Letters on the Moral and Religious State of South America / Written during a residence of nearly seven years in Buenos Aires, Chile, Peru and Colombia

by D.D. James Thomson

Bogotá, 8th February, 1825.

Since my last communication to you from Quito, I have had a long, and by no means an agreeable journey. The distance from Quito to this place is considerable, the roads are very bad, and in passing through one district, there is no inconsiderable danger. On the 29th ultimo, I arrived safely in this city, and now seize the first opportunity that offers of writing you a few lines, to inform you of occurrences in these parts since my last, of the 26th November.

I intimated to you in the letter last mentioned, that it was my intention to drop a few seeds as I went along, or in other words, to endeavour to circulate the sacred volume, as opportunities might offer, in the course of my journey. I accordingly posted up my notices in those places, where I stopped for half a day, or upwards. In these country villages a great sale was not to be expected. The inhabitants are in general poor, and very few of them are addicted to reading. Some copies, however, were thus put into circulation, and in such places, and under such circumstances, I always think much has been done if a kind of beginning has been made. I shall, in a future communication, state to you the number sold in each place, and the respective sums received since my leaving Lima. I would give you this account now, were it not that the scantiness of my time at present will not allow me to extract these notices from among my notes. I have now disposed of all the New Testaments I brought with me from Lima, and those which I found awaiting me in Guayaquil. I bless the Lord for having counselled me to undertake this journey, and thus to put into circulation a considerable number of copies of his holy word, and which would not likely have been accomplished, but by means of making a complete tour through these quarters. I have thus cause of gratitude to Him who distributeth his favours to whom he will, for having honoured me with a share of this angel-work, of communicating the revelation of God to man. I shall be glad also to know, that the plan I have taken meets with the approbation of the Committee of the British and Foreign Bible Society. I thought much about this journey before undertaking it, and prayed much to the Lord to counsel me in regard to it. And now, looking back over the road I have travelled, and reflecting on the number of copies of the word of life, now in the hands of many people who had never before seen it, I feel my heart drawn out in thanksgiving and praise for all the way by which the Lord hath led me.

My labours in distributing the sacred volume on this journey must now terminate, because I have no more to distribute. In the multitude of my thoughts within me upon setting off from Lima, it occurred to me that I might, after reaching this place, extend my journey in your service to Guatemala, and from thence overland to Mexico. Two objects I had in view in reference to this; the one was the circulation of the Scriptures, and the other was the procuring translations of the New Testament into the native languages of those parts. Of this latter object I wrote you some time ago. This intended journey, however, must now be given up, for various reasons. The first is, because I have no more copies of the Scriptures to distribute; the second is, because I feel doubtful if it would meet with your approbation to incur the expense of travelling through those parts, with the single object of procuring the translations referred to; the third reason is, the happy change which has taken place in Peru, in the termination of the war there, and which induces me to visit England as early as possible, that I may again return to Lima without loss of time, in order to carry on the work of the Lord there, according to the grace and strength he may be pleased to afford me. I trust in the Lord that we shall have an opportunity of seeing each other face to face, before many months elapse, that we may talk over all the doings of the Lord, in making his word to circulate in this country and in every place, and that we may make arrangements for benefiting South America yet more extensively.

I have spoken of the termination of the war in Peru, and this to me is no small subject of thanksgiving; for the deliverance of the country from the Spanish yoke, and the rapid progress of the Lord’s work, are closely identified. I wrote you from Guayaquil some months ago respecting this identification. It was then I gave you an account of the battle of Junin, and of the very important effects that followed. I then also ventured to speak of what were likely to be the ultimate and no very distant results of that battle. All these things the Lord hath now brought about, in scattering those who delight in war and oppression, and in commanding the destroying sword to return into its scabbard.—Rest and peace to this destroying instrument—and for ever! May it never more be drawn in this country, to cut in sunder afresh the peace and the progress of man! I send you an account of this late event in Peru, which I think will prove interesting to you and to your friends.

I expected to find, on my arrival here, a large supply of Spanish New Testaments, which I thought you would have found an opportunity of forwarding to some correspondent in this quarter. I have spoken with Mr. Henderson, the British Consul General here, upon the subject, and he informs me that there are neither Spanish Bibles nor New Testaments in this city, and that there is a demand for them. He also informs me, that he wrote about three months ago to Mr. Dowson, a correspondent of his, requesting him to forward some to this place. You will please make inquiry of Mr. D., who lives in Welbeck Street, if he has sent any; and in the event of none having been sent, have the goodness to forward to this city, as early as possible, a supply of each of your editions of the Spanish Scriptures. I have talked with Mr. Henderson upon this subject, and think he will be a very suitable person to manage your concerns here, and to correspond with you. He takes a particular interest in this matter, and desires me to assure you of his readiness to do all that lies in his power to forward your good work.

Bogotá, 25th February, 1825.

I have noticed to you, more than once, the very favourable reception given to the Scriptures in these parts. I am now to state to you an exception, and it is in a quarter where it should not have been found. The only person whom I found unfriendly to the circulation of the Scriptures without notes, in the whole of the journey from Lima to Bogotá, was the Bishop of Popayan. I have stated his opposition in gentle terms, for truth requires it. I heard, soon after putting up the advertisements for the sale of the New Testaments, that the Bishop had spoken against the reading of them. I called upon him to know whether it was so or not, and to learn what were his objections. I had visited him before, and had had a visit from him in return, so that we were, on this second visit, on terms of a friendly intercourse, and we therefore entered freely into the subject of the sale and distribution of the Scriptures. I mentioned to him what I had heard, and inquired whether I had been correctly informed. He then told me the whole of what had occurred upon the subject. He said, a person who had bought one of the New Testaments, brought it to him and asked his opinion as to his using it. The person was a priest, and he named him to me. The Bishop, upon his opinion being asked, rose and brought the Acts of the Council of Trent, and pointed out to the priest the article there, prohibiting the use of the Scriptures without notes. He concluded, however, by telling the priest that he might keep his New Testament and use it. This, said the Bishop, is all that occurred upon this matter. He said farther, that it was not his intention to oppose the circulation of the New Testaments in any other way. If any person chose to buy them, he would not interfere; but if any one should ask his opinion upon the matter, he would refer him to the same article, as his duty required him to do. I said that I understood the article in question was as he had stated it, but that when I considered how many among all ranks of the catholic clergy made no account of that article, but freely encouraged the circulation of the Scriptures among their flocks, I was inclined to think that the article was qualified by something subsequent to it, or that it was not generally considered as in force. He replied to this, that there was nothing subsequent to alter the force of that article, but rather to strengthen it, and that whatever others did, he considered his duty to be, to follow the rules of the church in that and in all such matters, as every good Catholic ought to do. I said that I saw the force of what he said, considering what were the principles of his faith. I added, that notwithstanding his reasons, I could not but be sorry to see any opposition to the circulation of the Holy Scriptures, a book which God had graciously given to all, and which should, of course, be studied by all. I observed, also, that I was fully persuaded that very great advantages would arise from a general reading of the word of God, and from these considerations I conceived it to be my duty to put them into the hands of all, and to call upon all to read them with serious attention. “Amen,” replied the Bishop, “I also am of the same opinion. I am sure that it would be advantageous to all to read the Scriptures, but then let them be read with the necessary directions. If Bibles and New Testaments were to come here with the notes, I would be the first to promote their circulation.” Our conversation was extended a good deal further upon this subject, and embraced the usual topics of this question, but which it is unnecessary here to repeat.

I am labouring what I can to establish a Bible Society here, and it is that alone which keeps me longer in this city. I am not yet sure whether I shall succeed or not, but my next letter will inform you.