The Rev A Brandram No.8
Mexico 22nd September 1827
My Dear Sir,
My last letter to you was dated 27 July, and is I hope by this time in your hands. The notices contained in it respecting your concerns here, have proved I trust acceptable, and are calculated I think to encourage us, in prayer, in hope and in exertions. That it is the Lord's cause we have in hand, we should never forget. This, will animate us under difficulties and adverse circumstances, whilst in times of prosperity it will make us humble and grateful. To be permitted to surround the tabernacle, to take care of its boards, pins and hangings, and to move it onwards is a great honour, and this honour, like all things, is of God. That you feel it so, my dear Sir, I have no doubt, whilst you sit in the house of the Society, and whilst you go by the way to it and from it. The more I contemplate the object of the Society, the more heaven-born does it appear; and I often bless the Lord for having put it into the hearts of his people to set up such an institution. Again, when I look forward to the day when the Society shall have terminated its labours and shall sleep in the dust, and think on the then state of the world, the knowledge of God covering it over and over; and when these contemplations arise, there arise with them feelings not to be described, but which are surely allied to the feelings we shall have in heaven.
You will say I am wandering from Mexico and from present times, which are times of labour, to indulge in enjoyment. I confess it, and can bear to be caught in this reverie, and be reproved for it, without being ashamed. Recollect there is a little indulgence to be allowed in these things to a pilgrim in a foreign land, but I return to our immediate business.
The packet of this month brought me the circular respecting the annual meeting of the Society, and you may be sure it afforded me know little pleasure to find it. God is still with you I see, though some could have it otherwise. Still might you say with one of old: Mine enemies speak against me, and they who lay wait for my life take counsel together, saying: "God hath forsaken him: persecute and take him." Your prayer to God under circumstances as I trust all along been, "O God be not far from me; O my God make haste for my help." Well, I trust the storm which has passed over your heads, is past and over, and will not again return. But let us remember that he who sends the early and the latter rain, sends also the storm. He sends the one to give us food and comfort, and he sends the other to correct and purify us. Examine and see whether the torrent that has passed along has carried with it every thing impure. I thought I perceived as I read your circular that a little heap of rubbish had been left behind, but I might perhaps have mistaken it for something else.
Your letter of 7th June has come to hand on the 17th ultimo. Among other pleasing accounts it contained, not the least was that regarding the Bishop of Calcutta. The population of that part of the world where his labours lie, is so very great, that every circumstance which may contribute to its enlightenment is grateful news to the Christian mind. His voluntary attendance at the Committee room and his readiness to have his name enrolled among your Vice-Presidents are I think sure indications of his feelings and his wishes on your behalf. Future years I hope will show his great usefulness in the East.
The letter from Mr. Roberts mentioned by Mr. Jackson as having been sent to me in June or July has not yet come to hand, and it might be well for Mr. Roberts to inquire at Mr. Kinder's how it was forwarded.
About a month ago Mr. Edhelhjertha, (the gentleman mentioned by Mr. Armstrong,) arrived in this city. I have had many pleasing interviews with him, and am truly happy to find how deeply he interest himself in the cause of God and of the Bible Society. He has given me some accounts respecting Mr. Matthews in his progress through Buenos Aires and Chile. But it is unnecessary to state these things to you, as you have no doubt much fuller and later information from Mr. Matthews himself. I am sorry to hear of the still unsettled state of Peru, and of the commotion in Colombia. These things will no doubt hinder the operations of Mr. Matthews in these quarters. I hope however that the accounts he will receive in Lima respecting the state of things in Colombia, will not hinder him from prosecuting his journey from Guayaquil through Quito to Bogota. Mr. Edhelhjertha will probably visit England before long, and in that case I will give him a line of introduction to you.
On the 4th of last month the 24 mules entrusted with the carriage of your Bibles and Testaments from Vera Cruz to this city, safely delivered their charge into the hands of your agent here. I have since been engaged in unpacking the cases, in airing the books, and repacking them preparatory for my intended journey into the interior parts of this country. A good deal of inconvenience was found in regard to laying one's hand on this or that description of books immediately wanted, as the invoice does not express the contents of each case. I hope the invoices in future will be more particular. My journey will now commence very soon, but previous to my setting out I shall write you a few lines. The information I have received from the interior respecting the reception I may meet with is very encouraging, and I trust my expectations and yours will not be disappointed.
Since the arrival of your ample supply of the Scriptures already mentioned a good number of copies both of the Bible and Testament have been sold, making in all since my arrival in this city about 400 Bibles and upwards of 500 New Testaments. We have met with a slight check to our sale by a well-meaning priest having put an advertisement into one of our newspapers here, in which he has said that your Bibles "want the book of Maccabees, Ecclesiasticus, and who knows how many more." He is also stated your heresy in giving your Bibles without notes, and says they are Lutheran Bibles and not for Catholics; as the reading of such has been prohibited by Benedict XIV. We expect overcome this difficulty, and even to turn it to our advantage. If Satan stirs up one priest to speak against you, Lord still stirs up another to speak on your behalf. This is exactly the case in the present instance. A priest with whom I have got acquainted, and who feels a deep interest in your cause is writing an answer to the above mentioned advertisement, and which is to be inserted in the same paper the other appeared in, that the antidote may be as generally circulated as the evil. Of this priest I have more to say. I was introduced to him by Mr. Poinsett, the American minister here, who mentioned him to me as the person of all others in this place most likely to interest himself in my objects here. We went together to his house, and spent a whole morning with him. He showed us his library which was well supplied, and told us that the book above all others with which he wished to enrich it was, the Bible, in its various versions and editions. Though he was a priest, he said, he was not fanatical, but was liberal to all, wishing others to enjoy that liberty claim for himself. Since that time we have seen each other frequently, and I have found him truly to interest himself in your cause. To enrich his library I presented him with Dr. Morrison's version of the Chinese Bible, and with the Malay Bible in Arabic characters. With these he was greatly delighted as you might expect, and considered them as a precious portion of his library. These presents were made to him in the name of the British and Foreign Bible Society, and the value of them will I think not be lost to you by this appropriation. You are aware that these two Bibles were the private property of your agent here, who respectfully request you at your own convenience to replace them the volumes in question.
Our friend must needs see all the versions I had which were issued by the Society, and I showed him all I had of your property and my own, telling him in Spanish style that they were all at his disposal. The consequence was that he disposed the whole for his own library. I mean, that of all the versions I had for sale he took one copy and of the version I had for my own library through your kindness, he took the whole, reports and all. These however were not given us presents like the two Bibles before mentioned, but were sold to our friend at their fair price. These versions I would request you also to replace and to charge their value to my account. This gentleman I am , challenge of Yuicatan now speaking of interests himself in the procuring a translation of the New Testament into the Mexican language which is extensively spoken in this place. He has got some manuscripts in this language consisting I believe of the Roman liturgy, and these he intends as a present to the Bible Society. As this individual greatly esteems everything of this kind, you may consider this parting with such manuscripts as a real compliment to you. In truth is attachment to the Society and its glorious object, is I think very sincere. I trust the Lord has raised him up for usefulness in this work in his native country. Besides purchasing the copies of the Scriptures above mentioned, he has purchased several copies in Spanish for the use of himself and friends. One copy of the Bible he sent to a priest in the country at a considerable distance. He has visited me different times in the store whilst engaged in unpacking and repacking our books. On these occasions we have had long conversations about the Bible and its circulation in this country, and he has really gone away without purchasing less or more. One day he purchased 15 copies of Bibles, Testaments, etc., and told me he was going to make presents of them to the nuns in some of the nunneries in the city. I told him that since this was his object I would let him have them at half price, upon which he immediately doubled the quantity. The nuns receiving the Scriptures from the hands of such a person will no doubt accept of them and read them with more readiness than if they obtained them from another quarter. For the present I leave our worthy friend, but must first tell you that he is of considerable rank in the church, and holds one of the first situations in the ecclesiastical court of this diocese.
Three weeks ago I went out to San Agustin de las Cuevas, a town 12 miles from the city, and which has now become the capital of the State of Mexico. I had several interesting conversations with the Governor of the State who resides there, with the Rector of the college, and with other individuals, all of whom I found well disposed to our objects, and to the advancement of Education. The Governor informed me respecting the population of the state, and the languages spoken in it. He said the whole population amounted to about one million. Of these one half speak the Spanish language, 300,000 the Mexican, and 200,000 the language called Otomí. Here then around this city in different directions is an ample field for your new translations, and I hope you will give me every encouragement to proceed with these. The Governor, who is a native of Yucatán, told me that the whole population of that peninsula speak Yucatanese, that number amounts to about 800,000. Here is another field for your translations, for it is only through you they will obtain them. My journey to the Northwest will open up other fields not less extensive and equally uncultivated. Pray, encourage me all you can that at my return to this city I may get something done in one, two or more of these languages.
The Rector of the college of San Agustin called upon me one day during my stay in that place. We had a long conversation, and among other things I told him of the object and operations of the Bible Society, the amount of your annual income, and the sources from which it flowed in to you. He was greatly delighted with the account I gave him, and asked how much annual subscription was required to become a member. I told him, and he immediately replied, that he would be a subscriber and a member of the Society. This individual is a priest, and his name is José María Alcántara. You will please therefore to put his name down in the list of your members of the Society, and charge one guinea to my account, being the sum I received from him.
Immediately upon my return from San Agustin I had a visit from the priest in the city of whom I have spoken so much, and whose name I shall give you before I go farther. It is, José Antonio López García de Salazar. He wished, he said to become a member of the Society, and told me to put down his name as such. Here then you have another Mexican priest a subscriber to your society. Our friend told me at this interview, that a priest, a gentleman of his acquaintance, and of similar sentiments with himself, wished to see me. He called this friend next day, and I found him very friendly to the Bible Society as he had been described to me. This gentleman also put down his name as a member of your society. His name is Dr. José María Mora. You will please therefore to charge my account with two guineas more, being one for each of these two individuals. These three make up the whole number of your subscribers here, and considering all circumstances, it is a fair beginning. Thus you see the Lord is with us, and blessed be his name.
For the present, Farewell.
James Thomson.
P.S. I forgot to notice in its proper place that the last mentioned gentleman called yesterday and brought with him three volumes of manuscripts, partly in the Mexican language and all upon Mexican subjects. These he presented to the Bible Society, along with some pamphlets of his own writing, and they shall be sent to you when a proper opportunity offers. Dr Mora told me also that he intends to write you before long.