were a little tranquillized, I wrote to the Spanish General, in reference
to our school, telling him what we had done, and the state in which
we were at the time. I represented to him the nature of our schools,
and stated that establishments of a similar kind had been introduced
and encouraged in various parts of the world. I of course mentioned
particularly what had been done in Spain. After stating these things, I
requested him to inform me whether we should go on, or whether we should
immediately shut up our school. In answer to this, I received from him
a very polite letter, saying, that he was informed and fully persuaded
that the school under my direction was a very useful establishment, and
that he wished it to go on until the Viceroy should communicate his
mind upon the subject. In my letter to the General I inclosed a copy
of a letter, which I intended to forward to the Viceroy, and requested
his opinion of the letter, and whether I should send it on to Cuzco. He
replied, that he thought the letter was suitable, and that if I wished
he would himself forward it to the Viceroy, in order that it might go
with greater security. You may be sure, I thankfully accepted his offer,
and sent him immediately my letter to forward. Next day I called on the
General to thank him for his kindness in protecting our school, and in
taking the trouble of forwarding my letter to the Viceroy. I was very
kindly received by him, and encouraged to go on. Thus, you see we have a
new instance of the gracious goodness of our God in giving me favour with
the Governors of this quarter of the world, however much opposed to each
other.
I informed you, I think, soon after my arrival in this place, that the
government had ordered the college belonging to the Dominican Friars
in this city to be put at my disposal, for the use of our school
establishment. The removal of the Friars, and the giving up of the
college, was accomplished without the smallest murmur, or at least
audible murmur, on the part of the monks. This college is an extensive
building, and very well adapted to the purposes of a central school.
We have a large school room, which will hold very conveniently 300
children, and another large room connected with it, which would contain
200 more. We have also several other rooms, very suitable as lodgings for
the masters whilst studying the system, and there is convenience for a
printing office, &c. &c. The apartments formerly occupied by the Rector
of the college, have formed my own lodging the greater part of the time
I have been in Lima. Besides the places now mentioned, which are all
connected with each other, we have a large hall, finely adapted for a
female school, with rooms for the mistress and her assistants. These are
entirely separated from the parts mentioned before, so that though in the
same building, they are quite distinct places, with separate entrances
a gun-shot from each other. Our boys’ school contains, at the present
time, 230 children, and we have often been talking of commencing a girls’
school as a thing greatly wanted in this place. But such has been the
unhappy state of public affairs here for so long a time, that nothing
has yet been done in it. From the description I have given you of the
building we occupy, and the use to which it was formerly destined, you
might naturally expect that the Friars gave it up reluctantly, though
without complaining, and that they would still have their eye upon it,
if a favourable opportunity should present itself for reclaiming it.
I am told, that when the Spaniards were in possession of this city in
June last, the Friars had resolved on petitioning the government upon
the subject, but the short occupation of the city by the Spanish troops
did not allow them to carry their purpose into effect. At the present
time, the Spaniards seem to have taken a more permanent possession of
the place, with the intention of continuing in it for some time, and
their possessing the fortresses of Callao will enable them to do so.
We were, therefore, in greater danger than ever of losing our college,
and indeed application, as I am informed, was actually made to that
effect to General Monet, the commander of the division in this quarter.
But from what I have stated above, you will see the happy resolution
of the General in our favour. I should have mentioned, when describing
the college, that there is a church connected with it, as there is with
all the colleges here. The church and the court connected with it, are
separated by a wall from the parts formerly mentioned. They were formerly
not entirely separated from each other, as there were two openings, like
gate ways, between the two places. These, however, I caused to be built
up, as I did not know what kind of companions I might have in the two
Friars who were left to perform the service of the church; and from the
character of some of this class, and the circumstance of the loss of
their college, and its being put into the hands of a Protestant, I did
not augur much good from their neighbourhood. We have, however, lived
all along on good terms, and our longer acquaintance with each other has
grown, I think, into friendship. I met with a proof of this friendship
since the entrance of the Spaniards, which I did not expect. The Friar
who has the principal charge called upon me one morning, and informed me
that he had heard that the Conde de Villar de Fuente was to be appointed
Governor of Lima. Now, says he, although he is a very good man, yet being
very friendly to the Friars, it is very likely they will press him hard
to regain their college. You should therefore, continued he, endeavour
to see the Governor as early as possible, lest they get the start of
you to your disadvantage. I thanked him very kindly for his intimation
and for his advice, and told him that I was very happy in having this
proof of our living in such friendship with each other. I called upon
the Governor soon after his appointment, agreeably to the advice of my
friend, and found him very well disposed to continue our establishment
and to encourage it.
* * * * *
_Lima, 29th March, 1824._
The Grecian which brought your letter of 24th April, and the cases of
New Testaments therein mentioned, arrived at the port of Callao at a
very unfavourable time. The garrison in the castles of that place had
mutinied some ten days previous to her arrival, and every thing there
was in confusion. The fortresses and town of Callao were in the hands
of the Spaniards, whilst the patriots governed in Lima. Under these
circumstances, I thought it most prudent not to land the New Testaments,
but to wait some time to see what turn things would take, and for the
same reason I deferred writing you. On the 29th ultimo, the Spaniards
took possession of this city; they have continued here since, and seem
likely to do so for some time. From various circumstances, we have been
led to believe that the Spanish government will not allow those freedoms
which the Patriot government allowed, in reference to the introduction
of books, &c. In consequence of this, I still considered it hazardous
to land the New Testaments, and therefore kept them on board so long as
the Grecian continued here; and when she sailed for Chile, which she
did a few days ago, I got them put on board his Majesty’s ship Fly, now
lying in Callao. I shall thus keep them afloat until I see something
like a certainty of landing them safely. What I have just said refers
only to the 2,500 copies addressed to the care of Mr. Thwaites, as the
rest which were addressed to Mr. Lynch have been carried back to Chile
in the Grecian, and are to be delivered there according to instructions
given. After being landed in Valparaiso, they will be forwarded to
Santiago, the capital, and put into the hands of Mr. Christopher Collis
for sale. I have offered the whole to Mr. Collis at 850 dollars, to be
paid in one month after receiving them; or should he decline taking them
at the rate mentioned, I have desired him to sell them on my account,
charging the commission he usually takes. The price I have put upon the
New Testaments, when sold one by one, is eight rials each, and when sold
in quantities to sell again, at six rials each. This you see will about
cover the original cost and expenses if the whole are taken by Mr.
Collis, and if he retails them they will bring something more. I think
this is a rule that should pretty generally be attended to, and as few
as possible given gratis. What I have said, applies to these countries
of South America, but other rules may be better elsewhere. I do think it
injurious to make a general distribution gratis. Individual copies may be
given in this way by a time, but it should be only at times, and when a
clear case presents itself. The committee will correct me in this if I am
wrong.
On the very day that I received the 610 New Testaments from Valparaiso,
I received a letter from Truxillo begging most earnestly, and “for God’s
sake” that I would send to that place without delay a supply of the
Holy Scriptures. With the writer I am well acquainted, and we had many
pleasing interviews during the few weeks I remained in that place, in
June and July of last year. My friend and correspondent in Truxillo is
a medical gentleman and a native of Ireland. He has been long in this
quarter of the world, and may be considered rather as a South American,
than a native of the British Isles. He is of the Roman Catholic religion,
but is free from those prejudices to be found among many of his own
communion. He studies the word of God himself, and recommends the study
of it most earnestly to all his friends around him. I found him with a
single Spanish New Testament of one of your earlier editions. This was to
him quite a family piece, and his wife and children take great pleasure
in reading it. A copy of the whole Bible in the Spanish language he had
not been able to procure at that time, but in the letter referred to,
he tells me he had obtained one from a friend who purchased it in Lima
at the time of Mr. Lynch’s sale. When we were together in Truxillo, I
inculcated upon him strongly the importance of doing every thing in his
power to make the Word of God have free course and be glorified as far
as in him lay. To this he most cheerfully agreed, and indeed was more
ready to enter into it than I could be to lay it before him. He told me
that he was personally acquainted with most of the rectors in the various
districts throughout the extensive province of Truxillo, which contains a
population of about 300,000 souls. To each of these rectors he promised
to write upon the subject, and was pretty confident that they would,
in answer to his letters, request large supplies of the Scriptures. I
promised on my part to supply him amply with New Testaments very soon,
and with Bibles as soon as I could have a supply from England. Upon my
return to Lima, I sent him 50 Spanish New Testaments, some of the Annual
Reports of the Society, some religious tracts, &c. These were sent
under the particular care of a mutual friend, who sailed for Santa, and
intended to send them overland to Truxillo. This happened to be at the
time of one of our civil commotions, and when our friend landed at Santa
all communication was interrupted between that and Truxillo. From Santa
he sailed to Guayaquil, and not finding a convenient opportunity for
sending them back to Truxillo, he sold them there, and wrote our friend
to that effect, saying he would account to me for the price of them.
This was a great disappointment to Mr. O’Donovan, for that is the name
of our fellow-labourer; and to remedy it, he wrote me the letter above
mentioned. He urges his claim from the circumstance of the great need
there is of the Word of God in that quarter, from his having promised to
send copies to his friends, the rectors, agreeably to what was before
stated, and from the circumstance of a number of copies of two infidel
books which had been just landed from a French ship in that place, and
which have done much evil in these countries. Often do I think, my dear
Sir, and often do I say, that this is a most critical time for South
America, in a religious point of view.
Two days after having received his letter, I sent him off 250 copies,
in common binding, and ten in calf extra. The patience, however, of our
friend has again been put to the trial, for notwithstanding that the
box containing this supply was sent down to Callao immediately, yet on
account of the confusion in that place, as above mentioned, it only went
off a few days ago. I imagine him just now opening it, and satiating his
eyes with its sacred contents. In the conclusion of his letter, he says
he intends to go from house to house to urge these “ignorant but docile
Christians” to receive the treasure offered them. Let us pray that his
benevolent and zealous efforts may be crowned with happy success.
* * * * *
_Lima, 30th March, 1824._
We have at present three masters learning our system, and whom we
expected to place in other schools before now; but this war literally
devours up every thing, and ties us down to a spot. When we shall clap
our wings and fly over the Andes, to teach the poor Peruvian in his
native tongue, I cannot tell: God may, perhaps, bring this about sooner
than we expect. In the course of a week, the whole of the New Testament
will be translated into the vernacular language of Manco Capac, and by a
descendant of that ancient race of kings.
I have written to the Viceroy La Serna, who resides at present in Cuzco,
requesting to know his determination regarding the continuing of our
system, under his government, in this city, and whether he is desirous of
extending it throughout the country. In something less than two months I
shall probably hear from him, and shall communicate to you the result.
If the answer be favourable, I shall most likely repair immediately to
Cuzco, leaving one of the masters before mentioned in charge of this
school; and should his answer be unfavourable, I shall leave this place
and go northwards.
We have often been very desirous of commencing a girls’ school in this
city, and we have very good accommodations in our college for this
purpose; but we have never been able to effect it, in consequence of the
extreme scarcity of money at present in this city. If Lima had been in
its former state of abundance, we could have effected it with great ease;
and it would have been a very great blessing to this place. We would, in
that case, have been very desirous of receiving a well-qualified teacher
from your Committee, to direct our female department. It would still
be preferable to send two, as one of them could attend to the public
school, and the other might keep a respectable boarding-school for the
higher classes. Regarding this last-mentioned part, several parents have
spoken to me; and on the whole, I think it would turn out well for those
who might come out for that purpose. Such an establishment I am sure
would be the means of doing a great deal of good in this country. Female
education, in my opinion, is the thing most wanted in every country; and
when it shall be properly attended to, the renovation of the world will
go on rapidly. Let us know if you could aid us in these matters, if we
were directly to apply to you. I notice these things that you may write
me upon the subject, and knowing, from experience, how ready you are, at
all times, to listen to every proposition which bears on knowledge and
benevolence.
* * * * *
_Lima, 12th April, 1824._
You have, more than once, requested me to state to you any interesting
conversations I might have at times with individuals of this country,
upon the subject of religion. I have not, I believe, been very
communicative in my letters to you on this subject. I believe such
details might, in many cases, be interesting, but generally speaking,
the questions and answers upon these matters are so nearly what we might
expect them to be before hand, under the given circumstances, that little
of what can be called solid information is derived therefrom; besides, I
understand you print some of my letters, and there is some delicacy and
caution to be used under such a consideration, more especially as I have
never seen any of your printed accounts, and am thus unable to judge of
the freedom you use in such matters. I hope in your selections for the
press, you will be wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.
I shall now detail to you a conversation which I had a few days ago, with
a particular friend, upon the subject of religion, and more particularly
upon the Catholic and Protestant controversy. The gentleman, with whom
I had the conversation, is a man of superior education and abilities,
and holds an important situation in one of our colleges. We have been
acquainted with each other ever since I arrived in this city. We have
visited each other occasionally during that time, and have talked upon
religious subjects, but almost always upon those things in which we were
agreed. A few days ago I had a visit from him, and we entered almost
immediately into a close conversation or controversy upon some of the
points of the Catholic religion. I had lying on the table one of the
Pope’s bulls, which a young man had brought me a day or two before, as I
had expressed to him a desire to see it. I enquired of my friend, where
I could obtain a set of these bulls, as I wished to see each of them, in
order to ascertain their nature, and what it was they promised to those
who should purchase them. After he had informed me where this article was
to be found, I told him that I understood that those who purchased one of
these bulls at a certain price, namely, eight dollars and a half, were
assured that they would get out of purgatory in two or three days after
death. He said it was so as I had stated. Do you then really believe,
said I, that the Pope can thus pardon the sins of men, and that men can
obtain the pardon of their sins by means of expending such a sum of
money in the purchase of this bull.—He said he believed the forgiveness
of sins could be obtained in the way mentioned, and that the Pope had
such authority in virtue of being the successor of the prince of the
apostles, to whom Jesus Christ had granted the keys of the kingdom of
heaven, and power to remit or to retain the sins of men. It is to be
supposed, however, continued he, that confession of sins is to be made
in order to this forgiveness. And in confession to whom can the penitent
go but to the minister of Christ, in order that they may instruct him
in the nature of repentance? To prevent him from deceiving himself, and
believing he has repented when he has not, it is necessary to show him
what are the signs of a sincere repentance; and when the priest finds the
penitent as he ought to be, then in virtue of the power given by Christ
to his ministers, they absolve him from his sins.—In answer to what he
said, I told him that I considered it to be the duty of man to confess
his sins unto God, as it is with him alone we have to do, and not with
one another; and that the Scripture assures us, that if we humbly and
sincerely confess our sins unto him, and beg forgiveness through the
Lord Jesus Christ, we shall obtain the mercy we ask for. I then said,
that I believed none could forgive sins but God only; and that as to
the power given to the apostle Peter, and also to the other apostles to
forgive the sins of men or to retain them, I conceived it to be a power
of doing this only in a certain way, namely, in the way corresponding
to the instructions which they had received from their divine Master.
I illustrated this by the case of an ambassador sent by his sovereign
with terms of peace to a neighbouring prince. The Ambassador, I said, is
authorized to make peace between the two nations, that is, to put an end
to the war or to continue it. He is not, however, at liberty to do this
in any way he chooses, but only in that way which the instructions of his
sovereign authorize. So was it, I continued, with the ambassadors whom
the Lord Jesus sent into the world; they were sent to proclaim and to
celebrate a peace between God and man, but they were to do so only in one
way, that is, in the way prescribed to them, and of which, I observed, we
shall presently speak. As to the superiority of the Apostle Peter, said
I, to which you refer, or to speak more properly, the superior honour
conferred upon him, it is easy to see in what it consisted, and how far
it extended. To him were promised the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and
also the power of remitting and retaining sins; this latter power was
also conferred upon the other Apostles, so that the difference, or the
superior honour conferred upon Peter, consisted in having the keys put
into his hands. Keys are for the unlocking of doors, that a free entrance
may be had to a place inaccessible before the gates were opened. Now,
said I, the Apostle Peter was honoured by his Lord, to open the gates
of the kingdom of heaven, in the first place unto the Jews, and which
he accordingly did in his sermon on the day of Pentecost, and by which
means three thousand entered the church of God at one rush. The same
individual was afterwards honoured _to open the door_ of faith unto the
Gentiles, by a special commission from heaven to that effect. Having
thus opened the gates of the kingdom of heaven unto the Jews, and also
unto the Gentiles, there was no farther use for these keys. The Apostles
of our Lord, in regard to authority in the church, were exactly upon a
level, none was superior and none was inferior. And now, I continued,
with regard to what we were speaking of before, namely, the forgiveness
of sins, I conceive the Apostles could do it only by making known the
message of peace and reconciliation to their fellow sinners, and by
declaring, in the name of their Master, to those who believed their
testimony, the remission of sins consequent upon their belief; and on the
other hand, they retained the sins of men, by declaring unto those who
disbelieved their testimony, that the wrath of God remained upon them.
Further, I said, regarding the successors of the Apostles, I conceived
that strictly speaking they had none, nor were there any required. In
their life time they exercised their authority, and fulfilled their
commission in the way I have stated. And knowing that they were not to
continue long upon the earth, and being desirous that these sacred truths
which they preached into men should always be held in remembrance, they
committed them to writing, and these writings, through the blessing of
God, remain unto this day. The Apostles, therefore, have made their own
writings their successors, and thus, through them, they continue still
to speak to mankind; they still publish the message of reconciliation,
and whose sins soever _they_ remit, they are remitted, and whose soever
sins _they_ retain, they are retained. I remarked a little before, I
continued, that it was at their peril that the Apostles acted in any
other way in the forgiving and retaining of sins, and I now add, that
it is at the peril of men to receive the remission of sins in any other
way than in that which the Apostles taught. The great and eventful day
that awaits us all, will declare on what authority and foundation we have
enjoyed peace in this weighty affair. The precious stones, the gold and
the silver will stand the fire which is to try them, but the wood, the
hay, and the stubble shall be burned up.