CENTENNIAL PAMPHLET No. 15 The Bible in Brazil HUGH C. TUCKER AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY NEW YORK 1916 — H i. . - SPENCER Universal Bible Sunday The dominant thought and aim of the Centennial celebration of the American Bible Society is the exaltation of the Word of God. ’ In commemoration of the blessings which have flowed from the Bible, and in gratitude for the good hand of God upon the Society throughout the 100 years during which it has put forth and circu- lated the Scriptures, and which 100 years end on the 7th of May, 1916, it is requested that that day be observed as UNIVERSAL BIBLE SUNDAY In this observance churches of many denominations throughout the United States have indicated their intention to join. It will also be observed by union meetings in large centers, and by special exer- cises in Sunday Schools, Young People’s Societies and other church organizations throughout the length and breadth of our great country. As the sun brings light that day to our southern continent, there, too, will be gathered, in observance of this day,- those who love the Word of God. Assurances have already been given that in the Is- lands of the Seven Seas, in the far Philippines, in the Land of the Rising Sun, in Bible-loving Korea, in great seeking China, in Siam and India, along the Persian Gulf and the Delta of the Nile, and even in war-smitten Europe, there will be those who will join in this grateful recognition of the blessings from The Book. Will those who read these lines all join in the observance of this day? Literature to assist in such observance may be had from The Secretaries, Bible House, Astor Place, New York City. Centennial History of the Bible Society • • The Rev. Henry Otis Dwight, LL.D., the Recording Secre- tary of the Society, has for more than a year now been set aside for the one purpose of writing the Society’s History. It is a story of intense interest’ and intrinsic value for all who rejoice in, and watch solicitously, the growth and development of our own country or the growth and development of the Kingdom of God the world over. It will be a volume of about 500 pages, with illustrations, and will be ready in March, 1916. Cloth bound, it will be $1; paper bound, 50 cents. The Macmillan Company will publish it for the Society. Orders or inquiries may be addressed to The Secretaries, Bible House, Astor Place, New York City. THE BIBLE IN BRAZIL BY REV. HUGH C. TUCKER. Agent of the American Bible Society for Brazil AMERICAN BIBLE SOCIETY NEW YORK 1916 A Paper read at the World’s Bible Congress, held at the Panama-Pacific Exposition, San^Francisco, California, August 1-4, 1915. The Bible in Brazil F or the first three centuries of the history of Brazil the Bible was to the people, it must be conceded, a neglected and forbidden book. It was not to be found on the list of books that were au- thorized by the Crown of Portugal to be circulated in Brazil in colonial times. This fact must be borne in mind in any attempt to adequately trace the his- tory and influence of the Bible in the life of the Brazilian people. It was then to the early settlers a forbidden and neglected book, and to their de- scendants and the domesticated aborigines of the country it was almost an unknown book until within the latter half of the last century. A prominent Brazilian priest of the Roman Catholic Church, about the year 1903, wrote as follows: “ For a long time, it must be admitted, the Gos- pel was for the Catholics a closed book, an unknown book, and for this reason the God of the Gospel is becoming an unknown God.” Before the middle of the nineteenth century we see, then, this vast country with its 10,000,000 of inhabitants without the Bible. 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. In a curious old book in the Portuguese language, entitled, “The Catholic and the Methodist,” written by the priest Luiz Goncaives dos Santos, in the year 1838, there is a quotation from a letter dated from Rio de Janeiro, December 23, 1837, by the Rev. Justin Spaulding, in which he says he has al- ready distributed all the Bibles and Testaments 3 sent him, and he is sure the American Bible Society will send him more. The writer refers also to letters written by the Rev. Dr. D. P. Kidder, dated from Rio, January 13 and 29, 1838, in which he re- ports the sales of Bibles in Portuguese and Latin as having greatly increased. “ A Liberal Donation ” ! The author has one paragraph headed, “A Liberal Donation.” It reads as follows: “ Bible House, New York, March 9, 1838. “Rev. Nathan Bangs, D.D., Cor. Secy, of the Board of Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church. “Sir: With this goes a box containing 75 Portu- guese Bibles and 25 Testaments, a gift from the Directors of the American Bible Society for your missionaries in Brazil, etc. [Signed] “Joseph Hyde, “General Agent American Bible Society." Mr. Kidder reports : “ Copies exposed for sale and advertised in the newspapers found many purchasers, not only from the city but also from the distant provinces. At the Mission House many copies were distributed gratuitously; and on several occasions there was what might be called a rush of applicants for the sacred volume. One of these occurred soon after my arrival. It was known that a supply of books had been received, and our house was literally thronged with persons of all ages and conditions of life, from the gray-headed man to the prattling child, from the gentleman in high life to the poor slave. Most of the children and servants came as messen- gers, bringing notes from their parents or masters. These notes were invariably couched in respectful, and often in beseeching, language. Several came from poor widows who had no money to buy books 4 for their children, but who desired Testaments for them to read at school. Another was from one of the Ministers of the Imperial Government, asking for a supply for an entire school out of the city. “Among the gentlemen who called in person were several principals of colleges and many students of many different grades. Versions in French and also in English, as well as Portuguese, were some- times desired by amateur linguists. We dealt out the precious volumes according to our best judg- ment, with joy and with trembling. This being the first general movement of the kind, we were at times inclined to fear that some plan had been con- certed for getting the books destroyed, or for in- volving us in some species of difficulty. These apprehensions were contradicted, however, by all the circumstances within our observation; and all who came made their errand on the ground of its intrinsic importance, and listened with deep in- terest and attention to whatever we had time or ability to address to them concerning Christ and the Bible. “ Some instances of the happy and immediate effects of circulating the Bible came to our knowl- edge, but it is reserved for eternity to reveal the full extent of the benefit. While subsequently traveling in distant provinces, I found that the sacred volumes put in circulation at Rio de Janeiro had sometimes gone before me, and wherever they went an interest had been awakened which led the people to seek for more.” “Bread Upon the Waters.” Again, describing a voyage down the southern Brazilian coast, he writes: “ The sea was smooth, the passengers were all upon deck, and the best of feeling pervaded. Wish- ing to profit by the occasion, I descended to my trunk and brought up a Portuguese Bible, which I 5 offered to a passenger on the conditions laid down in the rules of the American Bible Society. Only a few minutes elapsed ere I had disposed of all the volumes of the Sacred Word which were at my convenience, and on every side my fellow-voyagers were reading with eagerness a book they had never seen before. From time to time I was called upon for explanations, and I was renewedly con- vinced of the freedom from bigotry which is a dis- tinguishing negative quality of the Brazilians. An officer of the Imperial Navy had just returned from the Brazilian squadron at the River Platte, and, in seeking the bosom of his family at Santos, wished the Scriptures as a present for his children. When purchasing them he remarked, ‘ Though I am a man forty-five years of age, I have never before seen a Holy Bible in a language which I could un- derstand.’ ” Friendly and Frank. In giving an account of his most interesting visit to the house of a Roman Catholic priest in the province of Sao Paulo, he says: “ On showing me his library — a very respectable collection of books — he distinguished as his favor- ite work Calmet’s Bible, in French, in twenty-six volumes. He had no Bible or Testament in Portu- guese. I told him that I had heard that an edition with notes and comments was about to be published at Rio, 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 consideration. Judge of the happy surprise when 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 first perusal, on account of the bad example of their bishops and priests. I informed him frankly that I was one of the persons engaged in distributing these Bibles, and endeav- ored to explain the motives of our enterprise, which he seemed to appreciate.” Mr. Kidder further relates very interesting inter- views had with the Andradas, with Sefior Martin Francisco, President of the Provincial Assembly, and with Sr. Antonio Carlos, Chairman of the Com- mittee on Public Instruction. The latter presented to the Honorable Legislature, the Provincial Assem- bly of the Imperial Province of Sao Paulo, a propo- sition in which the following occurs : “Whereas, the New Testament of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is a choice specimen of style, on subjects historical as well as moral and reli- gious, in addition to embodying the pure and sacred truths of our holy Christianity, the knowledge of which is of so high importance to every individual, both as a human being and a member of society ; and, “Whereas, Having the most unlimited confidence in the philanthropic benevolence of said Society and its willingness to co-operate for the good of this country, in common with all others, and especially in view of the happy relations existing between two prominent nations of the New World — “Therefore, I propose to guarantee on the part of the said American Bible Society the free dona- tion of copies of the New Testament, translated 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 7 be distributed 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 re- spectfully submitted. [Signed] “ D. P. Kidder. “ City of Sao Paulo, Feb. 15, 1839.” The following reply was given : ‘‘ To Mr. Kidder: “ I inform you that the Legislative Assembly has received with special satisfaction your offer of cop- ies of the New Testament, translated by the Padre Antonio Pereira de Figueiredo, and that the Legis- lative will enter into a deliberation upon the sub- ject, the result of which will be communicated to you. “ God preserve you ! “ Miguel Eufrazio de Azevedo Marquez, Secretary. “ Palace of the Provincial Assembly, Sao Paulo, Feb. 20, 1839.” Much to Encourage. The Rev. James C. Fletcher writes : “ 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 in the reception of the Word which my com- panion in authorship experienced among the Pau- listas, 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 encour- age 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 working of the seed of truth sown so many years 8 before by Dr. Kidder. I found that an eminent Brazilian had been won by the perusal of the Holy Bible to ‘ wisdom’s ways,’ and to become the ear- nest 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 philanthro- pists, took a deep interest in the Bible cause. One of them told me that a Brazilian came to him a few days before with a Portuguese Bible, saying that he was ‘ so rejoiced to have the Bible in his own ver- nacular.’ My informant thinks this 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 watch- maker at Campinas 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.” The present Protestant missionary movements of the various churches in Brazil originated with the arrival of the first missionaries in 1855, 1859, and 1869. During a period of about twenty years of mis- sionary effort, occasional consignments of Scrip- tures were made to the missionaries and others by the Bible Societies. The copies of the Word then put into circulation, in addition to those distributed by merchants, and the early Methodists, from 1836 to 1842, were as seed sown in good soil. From time to time Bibles have been found about the coast towns and far interior that were known to have been distributed in Brazil before either of these regular Agencies was established and the regular work of colportage initiated. The Brazil Agency Established. The results achieved in this way led to the estab- lishment of the regular Brazil Agency of the Ameri- can Bible Society in 1876, through which aggressive, 1 * 9 systematic colportage and Bible distribution have been carried on for thirty-nine years respectively. The British and Foreign Bible Society estab- lished its Brazil Agency in 1856. The Ameri- can Bible Society has caused to be circulated in Brazil at least 1,000,000 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 Gos- pel workers and readers in Brazil about 200,000 copies. We have then a total of about 2,500,000 cop- ies of the Scriptures put into the hands of the Bra- zilians up to the close of the year 1914. Figures cannot, and words can only in part, tell the whole story of the work done by the Bible So- cieties’ employees as they have gone forth through this broad land for these many years scattering the precious seed. The story has in part been written from time to time in the Bible Society journals, the annual reports from the Agencies, the missionary periodicals and other publications and literature. But the final results can only be fully known in that Great Day when He who alone is worthy shall open that other book and loose the seals thereof, and the redeemed from Brazil shall join the ransomed hosts in saying, “ Unto Him that sitteth on the throne, and unto the Lamb, be the blessing and the honor, and the glory and the dominion forever and ever.” A liberal estimate, based upon the last official cen- sus, would give to Brazil, of her 22,000,000 inhabi- tants, about 5,000,000 who can read. If every copy of the 2,500,000 circulated had been preserved and was in use to-day, there would still be 2,500,000 persons who can read in Brazil without a copy of the Bible, to say nothing of the 17,000,000 who have no knowledge of letters as yet. The mere mention of these figures is sufficient to indicate the great 10 work yet to be done before each reading inhabitant of the country may possess a copy of the Scriptures. Substantial progress is being made in educating the masses and an ever increasing number of the illit- erate 17,000,000 is learning to read, so that a larger field opens up before the Societies and a weightier responsibility rests upon these Brazil Agencies. Lamentable Conditions. The work of Bible distribution was first taken up many years ago, with some effort to understand existing conditions and a purpose to overcome the difficulties in the way and to make throughout the Empire of Brazil the widest and largest possible distribution of the written Word of God. Atten- tion was then called to lamentable social conditions, the illiteracy of the people, the fanaticism to be en- countered, the scarcity of money in many sections, the lack of transportation facilities, occasioning long, difficult and expensive journeys, the bad hy- gienic and health conditions in a vast, undevel- oped tropical country, and the lack of an adequate version of the Scriptures in the Portuguese lan- guage. Evangelical, social, political and economic influences were just beginning to work in some measure for the betterment of the people and the country. It may be of interest to note how things have worked out along the lines indicated, and to note the influence the Bible is having in the life of the people. A marked characteristic of the people, one that has by no means totally disappeared, was ignorance of the revealed Word and Truth of God. The Bible was not only a neglected but a forbidden, and to many an unknown, book. In the absence of a divine revelation »s the rule of faith and practice, perverted traditions, rules and requirements, conveniently in- vented by frail and erring men, and false dogmas, were blindly accepted as the authentic word in te- ll ligion. As a result, morality was divorced from religion and moral standards were greatly lowered, if not entirely obliterated. The prevalent indiffer- ence to moral, social and intellectual conditions was alarming. Changes for the better have taken place, however. Encouraging progress has been made by the agencies working for good. Increas- ing contact with the Word of God and some of the Christian influences of the world are bringing about wonderful changes in the thoughts and lives of the people. The Spirit of God is moving upon many minds and hearts, producing order and life. The Testimony of Results. A brief statement of the success, the present force and position, of the evangelical Christian Church in Brazil is a testimony to the power of the written Word of God when read and proclaimed among the people. Within a little more than a half-century of Bible distribution and reading there has been gathered an evangelical community of more than 100 ordained native preachers, between 35,000 and 40,000 communicants, and 25,000 Sun- day-school teachers and pupils; there are more than 6,000 children in schools and colleges under Bible instruction; Y. M. C. A. ’shave been organ- ized in four or more important centers and have a membership of more than 2,000; efforts are being made to establish hospitals, orphanages and other evangelical institutions ; a number of the churches organized are self-supporting and are liberal and enthusiastic in support of missions in regions where the Bible has not yet had a chance to do its great work of enlightening and uplifting; much needed Biblical literature is being created to meet the needs of the growing body of Biblical Christians. “ It Shall Not Return Void.” It is recorded in the missionary literature that 12 many of the existing congregations in the country had their origin with one or more persons who first found the light from reading the Sacred Scriptures before they had any opportunity to hear the spoken message of salvation. At a far interior town a missionary arrived a few years ago to find a group of seven or eight persons who had been awakened, enlightened and converted through the reading of a Bible left with one of them by a Bible colporteur ; they were happy in the knowledge of Christ and ready to make profession of faith; a church was soon organized. A Bible colporteur once sold three Bibles in another interior town, and a few years later a message came to a missionary earnestly re- questing a visit to the place. When he arrived he found thirty- four persons well instructed in the things of the kingdom and rejoicing in the love of Christ. A church was organized with these thirty- four charter members. Similar incidents can be multiplied all over the country. A characteristic feature of the evangelistic movement in Brazil is the power and blessing that rests upon the reading and the investigation of the written Word of God, producing wonderful results in the enlightenment and transformation of human hearts and lives even before the preacher arrives to speak the message and to instruct men more perfectly in the way of the kingdom. Missionaries and native men delight to bear testimony to the very important part the circulation and reading of the Bible has had in the remarkably interesting and inspiring results indi- cated by the figures given above. And the incidents just mentioned, with hundreds of others, furnish elo- quent testimony to the truth that this is indeed the Word of God and that it has power unto salvation. The written and spoken Word of the Gospel, at- tended by the blessing and power of the Holy Spirit, has been the means of producing the results indicated by the above figures ; and these statistics 13 imply great changes in the intellectual, moral and social lives of the people. The influences have ex- tended also far beyond the limited circle of those included in these numbers. Education has been stimulated, and whereas twenty-five years ago more than eighty-five per cent of the population was il- literate, I suppose a fair estimate would now report less than seventy per cent who cannot read, though I have seen the statement from a prominent Bra- zilian writer, recently, to the effect that still about eighty per cent are illiterate. There has been an awakening and enlightenment of the moral con- science with many, and the outlook for progress and reform brightens. The educational movement and a desire for knowledge is one of the most striking characteristics of Brazilian life to-day. The Bible is being read and followed as never be- fore in the history of the nation. Great Changes. Great social and political changes have taken place — in the abolition of slavery, the overthrow of the monarchy and the establishment of a republic, also in the decrees and legislation separating Church and State, secularizing the cemeteries, instituting civil marriage, and granting perfect religious lib- erty to all alike. It would require much time to tell of the marvel- ous industrial, commercial, and economic changes that have taken place, and of the progress that has been made. The population has increased from about 13,900,000 to more than 22,000,000. Rail- roads have increased from 7,000 kilometers to more than 26,000 kilometers, and there are 4,725 kilome- ters under construction, while 7,750 are projected. Telegraphs, telephones, electric power and lighting service, along with various manufactures, mining, and agriculture, have shown marked development. Brazil’s exports amount now to about $300,000,000, while imports amount to $250,000,000. This bal- ance of trade in Brazil’s favor would indicate pros- perity and the bringing of more money into circula- tion. Extensive port improvements have been made, and other schemes are now being carried out to facilitate commerce and travel. Cities have been transformed, and health and hygienic conditions greatly improved. Many other features might be given and facts mentioned to indicate the changes and progress made during these years. These are sufficient to show that many of the earlier difficul- ties faced in the problem of Bible circulation are being removed and the way made easier. It should be remembered also that the circulation and reading of the Bible have helped to bring about many of these changes and to make pos- sible these improvements. Two Significarit Facts. There are two other significant facts worthy of mention also. One is the notable change in the at- titude of a more liberal, enlightened and progres- sive press with reference to the circulation and read- ing of the Bible. Twenty-five years ago we had to pay for any item we wished to publish on the sub- ject, and many papers would not print the items even for money. Now the papers generally pub- lish whatever reports and news of this nature we may hand in. Recently the leading daily paper of Rio de Janeiro published three long articles that I prepared on the following topics : “ The Bible and Public Education,” “The Bible and Literature,” and “ The Bible and National Ideals.” The second significant fact is what seems to us a very decided change in the attitude of the Roman Catholic Church and its authorities with reference to translating, circulating, and reading the Scrip- tures. Express prohibition, denunciation, and threats of excommunication are being replaced by attempts at translating and printing the Gospels in convenient form, and counsels and exhortations to the people to read and meditate the Word of God. No less than four diflEerent attempts have been made by Catholic priests within the last ten years to translate and circulate the Gospels and the New Testament. In the year 1902 the Franciscan monks of Bahia, with due ecclesiastical authorization, is- sued their revision of the Gospel of Matthew ; and in due time they completed and have published the whole of the New Testament, with copious notes and comments from the best Roman Catholic au- thors. The following is a correct translation of their preface to Matthew and Mark : “ It being proper to make the acquisition of the Sacred Scriptures and the exact and complete knowledge of their texts easy to the Brazilian Catholics, and in order to provide against the false and mutilated Bibles that the Protestant sects are scattering so profusely in the country; with the per- mission and approval of the Most Excellent and Most Reverend Lord, Metropolitan Archbishop and Primate, and with the approval of the Most Rever- end Bishops who were present at the First Brazilian Catholic Congress, we undertake to re-edit the Sacred Bible in the vernacular tongue, making use of existing versions as far as they sustain faith- fulness and clearness, and adding explanatory notes, abridged from the Holy Fathers, and Bible Studies of Eminent Theologians, ancient and modem. “ The publication will be made in separate por- tions, beginning with the Gospels, each by itself, each little volume costing a small price in the reach of all, collected only to cover the actual expenses of printing. — Thb Editors.” Striking Sentences by Roman Catholics. In 1903 Conego Duarte Leopoldo made a new 16 translation and arranged what he entitled, “A Har- mony of the Gospels, or the Four Gospels United in One.” A sentence from the preface may be re- peated here. It is this : “ The hour is providential. The emissaries of the Bible Societies are multiply- ing among us, distributing the Scriptures in the ver- nacular language with evident alterations. It is necessary to cause to be read the Divine Word in all its purity, guarded with all precaution.” The following are striking sentences from the introduc- tion : “ Some think, even among the Catholics, that the Holy Catholic Church forbids to the faithful the reading of the Gospels. This is an error, slander- ously circulated by Protestantism, against which it is necessary to react. “ Protestantism teaches that all the truths and faith are to be found in the Sacred Scriptures, and that we all have the right of interpreting them ac- cording to the light of the Holy Spirit. While com- bating this dangerous and deadly doctrine, prolific mother of innumerable extravagant sects, contra- dicting themselves, the Church does not propose depriving us of the Bible, always, on the other hand, considered as a luminous and most abundant fountain of Divine revelation. “ On the contrary, not only does the Church rec- ommend, with importunity, the reading of the sacred books, but, moreover, grants many indulgences to all those who at least for a quarter of an hour read a passage of the Gospels.” We quote the preface by Monsieur Mancel Vi- cente de Silva: “ Certainly there is no reading more profitable for pious souls than that of the Gospels. The read- ing nourishes the spirit and the heart. “ Guaranteed by the Church, the Gospels form the most precious book that can be had. They comprise the Word of God, the Word that is Light, that is Truth, that directs the steps of those who 17 love virtue, that civilizes the nations, that leads to blessed growth and eternal life.” A circular describing and advertising, entitled, “Translation Approved by Ecclesiastical Author- ity, and Enriched with More than Two Thousand Notes, the Gospel and Catholic Piety,” makes some statements worthy to be repeated : “ For a long time, it must be admitted, the Gospel was for the Catholics a closed book, an unknown book, and for this reason the God of the Gospel is becoming an unknown God. “ Even among pious persons, among those who most closely seek to follow Jesus Christ, there are very few who read the Gospel. They eagerly de- vour all those books of devotion that come along, at times completely useless, and nearly always of little solidity and substance. But the book of Jesus Christ, the precious book in which are to be found his teachings, his miracles, his virtues, his suffer- ings, his divine blood, his tears, his cross, and finally his heart — the book of the Gospel — is a closed and unknown book to the very great majority of the faithful. “It is because an erroneous idea, skillfully used by the enemies of the faith, has brought to the spirits of many the persuasion that the Catholic Church prohibits the reading of the Bible. This is an error against which it is necessary to protest. “Jesus is truly in the Sacred Eucharist, but it is not alone sufficient to know that he is there, that he sees us, that he looks upon us with love and ten- derness. It is also necessary that his voice should reach our ears ; it is necessary that he speak to our heart. It is necessary that he should say all that his love has done for us. It is necessary, finally, that I should know all that my love owes to him, reading, studying, and meditating on the book of his Gospel. “The introduction of the Gospel into a home 18 causes our Lord Jesus Christ to enter into the bosom of that family, and puts an entire family into communion with the Word of God. “ Let us therefore work for the Gospel. Let us take into the bosom of every family this ray of di- vine light that will lead them securely to heaven. “ To read the Gospel with the spirit of faith and humility is to drink from its fountain the omnipotent power of God. To propagate the Gospel in the homes, contribute to its becoming a book of spir- itual reading, a book of the family, an indispensable companion, is to give to our neighbor the power of God for the triumph of the truth.” Some of these utterances are worthy to be classed along with the choicest exhortations to the reading of the Bible that have ever been made by man. In a report for 1905 we made the following state- ment : “ Early in the present year a priest of the mission in the College of the Immaculate Concep- tion, at Rio de Janeiro, completed his translation of the four Gospels from the Vulgate. These he has printed and placed on sale, together with Sar- mento’s translation of Carrier’s French paraphrase of the Acts of the Apostles.” In his preface to this work the Cardinal Archbishop of Rio de Janeiro says, “ At the moment in which we write these words of approval and apology of the work of popularizing the reading of the Holy Gospels, we judge it convenient to make them very clear, that thus our attitude can never be confounded with the propaganda that our separated brethren, the Prot- estants, are very actively making. No; they, faith- ful to their principles, wish to substitute the Gos- pels for the Church ; they claim to find directly and exclusively in the Gospels the dogma of faith and the rules of living. “ The Gospel is the best book for devotion ; let pious souls read it with devout reflection. It is a 19 book of religious instruction that the Church places in our hands, but whose authoritative interpretation she reserves to herself. Let it be read with sim- plicity and loving respect ! Let us read from this day forward more assiduously the Holy Gospels, we the ministers of Jesus Christ; and let them be the inspiration, the soul, and the sweet odor of preaching. “We trust the future clergy may be trained in this school, that our seminary students may know this treasure and familiarize themselves with this divine book, that every one of them may possess a copy of the Holy Gospels. “ All Catholic families should have in their homes the book of the Holy Gospels ; they should read it in common and meditate upon it. Let all pious souls take to their charge this holy and regenerating mission of propagating among all classes of society the reading of the Holy Gospels.” In the year 1912 the results of the fourth attempt appear; it is the work of the priest, Josd de Senna Freitas, and has the imprimatur of the Cardinal Arch- bishop. The translator says in his preface that, after much thought and reflection, he decided not to use extensive notes and comments, but only such as he thought “ indispensable or largely useful to explain, clarify, or to justify the sense of the sacred Author, ofttimes ambiguous and obscure. Friend, open this book and read it. For all it is of supreme utility. And if you are married call your family around you and read it to them. Take care, do not let it remain only on the shelves. If the Gospel of God should be an unknown book, with all certainty the God of the Gospel will be an unknown God.” Scriptures for the Blind in Portuguese. A few years ago our attention was called to the fact that not one of the Gospels had ever been printed in raised characters for the blind. A spe- 20 cial grant was obtained from the American Bible Society and the work of preparing the Gospel of John was begun early in the year 1900 and com- pleted about July. The work of binding and printing was done in the Benjamin Constant Institute for the Blind at Rio de Janeiro, an establishment supported by the govern- ment. In the time of the monarchy this institution was completely under the control of the priests, and it would have been absolutely impossible for a Protestant Bible society to have such a work done there. In the first five years of the republic it was under the direction of the Positivists, who were scarcely more tolerant than the priests. They re- fused absolutely to do the work for us, on the ground that no religion was permitted in the insti- tution. With the change of the form of govern- ment the pendulum seemed in this instance to swing, sure enough, to the other extreme. How- ever, things finally struck an equilibrium and we encountered no opposition whatever this time in making the contract for the work. It is a signifi- cant fact that in this land of (former) religious in- tolerance, things have so changed that a Protes- tant Bible society can now have the Bible printed in a government institution. It was quite a sur- prise to me, also, that when the work was done the director of the school gave permission to offer the Gospel to all of the professors and students, eighty- some-odd in number. Nearly half of them gladly accepted copies. This is, so far as I know, the first effort that has been made to print the Scriptures in Portuguese for the blind. The system used is the Braille Point. The work was highly commended by the daily papers of Rio de Janeiro, and has met with great favor. Three hundred copies were printed, and about two-thirds of them were very soon in the hands of the blind. It is worthy of note that all the work of setting the type, printing and binding was done by the blind themselves. The only thing a man with sight had to do with the edition was to read to the blind the original, while he wrote it down for the typesetters. One or two of the Catho- lic papers denounced the work and the director of the Institute in most violent terms, and at once called for a public subscription for the purpose of printing, as the editor said, a true edition of the Gospel of John for the blind. This must of course contain the notes and explanations of the Catholic Church. Prominent Brazilians on the Backwardness of Brazil, and on the Bible. There recently appeared in print an interesting article entitled, “ What Our Forefathers Read,” from the pen of a prominent Brazilian writer. He says that the Portuguese, as all Catholic people, have always read very little, and even to-day they are very small readers. He then speaks of the French, in comparison with the Germans, English, and Americans as regards the habit of reading, and adds: “If the French, notwithstanding they are Catholic, yet read considerable, it is due not only to the direct inheritance of Latin culture and the Renaissance, but to the influence of Calvinism — very strong there in the sixteenth century — and also to the spirit of Gallican independence. For there can be no doubt that the Reformation, by the obligation imposed upon the faithful to read the Bible, to which Latin Catholicism has always been hostile, created in modern Europe the habit of reading. And this explains why the Protestant nations have much more this habit than the Catholics. To learn to read is to the Protestant a religious culture ; he depends almost exclusively on the reading of the Bible. For the Catholic it is unnecessary, as the oral lesson suffices for his religious edification, 22 even though given in a language he does not un- derstand.” In a few striking paragraphs the writer attributes Brazil’s backwardness in education to the Jesuits and Catholicism in general. In a later arti- cle he says, “The real causes why we read so little are those given in my previous article, ‘ The Influ- ence of Catholicism,’ — after the Reformation hos- tile to reading and distrustful of books.” Another Brazilian author of note wrote about the time the Bible Societies were undertaking the re- cently completed New Translation of the Bible: “ For a long time there has been felt the urgent necessity of a faithful version of the Sacred Scrip- tures in Portuguese, translated directly from the original tongues, in order to keep a clear meaning of the Divine Word.” A Brazilian writer of re- nown says, “ It is certain that no language so much needs a new translation of the Bible, in accordance with the most recent knowledge acquired in He- brew and Greek philology, lexicology, and archae- ology, as ours. It is a need that among zealous Protestants has already been recognized. “ There are two principal versions of the Bible in the vernacular language that are in use among us : One translated from the original text, in 1748, by Joao Ferreira d’ Almeida, minister of the gospel in Batavia, with the help of the Hollander, Jacob ob den Akker ; the other taken from the Latin Vulgate in 1783, by the priest Antonio Pereira de Figueire- do. It is well known that the Bible Societies ex- pend considerable sums of money in the distribu- tion of the Divine Word, making use of these two versions, seeing that they are the only ones of the entire Bible in the Portuguese language that can be, up to a certain point, taken advantage of for this purpose. It is certain, however, that neither one of them answers fully to the deserving and Christian desires and efforts of Protestants, for not- withstanding the many and different revisions that 23 have been made of one and of the other, they do not and never will correspond to the merits of the di- vinely-inspired Book. “The version of Almeida is not pre-eminent for fidelity to the original, nor for purity and correct- ness of language. The version of Figueiredo has all the defects of its vitiated origin, which is the Latin Vulgate, and only has advantage over the other version in better and less harsh language, but withal it is inferior to it in fidelity, as any in- terested reader may find by comparing the texts.” The new version of the New Testament first issued by the two Bible Societies in the year 1910 has met with encouraging favor and the text of the entire Bible, now ready for publication, is looked for with eager interest. But another paper for the Bible Congress treats of versions in the Portuguese language. We give these quotations and cite these facts in no spirit of harsh or unbrotherly criticism, but to bring before our listeners some idea of the influence of Bible distribution and Bible reading in Brazil, and the extent to which many in the Roman Catho- lic Church and in the world of letters are being im- pressed and awakened. The movement is mar- velous. The translation, circulation, and reading of the Bible is a work potent with influences that are calculated to revolutionize Brazilian literature and learning, and to lead the nation to the feet of Jesus Christ, the Light and Life of the World. Already the great movement is fairly under head- way ; it must be strengthened, and prayerfully, per- sistently and patiently pushed forward. Influence of the Word in Brazil’s Advance. Another significant fact is that the whole reli- gious movement in Brazil is being focused more and more about the written Word. The Bible So- 24 cieties are doing a work of incalculable good in this line. They are preparing the way for a great re- ligious revival or awakening along the lines of Scriptural doctrine and truth. Indeed, as above in- dicated, the awakening is already in process of de- velopment. Whereunto it will lead no man can tell. It encourages the heart, gives a thrill of interest, and stirs all that is highest and best in Christian workers, to see the religious question being pro- jected on the higher plane of Scriptural truth and along the lines of intellectual culture. The move- ment is becoming all the time more Scriptural and spiritual. There is every reason and encourage- ment for pushing forward the work. The truth must awaken and win the hearts of the people. There can be no fear as to what the results may finally be if the mind and heart of the Brazilian na- tion can be attracted to the Holy Scriptures as the real and authoritative source of the truth concern- ing Christ and the salvation he oflEers. The religious literature and thought of the coun- try are full of expressions concerning the infallible voice in matters of religion, and the people have for centuries been educated in this phraseology. Now, for a half-century, the Bible colporteurs and missionaries have been going through the land calling attention to the infallible and all-sufficient Book of Divine Revelation ; thousands who desire certainty are turning to the Bible, testing its truths by experience and finding its message to be the power of God unto the salvation of their souls. We have related a few incidents, and we might give literally thousands, of remarkable or striking importance, that show the power of the Bible to awaken, enlighten, and lead men to Christ. The Bible Proves Its Value. It becomes clear also from this movement in Bra- zil that the Bible proves its spiritual value to the 25 experience of those who read and meditate its di- vine truths. Marked characteristics of most of the converts to Bible reading are their love for the Word, the simplicity of their faith in its declara- tions and the joy of soul in the revelation of its contents to their experience. The Bible is being appreciated as a book of devotion to a very re- markable degree by those to whom it is so new and fresh. At the same time there are signs among the more highly educated that devotional reading is being accompanied by scholarly interpretation. The Bible is attracting the attention of men of let- ters, and men in the Church are learning that the study, investigation, interpretation and teaching of its sublime truths and messages are worthy of the very highest scholarship. The Bible is finding its way into the councils and courts of the country and beginning already to ex- ert its influence upon the legislation and laws of the republic. It may not be too much to express the belief that the time will come when, if enemies would attempt to overthrow the civil government and social institutions of Brazil, they will have to follow the example of the Roman Empire, when, in order to destroy Christianity, it was found neces- sary to make a direct attack on the Bible. This Book of God is extending its silent and revolution- izing influences upon the hearts and lives of many individuals and is beginning to rule the homes of an increasing number of families. Bible texts in large letters and on beautiful cards for the walls are highly prized and constantly sought after. The faculty of memory is strongly developed among the Brazilians, and thousands are literally hiding the Word of God in their hearts. This precious seed will continue to yield an increasing harvest as the seasons roll around. The Bible is in the struggle with modern com- mercialism and industrialism in Brazil, and is seek- 26 ing to impress upon the people its ideas and views of the world and of life. The country is rich in natural resources and material possibilities. Capital and skill are finding great fields for investment and activity. The movement of the Bible circu- lation seeks to offset the undue influences of ma- terialism and the materialistic view of the world and life. It is clear also to observers in this field that the reading of the Bible is beginning to awaken inter- est in the study and investigation of history and travel, especially to Bible lands. The large number of languages into which the Bible has been translated, the beautiful and attrac- tive and convenient styles in which it is printed and bound, and the very reasonable or low prices at which it is sold are constant wonders to the masses of the people and induce many to buy and read copies. Spoken witli Simplicity and Earnestness. In a recent conversation with perhaps the most distinguished Brazilian of the day, who is himself an earnest and devout Bible reader and constant student, I had occasion to ask him what he consid- ers the most essential things for the evangelization of Brazil. His answer was, after a moment of thought and reflection : “ First, circulate the Bible ; second, prepare a native ministry.” He spoke with great simplicity and earnestness of his faith in the power of the written Word of God. Among others he related the incident of his cook, a mulatto boy, who became interested in the Bible through a little Gospel he saw on the table while dusting in the doctor’s library. The doctor gave him one or two copies. He began attending the Methodist Church near by, and became a member. Later he -.learned typesetting, and is now foreman in charge of one of the large printing machines of the Jornal do Commercio . He lives some distance from the church but attends regularly. The doctor laid great emphasis on the training of natives for the ministry, giving them good colle- giate education and then training and instruction in Biblical theology. It augurs well for the future of Brazil that her leaders clearly recognize and fearlessly point out the defects of the past, the need of the present, and the part which the Bible, having taken in other and progressive nations, should be enabled to take in this land of possibilities and promise. 28 CENTENNIAL PAMPHLETS SMALL QUARTO (7>^x8^) 1 The Bible, the Book of Mankind, by Prof. B. B. Warfield, D.D., LL.D. 2 The Bible in Europe, by Prof. A. Kuyper, D.D., LL.D., of Holland. 3 The Greek Testament, The Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople with the collaboration of the Bishop of Nicea, the Bishop of Sardis and the Bishop of Seleucia. 4 The Hebrew Bible, by Rev. S. B. Rohold, F.R.G.S., of Toronto. 5 The Birthplace of the Bible Society, and other his- torical papers. Centennial Bulletins. To appear at intervals with in- formation about Centennial preparations and plans. SMALL OCTAVO (Sx7X) 10 The Bible Among the Nations, by Rev. Henry Otis Dwight, LL.D. 11 Around the World for the Centennial, illustrated, by Rev. William Ingraham Haven, D.D. 12 The American Bible Society in China, by Rev. John R. Hykes, D.D. 13 The Bible in Korea, by Rev. George Heber Jones, D.D. 14 The Bible in the Life of the Indians of the United States, by Rev. Thomas C. Moffett, D.D. 15 The Bible in Brazil, by Rev. Hugh C. Tucker. 16 Mr. Penzotti’s Autobiography. 17 Bible Work in the Phiiippine Islands. 18 A Quarter Century in Siam. 19 A List of Grants-in-Aid in India. Single copies of these pamphlets may be had, postpaid, for .5 cents each; in quantities of 10 or more at 3 cents each. Order from The Secretaries, American Bible Society, Astor Place, New York City, or from Agency Secretaries,