Rev A Brandram No.24

Madrid, 27th October 1848

My Dear Friend,

Your letter of the 9th inst. came duly to hand, as did also its precursor of the 18th of September. The former date inclined me to the understanding that I should soon leave this city and country, and the latter found me, in consequence, placing a Stone and an Inscription over Remains dear and affecting to my remembrance, and enhanced perhaps by the thought that I should soon take the last look at that sacred spot until the Lord come.

Your Resolution for my remaining is, we ought to think, of God, and the result of our prayers for his heavenly direction. We may, and I hope shall, seeing this idea justified in visible results. But yet God works often without showing us what he is doing.

I feel, I assure you, greatly thankful to God, and most kindly towards yourself and all the Committee, for the very friendly and favourable manner in which you have spoken of my poor movements and labours in this wilderness. Also, I feel in a similar way, as to your leaving me without any special directions, in the confidence, as you kindly say, that I "will do the very best that circumstances will admit of." It is my earnest prayer to God every day, and more than daily, that he would enable me so to do. I have also, I doubt not, your continued help in prayer. This is all we earthen, and earthly vessels can do. God only is the worker, and the producer of results.

I am glad, at such a time as this, to be able to give you a little encouragement. Soon after my reaching this city I learned that the subject of Religious Liberty had just been debated and advocated extensively in the two leading daily newspapers published here. One was for, and the other of course against this great act of Justice, Wisdom, and Good Policy. But the opposition was the means leading the advocate of the measure to fuller statements on the subject than otherwise he would have given. In these articles and defence of Religious Liberty there is an openness, a fullness, and the launching out into the subject, and I may add a compromise of the political party concerned, such as have never been seen or read before in this country.

I rejoice in these articles, and give thanks to God for them; and begin to think, that the night is far spent with us, and that our Spanish Bible day is near at hand. I have made it my business to see, and through suitable introductions, the writer of these articles, who is the chief Editor and Proprietor of the Journal. I have signified to him how honourable to himself these articles are, and how useful to this country, and have a gratifying they will prove to all truly enlightened people in England and other foreign countries, intimating to him at the same time, that I had taken measures for their being translated into English, and published in a London newspaper. I have grounds to believe that my visit and communications were acceptable, and may prove useful. This is one of the little ways I which perhaps I follow up my mission, and do as I can. – The newspapers containing the articles in question I have sent to England, and they will be translated by Mr. Rule, and printed in The Christian Times, a lately started Weekly Paper which you can see.

As to a plan and purposes of operations I have as yet formed none, but shall only apprise you of such when projected. In the meantime I have lost little as to travelling in the coming to this city, as our weather is singularly unfavourable. For more than a month past we have had quite winter weather, everybody fully wrapped up in their cloaks in the streets, frequent rains, a low thermometer, and even some frost and snow. This premature winter is noticed in all our journals.

I have, since my return to Madrid got acquainted with a Bible priest, rather a phenomenon in this country. But yet I believe there are many such in Spain. At present we cannot see them, but Religious Liberty will bring them out, and they will be our coadjutors. This Priest is a Bible man in two senses, for not only is he favourable to the diffusion and use of the Scriptures, but he is also a learned man in the original of the Old Testament. He is Professor of Hebrew in the University of Madrid, and has read the Hebrew Scriptures for 20 years. He some time ago finished a translation of the book of Psalms, on which he was occupied more or less for 13 years. This translation is now in my hands, and is entirely at your disposal. I have looked into this work with some attention, and with much interest. I like it much. It is close, clear, and elegant. It is accompanied by some notes by way of justifying the renderings he has given and in these the Vulgate is handled very freely, and with no deference to it.

When we have Religious Liberty in Spain, the appearance of this work in print will form quite an era in Spanish Biblical Criticism and advanced translation. It is necessary that it should first appear with the justifying notes, but afterwards you could print the text alone, and you would have the author's fullest consent for the same. – Before I leave this Bible and Biblical Spanish priest I must add of him, that he is perhaps the most advanced man in favor of Religious Liberty in Spain; and he is not a private friend to it merely, as some are, but an open bold advocate and herald of it. He was a member of Congress in 1837, and then and there boldly declared his views, and earnestly advocated the measure. He had few coadjutors, and was opposed by many, and more especially by one of great power at that time, and whose advocacy, he said, would have carried the measure. That opponent is now in banishment, and wandering in foreign lands, having by flight at Seville made his escape when on the way to the Philippine Islands, "where angry Spain sends her outcast sons."

We have another Bible and Biblical man in Spain. It is our friend Usoz. He has had the very best education Spain can afford, and three years at Bologna in Italy added to it. The Hebrew was an early object of attention to him, and he was a fellow student with the gentleman I have noticed, and both ordered that the same time a Hebrew Bible and Lexicon from Paris when neither were to be found in Spain. The Greek is as well known to our friend as the Hebrew. His daily occupation is the translation of the Holy Scriptures, both of the Old and New Testament, and to which he considers himself called in the Providence of God. I have just now under my hand for examination, the first eight chapters of St. Luke. – It is a curious circumstance that these two Bible and Biblical friends of old should have become unacquainted with each other, and that your foreign Bible messenger should be the means of renewing that acquaintanceship. Perhaps they may henceforth labour in union in the great work of giving to Spain an improved version in its noble language, of the Holy Scriptures from the original tongues.

I have had letters from Gibraltar, and am sorry to learn that my letter from Toulouse, containing directions to our Jew friend in Tangier, never arrived in Gibraltar, and still less of course in Africa. One of my letters is from a Mr. Benoliel,  a converted Jew, who is sent out by the British Missionary Society for the Jews. You will be glad to learn that it was one of your Hebrew New Testaments which he found in Gibraltar that was the means of his conversion. He is a native of Tangier, and our friend there is his cousin. His parents and family are all there, and are greatly grieved on account of his conversion, which they of course call apostasy. He is about to visit that place, and I shall be curious to know how he gets on there. I have written to him, and given him some names in Tangier and Tetuan that may be useful to him. – I have also made up the blank occasioned by the loss of the letter from Toulouse.

I am glad to learn that your purse is empty, and that you were obliged to make an Appeal to the Bible Public. It will have a happy effect, no doubt, more ways than one. What cause for thanksgivings that all old doors remain fully open, whilst two new ones, of an extensive nature, quite shut hitherto, have been burst open by the earthquake we have had, and which is still heaving the nations. O when shall we be able to add Spain and Italy and Austria? Perhaps your Appeal Money will not be all come in till you are enabled to extend and enforce your claim by telling the public that Spain is also open, and is crying aloud for the bread of life. – Please to put me down for Ten Pounds.

            I remain, My Dear Friend,

                        Affectionately Yours,

                                    James Thomson.

16 Harpur Street

Monday morning, 26 May 1851

 

My Dear Friend

            I had a note from Mr. Hitchin on Saturday night, stating that you are in distress for someone to take Richmond tomorrow. I had arranged to be after a special meeting tomorrow evening of the Meteorological Society in which I feel much interest, but will give it up rather than see you at a loss. Please then to let me know the hour of the meeting at Richmond, and whom I am to call on there as a guide.

            I seize this opportunity of enclosing the  postscript of a letter I lately had from Mr. Benoliel. I fully agree with his views of the case, and beg you will send him and at once a supply to Gibraltar for Morocco as he wishes. They will lie free in the Wesleyan Mission House then to be taken out as needed.

            I was present in the Committee when Mr. Benoliel'ss letter was read and he was directed to correspond with Mr. Lowndes. I was then going to make the same observation on the subject which Mr. B has done here in this note, but somehow neglected to do so.

            I remain

                        Yours Very Truly

                                    James Thomson.

P.S. I will try to look in today at Earl Street.

Posted
AuthorBill Mitchell

16 Harpur Street

6th June 1851

Dear Sir,

            I have read the papers you sent me, and am particularly pleased to see the life and energy being displayed by the Kingston B.S. In the view of this, and their special desire to cultivate the field around them in an effectual manner, together with the friendly concession to them of territory formerly occupied by the Toronto and Montreal Societies, I should see no objections, but the contrary, to our Committee here acceding to their request for help to carry out their extended and more efficient operations. Kingston is well situated between Montreal and Toronto, and from its position, and importance otherwise, is well fitted to be a central B.S. place. Every thing possible should be done in those countries to increase the extension of the Bible, where people live at great distances from places of worship and from each other.

            Judging of things as they were when I was last in Kingston I was unfavourable to the grant in question, and wrote to Mr Browne in the view of Mr Hardy's observations, but in the view of all which I now have before me, my opinion is as above. The principle contained in the plan I very fully agree to of aiding those auxiliaries to extend their own work, and it was at my recommendation that help was first given to the Toronto Society.

            I shall be glad to know that you acceded to Mr Benoliel's wishes as to Morocco.

            There is a Paper by Mr Morton in the Calcutta B.S. report for 1834 (or some year near to it)  respecting the translation of the Scriptures into the Bengalese tongue. You would much oblige me by letting me have it for a little.

                        Yours Truly,

                                    James Thomson.

Posted
AuthorBill Mitchell

6 Red Lion Square

16th June 1853

Dear Sir,

            I return you the letter from Valparaiso having now written today to Peru on the subject contained in it.

            I received your note of the 13th and perceived by it that you could not immediately supply the copies of the Scriptures for Gibraltar which I had requested, and that the matter must stand over till Monday. I am glad to say that in the mean time I have received from the Christian Knowledge Society a supply of their improved version of the New Testament and which will be sent off today to Southampton along with other books for the object in question.

            In regard to the Scriptures sent out two years ago to Gibraltar and Malaga, they were placed under the care of Mr. Bracebridge for the purpose proposed, and he is the party to put the inquiry to to which you put to me in your note.

            Again, as to the upshot of the Hebrew Scriptures sent out to Barbary, I think notices must have been given you long ago. I have sought out the letters that I received on the subject, & they are now before me. By these it appears that Mr. Tapiero, the person in Tangier who was entrusted with them, had sent a large quantity of them into the Interior of the country, and that in passing a River they got quite wet, and this with the delay on the journey rendered them entirely useless. Secondly, that other copies that he had were sold to pay the costs that had been incurred in sending the Books into the interior and otherwise.

            Neither myself nor Mr. Benoliel through whom part of this affair was inquired about, are quite satisfied in regard to Mr. Tapiero's conduct. But we have both done all we can in the matter with Tapiero; and having done so, and of course communicated this to you verbally or otherwise, it is not quite in order that acriminations, and more than one, be aired concerning it.

            On Monday I shall hope to see you, and in the mean time, remain,

                        Yours Truly,

                                    James Thomson.

 

Posted
AuthorBill Mitchell