Rev A Brandram No.36
Mexico 18 July 1829
My Dear Friend
I am sorry to say that I am still unable to give you any definitive account of the issue of my petition to the government respecting the edicts. On the other hand I am happy to say that nothing has occurred since I wrote to discourage us in respect to the results which may be expected. Delay seems to be engraved on all things here, and in matters of justice it seems deeply indented. Patience then and perseverance must be deeply indented in us as a counterpart. The affair of the edicts now stands thus. The Minister of Justice sent the petition I made to the Government, to the Dean & Chapter, in order that they might reply to it. Their not replying to it has been the cause of the delay along. On account of my urging the matter, and aided as I have before stated to you by the kind offices of Don Lorenzo de Zavala, the Minister of Finance, the Dean & Chapter were written to again and again urging them to send in their reply. These requests not being complied with the Minister at length wrote them that if in a fortnight no answer was sent, he would send for my petition in their hands and would proceed without further delay to act as justice might direct in the matter. The lapse of the fortnight no answer was given in, and the Minister agreeable to his word sent for the petition which was delivered to him. Since this the Minister has written his opinion upon the subject, and the other day laid the matter before the Council of Government for their decision. Thus the matter stands at present. I hope no long delay will now occur, and that I shall soon be enabled to inform you of the result of this long protracted and unpleasant affair. In the meantime through our good friend Dr. Mora and otherwise I am endeavouring to urge upon those individuals of the Council, whom I can reach, the desirableness of bringing this matter to a close, and of doing us that justice which ought to have been done us long ago, the law being as I suppose on our side.
The pro and con in our actual sales of the Scriptures here I shall now state to you. In this city during the half-year ending 30th of June there have been sold 31 Spanish Bibles and 118 New Testaments. By a letter from Orizaba lately received, I learned that 12 Bibles and 47 New Testaments have been sold there since the account rendered in October last. These sales are perhaps as great as we could reasonably expect them to be in the very teeth of the edicts. On the other hand I have lately received a letter from the person who had charge of the sale of the Scriptures in San Luis Potosí, mentioning that he had made a tour through Guanajuato and other parts for the purposes of selling goods belonging to himself and also the copies of the Scriptures I put into his hands. He says he has been able to do almost nothing in the sale of the Bibles and desponds much of success in future. You will recollect that my tour intended to be commenced in September or October last was to have been through the quarters now referred to, and by the ill success of the individual above-mentioned in his sales of the Scriptures you will perceive that my suspicions regarding the on fruitfulness of my journey have been verified, and the propriety of putting off that journey justified. The evil effects of the edicts in hindering the circulation of the Scriptures are made very apparent by the stagnation of sales in those very places where I met with such encouragement about a year and a half ago. These evil effects I am afraid will continue for some time even though we should be so fortunate as to get the edicts annulled by the civil authorities. By and by however I hope, especially if we should succeed in removing the cause of the evil, the remembrance of these ecclesiastical injunctions will be forgotten and the demand for the sacred volume may be expected to rise and gradually to increase, though not perhaps so soon or so rapidly as we could wish. I mentioned this future prospect to console you, as I console myself with it, under existing discouragements.
I enclose a letter for you from Dr. Mora, of which the following is a translation.
"To the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society. Mexico17th of July 1829.
Gentleman, being fully persuaded of the importance and necessity of extending the word of God to all the nations of the world by making it accessible to them through versions into their respective languages, I have been greatly delighted by learning that a Society of pious, learned, and enlightened men have taken upon themselves this great work, worthy of the present enlightened age and of the well-known piety of the English nation.
In the Mexican Republic, as in all countries educated under intolerance, notwithstanding the liberality of its laws and good wishes of the government, the ignorance and prejudice of some of our clergy, supported by the ecclesiastical authorities in three of our dioceses, have caused endeavours to be made to hinder the circulation of the Bible, and in part their object has been gained by deterring some persons from reading the Scriptures. But on the other hand, the true friends of Christianity, here have used their endeavours and will continue to use them, in order that religious education in this country may in future be given by reading of the Holy Scriptures and more particularly of the Gospel, instead of being given has hitherto through means of very imperfect catechisms whose least defect is their being the works of man. It may be difficult to accomplish this work, but it is not impracticable. The clergy may oppose obstacles to it, but their power is already weak, and will gradually become more so, as the people of this country are daily becoming more undeceived, and are perceiving that all is not religion which has been sold to them such. Knowing this country well and observing its progressive state I have good reason I think for entertaining flattering hopes in respect to its advancement. In consequence of this I beg leave to exhort you not by any means to desist from your objects of extending the use of the Bible in our Republic in all its languages but especially in Spanish.
At the request of Mr. Thomson your agent here I have taken various steps for procuring a version of the New Testament into the Mexican, Otomí, and Tarasco languages, beginning with the Gospel by Luke. This object will I trust be carried into effect, although its progress may be tardy, as the poverty of this country and the state of uncertainty in which we live direct the attention of all to other objects which they consider of the first necessity.
One of the objects of this communication is to offer my services you, and to request your authorization in regard to these should you deem it suitable. Perhaps these services might be of some use to you, not on account of any personal qualities of mine, but from the knowledge of the country which I necessarily process, the number of persons I am acquainted with in it, and what little influence my occupation hitherto may have given me. I may add also that at present I have a tolerably well accredited journal under my direction whose columns I intend shall be frequently occupied in promoting everything which may conduce to the prosperity of your Society here in extending its Christian, benevolent and laudable objects.
I remain, Gentlemen, With Great Respect,
Your Most Obedient Servant ,(signed) José Maria Luis Mora."
I have just room, My Dear Friend, to add that I am
Very Truly Yours, James Thomson.
Mejico Julio 17 de 1829
Señores
Bien penetrado de la importancia y necesidad de estender la palabra de Dios, entre todas las gentes y naciones de la tierra, haciendola comun por medio de las versiones de la Biblia a todos los idiomas conocidos, me ha sido sumamente satisfactorio, el que una sociedad de hombres piadosos literatos e ilustres por todos titulos, haya tomado a su cargo esta grandiosa empresa digna de las luces del siglo 19 y de la notoria piedad de la nacion inglesa.
En la republica mejicana como en todos los paises educados en la intolerancia, a pesar de la liberalidad de sus leyes y del buen sentido de su gobierno, la ignorancia y preocupaciones de alguna parte del clero, sostenida por tres cabildos eclesiasticos ha procurado entorpecer la circulacion de la Biblia, y en parte lo han conseguido retrayendo a algunos pocos de su lectura, pero los verdaderos amantes del cristianismo, han hecho, hacen y haran todos los esfuerzos posibles para que la educacion religiosa, que hasta hoy se ha dado a los nuestros por catecismos muy imperfectos, y cuyo menor defecto es ser palabra de hombres se ministre en lo sucesivo por la lectura de la escritura divina especialmente por los santos evangelios. Esta obra aunque dificil no es imposible. Si el clero opone obstaculos, estos son demasiado debiles y cada dia lo seran mas, pues cada dia las gentes de nuestro pais adquieren sin cesar nuevos desengaños, de que no es religion todo aquello que se les ha vendido por tal. Asi pues yo que conozco bien el suelo y lo advierto en un estado progresivo tengo motivos para concebir las mas lisonjeras esperanzas, y en consecuencia no puedo menor de exortaros, a que por ningun motivo desistais de vuestros propositos de estender la Biblia en nuestra Republica en todos los idiomas propios de ella, pero especialmente en castellano.
Por excitacion del señor Tomson, vuestro comisionado, he dado varios pasos para un ensayo de version a los idiomas mejicano, otomí, y tarasco, empezando por el evangelio de S.Lucas; se llevara a efecto este proyecto aunque debera dilatar algo, porque la pobreza del del pais y el estado de inseguridad en que se vive hace que la atencion de todos se fije de preferencia en otras cosas que se reputan de primera necesidad.
Uno de los objetos de esta comunicacion es ofrecer mis servicios, recibiendo vuestros poderes si lo tuviereis a bien. Ellos podran ser de alguna importancia, no por las prendas personales de que carezco, sino por los conocimientos y relaciones con que cuento en el pais y el tal cual concepto que disfruto. Ademas, esta bajo mi direccion un periodico medianamente acreditado, cuyas columnas se ocuparan muchas veces en promover todo lo que pueda conducir al progreso de la Sociedad y a estender sus cristianos, beneficos y laudables objetos.
Soy, señores, con todas las consideraciones posibles vuestro muy atento y obediente servidor.
Jose Maria Luis Mora.
Sres. de la Sociedad de la Biblia, britanica y estrangera.