Rev A Brandram No.131
Mexico 24th April 1843
My Dear Friend,
Since my last I have read your Annual Report; and I am, as I had hoped gladdened with it, in the midst of my present solitude and barrenness. Triumph we shall in our work, come what hinderances there may, in this place and in that, and from time to time. Yes, of this there is an absolute certainty. God is with us, and who can be against us?
I thank you for your very kind notices of my poor labours wrought in my unfitness in British North America. I bless God that he made to prosper these improportionate labours, and to his name, as is altogether due, be the praise.
I was much pleased with your earnest appeal to all your friends for their prayers on behalf of all engaged in the translation of the Holy Scripture. This we should all ever keep close in view, the subject is greatly important. The balancing of words in which the translators are so often engaged, and with anxious solicitude, how easily can God influence; and have we not reason to expect that he will influence the balance in answer to our prayers, though inspiration and perfection may not be granted?
I have also read since my last Mr. Lay's work on China, and have seen his two letters to you printed in the B.S. Reporter for January. I rejoice to see thereby that there are such prospects are circulating the Scriptures in the Chinese world, as I may call it, and that you have such a person as Mr. Lay to take charge of your work there partially or entirely as I understand, according as you may wish for his services in whole or in part. Pray what situation does Mr. Lay hold on board the Cornwallis?
Your letter No. 24 came to hand on the 14th instant. I rejoice in its many cheering statements respecting China, South Africa, New Zealand, Tahiti, British North America, and Jamaica.
Respecting my own predicament and duties in this country, and in others lying before me in the course of my journey, I see you have not as yet decided. I am sorry for this, as I am placed awkwardly and critically for want of your instructions. As it happens no evil has yet arisen from this want of decision and directions: but I pray you not to leave me any longer in this uncertainty as to what I should, or should not do. Say yea, or say nay, and my way will be clear. The responsibilities will be yours, not mine, if you hinder me by a negative or by silence from doing what might be done in the places I visit, for I am your servant, and look to you for instructions. Were the matter in my own hands I should have no hesitancy as to what I ought to do either as to my judgment or my conscience. What I have said refers to the Indian translations, and to an edition of Vence's New Testament, on both of which points I have spoken fully in my former letters, and to which I refer you. Our Indian versions, bating a few Vulgate words, would be in my opinion, I do not say equal, but superior to the versions you are now printing, and which have been made by the missionaries, all of which are made by persons not possessing as their mother tongue languages into which they translate, whereas ours would be made by persons speaking the Indian language from the cradle.
An edition of Vence, such as I have contemplated and treated of in my letters to you, would also I conceive be of great service in our general cause, even though these Vulgate words should not be got rid of, though perhaps we might manage to alter them, or at least some of them.
I renew the subject of the present time, I beg leave most respectfully to urge you to a decision, because of my movement to Guatemala, where most probably I shall have fewer hinderances, and more facilities in regard to these two matters than here: and also because of the general bearings of these points on my future journeyings.
I enclose you a copy of my article on the Canon printed in one of our newspapers here, and from which types I had 200 copies thrown off, that they might continue to do service here in favour of the truth itself, and good character in truth and righteousness, and also that we may be served by these in my onward movements. The early promised article in reply to mine soon made its appearance. But it was no reply, as it never touched upon my statements about the Canon and our integrity. It therefore required no answer, and has had none. Thus the matter has dropped, and our positions stand before the public uncontradicted and unanswered.
Our difficulties with the Custom House have been great, and in one sense unsurmountable, and so that we may consider the door for our books through that entrance into the city shut until some change for the better take place in this country in its laws and councils.
Notwithstanding of what I have here said, our Books are out of the Custom House, and also disposed of. Nearly all the time I have been here on the present occasion I have been on easy and friendly terms with the Archbishop, who has always treated me with attention and friendship. Through him I got the Books removed from the Custom House to his own house. Being thus freed I pleaded with him for a dispensation of the law in my favour that the Books might be openly sold. This however he would not grant but he gave me leave to re-export them although as confiscated property they were entirely in his power; I complained of the expense of carriage, he offered to pay that himself. Finally we arranged, that the Books should lie with him, and he has given me his word that they shall be faithfully distributed, but according to his own plan, and that is, of giving them to the clergy and other educated persons, as table manuals, whilst they have larger and annotated Bibles in their libraries to which they can refer. Perhaps we could not wish for better employment of the Books than this, as the Bible in this manual and table form, being always at hand and accessible, will in all probability be read, and much read, whilst the library volumes would have had an undisturbed rest, as many still have, whilst the manual is frequently used. Further and lastly, the Archbishop has given me for the books, art of his own pocket, one hundred dollars, which though not the full value, is more than half.
I have said above that the way for our Books into the city through the custom house is shut for the present. But another way is open, and has opened to me of its own accord without my inquiring about. In this way we could have continued access to the Booksellers' shops, and it remains with you to adopt it or not. There is no duty on books, so that no loss would accrue to the government or country in conveying books through it by stealth. Veracruz is still open to us for landing them.
I am preparing to leave this city for Veracruz and the Havannah, according to my former notices.
This date is an eventful day in my poor life, as it completes my 25 years' wanderings. I praise and bless the Lord for his great goodness to me during this long period, and in its various vicissitudes. I lament that I have been of so little service in his kingdom, but earnestly pray that I may do better for the future. I beg you to help me for the same by your continual prayers. I ever pray for you all. Oh that God may count us all worthy at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Believe me, My Dear Friend, Affectionately Yours,
James Thomson.
[P.S. Will you accept for yourself, My Dear Friend, and not despise, the tender offering of the Father? You have it in the enclosed Monumental. In the death and the burial of our second child you will see two spots well marked in our track from the city to Veracruz in 1830.]