. Finally the mother +cried: "Poor man! Children, your father is mad. Get the scissors and +let us cut off his hair; let us rub some liniment on his head." "All +right," he said, "only do not cut it too close," and he suffered them +to rub the liniment also upon his head. Seeing that there was no change +in him, they also administered to him one of their homely medicines, a +small portion of which he was willing to take to pacify them. Their +opinion of his sanity was not changed. + +Not only his family, but his neighbors suspected him. As he engaged in +business--and he was a very busy man--people were watching him to see +if something was not dreadfully wrong. Finally all realized that a +great and beneficent change had taken place. He never became a +preacher, but he did not allow to pass an opportunity to tell the story +of his newly-found Savior. His Bible was constantly in his hands, and +he read the marvelous news to all. His family soon became interested in +the gospel and they, even to his son-in-law, became as crazy upon the +subject as he. Thirteen of them were baptized at one time. + +For activity in evangelization his equal was scarcely ever met. He kept +for distribution boxes of Bibles and tracts. While at business he +witnessed for the gospel. He traveled extensively. Some of his bosom +friends became his worst enemies, but many of them he led to Christ, or +at least to a friendship, for the gospel. He did not preach, but +invited many preachers to come to his community and was always ready to +accompany them whenever they needed his presence. His life was the +greatest sermon he could preach to the people. They had known him once +in the old days when one of his sons fell sick he promised to carry his +weight of beeswax to the miracle working saint of the Lapa shrine, 100 +miles away on the San Francisco River. The son recovered and the father +kept his word. Now they saw him discard his old superstitions for the +truth in Jesus. The gospel that could produce such a marvelous change +as this had its effect upon his neighbors. He organized a church upon +his own fazenda and it held its meetings in his own house at Casca. + +He became deeply interested in the subject of education. He said one +day to Dr. Z. C. Taylor, our missionary at Bahia: "While I was a +Catholic I had no desire to educate my children, but now I would give +all of this farm to see them educated." Dr. Taylor told him of some of +his own plans concerning a school, and Captain Egydio contributed the +first money for the school, which Dr. Taylor afterward established, +Captain Egydio's gift of a thousand dollars making it possible for this +school to be organized. + +Of the trials and persecutions which he endured for the gospel, we can +cite only one or two. + +A priest paid two men sixty dollars to go and take the Captain's life. +They appeared one night at his door and asked for employment. He +invited them in, saying he had plenty of work he could give them to do. +The time soon arrived for family prayers and the men were invited to be +present. The Captain afterward told the family that while he was +praying he received a distinct impression that the men had come to do +him bodily injury and that in the prayer he had committed himself +absolutely to the protection of God. The next day he took the two men +out into the field to show them what to do. In the meantime he had been +telling them of the love of Jesus and how He had come to save to the +uttermost those who would believe on Him. One lingered behind to shoot, +but his hand trembled too much. The other did not have the courage to +do the man of God any injury. That night they said they would not stay +longer. He paid them for the day's work, bade them godspeed and they +departed. + +But he did not always escape suffering so easily. One afternoon as he +was passing by the priest's home the priest accosted him and said: +"Captain, why is it you do not stop with me any more? You used to do +so, but of late you have passed me by." He urged the Captain so +strongly that he decided to stay all night. They offered him wine to +drink, which he refused. Then they gave him coffee. That night he +suffered agony and was sick for some time after reaching home. He was +sure he had been poisoned. + +He suffered many persecutions from unsympathetic neighbors, not only +from criticism, but sometimes from bodily injuries and from painful +abuse, all of which he bore with an equanimity of spirit which would do +credit to any martyr to the cause of Christ. + +Dr. Z. C. Taylor relates a trying experience through which he and +Captain Egydio passed together. + +"The Captain and I were together one day returning home from a +preaching tour by a near cut, passing the door of our greatest +persecutor, Captain Bernadino, who on seeing us, seized a stick, and +running to us, beat back our hordes, crying, 'Back, back, you cannot +pass my house.' A plunge of my horse caused my hat to fall off, which +he handed me and continued to force our retreat. We returned by way of +the home of his son-in-law, who was a baptized believer, and while this +brother was piloting us down a hill to another way home Captain +Bernadino, jumping from behind a bush, caught my horse by the bridle. +He had an assassin at his heels, with axe in hand, asking every minute +what he should do. Captain Bernadino wore out his stick on my horse, +planting the last stroke across my loins; then he struck me about a +dozen times in the breast with his fist. I said to him, 'Captain, why +are you beating me, I believe in God; do not you also?' Stopping and +panting he said, 'Do you believe in God, you rascal?' 'Yes,' I said, +'and Jesus also who came to save us sinners.' 'Don't let up, don't let +up, hit him, hit him,' cried his wife and children. He pulled the +bridle from my hands, led my horse into a pond close by, and gathering +mud, pelted me from foot to shoulder. Then leaving my horse, he went +after Captain Egydio, who was guarded by another assassin. On passing +his son-in-law, kneeling, he struck him on the head, saying, 'Get up, +you fool!' Leading the Captain's horse into the water, he covered him +with mud from foot to head. Then, putting our bridles up, he beat our +horses and told us to go, never to be seen in those parts any more. My +bridle reins he crossed, which fact caused me when I passed his wife, +who stood with a long stick upraised, to strike me, to turn my horse +upon her instead of away from her, and the horse came near running over +her. She struck and fell back, the stick falling across my horse's +neck. Such a pandemonium of mad voices, cursing and shouting as we left +I never heard. It took us till night to reach home. The family took it +as an honor, and smiling and laughing, we were spending the evening +merrily, when at nine or ten o'clock a rap at the door caused us all to +suspend our hilarity. It was that son-in-law of the persecutor, +bringing his wife, asking to be baptized. She had witnessed the +persecution her father gave us, and on her husband's return to the +house, she told him the scene made her think of the Apostles and that +now she was determined to be baptized. At first I thought of bloodshed, +for her father had threatened to kill her, her mother, Captain Egydio +and the man who baptized her. But I had always taught them to obey +Christ and leave results with Him, so we heard her experience and at +midnight I baptized her. + +Captain Egydio did not complain of our treatment nor did I ever mention +it to our Consul. + +When he gave his heart to Christ he gave his life and all. He followed +where his conscience led. Before his conversion he was a great smoker. +The missionary asked him one day if he smoked for the glory of God. He +took the cigarette from his mouth, threw it away and never smoked +again. This was characteristic of his determination and his unfaltering +devotion to what he esteemed to be right. + +The end came swiftly one night. He had an attack apparently of +indigestion which carried him speedily away. The symptoms seemed to +indicate that he had been poisoned. All that night he spent in prayer +and in singing hymns. He died leaving his benediction upon his family +and upon those Brazilians who would give their hearts and their +services to Jesus Christ. + +He was buried upon his own farm. As his family did not erect a cross +over his grave, one of his neighbors who had persecuted Captain Egydio +violently many times thought he would correct him in his grave, and so +he set up a large cross over him. One night soon after, this cross was +cut down. The violent neighbor instituted a suit for the violation of +the law in tearing down a symbol of the Roman Catholic church. He also +came with great pomp, accompanied by soldiers, and set up another +cross. The law suit finally wore itself out and both parties were glad +to drop it, each party sharing an equal amount of the costs. + +The persecution has been so bitter that the church which Captain Egydio +organized in his own house was removed to Pe da Serra, three miles +away, and from there it was driven by persecution to Rio Preto, where +today it flourishes with a membership of about fifty people and is in a +hopeful condition. The widow and her children have been compelled to +move into the city of Bahia. A recent letter informs me of the +conversion of the two youngest girls. + +The witness of Captain Egydio has not been lost. It is marvelous how +much he accomplished in his short career. He was converted October, +1894, baptized February 4, 1895, and died March 30th, 1898, at fifty +years of age. In these few years he sowed the country down with the +gospel truth. We visited Vargem Grande, Santo Antonio, Areia and +Genipapo churches, all of which had grown very largely out of the +influence of this one man, and had we been permitted to go further, we +might have visited several other churches for whose beginning the life +of this valiant servant of God was in a great measure responsible. "He, +being dead, yet speaketh." + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + +FELICIDADE. + + +One of the most fascinating phases of mission study is the tracing of +the lines along which the gospel spreads. This is true because it +brings us into touch with the native Christian who is one of the +greatest agencies for the spread of the gospel. As it was in the first +century, so it is now--"they that were scattered abroad went everywhere +preaching the gospel." The history of those Apostolic times repeats +itself in every mission land. He who personally observes the work in +Brazil or any other mission field will have a keener appreciation and +understanding of the Acts of the Apostles written by Luke. The native +Christians must either witness for their Lord or else betray Him. There +is no middle ground. A large percentage of the churches in Brazil grew +out of the fact that a believer moved into a community and began to +tell the story of the love of Jesus to his neighbors. He may have +entered this community by choice or may have been driven into it by +persecution. However, that may be, the truth is that many a poor, +despised, often persecuted believer, has started a movement in a +community which gathered to itself a large company of believers, and +formed the nucleus of another one of those most wonderful institutions +in all the world--a church of Jesus Christ. + +When I had entered the First Baptist Church in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and +stood for a moment looking about me, I heard someone exclaim, "Oh, +there he is! There he is!" and presently I found myself locked in the +affectionate embrace of an apparently very happy old woman. She was +about seventy years of age. She was the janitress of the church. She +had looked forward to our coming with joyful pleasure, and gave to us +as hearty a welcome as did anyone in Brazil. Her name was Felicidade, +which being translated means "Felicity." + +Several years ago she had come from Pernambuco, in which city and State +she had labored with great success for many years in behalf of the +gospel. + +When a girl of ten or twelve years of age she heard her father talk +about a book he had seen in the court-house upon which the Judge had +laid his hand as he administered the oath. She had the greatest desire +to see this book. She was married in her thirteenth year and her +husband died when she was eighteen. After his death she went from the +country to the city of Pernambuco, where she met some members of the +Congregational Church and was led by them to attend the services. She +saw the Bible and heard a sermon preached from the text, "Blessed are +they that hunger and thirst," and soon afterward she gave obedience to +Jesus. + +From that time forth her whole conversation was upon the gospel and +upon the subject of bringing other people to Christ. One time when Mrs. +Entzminger was away from the city of Pernambuco she left her children +in charge of Felicidade. While Felicidade was passing along the street +with the children one day she was met by Mrs. Maria Motta and her +daughter, who stopped to admire the beautiful children. Felicidade told +who the children were and urged her new acquaintances to attend the +church services. They accepted her invitation and soon became +interested in the gospel, and before long were converted to faith in +Jesus Christ. + +Then their persecution began. They lost all their friends and endured +many other hardships. They came from one of the best families in the +city, and therefore felt the persecution more bitterly than might have +some others. The girl, Augusta, secured work in the English store. Her +mother took in fine ironing, and thus the two made their support. +Afterward Augusta married Augusto Santiago, who at the present time is +the pastor of our thriving church in the city of Nazareth. She has been +to him one of the greatest blessings in that she has done much to help +him in his effort to prepare himself better for his work. When we +visited Nazareth we were entertained in the delightful home of Augusto +Santiago and found it to be charming in every respect. + +When Felicidade lived in Pernambuco it was her custom to sell fruit for +six months to make money enough to live upon for the remainder of the +year. She would then go into the interior with tracts and Bibles, sell +them and in every way try to lead people to Christ. One year she made +it her aim to lead not less than twelve to her Lord, and she was able +to accomplish her purpose. Her education is limited, but she knows any +number of Scripture verses, which she is able to quote with remarkable +aptness. + +Upon one of her visits into the interior she was found at Nazareth by +Innocencio Barbosa, a farmer who resided in the district of Ilheitas. +He lived about thirty miles from Nazareth. He took Felicidade home with +him in order that she might teach the gospel to his family. Meanwhile, +his friend, Hermenigildo, who lived in a distant neighborhood, bought a +Bible in Limoeiro and told his friend Innocencio of what he had done. +Innocencio told him of the presence of Felicidade and suggested that +his friend might take her home with him that she might explain the +gospel to his family also. Felicidade accordingly went into this other +home and soon the entire family, including a son-in-law and some +relatives, were led to Jesus, and a church of about fifty members was +organized in Hermenigildo's house. + +Thus the faithful witnessing of this humble, consecrated woman was so +honored of the Holy Spirit that scores were led into the light of the +gospel of Jesus. Out of her efforts grew churches which the violence of +the oppressor could not destroy, because the work she did became +immortal when it passed over into the hands of the Lord of Hosts, +against whose church not even the gates of Hell can prevail. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + +PERSECUTION. + + +Some of the severest persecutions the saints have ever endured in +Pernambuco broke upon this new congregation in the Ilheitas district. +The houses of the believers were broken into and everything destroyed, +some of the buildings were burned. The believers asked for police +protection, but the police sent to protect them being under the +domination of the priest, who was the political boss of that district, +persecuted the believers even more than their neighbors had done. They +drove the believers about, beating them with their swords, forcing them +to drink whisky and in many ingenious ways heaped indignities upon +them. After the success of the great persecution in Bom Jardim, of +which we will speak later, the priest organized a large force of men to +destroy everything belonging to the Protestants in the Ilheitas +district and to drive them away. They burned all of the church +furniture, as well as the household furniture belonging to +Hermenigildo, who was forced to flee for his life. They cut the cord to +the hammock in which was lying his young baby. The fall broke the neck +of the child. The mother was driven unclothed between two lines of +soldiers and severely beaten. The other believers were so harrassed +that most of them were compelled to leave the neighborhood. +Hermenigildo stayed away five months, when a change in police chiefs in +Pernambuco made it possible for him to return. The church was +reorganized the following year. A new building was constructed on +Hermenigildo's farm and today, with a membership of 103, it is in a +most prosperous condition. + +In the little city of Nazareth the fury of persecution has been felt. +Not a great while after the church had been organized by Dr. Entzminger +the farmers in the community and the priest combined to drive the +Protestants out of town. Dr. Entzminger heard of their purpose and went +up to Nazareth, accompanied by a number of soldiers whom the Government +had put at his disposal. A great throng was collected at the station to +do violence to the missionary on his arrival, but when they saw the +soldiers they took to their heels, and many came that night to the +service to show that they were not in the mob. A year or two later +another mob broke into the church, poured oil over the furniture and +burned practically everything. The police saved the building. Once +after this, when Missionary Ginsburg was to hold an open-air meeting in +this same town, a soldier was hired to take his life. The officers of +the law left town in order that the deed might be done without +hindrance. The soldier drank whisky in order to brace himself for the +deed, and fortunately imbibed too much and became so intoxicated that +he fell asleep. When he awoke the meeting had been held and he had +missed his chance. These facts were confessed by the soldier to Dr. +Entzminger after the soldier had been converted a year later. + +At the railway station at Nazareth we met Primo da Fonseca, who had, +for the sake of the gospel, lost all in a great persecution at Bom +Jardim, which is not a great distance from Nazareth. He was a reader of +evangelical literature and preached the gospel all over that country, +though he had not been baptized. A native missionary went into that +region, began preaching and soon afterward gathered a congregation and +organized a church in Fonseca's home. The political boss of the +community planned with the Catholics to take 800 men into Bom Jardim on +the night of April 15th, 1900, for the purpose of killing all the +Protestants who were in prayer at Fonseca's house. The mob divided into +two parties. One party was to approach the house from the front and the +other from the opposite side. A gun was to be fired as a signal for the +attack. The first party approached the house, which was near the +theater. Now in the theater at that time was gathered a great throng of +people. When the news came to them of the approach of the mob the women +thought it was a part of the band of bandits led by Antonio Silvino, +who is perhaps the most famous outlaw of Brazil. All were greatly +frightened. The Mayor went out to see if he could not do something to +persuade the mob to leave the town. After some parleying they said that +inasmuch as the Mayor asks, we will turn back. Someone at that time +fired a shot and shouted, "Viva Santa Anna" in honor of the patron +saint of that city. This signal brought up the supporting party at +once, who mistook their comrades for the believers and fired into them. +In the melee twenty people were killed and about fifty wounded. All +night they were carrying the dead away to burial in order that they +might cover up the deed as far as possible. The Municipal Judge made +out a case that the Protestants had fired on the Catholics. He +pronounced nineteen as being implicated. Several escaped, six were +finally brought to trial. Dr. Entzminger in Pernambuco sent lawyers and +gave such assistance as he could. After about two years, Missionary +Ginsburg having come also to help in the meantime, the men on trial +were set free. Fonseca lost all he had in this law suit, he being one +of those arrested. He was in jail four months. He has been deserted by +his family. When the disturbance occurred he was Marshal of his town. +Today he lives in Nazareth, poor, deserted, faithful. But what cares he +for this suffering, poverty and desertion as he contemplates the fact +that he has set a torch of eternal light in his community. The church +which he finally established will bear faithful witness in spite of +hardships long after all persecution has ceased, and he, himself, has +gone home to God. + +It was our good fortune to visit the little town of Cabo (which means +Cape), two hours' ride from Pernambuco, where we have a small church, +organized about two years ago. We were entertained in the home of a +mechanic who superintends the bridge construction along the railroad +which passes through the town. He takes his Bible with him when he goes +to work, and wherever he is he preaches the gospel. He told us of two +station agents along the line who had recently accepted Christ through +his personal efforts. + +We had a delightful service that night in the church, a great throng of +people being present, six of whom made public profession of their faith +in Jesus. After we had returned from the church we sat in the little +dining room in the rear part of this man's house until a late hour. +Some of those who had suffered for the cause of the gospel came in to +see us, and as we sat there in the dim light of the flickering candle, +they told us of some of their sufferings for the gospel's sake. The +scene reminded me of what must have taken place often in many a dark +room in the early centuries when the Christians gathered together for +the sake of comforting each other in their trials. + +Amongst those who were present in this little room was brother Honofre, +through whose efforts the church at Cabo had been founded. Several +years ago he began to read a Bible which had been presented to him by a +man who was not interested in it. He became converted along with his +household. There was a Catholic family living opposite to him which he +determined to reach with the gospel. After awhile this family accepted +Christ and the two families began to hold worship in their homes. Soon +they rented a hall, with the aid of a few others, and sent to +Pernambuco for a missionary to come and organize them into a church. +This man has endured cruel hardships. He had to abandon his business as +a street merchant because the people boycotted him. He rented a house, +built an oven and began to bake bread. Not long after that he was put +out of this house. Again and yet again he had the same experience until +recently he has rented a house from the same man who provided for our +church building. He can now make a living. + +The church has had experience similar to that of its founder. It was +put out of three rented buildings at the instance of the Vicar, who +either forced the owners to eject or he, himself, bought the property. +Finally a man who is not a believer, but whose mother is, bought the +present building and sold it to me church. He is permitting the church +to pay for the building in installments of small sums. At last the +church has a place upon which it can rest the sole of its feet and in +two years has grown from ten to fifty members. On the occasion of our +visit six more made public confession of Christ before a large audience +and were received for baptism. + +Out on the cape is a fine lighthouse which we had admired as we came up +the coast on the ship. May it be a symbol of the lighthouse which this +church may become to the storm tossed in that section of Brazil. + +Of course, persecution is a painful thing for those who are called upon +to endure it, but wherever I found those who had passed through +afflictions they counted it all joy to suffer for the cause of Christ, +and whenever I attempted to comfort them because of their hardships, I +came away more comforted than they, for the reason that their joyous +willingness to suffer for His sake strengthened my own faith and +assured me of the ultimate triumph of the gospel through the labors of +such heroic people. Persecution, while it may temporarily suspend work +in a certain place, always defeats its own purpose, and instead of +preventing the spread of the gospel, is one of the most helpful +agencies in the growth of the truth. + +A most encouraging illustration of this fact occurred in Pernambuco in +1904. There had been a bitter persecution at Cortez, a village not far +from Pernambuco. The chief instigator of the trouble was the parish +priest. The believers were driven out of the town and their lives +threatened. The missionary went and was also driven out, but returned +under the protection of some soldiers and conducted gospel services +through a whole week in order to give courage to the believers and to +demonstrate that the Protestants could not be driven out. A news +account of this persecution was published in a daily paper in +Pernambuco. A boy cut this article out and gave it to his teacher, a +priest in the Silesian College. The teacher read the article and wrote +a letter to Missionary Cannada and asked him to come to the college at +midnight to explain the gospel. Two letters were passed before the +missionary finally went at midnight to hold a conference. The priest +came out and discussed the gospel with the missionary and then returned +to the college, taking with him a copy of the New Testament. After a +month the missionary went again at midnight to the college and the +priest came away with him once for all. The priest went to the home of +the missionary and for two months studied the Bible, after which time +he was converted. He at once began to preach the gospel to his friends +as he would meet them on the streets. He also made a public declaration +of his conversion in print. The President of the college from which he +had gone obtained an interview with him and offered him every +inducement to return. His parents disinherited him and many other +trials came to him, but through all, he stood firm. He has just +graduated from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, taking the +Th. D. degree and has been appointed to teach in the Baptist College +and Theological Seminary in Rio. His name is Piani. About a year after +Piani's conversion he induced another priest to leave the same college. +This man spent a month in the missionary's house studying the Bible, +but was enticed back by the priests and hurried away to New York in +order that he might escape the influence of Piani. Three months after +reaching New York he was converted and joined the Fifth Avenue Baptist +Church and is today a pastor of a Baptist church in Massachusetts. + +In no place where our people have endured persecution, even though it +may have been severe enough to cost the lives of some, has the work +been abandoned, but in every place the weak, struggling congregation +which faced obliteration at the fury of its enemy, has in the end +increased, and today enjoys the blessing of growth in numbers and in +the sympathy of the people. Persecution is a good agency in the spread +of the gospel. + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + +THE BIBLE AS A MISSIONARY FACTOR. + + +The Bible is a mighty factor in the spread of the gospel in Brazil. In +1889 there came down to Bahia a man named Queiroz from two hundred and +fifty miles in the interior. He came seeking baptism at the hands of +Dr. Z. C. Taylor. It appears that some six or eight years previous to +that time an agent of a Bible society had entered this man's community, +preached the gospel and left behind him some copies of the Scriptures. +One of these Bibles was found afterwards by Queiroz, who studied it and +was impressed with its truth. He began to bring the message of the Word +to the attention of his large circle of friends and kindred. Having +preached in several places, he was finally asked by the district judge +to come to his house where he was given opportunity to meet a number of +friends. The friends of Queiroz, however, began to ask him whether it +was right for him to be preaching thus before he had been baptized, +whereupon he resolved to go to Bahia to seek baptism. He made the +journey and was baptized. A week after he had returned he wrote to Dr. +Taylor, saying he had preached at Deer Forks and had baptized eight. +During the next two weeks similar letters were sent, which gave the +number he had baptized. The church at Bahia was apprized of conditions, +and it decided to send Queiroz an invitation to come and receive +ordination. He came with great humility and joy and was ordained, but +before the ordination had taken place he had already baptized +fifty-five people. The church, at Bahia, after the ordination of +Queiroz, legalized the baptisms. + +Five years after the baptism of this man Dr. Taylor was finally able to +make the journey to Conquista, where he found the church well +organized, with a house of worship built at its own expense and with +the pastor's home erected near by. The missionary says, "I now +understand why God never permitted me to visit Conquista during these +five years. I believe it was for the purpose of showing me that the +native Christians can and will take care of themselves and the gospel +if we will only confide in them. I wonder how many churches in the +United States have built their own house and pastorium and sustained +themselves from the start? Not a cent from the Board has been spent on +the church and the evangelization done by Brother Queiroz." + +Another example of the power of the Bible in spreading the gospel is +found in the way the gospel came to Guandu, State of Rio, and the +country round about. One night in Campos in 1894, after the missionary +had finished his sermon, a young woman approached him and said, "My +father has been teaching us out of that same book you used. Would you +not like to go out in the country to visit him?" The missionary replied +that he would, and then the girl explained how the Bible came to this +community. + +One evening a colporteur approached her father's door and asked for +entertainment, saying he had been refused by several families along the +way. To the host's inquiry as to why he had been refused entertainment +for the night the colporteur said: "They declined because I am a +Protestant." The man replied. "Come in and welcome." After the dinner +Mr. Vidal (for that was the farmer's name) asked what this +Protestantism meant. The colporteur explained and preached the gospel +to the best of his ability. + +When the time came to retire the colporteur said, "It is my custom to +read the Scriptures and to pray before I retire. If you have no +objection I would like to do so tonight." Mr. Vidal answered, "I shall +be glad for you to do so." The colporteur read and there in the dining +hall before the curious onlookers knelt and poured out his heart to his +Heavenly Father. He called down the blessing and the favor of God upon +the family. The tears poured down his cheeks as he lifted his soul in +this prayer. After he finished praying Mr. Vidal said, "I have never +heard prayer like that. Teach me how to do it. I have heard Latin +prayers repeated, but they did not grip me like that." The colporteur +replied by explaining that prayer must be from the heart. He then took +out a Bible and said, "I want to make you a present of this book. You +have been kind to me. Read it, for it has in it the Word of Life." He +went away the following morning. We do not know who he was--only the +record on high will discover his person to us. + +The book left behind became a great light for Mr. Vidal. He read it and +was so impressed with its teachings that he taught the Word to his +family and neighbors. His house became a house of prayer and teaching. +When Missionary Ginsburg went out there, preached the Word and +explained about Christ, he asked those who wished to follow the Lord to +stand. Practically the whole company stood. They had been prepared, by +Mr. Vidal The missionary went back a few times and soon a church of +about forty members was organized and was called the Church of Guandu. + +The Word spread up the country first amongst Mr. Vidal's relatives and +friends. At Santa Barbara the station master, Carlos Mendonca, was +converted, who is now pastor of our church at Cantagallo. He first +moved to Rio Bonito and founded a church there, the truth spread, in +other directions also and so the light which the unknown colporteur +left with this farmer has shed its rays of blessings upon a whole +county. Twenty-one years ago, a Bible which belonged to a Catholic +priest, or rather a part of a Catholic Bible, fell into the hands of +the old man, Joaquim Borges. Through the reading of this Bible, he +abandoned idolatry and other practices of Rome and put his trust solely +in the Lord Jesus for his salvation. For sixteen years he resisted all +attempts of priests and others to turn him back to Rome, always giving +a clear and firm testimony to the truth of the gospel. During all this +time he never met with another believer. Hearing of him, E. A. Jackson +wrote him to meet him in Pilao Arcado. He came 120 miles and waited +twelve days for the arrival of the missionary. As Jackson had through +passage to Santa Rita, he asked the captain to hold the steamer while +he baptized Mr. Borges. Before administering baptism Jackson preached +to the great crowd on the river bank and on the decks of the steamer. +It was a solemn and beautiful sight to behold this man, seventy-seven +years of age, following his Lord in baptism at his first meeting with a +minister of the gospel and before a multitude which had never witnessed +such a scene. Dripping from the river, Jackson welcomed him into the +ranks of God's children. The missionary embarked on the steamer and Mr. +Borges went back to work among his neighbors. Up till the present time +not even a native minister has visited him, for the lack of workers and +funds to send them. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it +entered into the heart to conceive the glorious things God has prepared +for the man who will go to work for Him among the neglected people of +the interior of Brazil. + +In the State of Sao Paulo is a boy, Ramiro by name, now about thirteen +years of age, the only son of parents who do not know a letter of the +alphabet. Indeed, he is the only one in a large connection that has +been taught to read. + +The family lives about twenty miles from their market town, Mogy das +Cruzes, to which they go to sell the meager fruits of their labors on +the little farm. In this town they have some acquaintances, among whom +is a believer whose faith had come through reading the Bible. This +believer one day came into possession of a Bible which he didn't need, +and so he gave it to Ramiro, who was then about nine or ten years of +age and was beginning to learn to read. The little fellow trudged home, +twenty miles away, carrying his priceless present, and showed it +joyously to his parents. This was the first book that ever entered +their humble home, excepting, of course, Ramiro's little school book. +Curious to know what the book contained, the father put Ramiro to +deciphering some of its pages. Guided, no doubt, by the Holy Spirit, he +fell upon the New Testament and laboriously read on and on for months +and months The neighbors--all ignorant alike--would come and listen to +Ramiro spell out sentence after sentence, he becoming more expert as +the days went by. He would read, they would listen and discuss, the +Holy Spirit, in the meantime, fixing the sacred truth in their hearts. +This persistent reading of the Word went on for two or three years to a +time when the Lord opened to Dr. J. J. Taylor, of Sao Paulo, a door of +opportunity in Mogy das Cruzes. He found twelve people ready to follow +on in the Lord's ordinance. + +Since that time even more abundant fruit has been gathered. Dr. Taylor +at first baptized three of Ramiro's cousins who hail from the same +village twenty miles away and recently he baptized the uncle, aunt, +some more cousins and Ramiro himself. Ramiro taught the words of many +hymns to his family and neighbors. Through him and his book his aged +grandparents, ninety years old and bedridden, rejoice in the Savior. + +How great must be the might of the Word of God which can convert to +salvation strong men through the faltering lips of a child And yet, +after all, is not this the combination which alone is powerful in +spreading the gospel--a simple, child-like heart, through which the +Word may speak forth? "A little child shall lead them," because it can +be artless enough to give simple utterance to the Word of God. Oh, for +more in all lands who will give unaffected voice to the Word of God! +That message has power in it if it can get sincere expression. + +We need to realize more than we do the transcendent importance of +giving wide circulation to the Bible in foreign lands. The +illustrations given here of the wonderful success of the Book should +help us to reach a better appreciation of the value of the Word of God +in mission endeavor. Certainly, there is marvelous power in it. Its +enemies fear its might; therefore, they fight desperately to prevent +the circulation of it. Would that we could have as keen a realization +of the vitality of this Book as do its enemies. Surely then, we would +do far more for the sowing of the Scriptures beside all waters. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + +THE METTLE OF THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN. + + +In 1894, Francisco da Silva, soon after his conversion in Bahia, went +to Victoria in the State of Espirito Santo to live. He went into the +interior with some surveyors, and in addition to the work he was called +upon to do, he found time to tell the story of Jesus. Eight people were +converted and he wrote Dr. Z. C. Taylor to come and baptize them. + +Dr. Taylor was not able to go immediately, and one of the men secured +his baptism in a very unique way. He asked Francisco to baptize him +Francisco replied that he could not because he was not ordained. The +man returned home and examined his Bible and came back a few days later +and demanded again that Francisco baptize him. Francisco replied that +in order to baptize, one must be ordained. "No," said the man, "I have +looked in the Bible and I do not find it necessary for one to be +ordained in order to baptize." So catching hold of Francisco, he pulled +him along to a river near by, Francisco through it all holding back the +best he could and arguing with the man that he could not baptize him. +But the man constrained him and forced him into the river. Francisco +seeing his zeal, performed the ceremony. Some question afterward was +raised about the validity of this baptism, and the man was baptized +regularly by the same Francisco, who had in the meantime received +ordination. + +When he had finished with one party of surveyors another wanted to +employ him, and they went to the first party to find out about him. The +men said: "He has fine qualifications for the position, but there is +one objection to him--he is a Protestant." "Ah," said the second party, +"can't we with a little money get that out of him?" "No," replied the +first, "it seems to be grown into him." He was taken by the second +party, the chief of which and all his family soon became devoted +Christians. + +The desire to tell the story of Jesus burned in Francisco's heart so +warmly that he gave up his lucrative employment with the surveying +party, bought a mule and other necessities for his journey and started +out to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ to the people of that +State. He was remarkably successful and soon gathered about him a +little band of believers, who, because of their faithfulness to Christ, +were called upon to suffer severe persecution. They were compelled to +flee into the distant mountains where Missionary Jackson afterward +found them, organized them into a church and baptized seventy-five +converts. Later they were able to return to their homes, due to the +fact that a more lenient administration was inaugurated in Victoria. +Very soon afterward our faithful missionary, L. M. Reno, was sent to +this State, and the work from this good beginning has had remarkable +prosperity. The pioneer missionary, da Silva, after having gained the +title of Apostle to the State of Espirito Santo, was called in 1910 to +his reward. + +From what we have been saying, you have no doubt made many inferences +about the kind of Christians these Brazilians make. If you had seen +them face to face, you would have been, as I was, impressed with their +appearance. They were the best-looking people I saw. Their countenances +were clearer and there was a hopeful, resourceful look upon them that +was not noticeable upon the non-believers. Sin and fear always break +the spirit of men, and though there may be a brave look assumed, yet +there always hangs a cloud over the countenance of the sin-stained and +fear-driven man, be he a religionist or atheist. This change in +appearance is produced by a change in their way of living. When they +are converted they cease drinking, gambling, Sabbath-breaking, and +often the men give up smoking and the women cease taking snuff. The +fact is they sometimes are extreme upon this subject. I heard of one +church that made the giving up of tobacco and another the laying aside +of jewelry the test of fellowship. These people coming out from under +the domination of a religion of fear into the light and liberty of the +gospel are changed from glory to glory, having upon them the light of +God's countenance. + +They are liberal givers. There is a much larger proportion of tithers +among them than among the Christians in the States. Here, too, they +often go to extremes. More than one church in Brazil makes tithing +obligatory upon its members. Last year the Brazilian Baptists gave as +much per capita for foreign missions as did the Baptists in our +Southern States. They have set their aim this year higher than the +Southern Baptists have. They sustain foreign mission work in Chili and +Portugal. They engage in this foreign mission endeavor because the +leaders think that the foreign mission principle is vital to the life +and development of the churches. This giving to foreign missions is not +to the neglect of their home enterprises. They have Home and State +Mission Boards which they support liberally. They have am Education +Board to which they gave forty cents per capita last year and all of +this giving out of such grinding poverty! + +Here and there are people of larger means who are munificent in their +gifts. It was the generous offer of $5,000 by Captain Egydio that made +possible the founding of the Collegio Americano Egydio, which school +was established by the Taylors in Bahia. He paid $650 the first +installment upon the furniture, but his sudden taking off prevented the +college from realizing the whole amount promised, because the family +lost so heavily by persecution after the father had been taken away. +Col Benj. Nogueira Paranagua, a rich cattleman, built a church, school +and library building at Corrente in the State of Piauhy at his own +expense and afterward paid the salary of a teacher for the school. When +the church in San Fidelis, which was established in the face of trying +persecution, was considering how it could possibly build a meeting +house, a coffee farmer, who was not yet a member, rose and said: "I am +old and useless, but I want to do something for Jesus and His church. +I, therefore, offer to erect the church building and the church may pay +me six per cent. annually until I die, and then the building will +belong to the church as a legacy which I intend to leave." As the work +on the house progressed he signified his desire to be the first one to +be baptized in the baptistry. This was granted gladly and his thought +of charging six per cent on the building until his death disappeared in +the watery grave and he made the church a present outright of the +beautiful chapel. Not only this chapel has been built by an individual, +but others have been built in the same way. Usually, however, the +churches are built out of the sacrificial offerings of the people. So +well has this church building movement progressed that now about +one-third of the 142 Baptist Churches organized in Brazil worship in +their own buildings, and with a few exceptions, these buildings have +been erected by the gifts of the people and not by the gifts of the +Foreign Mission Board. The Presbyterians show a better proportion of +buildings than this and the Methodists quite as good. + +The subject of self-support is a live one. There has been good progress +made in this matter, but, of course, it will require many years to +teach the churches their full duty in this regard. Many churches have +reached the point where they take care of all local expenses. Some of +the missionaries go so far as to advocate not organizing any more +churches until the congregations can be self-supporting. The South +Brazilian Mission, in its recent meeting, adopted the rule that no +church should be organized hereafter until it could pay at last 60 per +cent of its own expenses--these expenses to include the care of the +house, the salary of the native pastor, etc. + +I have already cited instances of personal work. I wish to say more +particularly that the great success which has attended the work in +Brazil must be in a large measure attributed to the fact that those who +have been led to Christ have been zealous in witnessing personally to +others of the grace which had been bestowed upon them. + +One of the greatest laymen in Brazil is our Brother Thomaz L. da Costa. +He is the Superintendent of a very considerable business firm in Bahia. +He is a deacon in the First Baptist Church, one of the moving spirits +upon the Brazilian Foreign Mission Board and practically superintends +the work of the State Mission Board of Bahia. + +Years ago he was converted in Rio through the agency of his +washerwoman. This faithful woman is a member of the First Baptist +Church. She decided she would attempt to lead Thomaz to Christ. So on +Saturday when she would bring his laundry she would invite him to come +to her house on the following day for dinner. I might say by way of +parenthesis, that there is not a steam laundry in Brazil. All of the +laundry work is done by hand. Sometimes there is quite a considerable +firm which employs many laundresses. Thomaz, after declining the good +woman's invitation many times, finally one day decided he would accept +it. + +On Sunday he appeared at her house for dinner. After the dinner was +over she suggested that they, in company with several of her children, +should take a stroll through some of the parks. They passed through the +great park in the center of the city, and after a while they found +themselves in front of a building in which they heard singing. The good +woman suggested that they go upstairs into the hall from which +proceeded the sounds of the music. They went in, Thomaz not knowing +what sort of place it was. Dr. Bagby, the first missionary of our board +to Brazil, was conducting a service and soon began a sermon which +impressed Thomaz very greatly. The sermon drew such a picture of his +life that he accused the woman of having told Dr. Bagby about him. She +had not done so, she declared, and this fact impressed Thomaz even more. + +Next Saturday, when she brought his laundry, she invited him to take +dinner with her again on Sunday, but he was too shrewd for her and +declined, saying that he understood her purpose. The message which he +had heard in the sermon, however, stayed with him. On the following +Saturday the good woman again invited him to take dinner with her on +Sunday. He declined. When the third Saturday came, before she had time +to extend her usual invitation, he said: "I am coming to dinner with +you tomorrow." He went according to promise, and after the meal had +been finished, they did not take a round-about course, but went +directly to the church, and there the man listened to the gospel again +and gave himself to Christ. He has not missed a service since unless +providentially hindered. I asked him if he was sorry of the step he had +taken and he replied: "No, indeed. It is as Paul says, 'A salvation not +to be repented of.'" + +There can be but one inevitable result to such faithful witnessing as +this. One of the most hopeful signs in connection with the work in +Brazil is the fact that a large percentage of the members of the +churches endeavor to lead others to Christ in a personal way. A large +percentage of them will conduct public services wherever the +opportunity can be found. In the First Baptist Church in Rio there are +more than twenty men who will go out and conduct public services. They +are not skilled preachers. They may have very limited education, but +they can take the Book, read it, explain its message through the light +of their own individual experiences, and by this means of witnessing to +the power of the saving grace of God in their own lives, they are able +to lead many to Jesus. Is not this after all the kind of preaching our +Lord has sent us into the world to do? + +The severest persecution which these Brazilian Christians are called +upon to endure is not that which comes to them when they are stoned, or +when their property may be destroyed or when their business may be +taken away from them through boycotts or when they may be turned into +the streets through the bitter hatred of hard-hearted priests, but the +most trying persecution is that which comes from the insinuating +remark, the sneer of the supercilious and the doubt of the envious. The +taunt of hypocrisy is often thrown into the teeth of native Christians. +Their motives are frequently impugned. I was profoundly impressed with +the answer they usually give to such persecutions. They reply by +saying: "See how we live. Note the difference between our careers now +and our careers before we became Christians." And this challenge of the +life is the one which will finally answer the ridicule and doubt of all +who assail them. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + +THE TESTING OF THE MISSIONARY. + + +In thinking of the missionary, most of us dwell upon the heroic +self-denial he practices and the bravery with which he faces the +gravest dangers. Certainly, the missionary in Brazil is due a good +share of such appreciation. He has been called upon to endure shameful +indignities, painful personal dangers and the enervating perils of a +hostile climate. Our own missionaries have been beaten, stoned, thrown +into streams, arrested and haled before courts, shot at and in many +instances saved only by the most signal dispensations of Providence. +Dr. Bagby, our first missionary, in spite of stoning and arrest when he +was baptizing converts in Bahia, kept fearlessly on in his endeavor to +lead the people to Christ. Dr. Z. C. Taylor traveled through the +interior of Bahia State in perils of robbers, in perils of fanatics, in +perils of infuriated priests and in perils of bloodthirsty persecutors +without fear or shrinking. In the spring of 1910 Solomon Ginsburg was +set upon by a mob at Itabopoana, which opened fire with such perilous +directness that one bullet flattened upon the wall a few inches above +his head. + +This same missionary in 1894 endured bitter persecutions when he +attempted to open the work at San Fidelis in the interior of the State +of Rio de Janeiro. A mob of a thousand people threw stones, grass, corn +and a great miscellany of other objects at him and his little band of +worshipers. The howling of the mob prevented him from preaching. The +best that could be done was to sing songs. Finally, a stone having +struck a girl in the congregation, he carried her out through the +infuriated mob to a drug store across the street, where she was +resuscitated, and he returned to his service of song. + +Next morning he was called to the police headquarters and the officer +forbade him to preach. He asked what the missionary was doing there, to +which he replied, "To preach the gospel." The missionary was then +prohibited from preaching in the province. He replied that he was sorry +he could not obey, for he had superior orders. He could not accept +orders from the police, nor the Governor, nor even from the President +of the Republic. The officer asked who this superior authority was. The +missionary replied it was God. God had told him to go preach the gospel +in all the world to every creature; some of God's creatures were in San +Fidelis and he was there to preach according to the command of his +Lord. The police officer, after plying him with insulting epithets, +kept him a prisoner of the State as a disturber of the peace. On the +following day he was sent to the State prison at Nictheroy, where he +was confined for ten days. Friends, through the solicitation of Mrs. +Ginsburg, brought pressure to bear upon the Government and the +missionary was released. He was requested then as a personal favor not +to return until after the naval revolt, which was then in progress, +should be suppressed and a degree of quiet could be restored to the +State. Being thus requested, he remained away from San Fidelis awhile. + +When the revolt was suppressed he returned to San Fidelis and +persecution arose again. He appealed to the chief officer of the State +and fifty soldiers were sent to his relief. In choosing these fifty +soldiers the officer asked for believers to volunteer. Twenty-five +responded. He asked then for sympathizers and twenty-five more +volunteered. These were put under the command of the missionary, who +instructed them not to appear armed at the church. They came unarmed, +but when the mob began to thrown stones again and refused to respect +the soldiers, they pounced upon the evil doers and there was a rough +and tumble fight. Several were bruised considerably and a number of +limbs were broken, but after this conflict the persecution ceased. + +We relate these incidents for the purpose of making it clear that our +missionaries have been called upon to suffer greatly for the cause of +Christ. Every missionary who has been in Brazil any length of time has +felt the weight of personal, physical persecution, and all in the +gravest dangers have conducted themselves as became the heroic +character with which they are so splendidly endowed. And this +suffering, we are sorry to say, is not yet over. For many years to come +the desperate and despotic hand of Rome, which could in the name of +religion invent the horrible inquisition and organize the bloodthirsty +order of Jesuits, has not changed its attitude completely and will +resist desperately to the last the inevitable progress of Protestantism +in Brazil. + +Let me hasten, however, to say that it is very easy to get the wrong +impression of what the heroism of the missionary consists. It is easy +for us to think it consists in his willingness to face personal danger. +If such an idea should obtain amongst us permanently and alas, it has +persisted altogether too long; it will rob the story of missions of its +true interest and hazard appreciation of the enterprise upon the +ability of the historian to find thrilling tales of adventure to +gratify the appetite of the sensation-loving public. + +The most trying thing to the missionary is not the imminence of +personal danger, but the ever-present chilling, benumbing indifference +of the people to the gospel. Even though here and there we find large +numbers of people who are ready to accept the gospel, let us not +deceive ourselves into the belief that all Brazil is eagerly seeking to +enter the Kingdom of God. The Macedonian call to Paul did not come from +a whole nation which was ready to accept his teaching, but from one man +in a nation. Most all Macedonian calls are like that. The few, +comparatively speaking, rise to utter such calls and these few are the +keys of opportunity which may be used to unlock whole Empires. The +great body of the people in Brazil (and this is especially true of the +educated classes) are as indifferent to the gospel as people are most +anywhere else. It is the weight of this stolid indifference which tries +the endurance of the missionary. It fills the very atmosphere he +breathes and hangs a dark cloud over his horizon, which only his faith +in God and the winning of occasional converts graciously tinge with a +silver lining. It is indifference, slowly yielding indifference that +tests the temper of the missionary character. There are times when a +bit of physical persecution would afford a positive relief to the +fatigue of his exacting career. + +The days of the pioneer missionary, with their personal dangers, have +in a measure passed. The yeans of the persecutor in the face of an +increasingly more enlightened civilization are numbered. The +probability of personal perils is growing steadily less. The missionary +must now fight for a hearing before a public which is too often willing +to let him alone. In many places it does not care enough for his +message to persecute him for bringing it. It is ready to patronize him +with an assumed air of liberality and resist the message which burns in +his heart and upon his lips. They are willing for him to speak, but not +willing to listen to what he has to say. He must fight for a hearing +with this patronizing indifference. It is this that tries his spirit. +It is this that bleeds his heart of its strength. It is this that calls +out the heroic in him as never does the dart of the savage, the weapon +of the fanatic or the fury of the mob. To hold on true to his purpose +in the face of such soul-harrowing indifference is the crowning act of +heroism upon the part of our missionaries. No one of them has ever +drawn back and given up his work for fear of death at the hands of his +persecutors, but it must be said for the sake of the truth that some +have succumbed before the rigors of blasting indifference. The saints +at home ought to support valiantly with their prayers our missionaries +who at the front are engaged in a battle even unto death with +indifferent souls unwilling to accept their message. + +There is another count in this subject of indifference to which we at +home should give more prayerful consideration. It is the failure of the +churches at home to send out an adequate number of missionaries to +reinforce the workers at the front and make it possible for them to +take advantage of the opportunities that have come to them already. +What could take the spirit out of a man more quickly than the feeling +that those who had sent him out do not care enough about him to give +him support and reinforcements for his work? It is a shame upon us that +we at home add another burden to our missionaries by failing to loyally +support them. What must be a man's thoughts after he has toiled and +sacrificed on a field for years and has unceasingly begged for a mere +tithe of the helpers he really needs and which we fail to send? + +When that brave garrison of English soldiers were shut up in Lady +Smith, South Africa, during the Boer War their courage to hold out +against overwhelming odds and on insufficient rations through many +weeks was kept up by the assurance that the patriotic English nation +was doing its utmost to send relief, though the relief was long +delayed. If the thought that their home people were not trying to send +succor to them had ever taken possession of their minds, they would +have surrendered forthwith. Their line of communication was cut, but +they knew help was coming, and so they held out with grim determination +until relief came. + +How is it with our missionaries in Brazil? Their lines of communication +are intact. They know their people at home are able to supply them with +the help they need and yet the help does not come. What must be the +conclusion forced upon, them and what must be the effect upon them? +Either the churches, though able, will not give the means to send out +missionaries, or the men for reinforcement will not volunteer. It may +be that both causes are at work. What is the matter when a pulpit +committee of a prominent church can have sixty names suggested to it of +men who might become its pastor, and a good percentage (save the mark) +of these direct applications, when our small missionary force in Brazil +is pleading for only ten men to be sent out to relieve them in their +strain? Whatever explanation we may have to offer for these things, the +fact remains that our indifference to the call of our men at the front +adds an additional weight to their already too heavy load, and yet, in +spite of it all, they are standing with unflinching heroism at their +posts. + +Something must be done to relieve this situation. Counting all +denominations, there are in Brazil fewer missionaries today in +proportion to the population than there are either in India or China. +Why this disparity of workers in Brazil? Is it because the work is not +successful there? The facts show that, taking into consideration the +number of workers, it is one of the most fruitful of all mission +fields. Is it because there is less need of the gospel? I believe I +have shown that these people are bereft of the gospel, and because of +their sin and idolatry are as needy as are to be found anywhere. No, +there is no excuse to be offered. Our workers at the front need help. +We are trying their brave spirits by withholding the relief they have a +right to expect, and yet we repeat they are holding on with a courage +that stamps them as heroes of the finest type. God help us to see our +obligation to send out recruits in sufficiently large numbers to +relieve these brave soldiers and transform them from a besieged +garrison into an aggressive army of conquerors. + +Let us bear in mind that what is said about indifference both on the +foreign field and among the churches at home is spoken of the people in +the large. Thank God, the light is breaking in many places at home and +abroad. Many individuals and churches are today seeing the larger +vision and are assuming their larger responsibility in the support of +the foreign mission cause. Many are saying: "We will faithfully +strengthen the hands of our brothers who toil so courageously at the +front." In Brazil (and in other mission fields, too,) there is in many +places a marvelous breaking away from the old attitude of indifference. +The little handful of missionaries we have on the field are straining +every nerve to meet the opportunities that are pressing upon them. They +are not discouraged. They are as busy as life trying to meet the +increasing demands. They are looking to the future with the largest +hope. They are a band of the most incurable optimists you ever saw. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + +THE URGENT CALL. + + +This very breaking away in some places is piling up additional burdens +and the pitifully inadequate force is called upon to meet demands that +twice their number could hardly satisfy. If we had the same +distribution of Baptist ministers in our Southern country that we have +in Brazil there would be only four ministers in Texas, two in Virginia, +three in Georgia and other States in like proportion. Think of E. A. +Nelson, the only representative of our board in the Amazon region, +trying to spread himself over four States which comprise a territory +five times as large as Texas. Passing down the coast, five days +journey, we would find D. L. Hamilton and H. H. Muirhead, who have +faced dangers as fearlessly as have any brave spirits who have enriched +the annals of missionary history with courageous service. They, along +with Miss Voorheis, are our sole representatives in the State of +Pernambuco and in the adjoining State of Alagoas. C. F. Stapp, Solomon +Ginsburg and E. A. Jackson are attempting to carry forward the work in +the vast States of Piauhy, Goyaz, a part of Minas Geraes, and Bahia, +which last named State has in it one city as large as New Orleans. E. +A. Jackson is located far in the interior of the State, three weeks' +journey from Bahia; all of the energies of Stapp are consumed in caring +for the school; Ginsburg is forced to give his attention to the +nurturing of the thirty-five churches and of evangelizing as far as his +strength will go. In the State beyond them, going down the coast, +stands L. M. Reno, in the State of Espirito Santo. In the populous +State of Rio, in which is located the capital city with its 1,000,000 +inhabitants, we have Entzminger, Shepard, Langston, Maddox, Cannada, +Christie, Taylor and Crosland. Entzminger, in addition to conducting +the publishing house, must also conduct the mission operations in +Nictheroy, a city of 40,000; Shepard, Taylor and Langston have placed +upon their shoulders the tremendous responsibility of conducting the +college and seminary; Cannada must give his energies to the Flumenense +School for Boys, leaving only Maddox, Christie and Crosland at liberty +to do the wider evangelistic work and care for the many churches which +the success of their labors have thrust upon them. Crosland has been +transferred recently to Bello Horizonte, in the great State of Minas +Geraes. Farther South, in Sao Paulo, the richest and most progressive +State in the country, are Bagby, Deter and Edwards, Misses Carroll, +Thomas and Grove. Bagby and wife and the young ladies just mentioned +devote their time to the school, leaving only two to man a field which, +because of its splendid railroad facilities, has in it scores of +inviting locations for successful work. In Paranagua in the next State +to the South, have been located recently R. E. Pettigrew and wife. Far +down to the South in Rio Grande do Sul, a State as large as Tennessee +and Kentucky combined, stands a single sentinel in the person of A. L. +Dunstan. What a battle line for twenty men to maintain! It is more than +4,000 miles in length. If you should place these men in line across our +Southern territory, locating the first one in Baltimore, you would +travel 100 miles before you reach the second, 100 miles before you +reach the third, 100 miles to the fourth, and in going toward the +Southwest, you would reach the twentieth man in El Paso, Tex. Whereas, +if you were to draw up the Baptist ministers enrolled in the Southern +Baptist Convention territory along the same line and pass down it to +make the count, by the time you had reached El Paso you would have +passed 8,000 men, for they would have been placed just one-fourth of a +mile apart. + +Why do we need 400 ministers in this country to one in Brazil? Is it +possible that we will grudgingly cling to our 8,000 ministers and +decline to give even eight to reinforce our little handful in Brazil? +Such a division of forces can neither be fair nor faithful. + +In drawing this picture I have practically stated the situation for the +other denominations. The Presbyterians occupy the same general +territory as do the Baptists with an equal number of missionaries. The +Methodists have somewhat more compactly stationed about the same number +of missionaries as each of the other two, while the Episcopalians, the +Congregationalists and the Evangelical Mission of South America +combined add a number about equal to each of the three larger +denominations. A total of less than 100 ordained missionaries scattered +over a territory larger than the United States of North America, which +allows about four missionaries to each Brazilian State. Add to this +number the wives of the missionaries, the thirty-seven unmarried women +and the 125 native workers and the entire missionary body, foreign and +native, barely totals 300. How utterly inadequate is such a force in +the presence of such vast needs! Because this situation has in it a +call so apparent and so inexpressibly urgent it is impossible to +portray it in words. + +The ripeness of the State of Piauhy for evangelization will illustrate +the urgency of the opportunity all over Brazil. As far back as 1893 Dr. +Nogueira Paranagua, who was at that time National Senator from his +State, urged Dr. Z. C. Taylor to send a man into Piauhy and promised to +help pay the expenses. Two years later Col. Benj. Nogueira, the brother +of the Senator, gave a similar invitation, making a promise that he +would sustain a missionary. It was not until 1901 that E. A. Jackson +was able to reach Col. Benjamin's home. He preached the gospel in this +good man's house and also in Corrente, the town near by. Persecution, +bitter and determined, arose. There were three attempts to take +Jackson's life in one day. Once Col. Benjamin stepped in between the +assassin and the missionary and thus saved the missionary's life. Some +months later, upon the return of the missionary, Col. Benjamin, who had +been for so many years a friend to the gospel, gave himself to it and +was baptized. In January, 1904, the new house of worship at Corrente +was dedicated. It was built by Col. Benjamin at his own expense. He +also built a school building and library, and afterward when the +missionary was able to secure a teacher, this generous man paid all the +charges. + +When we reached Brazil last summer I received a message from Judge +Julio Nogueira Paranagua, a nephew of Col. Benjamin, who is one of the +Circuit Judges in the State of Piauhy and who after a short while is to +be retired upon his pension, according to the Brazilian law. As soon as +this takes place he expects to give himself entirely to the work of +evangelizing his own people. The message ran: "The State of Piauhy is +open to the gospel. There is a fight on between the priests and the +better classes. The better educated people, disgusted with Romanism and +priesthood, are drifting into materialism and atheism, but if a +competent man could be situated at Therezina, the capital, the whole +State could easily be won to the gospel." + +His uncle, who is President of our Brazilian Convention, as we have +already stated, whose family embraces in its immediate connection over +a thousand people, in a letter written me after I left Rio, reinforces +this appeal. He says: + +"I come to call your attention to the State of Piauhy, the field in +Brazil at present which seems to me to be the best prepared for +evangelization. Many things have contributed to bring this about. The +Masons, on the one hand, have done the most they possibly could against +Romanism; on the other hand, the propaganda sincere and fervent of a +small church founded in the southern part of the State, which happily +is receiving the greatest blessing from Almighty God, is greatly +contributing to the reception of the gospel throughout the State. My +brother, Col. Benj. Nogueira, the founder of that church, has passed +away, but he has left sons who are spiritual and who continue to work. +With the work developed there it will spread beneficently. In the +adjoining townships there exist many believers, and a church will be +founded soon in Paranagua, a town situated on the beautiful lake by the +same name. In the cities of Jerumenha and Floriano there are already +small churches, which united to the others in assiduous labors, will +powerfully contribute to the evangelization of the State, which is one +of the most promising of Northern Brazil. My friend, Senator Gervazio +de Britto Passo, strongly desires that a minister of the gospel come to +the section where he is most influential. This Senator greatly +sympathizes with our cause and is convinced that his numerous and +influential friends as soon as enlightened by a pastor as to what the +religion of the Baptists is, will unite with them, becoming +evangelical. The best moment to move in that State is the present one, +when so many causes concur for our evangelical development. The +population of Piauhy, which is over 500,000, will increase considerably +as well as its economic wealth. + +"I hope that you will not leave this field without pastors, where the +gospel is being received as the greatest benefit to which the people +can aspire for their civilization." + +It was my good fortune to meet the present Senator from the State of +Piauhy aboard the ship as he went up the coast, and he, while not a +Protestant, urged upon me the importance of our heeding the call of +this Nogueira family and personally assured me that he would do his +utmost to see that such a missionary would have the widest opportunity +to preach the gospel to the people. This must be a Macedonian call, +which we hope to soon be able to heed. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + +THE LAST STAND OP THE LATIN RACE. + + +There was a time in the life of the Anglo-Saxon race When it became +necessary for at least a portion of it to go out into a new country in +order that it might achieve the larger destiny it was to fulfill in the +world. God was behind that exodus as truly as he was behind the +transplanting of Abraham into a new environment. Here in our country, +unfettered by despotic traditions and precedents, the Anglo-Saxon +achieved religious and political liberty with a rapidity and +thoroughness that could not have been possible in the old Continent of +Europe. + +Likewise also did God separate the Latin race from continental +oppression that it might grow a better manhood in the freer atmosphere +of the Western World. It is true that the Latin movement was not +prompted by the same motive that impelled the Anglo-Saxon. Instead of +the love of liberty, he was led out by the lure of gold. Nevertheless, +we must believe the final result will be the same or else disbelieve in +the ultimate triumph of the guidance of God. We should not despair of +the success of this providential movement. + +In South America is to be witnessed the last stand of the Latin race. +There God has given him one last chance to achieve a religious +character which will honor his Lord. It is the duty of his Northern +brother to sympathize with him and to believe in his ability to build +up a character worthy of himself and God. If we cannot bring ourselves +to such a belief it is useless for us to expect to be helpful, and it +is unfaithful in us to expend money upon a people when we are confident +it will be wasted. + +We must not forget that these people are the descendants of the +Caesars, of Seneca, Napoleon--the race that ruled the world for fifteen +centuries. They surely have not lost all of their virility. It must be +a case of wasted strength. We believe that this race has in it the +possibility of rejuvenation. Lavaleye, the great Belgian political +economist, very probably spoke the truth when he said that the Latin +race is equal to the Anglo-Saxon, the only difference being the gospel +which the Protestants preach and live. + +We shall be helpful in our effort to give him the proper sympathy if we +remember the handicaps under which he has labored. He was satisfied +with his old fossilized religion, which had taught him to believe that +despotism is a virtue. He did not, therefore, come to America for +liberty. The early settlers were the veriest adventurers of whom the +gold lust made paragons of cruelty and crime. They brought with them +the intriguing priest who would corrupt the Kingdom of Heaven in order +to maintain his power. There was no intentional break with their old +life. The light that guided them to America was the yellow light of +gold and not the white light of righteousness. The first result was +that there developed in the untrammeled West the most unreasoning +despotism, the most unblushing robbery and the most shamelessly corrupt +priestcraft. So this whole transplanted mass of the worst intolerance, +most insatiable greed and the most corrupt priesthood that Europe has +ever produced, had to be taught from the beginning on the new soil, the +elements of the higher manhood they so desperately needed. They had +learned no first lesson in Europe, and therefore their first lesson in +America was to unlearn the very things that constituted their central +life and thought in Europe. + +What progress has this providential teaching of the Latins in the New +World made? So swiftly did they learn the lessons of liberty that +hardly had the conflict which won complete freedom for the United +States closed before the inevitable struggle for the same priceless +heritage was in full swing in all Latin-America. And be it said to +their everlasting credit that this sacred cause, in spite of +revolutions and reactions, which at times hazarded the whole scheme, +has made steady advance, all critics to the contrary, notwithstanding. +Political liberty is potentially at least achieved in South America. It +is written in the Constitutions of the Republics and in the purposes of +the people. While many battles will be fought to establish it in +detail, yet the principle is so well established that it will never be +uprooted, provided we give the moral and educational aid we should +render at this critical hour. + +We have come upon a time when we must give to our South American +brothers unstinted support. They have attained political freedom, but +they have not yet gained religious freedom. Nothing can be more +anomalous than a State with political freedom fostering a State +religion that is desperately and unscrupulously intolerant. No genuine +Republic can support a State religion. The two will not live together. +One or the other must go, as the history of France will abundantly +substantiate. One result is inevitable--the people will eventually +repudiate the despotic religion and drift into atheism and infidelity. +Indeed, such a thing is happening in South America today. The better +educated classes are being set hopelessly adrift religiously and the +more ignorant, the common people, are following idolatry. Neither have +the gospel preached to them. The Bible is withheld. Such a state of +affairs is a loud call to us. + +If these people are left without a vital, character building religion +they will, because of their volatile natures, degenerate into the +grossest perversions of morality. In such an event the Monroe Doctrine +itself would become a menace. Unless we give these people the gospel it +will be far better to annul the Monroe Doctrine and permit the stronger +nations of Europe to enter for the sake of good government and +morality. We must either carry to our Latin brothers the regenerating, +uplifting, energizing gospel of Jesus, or step out of the way and let +England and Germany interpose their strong arms to prevent one of the +most colossal catastrophes of all time in the moral collapse of the +70,000,000 Latin-Americans. Surely, this must be the time when we, if +we ever intend to do so, must reinforce our Latin brothers. They have +done well, they have made progress, but they have gone about as far as +they can in the struggle upon the moral resources at their command. +Their very progress in education and civilization is widening the +breach between them and their former religious teachers. A new life +must come in, even the power of the gospel. This alone can save +Latin-America from inglorious failure. + +We should not deceive ourselves into believing this prevailing religion +has lost its power, even though it is losing its religious hold upon +the better classes. It still retains its social influence over these +same educated classes, who despise its priests. This social power is a +bulwark of strength that we shall experience great difficulty in +breaking. Then, too, we may be sure these Latin lands will have +reinforcement from the Spanish priesthood, which fact assures a most +astute clerical leadership. The Spanish priest is today the most +resourceful, alert and capable priest on the earth. I believe he is to +be the last strong defender of the Roman Catholic organization. It is +no accident that Merry de Val, the Pope's prime minister, is a +Spaniard. His appointment to that office is a just recognition of the +most virile priesthood in the Roman realm. I was profoundly impressed +with the Spanish priest. He looks you in the eye. He is on the street, +"hail fellow well met" with the people. It is evident that he is +conscious of power and possesses the gift of leadership which he is +eager to use. Latin-America will feel the force of his capable +leadership. + +The situation in Brazil is complicated furthermore by the turn affairs +have taken in Portugal. There were riots in Rio and public +demonstrations against the local priests and against the exiled +Portuguese priests that would probably enter Brazil after the +establishment of the Portuguese Republic. But it appears that these +Portuguese clerics are to be admitted. This increases the gravity of +the situation. We shall be forced to take account of these men. They +are a part of the religious problem of South America. Whether we wish +to antagonize them or not, we shall be cognizant of their power. They +will not let us alone. They will not give up South America to +Protestantism without a bitter struggle. + +Now I do not say all of these things of the Catholic phase of the +religious problem in Latin-America for the purpose of recommending that +we should gird ourselves for a polemical mission to these countries. We +should look the situation squarely in the face that we may be able to +estimate properly every force with which we shall have to do. I think +that if the sole purpose in conducting these missions is to fight the +Catholics, then we can find work to engage us more worthily. Let us +evermore keep before us the fact that the Latin races have a real need +of the gospel and the gospel is not being preached to them by the +priests. If this is true, our duty is clear and our call is imperative. +We must go and preach a positive, soul-saving gospel, avoiding conflict +as far as possible and by satisfying the heart-hunger of the people +with the Bread of Life, win them to Christ and a new life in Him. + +I want to enter a plea for these, our brothers to the South of us. God +has separated them from their old soul-dwarfing environment in Europe, +and set them in this Western World that they might learn of Him. +Whether they realize it or not, they are making the last fight for +salvation and character their race is ever to engage in. They have a +need of the gospel as distressing as that of the grossest heathen. +Their religion itself is leading them further and further from their +saving Lord. Their teachers, who should show them the light of life, +are a beclouding hindrance. The little band of missionaries we have +sent are hopelessly inadequate to the task and plead for reinforcements +with a pathos that almost breaks our hearts. Oh, do not some of us, as +we have followed the portrayal of the needs of South America, like +Isaiah of old, hear the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send and who will go +for us?" God grant that some of us may respond as he did, "Lord, here +am I. Send me." + +The same deep longing for salvation that is in our hearts is in the +Latin heart. One day in the interior of Brazil I stood with a +missionary speaking with a man who had ridden to the railroad station +to talk with us a few moments while the train was stopping. As we +conversed a boy twelve years of age drew near to hear us. He was +pitifully disfigured with leprosy. So moved was the missionary by the +sight that he turned and said: "Why do you not go somewhere and be +treated." There flashed instantly in the boy's eye a hope that had long +since died, and he quickly inquired, "Where can I go?" The missionary +could not tell him, and I watched the last ray of hope flicker for a +second and then die out forever! Ever since that day I have been +hearing that pathetic question, "Where can I go?" I seem to hear all +Latin-Americans ask it out of depths of sin. And we know to whom they +must go for healing and salvation. Shall we tell them? "Lord to whom +shall we go--thou hast the words of eternal life." To whom shall +Latin-America go? Only Christ has for them the word of life which +blessed truth they will never know unless we carry it to them. + + +THE END. + + + + +APPENDIX. + +SUMMARY OF SOUTHERN BAPTIST WORK IN BRAZIL. + +I. MISSIONARIES-- + 1. Foreign, 44. + (1) Men, 21. + (2) Women, 23. + + 2. Native, 117. + +II. CHURCH STATISTICS-- + 1. Churches, 142. + 2. Membership, 9,939. + 3. Church Buildings, 44. + 4. Outstations, 497. + 5. Sunday Schools, 138. + 6. Sunday School Scholars, 4,438. + +III. SCHOOLS-- + 1. Primary Schools, 9. + 2. Bagby School for Girls in Sao Paulo. + 3. Fluminense School for Boys in Nova Friburgo. + 4. School for Boys and Girls in Bahia. + 5. School for Boys and Girls in Pernambuco. + 6. Rio Baptist College and Seminary in Rio. + 7. Total number of students, 869. + 8. Theological Departments in connection + with Rio and Pernambuco schools. + +IV. GENERAL-- + 1. Work begun in 1882. + 2. Publishing House in Rio. + + + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Brazilian Sketches, by T. B. Ray + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK BRAZILIAN SKETCHES *** + +***** This file should be named 4283.txt or 4283.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + https://www.gutenberg.org/4/2/8/4283/ + +Produced by Robert Rowe, Charles Franks and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team. 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