Lima, 1st March, 1824.[1]
I stated to you, some time ago, my expectation of being able to introduce the New Testament undisguised into our school. Blessed be God, that object is now accomplished. I have sold several copies to the children publicly in the school. In the usual course of our lessons, we have occasion to speak of several incidents in the Gospel history. On these occasions, I desire our pupils, particularly on Saturdays, to find out in their New Testaments where such a thing is spoken of, giving them certain limits. On the Monday following, a number are well prepared with their New Testaments marked with slips of paper at the places in question, and often through their pretty impatience to communicate their discoveries, they tell me before we get into the school, that they have found out the parable of the sower, the conversion of Paul, &c.
You may easily imagine that these circumstances are great sources of enjoyment to me, and make up for many disadvantages. I have said that we have got the New Testament introduced into our school undisguised. You probably perceive what I mean by using the word undisguised. The truth is, the New Testament, in one sense, has all along been used in our schools in South America, not however in the open manner we now use it in Lima, but, as I may say, disguised; that is, we have used for lessons extracts from it, printed on large sheets, and in little books, thus introducing the Scriptures as it were by stealth. Each part of these lessons I cause to be read repeatedly in the classes, until the children can read them readily. By the time they can do so, the substance of what they have read, and the instruction contained in it, is tolerably imprinted on the memory. Children, you know, have a habit of repeating to themselves what they have been saying or reading frequently. In consequence of this, what portions of Scripture they have read in the school, they repeat in this way at home.
My excellent friend and companion, the clergyman, already well known to you, informs me that several of the parents of our scholars tell him that their children are talking about the Gospel at home all the day long. From other quarters I have heard the same thing, and always with satisfaction expressed on the part of the parents. Some of the elder boys, at times, have requested me to lend them the little books of Scripture extracts, that they might read them at home; and sometimes the request is, "My mother desired me to ask you for one of the little books, as she wishes to read it." These requests have been listened to with satisfaction, and you may be sure, complied with. Seeing this good disposition in regard to this matter, and considering the advantages which might flow from this silent unpresuming introduction of the Holy Scriptures, I intimated to the children that the little books would he sold to them at a small expense, and the consequence was, that many of them were bought immediately. 1 mentioned to my clerical friend what 1 had done, and my motive for doing it, namely, that the children and the parents might be improved. He replied, the books must prove useful to both, parents and children, as what they contain is the word of God.
You will, perhaps, think I am lengthening out this subject too much, in talking of our school affairs. It is a subject, however, of some interest, considering where our school is, and I am persuaded you will look upon it as such. I shall, therefore, proceed a little farther, even at the risk of being tedious. We have, at certain times, an exercise for the more advanced boys, which I conceive to be very useful, and in which they take a great deal of interest. A Scripture narrative, or parable, is proposed, which they are required to read over, by themselves, with great attention, and to note in their memory all the circumstances and instruction contained in it. Thus prepared, as many as choose, to exhibit, sit down on a form by themselves, and one after another stands forward, without book, and delivers the parable or narrative, not in the very words of the text, but giving all the circumstances of the parable in their own artless way. It is pleasing, and not uninstructive, to hear them go over their exercise in this manner. Instead, for instance, of saying that the servant in Matthew, chap. 18, owed his Lord ten thousand talents, one will say, he owed him a thousand dollars, another, perhaps, will say a hundred dollars; whilst, on the other hand, they will say that the one servant owed the other "unos pocos cuartillitos," or, as we would say in English, a few halfpence. By this way of saying it, they get into the sense of the passage themselves, and it is thus also brought down to the level of the understandings of their younger companions, all of whom are listening, whilst the attention of many is rivetted. One of the boys the other day, in noticing the concluding verse of the 18th of Matthew, made a very beautiful allusion to the corresponding petition in the Lord's Prayer, forgive us our trespasses as we forgive others. A premium of two rials (equal to a shilling) was awarded to the boy who delivered his parable in the best manner. Several times this reward was proposed and given. One day they asked me what parable we should have. I told them I was not sure that we should have any at all that day, because money was very scarce with us, and I did not know if we could spare two rials. But, said they, we may say the parable, although there be no premium. You take a pleasure then, said I, in this exercise, do you, independently of the premium ? Yes, said they, with one accord. Well, I continued, it gives me great pleasure to see you take so much interest in this matter, and I can assure you, it is a very useful exercise, as well as a pleasing one.
I now go on to notice what has occurred here since my last, in reference to supplies of the Holy Scriptures, and their distribution. I stated to you formerly, that we were entirely without a supply of the Spanish Bible here, and that we had but a few New Testaments. In hopes of obtaining some Bibles which were much sought after, I wrote to a gentleman in Valparaiso, to whom some Bibles and Testaments had been consigned some time before by the British and Foreign Bible Society, with an intimation that they should be at, my disposal, if I wished for them. On learning this, I immediately wrote to Valparaiso upon the subject, requesting the whole to be, sent me without delay. After more than the time necessary for their arrival had passed by without their appearing, I wrote a second time, making the same request. I received an answer to my second letter, as it seems the first had miscarried, but I was sorry to learn that the Bibles were all gone. When I say I am sorry for this, I speak rather in reference to the supplying of this place, than in reference to the grand object of distributing the Scriptures in South America. These Bibles, to the amount of 200, were all distributed, and mostly by sale, in Valparaiso, so that, if I am sorry in not being able to supply those who want here, I am, on the other hand, glad that my friends in Chile have obtained so many copies of the sacred word in their own tongue.
After the accounts which I have now given you, which are of an encouraging nature, I am sorry in being under the necessity of giving a gloomy close to my letter. The Spanish army entered this city yesterday. I feel as if I were no longer in South America, but as transported to Spain; and as one in the visions of the night, finds himself in foreign climes, he knows not how, and sighs to return home, so do I sigh to return to South America. My next letter may, perhaps, inform you, that our school has been shut up, and that I have taken my departure for — heaven knows where. There, however, I shall be, as now, affectionately yours.
[1] Letter to BFSS. James Thomson. Letters on the Moral and Religious State of South America. (London: James Nisbet, 1827), pp. 110-115.