The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1873-10-08
From the Missionary.
Extract of Letter from Rev. John Boyle
PERNANIBUoo, BRAZIL, July %, 1877

'COOj OhALlLi uIy lO'o
| have several items of news to report this
month, which, [ doubt not, will be of interest to
the Committee, and to the readers of The Mission
arg.
The Lord is answering our prayers Yesterday,
(oaooatn.) one week ago, gentleman called to see
us and joined himself to us, who has cast off the
superstition and ldolatry of Rome. [ have not
yet learned his full history, what first led him to
doubt the Romlsh dogmas, etc., but suppose it
was the work OF the Holy Spirit. This much we
learned That two years ago he sent to Lisbon for
copy OF the Holy Scriptures that he began read
ing tnem' that ne had not read them great deal
before he threw away all his images of the Virgin,
the Saints, and Christ, Il use BON s order,) which
had hitherto been hanging around the walls of his
mouse, and In the family oratory; that he does not
think the Padre can, by any amount of Jug
glery, make the flesh and blood of Christ out OF
the bakers crackers and the grocer's wine and
that he Is firmly of the opinion that the Bishop his
nothing to do with his sort; and, finally, that he
wants TO unite with Christian church. He came,
!nqulrlng, not tor the American padres, as some
have done, but for the christian ministers. y
de has pleasant face, was neatly dressed, and is
evidently one OF the middle class of people. He
introduced himself as Senior Jao, Mister John.
| afterwards learned his full name, but you must
excuse me from giving it, it is In the same style
as all other Brazilian Names and OF course, hard to
remember. He says he has three friends who have
also been reading the Scriptures and hence believe
as he does. He says he can bring with him quite
number of persons to our services so soon as we
begin. do not think these people have any con-
nection with Wanna and his flock. The Lord be
praised
THE YOUNG PADRE.
A few days ago Wanna called on brother Smith,
and brought with him young priest who has
broken with Rome. His case is an interesting one,
though unsatisfactory and sad. A woman is be-
hind the curtain. He graduated at the Seminary
here and then preached year, at the end OF which
time, he applied to the successor of the apostles
the Bishop here, for leave to marry. Now, these
bishops and padres have strange fancy for doing
as the Pharisees did, Mark vii g. A padre may
live IN opon concublnage, as the majority OF them
here do: that, it Is true, is opposed to Scripture
but the Church don't forbid it, and it is therefore
all right But for prest to marry is monstrou:
crime, an outrage on morality and all decency
since the Church forbids it, though scriptural.-
What could the Rev. Bishop therefore do, but
suspend the young priest for WANTING to marry
This he did. Whereupon the priest took the girl
and has been living with her ever since. This hap
pened eight months ago. 1t was not possible
for him to marry her. No priest would do it,
The Bishop offered to restore him if he would cast
off the girl, which he refused to do. He now
wishes to leave Rome, marry the girl, and unite
with Protestant church, if he could be received
as a minister We cannot tell, as yet how near
his heart is right, nor what are his exact views on
the Romish dogDas. We can only pray that he
may be truly converted if he is not so now, and be
brought into the glorious liberty of the gospel Of
Christ.
THE VICAR OF SAN ANTONIO.
The Bishop received orders from Rio to remove
the interdicts from the different churches. This
brought him out in a long pastoral, published il
the Union, in which he refuses to obey, saying,
that he is to obey God, and not MANN other
words, the Pope, and not the Emperor of Brazil.
few days ago gentleman here died and was
| taken to his church, the Matrese de San Antonio,
Tor Mother Church of San Antonio, which you
will remember is the second division Of the city,
The vicar of the church was paid for performing
the usual services over the dead. He then refused
to do it unless he had written testimony, sworn to,
that the deceased was not Mason this the friends
refused to give; and brother of the dead, being
an influential man, obtained from the president oil
this province an order to the vicar to perform the
ceremonies; but he stoutly refused, and the man
was buried without it. JIhe vicar, however, was
presented before the proper court on Saturday,
and his trial is In progress now. What will be the
| end of this strife no one can tell, though good
many Of the Brazilians think that blood will be
shed. do not see how it can be avoided, Ii the
| Bishop and Jesuits are determined to try their
strength, and the Government maintains It's dlgnl
ty. And if the Government passes over the insult
in silence then the people will take matters into
their own hands. How can they do otherwise,
unless they all unite and form new church, which,
with their present light they are not prepared to do
What, therefore, can they do? One-hat OF the
population, if not more, are under lnterdlct, and
| Il; 81 CO how no
cannot be married, nor can their children be bap
tzed with the rites of the Church. These thing
mean vastly more to Roman Catholic, than to
one of the readers of The Missionary, for In their
opinion they affect the eternal interests OF the soul
If father believes that his child, should it die un-
baptized, will be lost, will he not be infuraed at
that man who prevents its being baptized? be-
lieve that if the Government does not lnterpose
with strong arm, the people will arise In their
righteous indignation and cast out these hated
disciples of Loyoa, as the Jesuits are popu-
larly styled, and much blood may be shed. The
Bshop is frequently called fratriclde In the pub
lie journals, and they talk much of blOodshed-
Such sentences as the following are not rare In the
papers of Pernambuco: What will he hope for,
or in what will His Rev. Excellency confde? The
succor of fratricdal arms? A hecatomb OF his
brethren ?" The people are beginning TO see the
evils of having the Church and State connected,
and diSeStq6liShmeat is talked of by many; and l
do not think the time is very tar in the future
when it will be accomplished. God speed on the
day hope the Bishop will persist-it will be
all the better for the cause of Christianity. The
Lord will attend to that, however, for ne maketh
the wrath of men to praise him, and restraineth
so much as will not praise him. | understand that
the Pope wrote to the Bishop that he had gone too
far. For this warning, and perhaps to reconcile
the old man (of SIM the Bishop sent him thirty
thousand dollars.