JOSE CARLOS RODRIGUES [1844-1923] A BRIEF SKETCH OF HIS LIFE BY HUGH C. TUCKER X,. Yryqt)C Xx ^ K AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY NEW YORK The Bible in the Portuguese language was prac¬ tically unknown in Brazil up to the date of the Declaration of Independence from the Crown of Portugal in 1822. Previous to the year 1836, the American and the British and Foreign Bible Societies consigned copies of the Scriptures to foreign merchants residing on the coast of Brazil, and these were judiciously dis¬ tributed. Methodist missionaries from 1836 to 1842 carried on work of the distribution of Scriptures supplied by the American Bible Society, and then retired to the Argentine Republic. Small consignments of Scriptures for distribution continued to be made to merchants until the arrival of Protestant missionaries of different churches from Scotland and the United States in 1855, 1859, and 1869. The British and Foreign Bible Society established its Brazil Agency in 1856. The American Bible Society established its regular Agency in the year 1876, and has caused to be circulated in Brazil at least 1,500,000 copies of the Word of God. The British and Foreign Bible Society has circulated a somewhat larger number; and the National Bible Society of Scotland and others, together with private enterprises and efforts, have in various ways during these years furnished gospel workers and readers in Brazil about 300.000 copies. We have then a total of not le^s than 3,500,000 of the Scriptures put into the hands of the Brazilian people up to the close of the year 1924. DR. J. C. RODRIGUES Dr. JOSE CARLOS RODRIGUES [1844-1923] A BRIEF SKETCH OF HIS LIFE BY HUGH C. TUCKER AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY NEW YORK Dr. Jose Carlos Rodrigues O NE of Brazil’s most distinguished citizens was buried in Highgate Cemetery, London, Eng¬ land, July 21, 1923, at the age of seventy-nine. He was born and reared in the hill country of Canta- gallo, a short distance over the coast range from the city of Rio de Janeiro. His parents were industrious and devoted, and gave their son the advantages of such primary and preparatory education as were available in Brazil more than three-quarters of a century ago; and gave him also the opportunity of taking a course at the law school in the city of Sao Paulo. The early home training and educational influences, for which he was always grateful, made their definite contributions to the training of his mind and the development of his character. He was a student and became distinguished as a scholar, editor, and waiter; enjoyed the reputation of being a capable and successful business man; was a wise counselor and trusted agent of statesmen and the Brazilian Government in large financial transactions with foreign banks. He was patriotic, philanthropic, and devoted to the promotion of friendship and in¬ ternational good will among men. He at one time made an exhaustive study of the De Lesseps scheme and the various and complicated conditions relating to the enterprise of cutting the Panama Canal, and wrote an illuminating and instructive work on the subject. When Mr. Roosevelt was being entertained at his home in Rio de Janeiro, he remarked to Dr. Rodrigues that this book had led him to take the steps he did to build the Panama Canal. He was my friend for a quarter of a century. 3 How I Came to Know Him In the year 1877, the American Bible Society in¬ vited me to take charge of their Agency for Brazil, and Bishop John C. Granbery, then in charge of the Methodist Mission in the Empire, confirmed the appointment. Early in the period of the work, Protestant missionaries and Brazilian scholars were calling attention to the need of a revision or new translation of the Bible in Portuguese. The demand became a subject of correspondence with the head office at New York. It was suggested that an inter¬ view be arranged with Dr. Jose Carlos Rodrigues, who was known to be interested in the subject. He had been at Princeton University, and had engaged in newspaper work at New York for a period of fifteen years, 1867-1882. While residing in that city, he established and edited in Portuguese a weekly paper, 0 Novo Mundo, The New World, which had a large circulation throughout Brazil. He became well and favorably known in newspaper circles at New York and throughout the eastern section of our country. The Secretaries of the American Bible Society had made his acquaintance and learned of his interest in the Bible, and of his desire for a more adequate version in his native tongue. His interest, indeed, had reached the point of an attempt to revise or translate the New Testament. Before completing the work, he accepted an engagement with a Brazilian gentleman to secure a large foreign loan for railroad construction in Brazil, and went to London, where he spent most of the time during a period of eight years. Upon leaving New York, he handed over to the Bible Society his manuscript of the transla¬ tion or revision that he had accomplished. When he reached Rio de Janeiro, after completing his mission at London, I was requested by the Rev. E. W. Gilman, D.D., one of the Secretaries of the Bible 4 Society, to ascertain if Dr. Rodrigues would be inter¬ ested to engage further in the work of Bible revision in the Portuguese language. The fulfillment of this request was the occasion of my first acquaint¬ ance with him of whom I write. The reception accorded me was cordial and courteous; and I ob¬ served that the object of my interview met with an expression of sympathetic interest. Our conversa¬ tion lasted for only about twenty minutes, but I was impressed with his intelligent appreciation of the object of my mission, and came aw T ay wondering if I would ever have the opportunity of knowing more intimately the cultivated, courteous Brazilian gentleman who had received me so kindly and talked so enthusiastically about the Bible in the Portuguese language. Dr. Rodrigues, the year following the overthrow of the monarchy and the proclamation of the repub¬ lic,—1889,—organized a company with Brazilian capital and bought the Rio daily paper, O Jornal do Commercio. He assured me, at the time of our interview, that he did not regard himself in anywise capable to serve on a committee to revise or translate the Bible; and, besides, he was just assuming the editorship and direction of a daily paper, which, he hoped, might play an important part in establishing and guiding the young republic; consequently, he could not find time to engage in the work I had pro¬ posed. The subject of Bible translation was left somewhat in abeyance for several years; but I sought other means of cultivating a closer acquaintance with the scholarly gentleman who had made such a profound and favorable impression on the occasion of our first interview. The liberal policy adopted in his paper made it possible to request the publication of notices concerning our Bible work, Protestant missionary enterprise in Brazil, and mission schools being estab- 5 lished by the Methodist and other boards. I soon felt free to ask his advice and aid in many matters of importance to the work. He was always a wise and helpful counselor. As our acquaintance grew into an intimate friendship, I was impressed with his in¬ telligent interest in our work of Bible distribution, and learned that he was a real student of the greatest of all books. I desired to know how he first became interested in the Bible. How He Found the Bible He told me the story more or less as follows: He was a student at the law school in the city of Sao Paulo, and on one occasion when returning on mule back from a visit to his home, he turned aside to spend a few days with friends living on a farm some distance from the main road. There for the first time he saw and read a Bible that he found in the house. It had reached there, presumably, through the Methodist missionary, the Rev. Daniel P. Kidder, during the period of his missionary and Bible dis¬ tribution labors in the short period of his work in Brazil—1837-1842. No one in the family seemed to have given any special attention to the book; but Dr. Rodrigues was deeply impressed and interested from the first. Later he returned to that distant farm house, ostensibly to visit his friends, but in reality to read and learn more of the wonderful book he had accidently found. In the year 1855, the Rev. J. C. Fletcher traveled about three thousand miles through Brazil, making observations and gathering information for additions to “Sketches,” by Dr. Kidder, first published about the time of the birth of my friend, Dr. Rodrigues. In the year 1879, revising this work, he says: “The thanks of the authors are especially due for aid and corrections in preparing this edition, and for many 6 other favors, to Dr. J. C. Rodrigues, a Brazilian gentleman of great worth, who resides in New York, and who is the editor and proprietor of two most important and earnest papers in Portuguese, the Novo Mundo and the Revista Industrial. These are, per¬ haps, the most ably edited Brazilian periodicals, judg¬ ing from the American and English standpoint. The editor is a graduate of the law school at Sao Paulo. He came to the United States in 1867, and has here seriously studied the advantages and disadvantages of his native land. He is thoroughly patriotic, but impartial. ‘Faithful are the wounds of a friend/ is his motto.” Dr. Kidder wrote as follows of his first journey through the Province of Sao Paulo, in 1839: “Although two hundred years had elapsed since the discovery and first settlement of the Province of Sao Paulo, it is not known that a Protestant minister of the gospel had ever visited it before. Although colonized with the ostensible purpose of converting the natives, and subsequently inhabited by scores of monks and priests, there is no probability that a per¬ son had ever before entered its domains, carrying copies of the Word of Life in the vernacular tongue, with the express intent of putting them in the hands of the people.” In writing of a visit to the home of a priest in an interior town, he says: “After reading the letter which I brought, he entered the room and bade me a cordial welcome. He had arrived in company with the ex-Regent Feijo, with whom I had previously enjoyed an interview at the city of Sao Paulo, and from whom he had received notices of me, as inquir¬ ing into the religious state of the country. My way was thus made easy to introduce the special topic of my mission. On showing me his library—a very respectable collection of books—he distinguished, as his favorite work, Calmet’s Bible, in French, in 7 twenty-six volumes. He had no Bible or Testament in Portuguese. I told him I had heard that an edi¬ tion was about to be published at Rio, with notes and comments, under the patronage and sanction of the Archbishop. This project had been set on foot in order to counteract the circulation of the editions of the Bible Societies, but was never carried into effect. He knew nothing of it. He had heard, however, that Bibles in the vulgar tongue had been sent to Rio de Janeiro, as to other parts of the world, which could be procured gratis, or for a trifling considera¬ tion. Judge of the happy surprise with which I heard from his lips that some of these Bibles had already appeared in this neighborhood, three hundred miles distant from our depository at Rio. His first remark was, that he did not know how much good would come from their perusal, on account of the bad ex¬ ample of their bishops and priests. I informed him frankly that I was one of the persons engaged in distributing these Bibles, and endeavored to explain the motives of our enterprise, which he seemed to appreciate. I asked him what report I should give to the religious world respecting Brazil: 'Say that we are in darkness, behind the age, and almost abandoned.’ 'But that you wish for light?’ 'That we wish for nothing. We are hoping in God, the Father of lights.’ On my asking how the ex-Regent and others like him would regard the circulation of the Scriptures among the people, he said they would re¬ joice in it, and that the propriety of the enterprise would scarcely admit of discussion. ‘Then,’ said I, 'when we are engaged in this work, we can have the satisfaction to know that we are doing what the bet¬ ter part of your own clergy approve.’ 'Certainly,’ he replied; "you are doing what we ought to be doing ourselves.’ ” Dr. Kidder’s efforts to introduce the Bible into Brazil met with such a cordial reception, that he was 8 led to present to the Provincial Assembly of the Province of Sao Paulo a proposition “to guarantee, on the part of the said American Bible Society, the free donation of copies of the New Testament, trans¬ lated into Portuguese by the Padre Antonio Pereira de Figueiredo, in sufficient number to furnish every primary school in the province with a library of one dozen—on the simple condition that said copies shall be received as delivered at the Alfandega (custom¬ house) of Rio de Janeiro, and caused to be distrib¬ uted among, preserved in, and used by, the said several schools, as books of general reading and instruction for the pupils of the same. “With the most sincere desires for the moral and civil prosperity of the Imperial Province of Sao Paulo, the above proposition is humbly and respect¬ fully submitted. “D. P. Kidder/’ City of Sao Paulo, February 15, 1839. The next day he received the following official communication: “I inform you that the Legislative Assembly has received with especial satisfaction your offer of copies of the New Testament, translated by the Padre Antonio Pereira de Figueiredo, and that the Legislature will enter into a consideration of the sub¬ ject, the result of which will be communicated to you. “God preserve you! “Miguel Eufrazio de Azevedo Marquez, “Secretary” He formed the acquaintance of a professor in the law school which Dr. Rodrigues afterwards at¬ tended, and writes: “He gave as emphatic an account as I have heard from any one, of the unhappy aban¬ donment of all vital godliness and of the unworthi¬ ness of many of the clergy. He approved of the enterprise of the Bible Societies, and cheerfully con- 9 sented to promote it within the circle of his influence, by distributing Bibles and tracts, and reporting their utility/’ Owing to agitations and intrigues that arose, the proposed measure was never approved by the Legis¬ lative Assembly. Mr. Fletcher wrote, in 1855: “I visited Sao Paulo for the first time sixteen years after the events narrated above, and I found the same willingness manifested by all ranks of so¬ ciety to the reception of the Word which my com¬ panion in authorship experienced among the Paul- istas, and I was thus enabled to diffuse very many copies of Holy Writ. From time to time, in this pleasant portion of Brazil, I found much to encourage my labors among the humble and ignorant, as well as among the more elevated and intelligent. It was not less pleasing, occasionally, to trace the workings of the seeds of truth sown so many years before by Dr. Kidder. I found that an eminent Brazilian had been won, by the perusal of A Santa Biblia, to ‘wisdom’s ways,’ and to become the earnest advocate of its circulation. Far in the interior of this province I met with two gentlemen, who did not profess to be Christians, but who, as philanthropists, took a deep interest in the Bible cause. One of them told me that a few days before, a Brazilian came to him with a Portuguese Bible, saying that he was ‘so rejoiced to have the Bible in his own vernacular.’ My informant thinks this ‘Biblia’ must have come either from my predecessor or from the Bibles left at the house of an American merchant in Rio de Janeiro. I was also informed by an English watchmaker at Cam¬ pinas, that he had met with a Brazilian who had in his possession a Portuguese Bible, and that he took great pleasure in carrying it with him to the Roman Catholic church each Sunday.” 10 * These citations serve to indicate a certain atmo¬ sphere and conditions existing in the city of Sao Paulo and throughout the country, at the time Dr. Rodrigues was a student there; and to explain also how the Bible he first found had reached that farm. There are likewise many other incidents of fruit¬ gathering from that early seedsowing. The unfortunate circumstances attending the fail¬ ure of a large business firm of Rio de Janeiro, which retained Dr. Rodrigues as a lawyer soon after his graduation, gave occasion for his being sent to New York. Shortly after his arrival there, it became necessary for him to seek means of support; he was without resources and dependent upon his own efforts. During the early days of his stay, he had occasion, at Princeton University and in the city of New York, to learn more about the Book. However, in the struggle for support he did not find the time and opportunities for Bible study that later in life he wished he might have enjoyed. He remarked one day, when we were talking about preachers and ser¬ mons, that a sermon by a Baptist preacher in Phila¬ delphia had made the most profound and lasting im¬ pression upon his mind and heart of any he remem¬ bered to have heard. A friend had invited him to hear a man who was considered one of the most eloquent preachers of the day. They went on a Sunday morning to the church, and were greatly disappointed to hear one of the deacons announce that the gifted preacher had suddenly fallen ill; but that a visiting country preacher, who happened to be spending the day in the city, had kindly consented to conduct the service. Dr. Rodrigues described the preacher as a man with but limited education and culture, but of great spiritual fervor and power. The sermon touched his heart and stirred his soul to greater interest in the reading and study of the Bible. 11 How the Bible Found Him The interest awakened in Sao Paulo by the early efforts of Daniel P. Kidder to circulate a few copies of the Scriptures supplied by the American Bible Society did not entirely subside when, in 1842, the missionary buried his wife at Rio de Janeiro, and was compelled to return to the States with an infant child, and to give up the work. Twenty years later, a young Brazilian going to Sao Paulo to study law, heard something of the man and of the few copies of the Book he had left behind. This seems to have awakened at least curiosity and some desire to see and read a copy of the Book. The copy that had been carried far from the roadside into a farmhouse was waiting to find the young man; but little did he think they would meet when he turned aside to visit friends and spend the night. The Book seized its opportunity that night, in the quietude and stillness of that home among the hills, with only a dim light for reading, attracted attention, and stirred the heart of the young traveler just starting on life’s journey. He went on to finish his school course; but all the time the Book was appealing to him so strongly that he sought occasion again to turn aside and hear its voice speaking to his heart. He became later a diligent reader of this Book when he was able to buy a copy as his own personal property. He read it first somewhat as history. He was interested in the religion of his fathers and his fellow countrymen as taught by the Roman Catholic Church, which at that time was the state church of the Empire. The Book spoke to him of names he had heard before—God the Creator, Jesus, the Son of God, etc.—and seemed to tell things about them he had not before heard; these were truths he wished to know. As the Book led him into an experience of its truth, he became a habitual and devout daily reader of its holy lessons. 12 Two incidents will serve to indicate that to him the Bible was a book of devotion and of spiritual guid¬ ance. When Dr. Rodrigues had achieved success with the great daily paper at Rio, O Jornal do Com- mercio, and was prospering financially, he told me one afternoon, as we walked and talked together in a quiet place at sunset, of his desire to invest a con¬ siderable sum of money in some form of an institu¬ tion for the children or young people of his country. I mentioned the need of a girls’ school, since female education was much neglected and the opportunities far less for them than for boys. Later he became interested in the need for a child’s clinic, especially for the poor, and decided to found and partly endow one in the capital city of the country. It seemed to him that it would be wise to place the general direction of this institution under the control of a large public hospital, owned and governed by one of the brotherhoods of the Roman Catholic Church. When his thought in this matter became known, cer¬ tain elements suggested his name for a place on the governing board of the hospital. To this there was serious objection and outspoken opposition. Some of the daily papers denounced him as a Protestant, and his paper as an organ of the Methodist Church. There was a stir in the city, and a lively discussion arose. The desire to obtain the control of his money prevailed, and he was elected to membership on the board. The morning following his election, he met with the other members around the table, to reorganize the board and to plan the work for the new year. While waiting for one or two gentlemen who were behind time, a very devout Roman Catholic among the number who had favored his election said to him, “Now, Doctor, that it is all passed, please tell me, are you really a Protestant?” He replied, “I hope I am a Christian.” “Yes, but you evade the 13 issue. I wish to know if you are indeed a Prot¬ estant?” He gave the same answer again. His friend said, “But, if you have no objection, I would be glad to know the real truth in the case. I assure you it will make no difference with me whatever in our relationship and work on the board for this hospital.” Dr. Rodrigues then said to him, “I will ask you and others here one question. It is my custom daily to read some portion of God’s Word and pray for guidance and blessings before I leave my room in the morning. You know I am a busy man, with great responsibilities and heavy work in the editorship of my daily paper. In order to be in my office on time, we have marked this meeting earlier than the board usually meets; and to be here on time required that I leave my home earlier than usual. But, that I might not deny myself my accus¬ tomed devotional hour with my Bible and prayer, it became necessary for me to be up that much earlier, that I might have time to read and meditate on a passage of God’s Word; and not only pray as usual for daily guidance and blessing, but to ask for special wisdom and help for the new duties and responsibilities that I now assume with you, gentle¬ men, in the administration of this great hospital. This is what I did. Now, let me ask you, gentlemen, who also profess to be Christians, what did you do this morning before coming here as a preparation for the work and an effort to obtain divine favor and blessing?” Needless to say this question was never answered, and the group turned their attention to the special work for which they were assembled. Yes, the Book, indeed, found him and made of him a devout daily student of its blessed truths. I heard this story from him as we sat one evening in his study, talking of God’s wonderful revelation to man and of the devotional reading of the Bible. When he was preparing his monumental work on 14 the Old Testament, of which I shall say a word later, it became necessary for him to go to New York to supply himself with the best books to be obtained on the subject, and incidentally to look after a few other matters. He decided to have a grandniece, a bright young girl of about fourteen years, accom¬ pany him. He was very busy during their short stay in New York, and would mark the hour to start out from their hotel each morning. To be sure she was on time, the niece would call at his door before the hour indicated, and a number of times she heard the reply: “I have not yet finished my reading and devotions.” The young girl related to me the story herself. From others and from him I have heard similar testimony as to his use of the Bible as a book of devotion. I was in his library after the news of his death was received at Rio, and, in looking over some of his books, I noticed a badly worn copy of the Portu¬ guese Bible. The leaves were marked with blue, red, and black pencils, and there were indications that its pages had been handled and read many times. I called the attention of the attendant who was with me to this book. He has been employed in Dr. Rodrigues’ home for seventeen years. Fie remarked, “Yes, he always slept with that Bible under his pillow, from the time I was first employed by him when he lived in Baependy Street.” Fie read it the last thing at night and the first thing in the morning. As I looked further through the library, I found there an English Bible with Mr. William Jennings Bryan’s name in it, and on the opposite side of the leaf was his presentation to Dr. Rodrigues at the time he was a guest in the latter’s home in Rio, in the year 1910. This volume also showed signs of having been used freely. His editorials and articles written for the Jornal do Commercio, during the quarter of a century that 15 he was its editor, not only gave evidence of a large acquaintance with the Bible, but revealed the fact that he believed in its teachings and loved its truths. He would have its doctrines and precepts applied to individual and public life; he believed obedience to its teachings was the solution of life’s problems. He strongly advocated the right and duty of every in¬ dividual to read and appropriate to his deepest needs the Word of God. Translation and Circulation One can readily understand why he showed a deep interest in an adequate translation of the Book into the language of his people, and its widest possible circulation throughout the entire country. The American and the British and Foreign Bible Societies, in the year 1901, authorized the selection of a committee of seven, three foreign missionaries and four native scholars, to undertake the work of a new translation of the Bible, so long desired in the Portuguese language. The work as it proceeded found in Dr. Rodrigues a warm and helpful friend, though he never became an active member of the committee. It was necessary to have the manuscript of the first books translated printed, in order that they might be widely circulated for study, criticism, and suggestions. He went with me personally to the foreman of the printing office of his great daily paper, and gave instructions for the work to be done at the minimum cost, with no profit whatever to the establishment. The first issue of the entire New Testament, a book at a time, was printed in this way; and likewise he favored us with the Old Testament. Dr. Rodrigues was one of the first to express his appreciation of the work and to encourage the com¬ mittee to continue. In his work on the Old Testa- 16 ment he speaks highly of this translation as being faithful to the originals according to the best authori¬ ties, as he has had occasion to verify with the greatest care; and adds further that because of its excellen¬ cies, it is the Portuguese version that should be accepted as the most faithful, and, for this reason, indispensable to those who study the Bible. He not only wrote at times to express his appreciation of the translation, but on different occasions called at the office of the American Bible Society Agency to talk of the work, and to assure us of his interest in its wide circulation among his people. He believed heartily in the work of the Bible So¬ cieties in distributing the Scriptures among the people, and gave me as a Bible Agent much encour¬ agement and much helpful advice. I found in him many times a sympathetic and interested listener to reports I brought of long and perilous journeys made through the great interior of Brazil in the extension of Scripture distribution. It was his custom for a number of years on occasions like Christmas, Good Friday, and Easter Sunday, to write and publish in his paper extensive studies on the life and teachings of Christ. The preachers and people read with great interest and profit what he wrote; at one time he collected and published a number of these articles in a small vol¬ ume that had a wide circulation. His interest in the Bible and the propagation of its truths among his people led him to adopt a liberal policy with his paper, O Jornal do Commercio, in writing editorials and publishing communications on noncontroversial topics. At one time he published a series of articles he had encouraged me to prepare on such topics as “the Bible and National Ideals,” “the Bible and Public Education,” “the Bible and Morals,” “the Bible and Literature.” He also trans¬ lated and published in his paper, from time to time 17 —articles of great value on Biblical topics and various religious subjects. We were talking one time about the Protestant missionary work in Brazil. He expressed his desire to see the unadulterated truth of pure Christianity disseminated throughout the country, and diligently taught to the people. I asked him what he con¬ sidered the most efficient agencies for instructing the people in the knowledge of the Bible. He dropped his head and thought for a moment; then replied with deep earnestness, “The press and the ministry; establish a great religious paper, and educate and train a native ministry.” Later in the conversation he expressed his conviction that the wider circulation of the Bible among the people was fundamental in building up a religious literature, and in training and equipping a native ministry. A Great Work on the Old Testament His interest in the Bible, its adequate translation into the Portuguese language, and its widest possible circulation among the people; his desire for a Bib¬ lical literature in Portuguese and for material to stimulate and help native students of the Word of God, led him to take a remarkable step. After twenty-five years of eminently successful editorial work and business management of one of the great daily papers of the day, he resigned his position, turned over his work to others whom he had trained, and devoted his time and talents for five years to the preparation of a really great work in Portuguese, entitled “Historical and Critical Studies on the Old Testament.” He spent considerable sums of money in purchasing books on the subject in English, Ger¬ man, and French. He supplied himself with a number of books while in London on business for the Brazilian Government, and made a voyage to 18 New York for the express purpose of obtaining fur¬ ther supplies of the best available assistance. It was a great pleasure to visit with him during the months and years that he was engaged in this work; we had many interesting and helpful conversations together. When his manuscript was finally ready, not being able to have the printing done in Brazil as he desired it should be, he decided to go to London and there obtain permission to use some of the most perfect maps that exist of Palestine and Oriental countries, and also valuable photographic reprints of ancient manuscripts and archeological discoveries. A few days before he embarked for England, he called at my home and handed me a copy of his manuscript, saying he wished me to be the custodian of the same; one could never know in this world of uncertainties what might happen: he might never reach England, or the copy he was taking with him might .be lost or destroyed; and if he should not live to have it printed, I might make such use of the copy he was leaving with me as I should consider proper. In the course of a few months he returned to Rio, having had his work printed and bound by T. & A. Constable, of Edinburgh, in two large octavo vol¬ umes of 1360 pages. He brought with him a half dozen copies, and had the rest of the edition of two thousand follow later. He called immediately at my home to make me a present of the first copies. The following is his autograph letter of presentation: June, 1921. No. 280, Larengeiras, “Rev. H. C. Tucker, Rio de Janeiro. 155 Paysandu. “My dear Mr. Tucker: “I owe to you that the first copy of this book should be yours, both for the encouragement you 19 constantly gave me in its preparation and for the deep respect in which I hold your modest but not the less efficient apostolic work in my country for already a quarter of a century. I hope you will not be disappointed at the feeble production of my pur¬ suits. I will be satisfied if it would only be useful to some few ones. It is nothing in contrast with the subject’s grandeur. Finita verba sed infinita res. “Most sincerely yours, “J. C. Rodrigues.” This work was prepared and published at great cost of money, time, and toil; the author never thought of any monetary remuneration; on the contrary, he knew he was making a large contribution to a great cause. In his preface he says, using editorial style, “Thus we content ourselves with having consecrated our resources to the work of gathering together this enormous and rich material, and bringing it to the level of the generality of readers; and we shall be well repaid, if we can inspire in some of them the desire to continue the study of such an important subject. He says also: “Religious truth is not simply a work of the intellect, but is of the Spirit. The writings of the Old Testament are of the Spirit, and only He can give them life and can interpret them; and it is only with the heart that we obtain this; without Him the writings of the Old Testament will be, as said Isaiah, ‘a book that is sealed,’ to which we look with our minds asleep and our eyes closed. For us the Old Testament is always a religious book that leads us to Jesus Christ, after the fashion, in the language of St. Paul, of the ancient tutor that pre¬ pares the pupil for the Master.” Dr. Rodrigues has, in these two large volumes, made a monumental contribution to Biblical litera¬ ture in the Portuguese language; there is no other work like it; it is of inestimable value to all who 20 wish to know how we obtained our Bible or the story of the Bible in the making. He once said to me that the Bible had been to the Brazilians an unknown book until the Bible Societies began to send copies into the country, about three- quarters of a century ago. As the educated people begin to read it, and the Roman Catholic priests de¬ nounce it as a false Bible, many wish to know what about its origin, history, meaning, and purpose, and how it has come to them in their own tongue. His object in writing was to help answer these enquiries, and to interest and aid'men in studying the Book. Many of his observations are striking, and his con¬ clusions illuminating. I translate again from his preface: “Our principal object in this work is to show that the advent of Jesus Christ is the legitimate outcome or end of the Old Testament, the historic conclusion of the divine activity in the life of Israel here archived. The purpose, then, of this work, the study of the Old Testament as preceding the Christian Revelation, is really to present its contents historically, following the thread of progressive divine revelation, given little by little as it actually was. For us today such a study increases instead of diminishing the reverence that the sacred documents inspire. The Old Testament is always for us, and now more than ever, the niche of the revelation of God in the history of the people of Israel, prepara¬ tory to the coming of Christ; the revelation which, in order to make it more concrete and complete, he caused to be made in the history of a certain people whom he chose to set apart for this purpose.” Again he writes: “Without the Bible, religion would become only a manifestation of individual sentiment, subject to its many impulses. Jesus Christ is a real living head that governs the great congregation of believers with multiplied manifesta¬ tions of his power. But he gave us the Bible, in 21 this archive of the process of revelation, the only original pattern by which we can determine the true Spirit, whether it be of God, or whether it be of men, however much respect they may deserve. Neither in the Old nor in the New Testament does God speak to a sacerdotal class, giving to them any right whatever to hinder the people from hearing him; but if in the first he left his oracles that we may today have the proof of his faithfulness in fulfilling his promise to Abraham and to the people that should descend from him, in the New Testament he himself speaks through Jesus Christ to all sinners of all races and nations, and upon all he sends abundantly the Holy Spirit, and does all this directly, without needing the least intercession of any church or of any priest whatever. The Bible, all of it, was written by men of the people and for the people, and not alone for the wise, the priests, and those who govern. It is the Book of the people, with the same truth for all classes. It is necessary that it should penetrate the activities of our life. Jesus Christ dwelt here upon the earth with us, in this tabernacle of flesh, and spoke to all classes of men; and he still speaks today through his words providentially writ¬ ten, gathered together and preserved in the New Testament that we may always hear them. After all these centuries, they come to us warm from the heart where they echoed not as those from the scribes and Pharisees, of all times, but as from one ‘who has authority/ No one in this world has authority to speak to our hearts as the Lord Jesus Christ, and he speaks through his words of the New Testament. There is no preaching or exhortations of his disciples, however sincere and wise they may be, that can com¬ pare with the Word of the Lord.” In pursuit of his investigations and studies to pre¬ pare this great work he made a remarkable collection of books on various phases of Old Testament— 22 Introduction, History, and Criticism. No such ex¬ tensive collection exists in Brazil; it would form a splendid nucleus for a library to perpetuate his memory and to serve the cause of evangelical Christianity. The American Ambassador, Hon. Edwin V. Mor¬ gan, had this valuable collection of books purchased at the sale of Dr. Rodrigues’ estate, and presented them to a committee of trustees, who will see that they are made available for the use of those interested in Bible studies. The deed of gift is as follows: “Gentlemen : Having learned that, acting to¬ gether, you represent interdenominational organiza¬ tions of permanent character, combining American, British, and Brazilian elements, desiring to organize a library for the use of pastors and Biblical scholars, open to all Protestant clergymen in Brazil; learning, furthermore, that there has been graciously placed at your disposal an appropriate space for the said library at Rua Primeiro de Marco, no. 6, second floor, it gives me pleasure to offer you a collection of books relating to religious subjects, which formed a portion of the library of the late Dr. Jose Carlos Rodrigues. “If agreeable to you, I venture to express the wish that this collection should bear the name of our eminent friend, and should be preserved in memory of his interest in Biblical study and of the great work upon the Bible which he completed shortly before his lamented death. “I have the honor to be, Gentlemen, “Your very obedient, “Edwin Morgan.” The collection is now installed in the building occupied by the Brazil Agency and other organiza¬ tions above mentioned. 23 The Agency Secretary of the American Bible So¬ ciety and his colleagues in these offices constitute the board of trustees. They will endeavor to develop and make the library increasingly useful. It will perpetuate the great ideal and purpose Dr. Rodrigues and the founder of the library, Mr. Morgan, had in view: to help men know what it is possible to know and experience about the Book of books, and to com¬ municate that knowledge to others. As he was completing these two volumes, he became deeply interested in the period of history between the close of the Old Testament canon and the opening of the New, and began gathering mate¬ rial for a small volume on the subject. While his two-volume work was being printed, he had occasion in London to meet Dr. R. H. Charles, canon of West¬ minster, perhaps the greatest living scholar on the religious development between the Old and the New Testaments. Dr. Charles invited him to tea one afternoon. After his return to Rio, he gave me a full and most illuminating account of the visit and conversation, which he regarded as the most interest¬ ing and helpful interview he had ever enjoyed. Dr. Rodrigues had made considerable preliminary studies and preparation for a volume on the Life of Christ and the New Testament. There are a number of valuable books in his library on the subject. The Bible an Evangelical Agency He had great faith in the reading of the written Word of God as a means of awakening, enlightening, and leading men to Christ the Saviour. He often dropped in at our Bible store and bought supplies of Gospels and New Testaments for distribution on steamers and elsewhere when making voyages across the ocean. He once related to me with great interest an incident from his own home. He had just re- 24 turned from a mission to London, where he nego¬ tiated a large loan and carried through a great finan¬ cial operation for the Brazilian Government, and in unpacking his valises he found left over two or three copies of one of the Gospels in Portuguese; these he laid on the table in his library. In the morning the colored servant went as usual to sweep and dust the room; his attention was attracted by these little books; he picked up one and began to read. Pres¬ ently, as Dr. Rodrigues entered the library, he laid it down and continued with his morning work, which had been delayed by his lingering to read the new and interesting stories he had found. When asked if he would like to have one to take along with him, he replied in the affirmative. Dr. Rodri¬ gues noted in a short time a change in his manner of life about the house and his work, and asked if he were reading the little book. He learned that the servant was indeed deeply interested in it and gave evidence of a desire to know more about its meaning and more about Jesus of whom it had so much to say. He advised him to go to a Methodist church about a block away, where an American mis¬ sionary was preaching. The boy began to attend the services regularly, was converted, joined the church, and became a consistent Christian man. Dr. Rodrigues found a place for him in the printing office of his daily paper, where he could learn a useful trade and gain more money. He became a capable and trusted workman, married, made his home in a suburb of the city, and lived happily in the knowledge of the Saviour revealed in the little book he had accidentally picked up in the library of his employer. Dr. Rodrigues said to me, as we sat alone one evening in his home, that incidents like that of this servant, many others of which he had known, and that of his own experience in early life, had led him 25 to believe strongly in the wide distribution of the Bible and separate portions of the Word of God among the people everywhere; that Christian men and women should diligently sow beside all waters, being assured that the Word shall not return void, but shall prosper in the thing whereto it is sent. The Influence of the Bible upon His Life Dr. Rodrigues’ study and investigations concern¬ ing ancient documents and manuscripts of the Bible was in somewise associated with his efforts in making the most valuable and extensive collection of rare documents and works on the history of Brazil now in existence. Each line of inquiry and study seems to have stimulated the other; each reacted upon the other in his thinking. This wonderful Brazilian historical and biographical collection was made through a long period of years at a great expenditure of time, patient and persistent effort, and money. The author prepared and published an extensive annotated catalogue of this collection. In the preface he speaks in a modest way of having given to these studies only the hours that he could spare from the many ordinary labors of a busy life. This catalogue is a large octavo volume of six hundred and eighty pages; the titles are in large type, but the comments and explanations are in very small type; so the volume represents a vast amount of research and contains a store of valuable informa¬ tion nowhere else to be found. A hundred copies only were printed; he made me a present of one copy, which I greatly prize and find exceedingly in¬ teresting and helpful. He finally sold this remarkable collection for one hundred and fifty contos of reis, Brazilian currency, or about fifty or sixty thousand dollars at that time, to a wealthy Brazilian, who made a present of it to 26 the great National Library at Rio. He invested the money in a polyclinic for children. He was a man of incessant toil, and possessed a remarkable capacity for intellectual pursuits. He was deeply convinced that the study of the Bible had greatly stimulated and influenced his intellectual life and added much to his culture of mind and heart. Early in his reading and study of the Bible, Dr. Rodrigues had been deeply impressed with recorded incidents of Jesus’ love for children. The story of bringing unto him little children that he might touch them greatly moved his heart. He had often read and thought of those wonderful words, “Suffer the little children to come unto me; forbid them not: for to such belongeth the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the king¬ dom of God as a little child, he shall in no wise enter therein. And he took them in his arms, and blessed them, laying his hands upon them.’’ As he went about the streets of the city of Rio de Janeiro, busy with the responsibilities and work of his great daily paper, he had observed the lack of interest in, and provision for, the welfare of little children. The frequent reports of heavy infant mortality in the city were occasions for editorial comments. After spending some time on the board of directors of the hospital, in council with friends, a plan was worked out for establishing and directing a polyclinic for children. Dr. Rodrigues invested a large sum of money in a suitable building and equip¬ ment for the purpose, and later added such other amounts to the fund as he was able. The institution is ministering relief and nourishment annually to thousands of sick and undernourished children. As I write these lines, the statistical report of the move¬ ment for the past month in that institution is before me, showing that five thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine free medical consultations were given for 27 children during the month, seven thousand two hun¬ dred and seventy-one prescriptions were filled, four thousand two hundred and thirty-four litres of milk distributed, thirty visits made to homes, and various other services rendered to sick children. Dr. Rodrigues, as has already been noted, be¬ came widely known and recognized among his own people as a Bible student and a man of pronounced views and observance of the teachings of Prot¬ estant Christianity. In the year 1899, a committee was organized to prepare an extensive historical centenary volume to commemorate the one hundredth anniversary of the opening of the ports of Brazil to world-wide commerce. A distinguished priest was chosen to prepare the chapter on the Roman Catholic Church in Brazil, and Dr. Jose Carlos Rodrigues was invited to write the chapter on the non-Catholic re¬ ligions in the country. He accepted the invitation on the one condition that he was not to be restricted in the treatment of the subject. He wrote a most valu¬ able chapter on the historical development of liberty of worship, the final separation of church and state, and an account of all the Protestant branches of Christianity operating in the country. A capable and conscientious man, whose mind and heart had been enlightened by the Word and Spirit of God, could not consent to write such a chapter and leave untold the opposition and persecutions that the Bible and Protestant Christianity have suffered in efforts to find a way to the hearts of the people. The author has gathered and compressed into small space much accurate and valuable information on the subject. He writes somewhat fully of the first missionary efforts of the Revs. R. J. Spaulding and D. P. Kidder, 1836-1842, to distribute Bibles and New Testaments in Brazil. In his conclusion he says, “Any one who gives a glance of the eyes at the his¬ tory of our mother country, as we have just repre- 28 sented it, will note how religion, in the form in which it has been understood and put into practice, has contributed to bring about the present state of decadence.” He pleads strongly for religious liberty and for the spread of Biblical Christianity through¬ out the nation. This chapter of the Centennial volume was printed also in separate form, and is a volume of 279 pages. I greatly prize a beautifully bound copy which the author presented to me shortly after it came from the press. Its circulation has been a valuable con¬ tribution to the spread of Protestant Christian truth, and to the awakening of interest in the reading and study of the Bible. Dr. Rodrigues at times spoke gratefully to me of the influence that the reading and study of the Bible had upon his outlook on life, and in the formation of the ideals and motives that governed his thinking and acting. The People’s Central Institute was established in the city of Rio de Janeiro in the year 1906, with a rather comprehensive program for religious and social activities. When the time came for attempting something modestly in the way of an elementary course in nurse-training for the first time in the city, it was necessary to give publicity to the subject, and to create as far as possible interest in the new idea. He was the first to open the columns of his paper for setting forth the significance and scope of the mis¬ sion, and the importance to the community, of the trained nurse. In his study of the New Testament he had been impressed with Jesus’ sense of the value and sacredness of human life, and of his inter¬ est in the physical and social well-being of men. He was ready to give his approval to the idea, and to support the efforts to train young women for this Christian service. In the course of time the workers at the People’s 29 Central Institute planned to introduce school hygiene, teaching the children to daily brush and care for their teeth, establishing a public playground by per¬ mission of the mayor of the city in one of the great parks, where the children might be taught wisely directed play, and might enjoy the blessing of fresh air, feeding, and giving medical and dental care. Dr. Rodrigues was one of the first to give approval and financial support to the program. To carry out the playground idea and other features of the work, it was necessary to obtain access to the mayor and other public officials. He was always ready to give letters of introduction and assurances of his hearty indorsement; and by notices and comments in his paper he rendered a great service to a practical Christian program. He was through the years an ardent friend and generous supporter of the work at the People’s Central Institute. Only a few days before going to the hospital for an operation from which he never recovered, he sent me a fifty-dollar contribution for the work of the Institute. His advice was sought as to the advisability of attempting a lecture illustrated with lantern slides, to awaken public interest in a campaign to combat the spread of tuberculosis in the city. Again his paper was open for communications on the subject; his presence at the lecture and his personal contribu¬ tion to the expenses gave assurance of approval and success. He was so well and favorably known that government officials and men of high social, business, and professional standing would not hesitate to ac¬ cept an invitation to attend, if they knew he would be there and was giving his indorsement publicly in his paper. Dr. Rodrigues was one of the first prominent Bra¬ zilians to show interest in the plan to establish Y. M. C. A. work in Brazil. The first general secretary sent to this country by the International Committee 30 at New York found in him and his paper ready support. He believed in the program of the Asso¬ ciation and heartily recommended it to the young men of his country; and at the same time was a wise counselor and a generous supporter of the work. The secretaries for Brazil and for the South American continent often sought his advice and help in their plans to extend the work. He was in London at the time I was commissioned by the committee of the Rio Association to solicit financial help in Great Britain, to pay off a mortgage on the Rio building. He invited me to a special breakfast, and was ready to let Londoners know of his interest and faith in the work of the Association in the capital city of his country. He was greatly pleased to know on that occasion that Sir George Williams had given me his personal contribution to the fund to which he was contributing also. Later the Rio Association decided on a campaign to raise funds for a large new and modern building and equipment. It was my opinion that his accept¬ ance of the presidency of the campaign committee would guarantee in a large measure the success of the enterprise. When we approached him on the sub¬ ject, he modestly declined and suggested other names. As we talked over the plans and the great need, I became more thoroughly convinced than ever that he was the man for the chairmanship. He accepted, threw himself into the work, and under his inspiring leadership more than the sum for which the com¬ mittee had started out was secured in nine days, instead of fifteen as was originally contemplated. I shall ever remember a number of calls we made together on prominent Brazilians, to solicit their sub¬ scriptions. To him it was a service of love in which he found much satisfaction. It was the first time he had ever joined actively in such an enterprise. He sought daily during the campaign strength and 31 inspiration through special prayer and Bible reading, as he told me. The next step in the plan was to secure a suitable lot for the proposed new building; this seemed a more difficult problem than that of raising the money. The committee was almost in despair of finding available a desirable site. Dr. Rodrigues by and by obtained the refusal as a private investment of. a conveniently located lot. While pursuing his daily Bible reading and prayer, the thought occurred to him that the property might be desirable for the new Y. M. C. A. building. He did not hesitate long in consulting the committee, and said to us that he would gladly give the Y. M. C. A. the right of way, and would help to get the deal through, if all thought the site a suitable one. He knew the invest¬ ment would be a paying one to him, but he would gladly yield it in favor of the Association. The property was secured, and in a very short time the municipal authorities began city improvements in that direction, which have so greatly enhanced values, that the land before the building is begun is worth five times the original cost. In this transaction he took great delight, knowing that he had rendered a real Christian service, though at the sacrifice of an excel¬ lent opportunity to add to his own fortune. The reading of the Bible, its influence upon his own life, and his observations of its effect on other minds, enhanced for him the value of wholesome moral and religious literature. At the World’s Sun¬ day-school Convention in Washington, 1910, several delegates from Brazil were present; we had oppor¬ tunity of calling attention to this needy and promising field. Further study of conditions impressed all with the primary need of trained teachers. There was no literature in existence for the purpose in Portuguese. I obtained permission from the author and secured the translation of Charles A. Oliver’s ‘‘Training of 32 the Teacher.” There was only a small amount of money in hand to cover the cost of printing. I knew that Dr. Rodrigues was interested to see the Sunday- school work established and extended among his people. The situation was stated, and he replied at once that he would gladly aid with the publication of the book. He went with me to the foreman of his publishing company, and explained that the work of printing and binding was to be done at the lowest possible figure without any profit whatever. He was greatly pleased to see the work well done, and to know that in a comparatively short time the entire edition of a thousand two hundred copies had been sold, and that between eight and nine hundred per¬ sons were studying the course regularly, preparatory to receiving certificates and to become efficient Sun¬ day-school teachers. When a second and larger edi¬ tion was demanded, he was ready to repeat the process of printing and binding without financial profit. The interest awakened by the efforts of the first Protestant American missionaries to circulate the Bible in Brazil, 1836-1842, above referred to, led a talented Roman Catholic priest to translate and pub¬ lish in Portuguese a remarkable little work by an Italian priest, entitled “Christian Doctrine.” Dr. Rodrigues chanced to find a copy of this book in a secondhand bookstore; he was deeply impressed with it, as he noticed that it consisted almost exclusively of quotations from the Scriptures. He preserved this copy for many years, and about the time Brazil was to celebrate the centenary of her political inde¬ pendence with a great exposition, he brought this little book to me with the suggestion that it would be useful, if it could be printed for wide circulation. The suggestion was acted upon, and hundreds of copies have gone out all through the country. In one of our last conversations he referred to it, and told me how delighted he was to know that the little 33 book of Scripture texts had again been printed and was being widely circulated among his people. The knowledge of the Bible and its influence upon his life gave him breadth of view and a sense of international brotherhood. Although not a wealthy man, in his later years of life he was in comfortable circumstances, lived well, and was able to entertain distinguished visitors coming to Rio. He seemed to find special delight in entertaining at his home promi¬ nent Americans who might officially or unofficially visit the city. On these occasions we were often honored with invitations to be present. For many years it has been the custom for the American community of Rio to commemorate certain national holidays, such as the Fourth of July, the Seventh of September, and other occasions, with spe¬ cial religious services. Dr. Rodrigues frequently attended and joined heartily in the worship. It was my privilege many times to introduce to Dr. Rodrigues prominent men, missionary and Y. M. C. A. secretaries, bishops, and others visiting Brazil or sojourning here for a short time on missions of Christian service. He was always pleased to invite them to call upon him in his house. I cherish many happy recollections of" those delightful occasions. He extended to Dr. Josiah Strong a cordial welcome when I explained the object of his mission, and gave the use of a large hall in the building of his news¬ paper for a lecture on social service. He desired that a social reform movement, similar to the work Dr. Strong directed in New York for many years with marked efficiency, should be started in Brazil. He was greatly interested in Dr. John R. Mott’s visit, and those of other Y. M. C. A. men coming to Brazil. Bishops Hoss and Lambuth gave him much encouragement in his great work on the Old Testa¬ ment. Bishop Muzon remarked, after our delightful visit with him, that Dr. Rodrigues and his work was 34 the one great surprise Brazil held for him. The delegation from the Panama Congress on Christian Work that made a trip around South America in 1916 were charmed and profoundly impressed the afternoon we enjoyed a call upon him and talked of his work on the Bible. He visited the Rio Regional Congress, was introduced, and spoke a few words to the body. Bishops Moore and Dobbs have spoken of a most delightful evening we enjoyed in his home. He was fond of music, and had installed in his home an autopipe organ, which he had learned to play with considerable skill; he found much pleasure in per¬ forming for us on this occasion; it was a thrilling sight to behold, and we were charmed with his playing. There are several interesting paragraphs on the poetry, music, musicians, and musical instruments of the Old Testament in his monumental work. He says that a people like the Hebrews, of such deep emotions, would certainly from the beginning of their national existence cultivate the art of poetry. They, like all the Semitic races, associated with their ancient legends poetry and music. We need only to recall the song of Lamech, various songs mentioned during the journey from Sinai to Canaan, the famous song of Deborah, etc. Poetry and music were the means by which the Hebrews expressed their emotions in domestic and public festivals, funerals, and in battle. Judging from the Old Testament, which is nearly all the ancient Hebrew literature we know, it appears that their poetry and, in fact, all their literary pro¬ ductions were religious. Hebrew poetry is divided into lyric and didactic. During the Mosaic period, lyric poetry received a great impulse. After the destruction of Pharaoh’s hosts at the Red Sea, Moses and the children of Israel sang the celebrated song recorded in Exodus 15:1-18. But it was during the reign of David that lyric 35 poetry flourished in Israel. The religious poems of the epoch of this king and his successors are collected chiefly in the Book of Psalms. This book is the most precious deposit of Hebrew lyric poetry in existence. Then after discussing didactic Hebrew poetry, he says that a peculiar phase of Hebrew poetry is its application to divinely inspired prophecy; this clear vision of the future is the sister of poetry. He writes somewhat fully and enthusiastically of the use of poetry and the Psalms in song as a prominent fea¬ ture of Hebrew worship and ritual. He speaks of the song of Deborah in Judges 5 as “the hymn of victory, a song, a Te Deum Laudamus for the delivery of Israel from the yoke of the Canaanites.” As regards the use of the Psalms in the liturgical worship, we need only to read I Chron. 16 to show that the Psalms were sung in the first temple. He quotes the words of Hezekiah when he had recovered from a serious illness: Jehovah is ready to save me; Therefore we will sing my song with stringed instruments All the days of our life in the house of Jehovah. Isa. 38:28 His remarks on the musicians and musical instru¬ ments mentioned in the Old Testament are equally striking. The reader of these paragraphs to which we refer, and from which we have translated freely, can well understand why and how the author came to appreciate music as an expression of the noblest form of religious sentiments and an important feature of worship. When the estate was being disposed of, Mrs. Ro¬ drigues called me by phone to her hotel and wished to know if the Y. M. C. A. of Rio de Janeiro might not like to have for their new building the organ above referred to. When assured that it would, in¬ deed, be a valuable and most useful acquisition, she 36 asked for the privilege of making a present of this grand organ in memory of Dr. Rodrigues, to be installed in the large hall of the new building now under construction, in which he was so deeply interested. His Last Days The great World War deeply distressed Dr. Rodri¬ gues, as it did every man of enlightened, refined Christian sentiment and convictions. The subject of contraband in war engaged his thought for a time. A number of friends prevailed on him to make a special study of the subject, and to write a treatise upon it. This and some other matters so occupied his time and attention, that he was not able to settle down again seriously to his Bible work. In a short time signs appeared of what finally proved to be a fatal illness; though for a time there was no occasion for alarm, yet at his advanced age it was not easy to apply himself to consecutive study. In May, 1923, his sickness suddenly became acute, and it was neces¬ sary for him to hasten to a hospital and call for the services of a surgeon. The operation was not suc¬ cessful, but he recovered sufficiently to go to Paris and place his case in the hands of one of the most skilful surgeons of the day. After the operation at Rio I inquired daily at the hospital, to know how he was getting along. After a few days he was stronger again, and when he learned that I was at the hospital, sent for me to his room. Mrs. Rodri¬ gues and the attendant retired, and we were alone for a time. He conversed freely of his condition and of the failure of the operation to produce the desired results; then told me of his desire to go to Paris, if it might be the Lord’s will that his life be prolonged. The conversation then turned to spiritual things; he assured me that all was well, and that he fully trusted 37 the Jesus whom he had found in his reacjing and study of the Bible. He would be glad to live and have strength to pursue his program to write a small volume on the period between the Old and New Testaments, and then to complete the work on Christ and the Apostolic age; but if it should be God’s will, he was ready to leave all to others who might prove more capable and worthy than he to finish the task. After we had talked for a time in the heavenly and hallowed atmosphere that filled that sick room, he drew from under his pillow a Portuguese New Testa¬ ment, handed it to me and said, “Read such passages as you may think appropriate, and then let us pray together.” His heart rejoiced to hear, at that time of deep need, words of promise and comfort which he had often read and thought upon. His voice trembled with deep emotion, his eyes grew dim with tears, and his face shone with a radiance of glory. That was an hour and an occasion that will never fade from my memory. As I bade him good-bye and walked out into the garden, under the shadow of the trees, among the flowers and foliage plants surround¬ ing the hospital, I felt constrained to linger, and was reluctant to leave the place of such sweet communion and glorious fellowship. It was a high privilege and honor to be called to minister spiritual comfort at such a time to this eminent Brazilian and distin¬ guished scholar of refinement, culture, and wide ex¬ perience. I had known him in the vigor of an active life, busy with tremendous responsibilities, in the quiet and repose of his home, in social and public life, and in the midst of his studies and research to find for himself and to write for others the fullest meaning of the Book of God; now I was called to walk in his company along the shadowy and untried path that leads across the river. The fellowship was delightful and inspiring. He was not afraid, for he was conscious of the presence of Him whom he had 38 found in the great Book. The occasion revealed more clearly the genuineness and reality of his faith in the living Christ made known in the Bible. He recovered strength and returned to his home, where I again enjoyed his company for a short time. He was hopeful that he might find permanent relief from the surgeon’s knife at Paris, and made the voyage thither. He said to a Brazilian friend, whom he met as he landed in Europe, that he would be glad to find a ship the next day to take him back to his native land. He evidently began to realize that the end was indeed near. Just before submitting to the second surgical attempt, he wrote to an aged widowed sister at Rio, who had made her home with him for many years, not to be disturbed if the efifort was unsuccessful; that sooner or later all must pass on, and that he would only be going the way of all flesh. He assured her of the certainty of God’s un¬ failing love, that He would take care of her, and that they would surely meet again some day. Through the kindness of Mrs. Rodrigues I had the privilege of seeing entries made in his diary, and of hearing of his last days on earth. He recorded with gratitude the attention of the President of the Repub¬ lic when he embarked for Paris, of friends on the way and of members of his family and others who met him at Cherbourg and Paris. Those to whom he was dear provided every possible comfort for him, and were unceasing in their thoughtfulness and care. He occasionally recorded having suffered much pain, but never complained or murmured at his lot. He was always thoughtful of his family and friends, and delighted to record their love and kind¬ ness. The entries in his diary are marvels of attention to details of business, interest in his friends, and de¬ votion to his family. His Bible was his companion to the end of the journey. It was by his side when he passed away, with several leaves opened in a 39 striking manner. During his last hours, when loved ones were tenderly and devotedly watching by his bedside, and doctors and nurses were doing what they could for him, he was heard to say, “I am so happy.” The soul went out to be forever with Him whose Word in life had been his light and guide. One of the daughters some weeks after his de¬ parture, writing to her mother about Dr. Rodrigues’s monumental work on the Old Testafnent, said: “I feel that Papa would love to think that his book was going on as it were. Many times I feel the tremen¬ dous influence of his life. Is it not wonderful to have left such a light behind one. What a life he really had, and for nearly eighty years too.” Another wrote, “Send some flowers from me to the Children’s Hospital Chapel in memory of Papa dear¬ est ; I should like that.” I have here recorded a few things concerning my acquaintance and fellowship with one of Brazil’s most distinguished, capable, and worthy citizens; how I came to know him; how he found the Bible; how the Bible found him; its influence upon his life and character; what he did to make it known to others, and of our last season of glorious fellowship as he walked with assurance into the shadows. Dr. Jose Carlos Rodrigues was a diligent student, an accomplished scholar, a greater editor, a success¬ ful financier and business man, a philanthropist, a loyal citizen, an ardent internationalist, a refined, cul¬ tured and hospitable gentleman, a true and helpful friend, and a sincere Christian. 4996-2-25-5m BIBLE HOUSE, NEW YORK POLYCLINIC FOR CHILDREN, RIO DE JANEIRO, FOUNDED BY DR. JOSE CARLOS RODRIGUES, 1909 (see page 27) The Republic of Brazil has an area of 3,218,130 square miles, with an estimated population of 32,000,000. The American Bible Society and the British and Foreign Bible Society, co-operating, en¬ deavor through their regularly employed colporteurs and numerous correspondents to reach every in¬ habited part of the country and to offer to every person who can read, the Scriptures in his own tongue. The annual circulation, increasing all the time, has reached more than 120,000. The Scrip¬ tures are sold at actual cost of manufacture, many times for less to those who have not the money to buy, and are given to the poor and destitute. Dis¬ counts and grants are made for missionary purposes. For full information address: Brazil Agency of the American Bible Society, Rua Primeiro No. 6—Primeiro Andar, Caixa 454, (Cable address: Bibles) Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rev. H. C. Tucker, D.D„, Agency Secretary.