THE BIBLE AS A MISSIONARY FACTOR.
The Bible is a mighty factor in the spread of the gospel in Brazil. In
1889 there came down to Bahia a man named Queiroz from two hundred and
fifty miles in the interior. He came seeking baptism at the hands of
Dr. Z. C. Taylor. It appears that some six or eight years previous to
that time an agent of a Bible society had entered this man's community,
preached the gospel and left behind him some copies of the Scriptures.
One of these Bibles was found afterwards by Queiroz, who studied it and
was impressed with its truth. He began to bring the message of the Word
to the attention of his large circle of friends and kindred. Having
preached in several places, he was finally asked by the district judge
to come to his house where he was given opportunity to meet a number of
friends. The friends of Queiroz, however, began to ask him whether it
was right for him to be preaching thus before he had been baptized,
whereupon he resolved to go to Bahia to seek baptism. He made the
journey and was baptized. A week after he had returned he wrote to Dr.
Taylor, saying he had preached at Deer Forks and had baptized eight.
During the next two weeks similar letters were sent, which gave the
number he had baptized. The church at Bahia was apprized of conditions,
and it decided to send Queiroz an invitation to come and receive
ordination. He came with great humility and joy and was ordained, but
before the ordination had taken place he had already baptized
fifty-five people. The church, at Bahia, after the ordination of
Queiroz, legalized the baptisms.
Five years after the baptism of this man Dr. Taylor was finally able to
make the journey to Conquista, where he found the church well
organized, with a house of worship built at its own expense and with
the pastor's home erected near by. The missionary says, "I now
understand why God never permitted me to visit Conquista during these
five years. I believe it was for the purpose of showing me that the
native Christians can and will take care of themselves and the gospel
if we will only confide in them. I wonder how many churches in the
United States have built their own house and pastorium and sustained
themselves from the start? Not a cent from the Board has been spent on
the church and the evangelization done by Brother Queiroz."
Another example of the power of the Bible in spreading the gospel is
found in the way the gospel came to Guandu, State of Rio, and the
country round about. One night in Campos in 1894, after the missionary
had finished his sermon, a young woman approached him and said, "My
father has been teaching us out of that same book you used. Would you
not like to go out in the country to visit him?" The missionary replied
that he would, and then the girl explained how the Bible came to this
community.
One evening a colporteur approached her father's door and asked for
entertainment, saying he had been refused by several families along the
way. To the host's inquiry as to why he had been refused entertainment
for the night the colporteur said: "They declined because I am a
Protestant." The man replied. "Come in and welcome." After the dinner
Mr. Vidal (for that was the farmer's name) asked what this
Protestantism meant. The colporteur explained and preached the gospel
to the best of his ability.
When the time came to retire the colporteur said, "It is my custom to
read the Scriptures and to pray before I retire. If you have no
objection I would like to do so tonight." Mr. Vidal answered, "I shall
be glad for you to do so." The colporteur read and there in the dining
hall before the curious onlookers knelt and poured out his heart to his
Heavenly Father. He called down the blessing and the favor of God upon
the family. The tears poured down his cheeks as he lifted his soul in
this prayer. After he finished praying Mr. Vidal said, "I have never
heard prayer like that. Teach me how to do it. I have heard Latin
prayers repeated, but they did not grip me like that." The colporteur
replied by explaining that prayer must be from the heart. He then took
out a Bible and said, "I want to make you a present of this book. You
have been kind to me. Read it, for it has in it the Word of Life." He
went away the following morning. We do not know who he was--only the
record on high will discover his person to us.
The book left behind became a great light for Mr. Vidal. He read it and
was so impressed with its teachings that he taught the Word to his
family and neighbors. His house became a house of prayer and teaching.
When Missionary Ginsburg went out there, preached the Word and
explained about Christ, he asked those who wished to follow the Lord to
stand. Practically the whole company stood. They had been prepared, by
Mr. Vidal The missionary went back a few times and soon a church of
about forty members was organized and was called the Church of Guandu.
The Word spread up the country first amongst Mr. Vidal's relatives and
friends. At Santa Barbara the station master, Carlos Mendonca, was
converted, who is now pastor of our church at Cantagallo. He first
moved to Rio Bonito and founded a church there, the truth spread, in
other directions also and so the light which the unknown colporteur
left with this farmer has shed its rays of blessings upon a whole
county. Twenty-one years ago, a Bible which belonged to a Catholic
priest, or rather a part of a Catholic Bible, fell into the hands of
the old man, Joaquim Borges. Through the reading of this Bible, he
abandoned idolatry and other practices of Rome and put his trust solely
in the Lord Jesus for his salvation. For sixteen years he resisted all
attempts of priests and others to turn him back to Rome, always giving
a clear and firm testimony to the truth of the gospel. During all this
time he never met with another believer. Hearing of him, E. A. Jackson
wrote him to meet him in Pilao Arcado. He came 120 miles and waited
twelve days for the arrival of the missionary. As Jackson had through
passage to Santa Rita, he asked the captain to hold the steamer while
he baptized Mr. Borges. Before administering baptism Jackson preached
to the great crowd on the river bank and on the decks of the steamer.
It was a solemn and beautiful sight to behold this man, seventy-seven
years of age, following his Lord in baptism at his first meeting with a
minister of the gospel and before a multitude which had never witnessed
such a scene. Dripping from the river, Jackson welcomed him into the
ranks of God's children. The missionary embarked on the steamer and Mr.
Borges went back to work among his neighbors. Up till the present time
not even a native minister has visited him, for the lack of workers and
funds to send them. Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, nor hath it
entered into the heart to conceive the glorious things God has prepared
for the man who will go to work for Him among the neglected people of
the interior of Brazil.
In the State of Sao Paulo is a boy, Ramiro by name, now about thirteen
years of age, the only son of parents who do not know a letter of the
alphabet. Indeed, he is the only one in a large connection that has
been taught to read.
The family lives about twenty miles from their market town, Mogy das
Cruzes, to which they go to sell the meager fruits of their labors on
the little farm. In this town they have some acquaintances, among whom
is a believer whose faith had come through reading the Bible. This
believer one day came into possession of a Bible which he didn't need,
and so he gave it to Ramiro, who was then about nine or ten years of
age and was beginning to learn to read. The little fellow trudged home,
twenty miles away, carrying his priceless present, and showed it
joyously to his parents. This was the first book that ever entered
their humble home, excepting, of course, Ramiro's little school book.
Curious to know what the book contained, the father put Ramiro to
deciphering some of its pages. Guided, no doubt, by the Holy Spirit, he
fell upon the New Testament and laboriously read on and on for months
and months The neighbors--all ignorant alike--would come and listen to
Ramiro spell out sentence after sentence, he becoming more expert as
the days went by. He would read, they would listen and discuss, the
Holy Spirit, in the meantime, fixing the sacred truth in their hearts.
This persistent reading of the Word went on for two or three years to a
time when the Lord opened to Dr. J. J. Taylor, of Sao Paulo, a door of
opportunity in Mogy das Cruzes. He found twelve people ready to follow
on in the Lord's ordinance.
Since that time even more abundant fruit has been gathered. Dr. Taylor
at first baptized three of Ramiro's cousins who hail from the same
village twenty miles away and recently he baptized the uncle, aunt,
some more cousins and Ramiro himself. Ramiro taught the words of many
hymns to his family and neighbors. Through him and his book his aged
grandparents, ninety years old and bedridden, rejoice in the Savior.
How great must be the might of the Word of God which can convert to
salvation strong men through the faltering lips of a child And yet,
after all, is not this the combination which alone is powerful in
spreading the gospel--a simple, child-like heart, through which the
Word may speak forth? "A little child shall lead them," because it can
be artless enough to give simple utterance to the Word of God. Oh, for
more in all lands who will give unaffected voice to the Word of God!
That message has power in it if it can get sincere expression.
We need to realize more than we do the transcendent importance of
giving wide circulation to the Bible in foreign lands. The
illustrations given here of the wonderful success of the Book should
help us to reach a better appreciation of the value of the Word of God
in mission endeavor. Certainly, there is marvelous power in it. Its
enemies fear its might; therefore, they fight desperately to prevent
the circulation of it. Would that we could have as keen a realization
of the vitality of this Book as do its enemies. Surely then, we would
do far more for the sowing of the Scriptures beside all waters.