Lima, 2nd December, 1822.[1]
Some weeks ago a Committee of the Congress was entrusted to draw up the outlines of a political constitution for the country. This has been accomplished, has been presented to Congress, and ordered to be printed. The Congress is just now engaged in discussing it, article by article. A good deal of interest is thus excited and kept up regarding the subject, and, in consequence, the Congress-hall is daily well attended by all classes. The discussion of the article on the form of government, and that on religion, have excited the most attention. The form of government has been unanimously declared to be republican, agreeably to what I hinted to you in one of my late letters.—In "the outlines," the article on religion runs thus: "The religion of the state is the Catholic Apostolic Church of Rome." One of the members of the committee wished to add the word only or exclusive, but the rest not agreeing to it, he entered his protest. On this account, as well as from the general interest of the subject, the matter was keenly discussed. I went, as you may well suppose, to hear what should be said on both sides, and to see the result.
The first who ascended the tribune to speak was a clergyman, carrying in his hand a book about the size of a New Testament. He began by stating, that it was his sincere desire that all men might be of the Roman Catholic church. He then stated that the only proper way, in his opinion, of bringing men into the church was, not by force, nor by persecution in any shape, but solely by persuasion, by the force of reason. After speaking a few minutes to this effect, he went on to treat of the article as stated in the "outlines." He regretted the divisions among Christians, and the distinctive names one body and another had taken. He then opened the book he had in his hand, which I now found to be one of the Bible Society's New Testaments, in Spanish. He read the 12th and 13th verses of the first chapter of the first Epistle to the Corinthians, and proceeded to make some remarks upon the passage, and to apply it to the article in question. It appeared to him, he said, very like the divisions censured by the Apostle Paul, to see the article stated in the words, Roman, Catholic, Apostolic. Having done this, he proposed that the article should be stated in this manner:— "The religion of Jesus Christ, is the religion of the state." He then made some observations upon the propriety of stating it in this way, in preference to the way in which it stands in the outlines, and so concluded. As might have been expected, this alteration or amendment was opposed. My memory is not so faithful as to give you the various speeches upon the subject, but a great deal was said on both sides of the question. In particular, the member of the Committee who had protested, defended what he had done in a long speech, in which he paid but little respect and fewer compliments to us foreigners. He concluded his long story by saying, that he was so full of matter upon this subject, and felt so much interest in it, that he could still speak four whole days upon it. Another speaker got up with a volume of the Bible in his hand. He turned to two passages in the law of Moses, where the children of Israel were admonished to look kindly towards strangers and foreigners, and concluded by a short comment upon the passages in reference to the subject in hand.
In a country like this, where all the natives are of the Roman Catholic Church, everything that is said upon toleration has a direct reference to foreigners, for it is never for a moment supposed that any of the natives will leave the Roman Catholic Church to become Protestants. The introduction of foreigners into the country, and the consequent advantages and disadvantages of it, entered deeply into the debate. I shall refer only to one speech more upon the subject. An aged member, and a clergyman, rose up and said, "Gentlemen, this is the first time I have risen to speak in this house, and it is not my intention to detain you long. I understand," said he, "that the grand and principal features of our religion are these two: —To love the Lord with all our heart and strength, and to love our neighbour as ourselves. We must then take care," continued he, "that our zeal for the first of these two commandments does not make us overlook the second. Now I ask, whether foreigners residing among us are to be considered our neighbours or not. If they are, then we ought to love them. Gentlemen, I have nothing farther to add." After being fully discussed, the votes were taken. First, whether the article should stand as stated in the outlines, or be altered. It was carried that it should remain as stated. The next question was, if the word exclusive should be added, and it was unfortunately carried in the affirmative. The article now stands thus:—"The Roman Catholic Apostolic Religion is the religion of the state, and the exercise of every other is excluded."
We are not to be surprised that the matter has ended in this manner; perhaps we should rather
wonder that there was any one of the members of the Congress disposed to speak, or even to think on the side of toleration. The members who are friendly to religious liberty, may amount to one third of the whole, or, perhaps, somewhat more than one third, and they are men of influence and respect in the country. Those made a less vigorous stand for toleration at the present time, from the consideration that what is done now in regard to the sanctioning of the basis of the constitution, is only provisional. The Spaniards, at present, possess many of the best provinces of Peru, and these provinces have, strictly speaking, no representatives in the Congress. The manner of proceeding, in reference to these provinces, was this:―The natives of each province, residing in Lima, met and chose members from among themselves to represent the province, until such time as the enemy be dislodged, and they have freedom to choose their own representatives. As soon then as the country is free, the present Congress will dissolve itself, and a general Congress will be immediately elected, and the outlines now under consideration will ho presented to the new Congress to be examined, and, if judged necessary, altered. There is, therefore, still some hope, that toleration may have a place in the Peruvian constitution. During the interval, the press may forward the good cause, as there is perfect freedom for speaking and printing anything upon the subject, on both sides of the question. We may, indeed, call this freedom of speaking and writing upon the subject, a kind of toleration; at all events, it is a prelude to it.
Pamphlets of every shape, size and name, are issued from the press. In these every subject is handled, and abuses and prejudices are attacked with freedom and courage. The poor friars are not overlooked in these; almost everybody is against them, and none seems to rise up in their defense. One of the members of Congress has made a motion for the reformation of the Convents. The bill he is about to bring in, contains four articles. The first is to allow all those to leave the Convents who wish to do so. The second is to allow no one in future to become a friar. The third is, that the government should take possession of all their property, and allow them out of it what is necessary for their support. The fourth article is, to make them all live in one convent, instead of occupying fourteen, as they now do. This you see is a bold proposition, and, if carried into effect, will be a great step in reformation.
At the time the article on religion was under consideration, a certain individual went about with a paper containing a petition to Congress, praying that the "Roman Catholic religion might be the religion of the state, and the only one tolerated in the country". The last part of the petition was the object he had in view. He obtained a number of signatures to the petition, and without loss of time laid it before the Congress. It was, however, not allowed to be read, and several were for calling this individual to account for his officiousness. This medical gentleman (for he is of that profession) has been sadly handled in the pamphlets of the day for this conduct; so much so, I think, as to keep him from being forward to engage a second time in such an undertaking; I have already mentioned how freely all matters are discussed in these pamphlets. One of them has just begun to give a history of the Popes. From the specimens already published, this history promises not to be very honourable to the personal character of the Popes, neither does it appear intended to strengthen their pontifical authority and influence, but quite the contrary. There was a monthly magazine published in London, during the despotic reign of the present Ferdinand. In this work there was given a history of the Popes, and I believe what is publishing here just now is copied from the work I have mentioned. This magazine was called El Español Constitucional. It was written by one of those who had fled from Ferdinand's despotic hands. He was a liberal man, and writing in London he felt himself under no restraint in speaking of the abuses of the Church of Rome. There was another periodical work in the Spanish language, published some years before it, called El Español. This was also printed in London, and was written with the same liberality and spirit. Both these works have reached South America, and have been a good deal read; and, as you may suppose, they have served considerably to enlighten the people of these countries.
I have mentioned, in some of my late letters, the very gratifying circumstance of the rapid sale in this city of 500 Spanish Bibles, and 500 New Testaments. These were all sold off in two days, and as many more could have been sold in the two days following, but there were no more, and thus many were disappointed. From this cheering circumstance, I am daily looking with great anxiety for a considerable number of both Bibles and Testaments, expected from the Bible Society. The above-mentioned circumstance is truly encouraging, as no desire at all comparable to it, has yet been manifested in any other part of South America for the Holy Scriptures. From this, and some other occurrences, I am led to anticipate that the word of God will, indeed, have free course in this place, and let us pray that it may not be circulated only, but that it may be glorified also. I have another thing to relate to you, perhaps more cheering still. It is this: the nearly confident expectation of getting the New Testament introduced throughout Peru as a school book. I trust this expectation will not be disappointed, but verified in due time. Everything promises fair at present for its accomplishment.
As soon as the Bibles got into circulation as above-mentioned, there was some ferment excited from reports that it was not fairly printed from the Spanish version of Scio, as indicated in the title page. This report was raised, or at least increased, by the discovery of a typographical error or two. An honest priest actually burned the Bible he had bought on the discovery of one of these oversights in the printing. The consequence of this stir was an examination of the Bible Society's edition, by comparing it with the edition printed in Spain. The result of this examination was highly satisfactory, as the London edition was found to be an exact reprint from the latest Spanish edition, with the exception of some slight oversights in passing through the press. About the time this matter was under consideration, the deputy Archbishop (for there is no Archbishop here at present) having learned that a certain priest was likely to say something from the pulpit against the reading of the Bibles from London, sent a message to him, telling him "not to preach anything against the reading of the English Bibles." By English Bibles he meant Bibles from England, for the Bibles were in the Spanish language.
A curious little piece, in the poetic form, appeared about a fortnight ago in one of the newspapers of this city. There is a great deal of truth and force in it, and as it is but short, and will not occupy much room, I shall give you a translation of it. To do it justice it should be put in poetic dress, but as you know I am neither poet nor rhymester, you will please accept of it in plain prose. "Simon possessed a fishing bark, and just a fishing bark, nothing more he left to his sons. They however were great fishers; they caught much and grew rich, and could no longer be content with their small bark, but got a larger one. This bark afterwards became a brig, and then a ship. At last it grew into a man-of-war, and frightened the world with its cannon. How wonderfully is this ship of war now changed! How different now to what it was in former times! This great-ship is now grown old, and, shattered by the storms it has encountered, it now lies rotting in the harbour. A thousand times has it been repaired, but at last it must be laid aside altogether, and its owners must once more be content with Simon's fishing bark." You will find no difficulty, I dare say, in applying this little piece, and, I believe, you will join with me in wishing that the concluding part may be verified as exactly as the preceding parts have.
There is a great revolution going forward in South America. I speak not of the revolt from under the Spanish yoke, for that in the present day may be said not to be going forward, but accomplished. The revolution I speak of, is a moral one. Those who have eyes to see this goodly prospect, and those who have ears to hear the harmony of this moral change, meet on every hand with indications of its approach. You will not understand me as saying, that South America has become like the land of Eden, like the garden of God. No. But a change has been begun, a happy change. Let us put our hand to this work. Let us bear it onward, and God Almighty will consummate it in due time.
[1] James Thomson. Letters on the Moral and Religious State of South America. (London: James Nisbet, 1827). Pp. 59-69.