THE LAST STAND OP THE LATIN RACE.
There was a time in the life of the Anglo-Saxon race When it became
necessary for at least a portion of it to go out into a new country in
order that it might achieve the larger destiny it was to fulfill in the
world. God was behind that exodus as truly as he was behind the
transplanting of Abraham into a new environment. Here in our country,
unfettered by despotic traditions and precedents, the Anglo-Saxon
achieved religious and political liberty with a rapidity and
thoroughness that could not have been possible in the old Continent of
Europe.
Likewise also did God separate the Latin race from continental
oppression that it might grow a better manhood in the freer atmosphere
of the Western World. It is true that the Latin movement was not
prompted by the same motive that impelled the Anglo-Saxon. Instead of
the love of liberty, he was led out by the lure of gold. Nevertheless,
we must believe the final result will be the same or else disbelieve in
the ultimate triumph of the guidance of God. We should not despair of
the success of this providential movement.
In South America is to be witnessed the last stand of the Latin race.
There God has given him one last chance to achieve a religious
character which will honor his Lord. It is the duty of his Northern
brother to sympathize with him and to believe in his ability to build
up a character worthy of himself and God. If we cannot bring ourselves
to such a belief it is useless for us to expect to be helpful, and it
is unfaithful in us to expend money upon a people when we are confident
it will be wasted.
We must not forget that these people are the descendants of the
Caesars, of Seneca, Napoleon--the race that ruled the world for fifteen
centuries. They surely have not lost all of their virility. It must be
a case of wasted strength. We believe that this race has in it the
possibility of rejuvenation. Lavaleye, the great Belgian political
economist, very probably spoke the truth when he said that the Latin
race is equal to the Anglo-Saxon, the only difference being the gospel
which the Protestants preach and live.
We shall be helpful in our effort to give him the proper sympathy if we
remember the handicaps under which he has labored. He was satisfied
with his old fossilized religion, which had taught him to believe that
despotism is a virtue. He did not, therefore, come to America for
liberty. The early settlers were the veriest adventurers of whom the
gold lust made paragons of cruelty and crime. They brought with them
the intriguing priest who would corrupt the Kingdom of Heaven in order
to maintain his power. There was no intentional break with their old
life. The light that guided them to America was the yellow light of
gold and not the white light of righteousness. The first result was
that there developed in the untrammeled West the most unreasoning
despotism, the most unblushing robbery and the most shamelessly corrupt
priestcraft. So this whole transplanted mass of the worst intolerance,
most insatiable greed and the most corrupt priesthood that Europe has
ever produced, had to be taught from the beginning on the new soil, the
elements of the higher manhood they so desperately needed. They had
learned no first lesson in Europe, and therefore their first lesson in
America was to unlearn the very things that constituted their central
life and thought in Europe.
What progress has this providential teaching of the Latins in the New
World made? So swiftly did they learn the lessons of liberty that
hardly had the conflict which won complete freedom for the United
States closed before the inevitable struggle for the same priceless
heritage was in full swing in all Latin-America. And be it said to
their everlasting credit that this sacred cause, in spite of
revolutions and reactions, which at times hazarded the whole scheme,
has made steady advance, all critics to the contrary, notwithstanding.
Political liberty is potentially at least achieved in South America. It
is written in the Constitutions of the Republics and in the purposes of
the people. While many battles will be fought to establish it in
detail, yet the principle is so well established that it will never be
uprooted, provided we give the moral and educational aid we should
render at this critical hour.
We have come upon a time when we must give to our South American
brothers unstinted support. They have attained political freedom, but
they have not yet gained religious freedom. Nothing can be more
anomalous than a State with political freedom fostering a State
religion that is desperately and unscrupulously intolerant. No genuine
Republic can support a State religion. The two will not live together.
One or the other must go, as the history of France will abundantly
substantiate. One result is inevitable--the people will eventually
repudiate the despotic religion and drift into atheism and infidelity.
Indeed, such a thing is happening in South America today. The better
educated classes are being set hopelessly adrift religiously and the
more ignorant, the common people, are following idolatry. Neither have
the gospel preached to them. The Bible is withheld. Such a state of
affairs is a loud call to us.
If these people are left without a vital, character building religion
they will, because of their volatile natures, degenerate into the
grossest perversions of morality. In such an event the Monroe Doctrine
itself would become a menace. Unless we give these people the gospel it
will be far better to annul the Monroe Doctrine and permit the stronger
nations of Europe to enter for the sake of good government and
morality. We must either carry to our Latin brothers the regenerating,
uplifting, energizing gospel of Jesus, or step out of the way and let
England and Germany interpose their strong arms to prevent one of the
most colossal catastrophes of all time in the moral collapse of the
70,000,000 Latin-Americans. Surely, this must be the time when we, if
we ever intend to do so, must reinforce our Latin brothers. They have
done well, they have made progress, but they have gone about as far as
they can in the struggle upon the moral resources at their command.
Their very progress in education and civilization is widening the
breach between them and their former religious teachers. A new life
must come in, even the power of the gospel. This alone can save
Latin-America from inglorious failure.
We should not deceive ourselves into believing this prevailing religion
has lost its power, even though it is losing its religious hold upon
the better classes. It still retains its social influence over these
same educated classes, who despise its priests. This social power is a
bulwark of strength that we shall experience great difficulty in
breaking. Then, too, we may be sure these Latin lands will have
reinforcement from the Spanish priesthood, which fact assures a most
astute clerical leadership. The Spanish priest is today the most
resourceful, alert and capable priest on the earth. I believe he is to
be the last strong defender of the Roman Catholic organization. It is
no accident that Merry de Val, the Pope's prime minister, is a
Spaniard. His appointment to that office is a just recognition of the
most virile priesthood in the Roman realm. I was profoundly impressed
with the Spanish priest. He looks you in the eye. He is on the street,
"hail fellow well met" with the people. It is evident that he is
conscious of power and possesses the gift of leadership which he is
eager to use. Latin-America will feel the force of his capable
leadership.
The situation in Brazil is complicated furthermore by the turn affairs
have taken in Portugal. There were riots in Rio and public
demonstrations against the local priests and against the exiled
Portuguese priests that would probably enter Brazil after the
establishment of the Portuguese Republic. But it appears that these
Portuguese clerics are to be admitted. This increases the gravity of
the situation. We shall be forced to take account of these men. They
are a part of the religious problem of South America. Whether we wish
to antagonize them or not, we shall be cognizant of their power. They
will not let us alone. They will not give up South America to
Protestantism without a bitter struggle.
Now I do not say all of these things of the Catholic phase of the
religious problem in Latin-America for the purpose of recommending that
we should gird ourselves for a polemical mission to these countries. We
should look the situation squarely in the face that we may be able to
estimate properly every force with which we shall have to do. I think
that if the sole purpose in conducting these missions is to fight the
Catholics, then we can find work to engage us more worthily. Let us
evermore keep before us the fact that the Latin races have a real need
of the gospel and the gospel is not being preached to them by the
priests. If this is true, our duty is clear and our call is imperative.
We must go and preach a positive, soul-saving gospel, avoiding conflict
as far as possible and by satisfying the heart-hunger of the people
with the Bread of Life, win them to Christ and a new life in Him.
I want to enter a plea for these, our brothers to the South of us. God
has separated them from their old soul-dwarfing environment in Europe,
and set them in this Western World that they might learn of Him.
Whether they realize it or not, they are making the last fight for
salvation and character their race is ever to engage in. They have a
need of the gospel as distressing as that of the grossest heathen.
Their religion itself is leading them further and further from their
saving Lord. Their teachers, who should show them the light of life,
are a beclouding hindrance. The little band of missionaries we have
sent are hopelessly inadequate to the task and plead for reinforcements
with a pathos that almost breaks our hearts. Oh, do not some of us, as
we have followed the portrayal of the needs of South America, like
Isaiah of old, hear the Lord saying, "Whom shall I send and who will go
for us?" God grant that some of us may respond as he did, "Lord, here
am I. Send me."
The same deep longing for salvation that is in our hearts is in the
Latin heart. One day in the interior of Brazil I stood with a
missionary speaking with a man who had ridden to the railroad station
to talk with us a few moments while the train was stopping. As we
conversed a boy twelve years of age drew near to hear us. He was
pitifully disfigured with leprosy. So moved was the missionary by the
sight that he turned and said: "Why do you not go somewhere and be
treated." There flashed instantly in the boy's eye a hope that had long
since died, and he quickly inquired, "Where can I go?" The missionary
could not tell him, and I watched the last ray of hope flicker for a
second and then die out forever! Ever since that day I have been
hearing that pathetic question, "Where can I go?" I seem to hear all
Latin-Americans ask it out of depths of sin. And we know to whom they
must go for healing and salvation. Shall we tell them? "Lord to whom
shall we go--thou hast the words of eternal life." To whom shall
Latin-America go? Only Christ has for them the word of life which
blessed truth they will never know unless we carry it to them.
THE END.
APPENDIX.
SUMMARY OF SOUTHERN BAPTIST WORK IN BRAZIL.
I. MISSIONARIES--
1. Foreign, 44.
(1) Men, 21.
(2) Women, 23.
2. Native, 117.
II. CHURCH STATISTICS--
1. Churches, 142.
2. Membership, 9,939.
3. Church Buildings, 44.
4. Outstations, 497.
5. Sunday Schools, 138.
6. Sunday School Scholars, 4,438.
III. SCHOOLS--
1. Primary Schools, 9.
2. Bagby School for Girls in Sao Paulo.
3. Fluminense School for Boys in Nova Friburgo.
4. School for Boys and Girls in Bahia.
5. School for Boys and Girls in Pernambuco.
6. Rio Baptist College and Seminary in Rio.
7. Total number of students, 869.
8. Theological Departments in connection
with Rio and Pernambuco schools.
IV. GENERAL--
1. Work begun in 1882.
2. Publishing House in Rio.