The Rev A Brandram No.17
Mexico 24th January 1828
My Dear Sir,
I have the pleasure of informing you that I have safely arrived in this city. I will not say with what feelings. But a safe return from a three months' tour in a country where you are always obliged to go armed, is calculated to make one grateful to Him who sustaineth in all dangers. Again, I have enjoyed excellent health during this journey, and have received kind attentions from many individuals, and this also is a great cause for thankfulness. But what are these as subjects of consideration compared to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures which has been effected during this journey. Blessed be the Lord for having carried the word of life into these regions, and for having inclined the hearts of so many to supply themselves with this treasure. And now, may the early rain descend and then the latter rain upon this seed cast into the ground. How small a part has man truly in bringing forth fruit. All he can do is to cast the seed into the ground, and if things were left to him, there it would rot and die. But God raiseth it up and giveth it a body such as it pleaseth him, and to every seed its own body. The incorruptible seed of the word will bring forth incorruptible fruit which will live and abide for ever. Such, my dear Friend, is the pleasing prospect we have in contemplating the distribution of the word of life in this land. We may not live to see the waving fields, and to gather the sheaves; but we sow in faith, and in full confidence that the fields shall assuredly wave and become white to harvest, and that sooner or later the sheaves shall be gathered in with joy.
I should now give you a note of the expenses incurred in this journey, but having left a trunk in Guanajuato in which is a small note book of part of these expenses I cannot here state them, but expect to do it in my next. I shall then also if I can give you a general statement of what has been received and expended since my arrival here up to the end of this month. I expected to be able to send you a bill for £500 by this packet, but as the bill has to come from Guanajuato it will not be in time. By next packet however it will be ready, and will I hope be in your hands before your annual meeting, to enable you then to give substantial proof that the word of God circulates in this land, and that it is valued because something of value is given for it.
I have found my letters 14, 15, and 16, waiting here for the packet, and I enclose them with this in an envelope. I should have mentioned to you long ere now the kindness of Mr. Packenham our Chargé d'affaires here, who was so obliging upon my arrival as to offer me the advantage of sending all my letters to the Foreign Office along with his own. It is on this account that all the letters I have sent you have been without postage. It would not be difficult I should think to procure the privilege of sending your letters here through the Foreign Office, but I believe you are delicate upon these points to a fault.
Since my return to this city the mail by the November packet has arrived, and brought me your letter of the 19th of the same month. I have mentioned to Mr. Edelyerthá (so his name sounds) what you have mentioned regarding his communications. In what you have said you have touched upon some difficulties I meet with in the restricted nature of your agency. A person placed here deciding the general object of promoting the kingdom of God, finds himself in trammels by being tied down to one particular mode of doing this. But upon the subject we shall afterwards communicate.
I have received a letter from the Prior of the convent of the Tacunga in answer to the one I wrote him from London in December 1826. I give you a translation of his letter. – "Tacunga 22nd May 1827 – My Esteemed Friend, I had that satisfaction of receiving your welcome letter of 21st December last. In this you have given me a strong proof of your correct ideas respecting the propagation of evangelical truths by the reading of the sacred text itself, as contained in the well-known translation of Father Scio, and you have pointed out that our zeal should not flag for circulation of the Scriptures throughout the American continent amongst all classes capable of reading them. It has not been in my power to carry into effect these laudable views, as the political disturbances of Guayaquil for establishing the federal system have prevented this much desired circulation, and even the case of Bibles lying in that place has not yet come into my hands, and there will be considerable difficulty in obtaining it. Besides, in these countries where the Roman Catholic Religion exclusively prevails, it would be desirable that the Bibles contained the notes published in the Spanish editions of Scio's translation, in order to meet the prejudices of the common people, especially as these prejudices have become stronger in the present day, in consequence of the prohibition of the Apostolic See, that the Bible should not circulate without these annotations founded on the authority of the Church with the opinions of the Councils and of the Holy Fathers.
As for myself I remain decided to use all my endeavours to distribute in the quickest and most effectual manner the copies of the Scriptures which may come into my hands. I long to see you with us again, that I might enjoy the sweet satisfaction which the showing of hospitality, and which a sincere and cordial friendship afford. I have been greatly pleased with your proofs of remembrance, in doing me the honour of making public in your estimable country the small attention I was able to show you. Please say to the Society, that their directions will be attentively listened to, and that I will do what I can in their service.
My companions who live with me in this Convent, together with Father Celio who is still in Quito, present their best regards to you, and thank you for your kind remembrances of them. I am &c. Manuel Peñaherrera."
It would I think be desirable to keep up correspondence with our friends in Tacunga, and if I find an opportunity I will write them from this. Mr. Matthews will I suppose visit them and from him you will hear more particularly of the circulation of the Scriptures there. I should be glad if you would just notice in each of your letters where Mr. Matthews was and where he next moves to according to your latest accounts from him. If you would say how many copies of the Scriptures he circulated here and how many there it would be an additional gratification to me.
I have had a letter from Mr. D Boully of Guayaquil. It is of 19th April, and is in reply to a letter I wrote him from London of 3rd January 1827. Mr. Boully informs me that the firm of the house there which I noticed to you is changed. It is now "D. Boully & Co." I give you an extract from Mr. B's letter: "I now beg to advise having departed from Mr. Wheelwright, and having formed a new establishment here under the firm of D. Boully & Co., and it will afford me particular pleasure in employing the services of the new firm on behalf of the Society, and I beg you will, and thus freely on all occasions. As Mr. Wheelwright was left by me with the liquidations of the old firm's accounts, he retains in his possession some 4 or 5 cases of Testaments, which were some considerable time since received for distribution between this and Quito, and which the parties have not sent for. The Marquis of San José has only taken one case though I believe 3 more were received to his address. By the brig Bolívar just arrived there are 42 further cases, which Mr. W will receive, and on receipt of this you might give me an order to receive these from him if you pleased, and you might also advise the Secretary of the Society to address his communications to my new firm."
You can write Messrs. D. Boully & Co. by the Jamaica (Carthagena) packet, as that is the most direct means of communication with those parts. Mr. Matthews correspondence will enable you to write more particularly about your concerns there than I can do from this without a knowledge of this correspondence. I shall write also to Guayaquil when an opportunity offers.
I remain, My Dear Sir,
Very Sincerely Yours,
James Thomson.
