“This occurred on Sunday as early as seven o’clock and at some distance from my house. When I had finished public worship with the Tamils about ten o’clock the circumstance was communicated to me. From ten to twelve o’clock I preached to the English, after which I went with an English physician to the poor and almost murdered helper. When we arrived he was unable to speak or move. After losing blood, however, his chest, where he had received most injury, again heaved. When the case was made known to the Commanding Officer, he caused the Romish Catechist and three others, who had been particularly active in this murderous occurrence, to be imprisoned. The Nabob’s son put them into his own prison and promised to examine into the affair.”
The end of the case was quite on Oriental lines. The Nabob made a brave show of justice, ordering his chief servants to hear both sides. “When he observed, however, that the ill-treated helper was entirely innocent, and that on the other side there were presents offered, it was said that he would defer it for the present, and this he continued to promise until we became weary of his promising and he unmindful of its fulfilment.”
Schwartz was pressed to carry the thing further but he said if these cruel men had been publicly punished they would be considered by their friends as martyrs. He begged them to be patient and endure.
“Whosoever will follow after the Lord Christ must take up his cross. When something of this has shown itself, will you be the first to yield? Be comforted, it will all turn out better, even in the way of the Cross, than you think. And having confirmed ourselves with many beautiful texts and examples, we went out comforted and again preached repentance towards God and faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.... The helper who had been ill-treated by the Romish conducted himself excellently, prayed fervently, and as soon as he was cured went forth again and preached the Word of God in the cities and villages.”
On another occasion he was fortunate enough to get a personal interview with a Romish Padre and in their discussion Schwartz strongly points out his objections to the idolatries of the Church of Rome.
“If you prostrate yourselves,” he asks, “before an image, complain to it of your affliction and desire help, do you not honour it after the idolatrous manner? God says in the second commandment, ‘Thou shalt not make any graven image—thou shalt not bow down to it or worship it.’ The Papist says, ‘Thou shalt’—See how Popery opposes itself to God.” “The Papist,” said the Padre, “is the follower of St. Peter.” “I heartily wish,” replied Schwartz, “that it were so. Follow Peter and we from our hearts will rejoice. Peter was humble and desired no worship when he was in the house of Cornelius. Your new Roman Peter will be worshipped. Examine into it again my worthy Padre and follow after God and His word.”
From this point the conversation proceeded to what he calls the idolatry of the Mass and the refusal of the sacramental cup to the laity, which were but feebly defended by the Romish Padre, to whom in conclusion he addressed this brief but solemn warning: “My dear Padre, prove all things by the Word of God. You and I shall soon appear before the Judgment seat of Christ, when we shall have to render an account of our ministry and doctrine and the souls which we have neglected.”
“He departed wishing that I might become a Saint and I wished him sincerity of heart.”
CHAPTER XIV.
THE SHADOWS LENGTHEN.