The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-22

thought and action. the movement in which
these people We're engaged did not repre-
sent any advance or development of
thought, but rather a return TO something
of which they believed they had been de-
prived. They had become more primitive
than their kinsmen in the larger church OF
Rome across the line. 1 had looked into
the Catholic Church earlier in the day. and
had found practically none but women and
girls in attendance. There was, OF course.
nothing DISTINCTIVE about the worship.
While my Mexican Protestant minister
was delivering his hOmily, which lasted
about half an hour, the Juvenile part of
the congregation became somewhat rest
less. one little child cried out quite vo-
ciferously, whereupon the young man seated
next me rose, went to the mother. took
the child, and passed out of doors with IL,
swaying and soothing it. The mother con-
tinued her close attention to the discourse.
BY and ny the young man came in, with
the child quite still.
Early in the delivery of the sermon a
on my knees, and solicited my attention.
AS he was not one of the hairless variety
I could not have stood that-I yielded
to an impulse TO stroke his head. where
upon he jumped into my lap. l stroked
him some more, and when. at last, l ceased
TO caress him, he drew himself of a little
in the way that dogs of all nationalities
employ when they are about 10 demand
a continuance of attention, and | was par
alyZed with fear lest he should bark at the
top of his voice. However, 1 succeeded in
Alld0NAAt6 AAAAAA " AtSNlC uOhh anu XVI "
sleep without speaking"
After the sermon one of the deacons Of
fered prayer very earnestly, literally from
the floor Of the house, and the congrega-
ton sang, as a closing piece, a strange and
very beautiful chant, to a minor melody,
evidently either Mexican or Spanish, which
was TO me something quite new and exotic.
Even the small children joined in singing
ii with great gusto. Its rather wild and
plaintive strain. full of the color of the
country seemed a wise concession to the
esthetic sense of these people, which must
experience a certain deprivation in the cut
ting off from the Church of Rome, no mat
ter what they may feel that they gain In
other ways.
L was greatly impressed by this thor
oughly genuine and unformalized scene of
worship. and by it quite convinced of the
genuineneSS of the Protestant movement
now going on, not only in Mexico, but in
other Standardization countries. The re-
Spouse of this purely Indian people to a
demand for an emotional service in which
they feel a sense of participation. and in a
system which they may suppose to rest up
on their own Interpretation of a miraculous
Word open at all times to their spontane-
Gus study, seemed to me to throw some
light on the evangelical movement in the
Philippine islands that we read of in the
dispatches.
/ learned tina the church had attended
belongs to the Methodist denomination
and was built up in Nogales by the Rev.
Mr.. Reynolds, who is now the presiding
elder of the Sonora Mexico) conference.
which includes this bit of Arizona. He is
still the pastor of the little church, to which
he often breaches in Spanish. But tits evil
dent that it has gone quite beyond the need
of anything Xix American patronage. A
movement that possesses so much spon-
ings L witnessed, will expand of its own
force.