"The
Bishop Of La Paz Has Sent A Letter To The Minister Of Public Worship
Of Which The Following Is The Substance:
'It is necessary for me to
call attention to the Protestant meetings being held in this city,
which cause scandal and alarm throughout the whole district, and
which are contrary to the law of Bolivia.
Moreover, it is
indispensable that we prevent the sad results which must follow such
teachings, so contrary to the true religion. On the other hand, if
this is not stopped, we shall see a repetition of the scenes that
recently took place in Cochabamba.'" [Footnote: Referring to the
sacking and burning of Mr. Payne's possessions previously referred
to.]
Bolivia was one of the last of the Republics to hold out against
"liberty of worship," but in 1907 this was at last declared. Great
efforts were made that this law should not be passed.
In my lectures on this continent I have invariably stated that in
South America the priest is the real ruler of the country. I append a
recent despatch from Washington, which is an account of a massacre of
revolutionary soldiers, under most revolting circumstances, committed
at the instigation of the ecclesiastical authorities: "The Department
of State has been informed by the United States Minister at La Paz,
Bolivia, that Col. Pando sent 120 men to Ayopaya. On arriving at the
town of Mohoza, the commander demanded a loan of two hundred dollars
from the priest of the town, and one hundred dollars from the mayor.
These demands being refused, the priest and the mayor were
imprisoned. Meanwhile, however, the priest had despatched couriers to
the Indian village, asking that the natives attack Pando's men. A
large crowd of Indians came, and, in spite of all measures taken to
pacify them, the arms of the soldiers were taken away, the men
subjected to revolting treatment, and finally locked inside the
church for the night. In the morning the priest, after celebrating
the so-called 'mass of agony,' allowed the Indians to take out the
unfortunate victims, two by two, and 103 were deliberately murdered,
each pair by different tortures. Seventeen escaped death by having
departed the day previous on another mission."
After Gen. Pando was elected President of the Republic of Bolivia,
priestly rule remained as strong as ever. To enter on and retain his
office he must perforce submit to Church authority. When in his
employ, however, I openly declared myself a Protestant missionary;
and, because of exploration work, was made a Bolivian citizen.
In 1897 it was my great joy to preach the gospel in Ensenada. Many
and attentive were the listeners as for the first time in their lives
they were told of the Man of Calvary who died that they might live.
With exclamations of wonder they sometimes said: "What fortunate
people we are to have heard such words!" Four men and five women were
born again. Ensenada, built on a malarial swamp, was reeking with
miasma, and the houses were raised on posts about a yard above the
slime. I was in consequence stricken with malarial fever. One day a
man who had attended the meetings came into my room, and, kneeling
down, asked the Lord not to let me suffer, but to take me quickly.
After long weeks of illness, God, however, raised me up again, and
the meetings were resumed, when the reason of the priest's non-
interference was made known to me. He had been away on a long
vacation, and, on his return, hearing of my services, he ordered the
church bells rung furiously. On my making enquiries why the bells
clanged so, I was informed that a special service was called in the
church. At that service a special text was certainly taken, for I was
the text. During the course of the sermon, the preacher in his fervid
eloquence even forbade the people to look at me. After that my
residence in the town was most difficult. The barber would not cut my
hair, nor would the butcher sell me his meat, and I have gone into
stores with the money ostentatiously showing in my hand only to hear
the word, "Afuera!" (Get out!) When I appeared on the street I was
pelted with stones by the men, while the women ran away from me with
covered faces! It was now a sin to look at me!
I reopened the little hall, however, for public services. It had been
badly used and was splashed with mud and filth. The first night men
came to the meetings in crowds just to disturb, and one of these shot
at me, but the bullet only pierced the wall behind. A policeman
marched in and bade me accompany him to the police station, and on
the way thither I was severely hurt by missiles which were thrown at
me. An official there severely reprimanded me for thus disturbing the
quiet town, and I was ushered in before the judge. That dignified
gentleman questioned me as to the object of my meetings. Respectfully
answering, I said: "To tell the people how they can be saved from
sin." Then, as briefly as possible, I unfolded my mission. The man's
countenance changed. Surely my words were to him an idle tale - he
knew them not. After cautioning me not to repeat the offence, he gave
me my liberty, but requested me to leave the town. Rev. F. Penzotti,
of the B. & F. B. Society, was imprisoned in a dungeon for eight long
months, so I was grateful for deliverance.
An acquaintance who was eye-witness to the scene, though himself not
a Christian, tells the following sad story:
"Away near the foot of the great Andes, nestling quietly in a fertile
valley, shut away, one would think, from all the world beyond, lay
the village of E - -. The inhabitants were a quiet, home-loving
people, who took life as they found it, and as long as they had food
for their mouths and clothes for their backs, cared little for
anything else.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 36 of 83
Words from 35547 to 36563
of 83353
