CHAPTER VII.

MISSION TO SOUTH AMERICA.

THE whole of this immense continent, with the exception of Guiana, which is Protestant, and the interior and Patagonia, which are Pagan, is Roman Catholic. In almost all the republics of this country Romanism, for centuries, has held undisputed sway.

In 1833 the Board had in contemplation a mission to this country, and, also, one to Central America.

The following year a letter was received from an intelligent and pious member of the Church in Buenos Ayres, communicating the intelligence, that there were, in that city, a few religious persons, which he had formed into a society, for the purpose of religious conference and prayer, and that they were extremely anxious to have a missionary to take charge of their spiritual interests.

In Buenos Ayres there were five thousand of the inhabitants who spoke the English language, chiefly English and Americans, and that place presented a most interesting field for missionary enterprise.

In 1835 the Rev. F. E. Pitts was appointed missionary to South America. On his arrival, he visited Rio de Janeiro, Montevideo, Buenos Ayres, and several other places of less note. In all these cities he met with Englishmen and Americans, who received him with great cordiality. He held several meetings in the above places, and was encouraged with the hope, that, at no distant day, missions would be established at all of them.

In 1836 the Rev. John Dempster was appointed missionary to Buenos Ayres, the capital of the Argentine republic, and entered upon his mission with flattering

es. Soon after his arrival, he hired a house as a

preaching-place, where he discoursed to large and attentive. congregations the words of life and salvation.

Such an interest was awakened by the faithful and laborious efforts of the missionary, and the congregations increased so extensively in numbers, that, on the authority of the Board, he made the purchase of a lot of ground, on which to erect a church for their accommodation.

To accomplish this object, he opened a subscription, and received from the citizens the sum of fifteen hundred dollars. An appropriation of ten thousand dollars was made by the Board to carry out the above object.

The Rev. Justin Spaulding was also appointed missionary to Rio de Janeiro.

He was enabled to form a small society, to which he preached regularly every Sabbath. He was also successful in organizing Sabbath schools for the religious instruction of the youth.

Upon the earnest solicitations of the citizens, he opened a day school, for the education of the children of English and American citizens.

A young gentleman of classical attainments was employed by the Board to take charge of the school.

The year following the Board, finding, from the representations of Mr. Spaulding, that it was necessary, for the successful prosecution of the mission, to have additional aid, requested of the Episcopacy the appointment of the Rev. Daniel P. Kidder as an assistant missionary, and the Rev. R. M'Murdy and lady as teachers. The zeal of the missionaries in preaching the Gospel, circulating the Scriptures-which had been furnished by the American Bible Society-and their pastoral visitation, excited the opposition of the priesthood. But such opposition was anticipated, and its absence would have formed a reason for alarm far more extensive than the most virulent hostility. In a country where Romanism had promulgated

its monstrous errors and absurd rites, unrebuked and unexposed for centuries, it would be wonderful if, when these absurdities were brought to the light, they should not elicit opposition.

The missionaries continued to move forward with a firm step; and, by their unobtrusive zeal and suavity of manners in the faithful discharge of their appropriate work, they gained the confidence and esteem of all who were not blindly wedded to Rome. They were enabled, with great facility, to distribute Bibles and tracts in the Portuguese language; and thus the good seed was sown, which, with the blessing of God, would inevitably produce fruit.

The missionaries visited several towns in the interior, where they were well received and respectfully treated. During this tour of observation, they were enabled to distribute many Bibles and tracts. The missionaries also devoted part of their time in looking after the spiritual interests of English and American seamen who visited the port of Rio.

In that field their labors were highly appreciated, and by none more so than Commodore Nicholson, a United States naval officer, who had command on that station. That gentleman afforded the missionaries every facility in his power for the prosecution of their work.

The mission at Buenos Ayres continued to prosper under the labors of Mr. Dempster. At his request, a graduate of the Wesleyan University was appointed as teacher for the mission, and a school was opened with flattering prospects.

Notwithstanding the blockade of the port by the French squadron, which, to a great extent, affected the business relations of the city, the mission was making steady advances, and the church edifice, which had been commenced, was progressing forward to completion.

During the year 1838 he visited Montevideo, and had free and full conversation with many of its citizens. He

found there several American families, who were particularly anxious that a mission should be established among them. His request to the Board, that a missionary be sent there, in the double capacity of minister and teacher, was granted; and a suitable appointment was made for that interesting point, in the person of the Rev. Wm. H. Norris.

In consequence of the death of Mrs. Kidder, in 1840, the Rev. Mr. Kidder returned with his children to the United States; and, consequently, Rio was only supplied with Mr. Spaulding. Rev. Mr. Dempster was engaged at Buenos Ayres, where Mr. Wilson and Mr. Howard and lady were engaged in teaching. The Rev. Mr. Norris was cultivating his field at Montevideo with the zeal of faith, the patience of hope, and the labor of love.

The unsettled state of the country, growing out of its political relations, together with the almost insuperable prejudices, superstitions, and intolerance of the Roman Catholic religion, rendered South America comparatively an unproductive field, in a missionary point of view.

The most that the missionaries could hope to accomplish, was the instruction of the children of the American and English residents, and preaching to their parents, together with the faithful distribution of Bibles, Testaments, and tracts among all those who were willing to receive them.

Under these circumstances, the Board very wisely discontinued its appropriations, made toward the erection of the church which was in progress,

The prospects of the mission growing darker and darker, and having little to hope in regard to a change in the intolerant and irreformable spirit of Romanism, in 1841 the Board recalled its missionaries, and the field was abandoned.

The abandonment, however, of that interesting field, at that juncture, must be regarded as the following of the clearest indications of Providence, pointing out to the

Board the same policy precisely which governed the apostle, when, after laboring zealously with his kindred and countrymen, to the end that they might be induced to embrace the Gospel, and finding his toil comparatively fruitless, he said, in behalf of himself and co-laborers, "You consider yourselves unworthy of eternal life. Lo, we turn to the Gentiles."

The Roman Catholics, wedded to their vain superstitions and senseless mummeries, were unwilling to listen to the pure word of God; and hence the heathen world itself was emphatically more inviting, and promissory of more fruit. What renders Roman Catholic countries impervious to the true religion-the religion of the Bible is their rejection of that sacred word as a rule of faith, and her anathemas against all who are not in her communion. To impugn and persecute all who presume to differ from her in matters of faith, and grant not the least toleration to heretics, are cardinal doctrines of this apostate Church. Romanism, in this country, is somewhat modified by our institutions; and hence we cannot see it as it is in all its true aspects.

The idolatrous worship of the Virgin Mary is confined to intercessory prayers, and a reverence for pictures of the Madonna and her child; but in South America it is not uncommon to find images of different material, placed in some shrine, to which an idolatrous worship and devout homage is paid as to the idol gods of India.

One of these images was brought from South America by the Rev. Mr. Norris, and the author has it in his possession.

The condition of that country is absolutely worse than heathen; and the efforts made for the salvation of its inhabitants should be in proportion to their danger. Good seed had been sown, and the blessing of God will ultimately make it like "the handful of corn on the top of the mountain."