Rev A. Brandram
Bogota, 25th February, 1825.[1]
Dear Sir,
In my last letter to you of the 8th current, I promised to give you soon after an account of the number of New Testaments disposed of in each place in the course of the journey from Lima to this city, and now proceed to do so [see list below-ed.].
Of the above number you will perceive that 148 have been left at different places for sale. Of course the sum of 1473 dollars, two rials, has been received and for 1488 copies, being about a dollar for each. Those in extra binding, noticed in the above list, are what remained of 60 copies received from Mr. Jerauld, of Valparaiso, and of which I wrote you formerly. Of the stock I had in common binding, the greater part was of the Paris edition, and these were sold at one dollar each. The rest were of the London edition of 1821. As these latter were printed on finer paper, I judged it best to put an additional price upon them, with the view of clearing the original cost of the whole, with the expenses incurred in the carriage and the distribution. This circumstance, together with the occasional lowering of the price, from the binding being in some instances injured by the carriage, will enable you to account for the difference in the respective prices affixed in the above list. There was a preference given by the purchasers to the Paris edition, from its being charged lower, and the last of them was sold in Quito; so that during the rest of the journey all the New Testaments were of the London edition, and were sold at 12 rials each. To the above account add 3 dollars, 4 rials, received for the Bible sold here, which will make in all 1476 dollars, 6 rials.
I have noticed to you, more than once very favourable reception given to the Scriptures in these parts. I am now to state to you an exception, and it is in a quarter where it should not have been found. The only person whom I found unfriendly to the circulation of the Scriptures without notes, from Lima to Bogota, was the Bishop of Popayan. I have stated his opposition in gentle terms, for truth requires it. I heard, soon after putting up the advertisements for the sale of the New Testaments, that the Bishop had spoken against the reading of them. I called upon him to know whether it was so or not, and to learn what were his objections. I had visited him before, and had had a visit from him in return, so that we were, on this second visit, on terms of some acquaintance, and we therefore entered freely into the subject of the sale and distribution of the Scriptures. I mentioned to him what I had heard, and inquired whether I had been correctly informed, he then told me the whole of what had occurred upon the subject. He said, a person who had bought one of the New Testaments, brought it to him and asked his opinion as to his using it. The person was a priest, and he named him to me. The Bishop, upon his opinion being asked, rose and brought the Acts of the Council of Trent, and pointed out to the priest the article there, prohibiting the use of the Scriptures without notes; He concluded, however, by telling the priest that he might keep his New Testament and use it. This, said the Bishop, is all that occurred upon this matter. He said farther, that it was not his intention to oppose the circulation of the New Testaments in any other way. If any person chose to buy them, he would not interfere; but if any one should ask his opinion upon the matter, he would refer him to the same article, as his duty required him to do.
I said that I understood the article in question was as he had stated it, but that when I considered how many among all ranks of the catholic clergy made no account of that article, but freely encouraged the circulation of the Scriptures among their flocks, I was inclined to think that the article was qualified by something subsequent to it, or that it was not generally considered as in force. He replied to this, that there was nothing subsequent to alter the force of that article, but rather to strengthen it, and that whatever others did, he considered his duty to be, to follow the rules of the church in that and in all such matters, as every good Catholic ought to do. I said that I saw the force of what he said, considering what were the principles of his faith. I added, that notwithstanding his reasons, I could not but be sorry to see any opposition to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, a book which God had graciously given to all, and which should, of course, be studied by all. I observed, also, that I was fully persuaded that very great advantages would arise from a general reading of the word of God, and from these considerations I conceived it to be my duty to put them into the hands of all, and to call upon all to read them with serious attention. "Amen," replied the Bishop, "I also am of the same opinion. I am sure that it would be advantageous to all to read the Scriptures, but then let them be read with the necessary directions. If Bibles and New Testaments were to come here with the notes, I would be the first to promote their circulation." Our conversation was extended a good deal further upon this subject, and embraced the usual topics of this question, but which it is unnecessary here to repeat.
A Catholic's reasoning upon this subject I conceive to be very short & to him very certain. He has simply to refer to the article already mentioned in the Council of Trent, and there is an end of it. It is needless to reason with him on the justice or propriety of that article, as he considers himself prohibited from calling in question these acts, and to change his mind one jot upon the matter is at once to unhinge all his catholicism. (see below)
I am labouring what I can to establish a Bible Society here, and it is that alone which keeps me longer in this city. I am not yet sure whether I shall succeed or not, but my next letter will inform you.
In the meantime, I remain,
Very Truly Yours,
J. Thomson.
Postscript. Please address the Bibles and Testaments for Mr. Henderson, as mentioned in my last, to the care of Mr. Watts, H.B.M.G. Carthagena.
[1] BSA-D1-2-A. Also in James Thomson. Letters on the Moral and Religious State of South America. (London: James Nisbet, 1827), pp. 240-243.
