Brazilian Sketches

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But he did not always escape suffering so easily. One afternoon as
he was passing by the priest's home the priest accosted him and
said: "Captain, why is it you do not stop with me any more? You
used to do so, but of late you have passed me by." He urged the
Captain so strongly that he decided to stay all night. They
offered him wine to drink, which he refused. Then they gave him
coffee. That night he suffered agony and was sick for some time
after reaching home. He was sure he had been poisoned.

He suffered many persecutions from unsympathetic neighbors, not
only from criticism, but sometimes from bodily injuries and from
painful abuse, all of which he bore with an equanimity of spirit
which would do credit to any martyr to the cause of Christ.

Dr. Z. C. Taylor relates a trying experience through which he and
Captain Egydio passed together.

"The Captain and I were together one day returning home from a
preaching tour by a near cut, passing the door of our greatest
persecutor, Captain Bernadino, who on seeing us, seized a stick,
and running to us, beat back our hordes, crying, 'Back, back, you
cannot pass my house.' A plunge of my horse caused my hat to fall
off, which he handed me and continued to force our retreat. We
returned by way of the home of his son-in-law, who was a baptized
believer, and while this brother was piloting us down a hill to
another way home Captain Bernadino, jumping from behind a bush,
caught my horse by the bridle. He had an assassin at his heels,
with axe in hand, asking every minute what he should do. Captain
Bernadino wore out his stick on my horse, planting the last stroke
across my loins; then he struck me about a dozen times in the
breast with his fist. I said to him, 'Captain, why are you beating
me, I believe in God; do not you also?' Stopping and panting he
said, 'Do you believe in God, you rascal?' 'Yes,' I said, 'and
Jesus also who came to save us sinners.' 'Don't let up, don't let
up, hit him, hit him,' cried his wife and children. He pulled the
bridle from my hands, led my horse into a pond close by, and
gathering mud, pelted me from foot to shoulder. Then leaving my
horse, he went after Captain Egydio, who was guarded by another
assassin. On passing his son-in-law, kneeling, he struck him on
the head, saying, 'Get up, you fool!' Leading the Captain's horse
into the water, he covered him with mud from foot to head. Then,
putting our bridles up, he beat our horses and told us to go,
never to be seen in those parts any more. My bridle reins he
crossed, which fact caused me when I passed his wife, who stood
with a long stick upraised, to strike me, to turn my horse upon
her instead of away from her, and the horse came near running over
her. She struck and fell back, the stick falling across my horse's
neck. Such a pandemonium of mad voices, cursing and shouting as we
left I never heard. It took us till night to reach home. The
family took it as an honor, and smiling and laughing, we were
spending the evening merrily, when at nine or ten o'clock a rap at
the door caused us all to suspend our hilarity. It was that son-
in-law of the persecutor, bringing his wife, asking to be
baptized. She had witnessed the persecution her father gave us,
and on her husband's return to the house, she told him the scene
made her think of the Apostles and that now she was determined to
be baptized. At first I thought of bloodshed, for her father had
threatened to kill her, her mother, Captain Egydio and the man who
baptized her. But I had always taught them to obey Christ and
leave results with Him, so we heard her experience and at midnight
I baptized her.

Captain Egydio did not complain of our treatment nor did I ever
mention it to our Consul.

When he gave his heart to Christ he gave his life and all. He
followed where his conscience led. Before his conversion he was a
great smoker. The missionary asked him one day if he smoked for
the glory of God. He took the cigarette from his mouth, threw it
away and never smoked again. This was characteristic of his
determination and his unfaltering devotion to what he esteemed to
be right.

The end came swiftly one night. He had an attack apparently of
indigestion which carried him speedily away. The symptoms seemed
to indicate that he had been poisoned. All that night he spent in
prayer and in singing hymns. He died leaving his benediction upon
his family and upon those Brazilians who would give their hearts
and their services to Jesus Christ.

He was buried upon his own farm. As his family did not erect a
cross over his grave, one of his neighbors who had persecuted
Captain Egydio violently many times thought he would correct him
in his grave, and so he set up a large cross over him. One night
soon after, this cross was cut down. The violent neighbor
instituted a suit for the violation of the law in tearing down a
symbol of the Roman Catholic church. He also came with great pomp,
accompanied by soldiers, and set up another cross. The law suit
finally wore itself out and both parties were glad to drop it,
each party sharing an equal amount of the costs.

The persecution has been so bitter that the church which Captain
Egydio organized in his own house was removed to Pe da Serra,
three miles away, and from there it was driven by persecution to
Rio Preto, where today it flourishes with a membership of about
fifty people and is in a hopeful condition. The widow and her
children have been compelled to move into the city of Bahia. A
recent letter informs me of the conversion of the two youngest
girls.

The witness of Captain Egydio has not been lost. It is marvelous
how much he accomplished in his short career. He was converted
October, 1894, baptized February 4, 1895, and died March 30th,
1898, at fifty years of age. In these few years he sowed the
country down with the gospel truth. We visited Vargem Grande,
Santo Antonio, Areia and Genipapo churches, all of which had grown
very largely out of the influence of this one man, and had we been
permitted to go further, we might have visited several other
churches for whose beginning the life of this valiant servant of
God was in a great measure responsible. "He, being dead, yet
speaketh."

CHAPTER XI.

FELICIDADE.

One of the most fascinating phases of mission study is the tracing
of the lines along which the gospel spreads. This is true because
it brings us into touch with the native Christian who is one of
the greatest agencies for the spread of the gospel. As it was in
the first century, so it is now--"they that were scattered abroad
went everywhere preaching the gospel." The history of those
Apostolic times repeats itself in every mission land. He who
personally observes the work in Brazil or any other mission field
will have a keener appreciation and understanding of the Acts of
the Apostles written by Luke. The native Christians must either
witness for their Lord or else betray Him. There is no middle
ground. A large percentage of the churches in Brazil grew out of
the fact that a believer moved into a community and began to tell
the story of the love of Jesus to his neighbors. He may have
entered this community by choice or may have been driven into it
by persecution. However, that may be, the truth is that many a
poor, despised, often persecuted believer, has started a movement
in a community which gathered to itself a large company of
believers, and formed the nucleus of another one of those most
wonderful institutions in all the world--a church of Jesus Christ.

When I had entered the First Baptist Church in Sao Paulo, Brazil,
and stood for a moment looking about me, I heard someone exclaim,
"Oh, there he is! There he is!" and presently I found myself
locked in the affectionate embrace of an apparently very happy old
woman. She was about seventy years of age. She was the janitress
of the church. She had looked forward to our coming with joyful
pleasure, and gave to us as hearty a welcome as did anyone in
Brazil. Her name was Felicidade, which being translated means
"Felicity."

Several years ago she had come from Pernambuco, in which city and
State she had labored with great success for many years in behalf
of the gospel.

When a girl of ten or twelve years of age she heard her father
talk about a book he had seen in the court-house upon which the
Judge had laid his hand as he administered the oath. She had the
greatest desire to see this book. She was married in her
thirteenth year and her husband died when she was eighteen. After
his death she went from the country to the city of Pernambuco,
where she met some members of the Congregational Church and was
led by them to attend the services. She saw the Bible and heard a
sermon preached from the text, "Blessed are they that hunger and
thirst," and soon afterward she gave obedience to Jesus.

From that time forth her whole conversation was upon the gospel
and upon the subject of bringing other people to Christ. One time
when Mrs. Entzminger was away from the city of Pernambuco she left
her children in charge of Felicidade. While Felicidade was passing
along the street with the children one day she was met by Mrs.
Maria Motta and her daughter, who stopped to admire the beautiful
children. Felicidade told who the children were and urged her new
acquaintances to attend the church services. They accepted her
invitation and soon became interested in the gospel, and before
long were converted to faith in Jesus Christ.

Then their persecution began. They lost all their friends and
endured many other hardships. They came from one of the best
families in the city, and therefore felt the persecution more
bitterly than might have some others. The girl, Augusta, secured
work in the English store. Her mother took in fine ironing, and
thus the two made their support. Afterward Augusta married Augusto
Santiago, who at the present time is the pastor of our thriving
church in the city of Nazareth. She has been to him one of the
greatest blessings in that she has done much to help him in his
effort to prepare himself better for his work. When we visited
Nazareth we were entertained in the delightful home of Augusto
Santiago and found it to be charming in every respect.

When Felicidade lived in Pernambuco it was her custom to sell
fruit for six months to make money enough to live upon for the
remainder of the year. She would then go into the interior with
tracts and Bibles, sell them and in every way try to lead people
to Christ. One year she made it her aim to lead not less than
twelve to her Lord, and she was able to accomplish her purpose.
Her education is limited, but she knows any number of Scripture
verses, which she is able to quote with remarkable aptness.

Upon one of her visits into the interior she was found at Nazareth
by Innocencio Barbosa, a farmer who resided in the district of
Ilheitas. He lived about thirty miles from Nazareth. He took
Felicidade home with him in order that she might teach the gospel
to his family. Meanwhile, his friend, Hermenigildo, who lived in a
distant neighborhood, bought a Bible in Limoeiro and told his
friend Innocencio of what he had done. Innocencio told him of the
presence of Felicidade and suggested that his friend might take
her home with him that she might explain the gospel to his family
also. Felicidade accordingly went into this other home and soon
the entire family, including a son-in-law and some relatives, were
led to Jesus, and a church of about fifty members was organized in
Hermenigildo's house.

Thus the faithful witnessing of this humble, consecrated woman was
so honored of the Holy Spirit that scores were led into the light
of the gospel of Jesus. Out of her efforts grew churches which the
violence of the oppressor could not destroy, because the work she
did became immortal when it passed over into the hands of the Lord
of Hosts, against whose church not even the gates of Hell can
prevail.

CHAPTER XII.

PERSECUTION.

Some of the severest persecutions the saints have ever endured in
Pernambuco broke upon this new congregation in the Ilheitas
district. The houses of the believers were broken into and
everything destroyed, some of the buildings were burned. The
believers asked for police protection, but the police sent to
protect them being under the domination of the priest, who was the
political boss of that district, persecuted the believers even
more than their neighbors had done. They drove the believers
about, beating them with their swords, forcing them to drink
whisky and in many ingenious ways heaped indignities upon them.
After the success of the great persecution in Bom Jardim, of which
we will speak later, the priest organized a large force of men to
destroy everything belonging to the Protestants in the Ilheitas
district and to drive them away. They burned all of the church
furniture, as well as the household furniture belonging to
Hermenigildo, who was forced to flee for his life. They cut the
cord to the hammock in which was lying his young baby. The fall
broke the neck of the child. The mother was driven unclothed
between two lines of soldiers and severely beaten. The other
believers were so harrassed that most of them were compelled to
leave the neighborhood. Hermenigildo stayed away five months, when
a change in police chiefs in Pernambuco made it possible for him
to return. The church was reorganized the following year. A new
building was constructed on Hermenigildo's farm and today, with a
membership of 103, it is in a most prosperous condition.

In the little city of Nazareth the fury of persecution has been
felt. Not a great while after the church had been organized by Dr.
Entzminger the farmers in the community and the priest combined to
drive the Protestants out of town. Dr. Entzminger heard of their
purpose and went up to Nazareth, accompanied by a number of
soldiers whom the Government had put at his disposal. A great
throng was collected at the station to do violence to the
missionary on his arrival, but when they saw the soldiers they
took to their heels, and many came that night to the service to
show that they were not in the mob. A year or two later another
mob broke into the church, poured oil over the furniture and
burned practically everything. The police saved the building. Once
after this, when Missionary Ginsburg was to hold an open-air
meeting in this same town, a soldier was hired to take his life.
The officers of the law left town in order that the deed might be
done without hindrance. The soldier drank whisky in order to brace
himself for the deed, and fortunately imbibed too much and became
so intoxicated that he fell asleep. When he awoke the meeting had
been held and he had missed his chance. These facts were confessed
by the soldier to Dr. Entzminger after the soldier had been
converted a year later.

At the railway station at Nazareth we met Primo da Fonseca, who
had, for the sake of the gospel, lost all in a great persecution
at Bom Jardim, which is not a great distance from Nazareth. He was
a reader of evangelical literature and preached the gospel all
over that country, though he had not been baptized. A native
missionary went into that region, began preaching and soon
afterward gathered a congregation and organized a church in
Fonseca's home. The political boss of the community planned with
the Catholics to take 800 men into Bom Jardim on the night of
April 15th, 1900, for the purpose of killing all the Protestants
who were in prayer at Fonseca's house. The mob divided into two
parties. One party was to approach the house from the front and
the other from the opposite side. A gun was to be fired as a
signal for the attack. The first party approached the house, which
was near the theater. Now in the theater at that time was gathered
a great throng of people. When the news came to them of the
approach of the mob the women thought it was a part of the band of
bandits led by Antonio Silvino, who is perhaps the most famous
outlaw of Brazil. All were greatly frightened. The Mayor went out
to see if he could not do something to persuade the mob to leave
the town. After some parleying they said that inasmuch as the
Mayor asks, we will turn back. Someone at that time fired a shot
and shouted, "Viva Santa Anna" in honor of the patron saint of
that city. This signal brought up the supporting party at once,
who mistook their comrades for the believers and fired into them.
In the melee twenty people were killed and about fifty wounded. All
night they were carrying the dead away to burial in order that
they might cover up the deed as far as possible. The Municipal
Judge made out a case that the Protestants had fired on the
Catholics. He pronounced nineteen as being implicated. Several
escaped, six were finally brought to trial. Dr. Entzminger in
Pernambuco sent lawyers and gave such assistance as he could.
After about two years, Missionary Ginsburg having come also to
help in the meantime, the men on trial were set free. Fonseca lost
all he had in this law suit, he being one of those arrested. He
was in jail four months. He has been deserted by his family. When
the disturbance occurred he was Marshal of his town. Today he
lives in Nazareth, poor, deserted, faithful. But what cares he for
this suffering, poverty and desertion as he contemplates the fact
that he has set a torch of eternal light in his community. The
church which he finally established will bear faithful witness in
spite of hardships long after all persecution has ceased, and he,
himself, has gone home to God.

It was our good fortune to visit the little town of Cabo (which
means Cape), two hours' ride from Pernambuco, where we have a
small church, organized about two years ago. We were entertained
in the home of a mechanic who superintends the bridge construction
along the railroad which passes through the town. He takes his
Bible with him when he goes to work, and wherever he is he
preaches the gospel. He told us of two station agents along the
line who had recently accepted Christ through his personal
efforts.

We had a delightful service that night in the church, a great
throng of people being present, six of whom made public profession
of their faith in Jesus. After we had returned from the church we
sat in the little dining room in the rear part of this man's house
until a late hour. Some of those who had suffered for the cause of
the gospel came in to see us, and as we sat there in the dim light
of the flickering candle, they told us of some of their sufferings
for the gospel's sake. The scene reminded me of what must have
taken place often in many a dark room in the early centuries when
the Christians gathered together for the sake of comforting each
other in their trials.

Amongst those who were present in this little room was brother
Honofre, through whose efforts the church at Cabo had been
founded. Several years ago he began to read a Bible which had been
presented to him by a man who was not interested in it. He became
converted along with his household. There was a Catholic family
living opposite to him which he determined to reach with the
gospel. After awhile this family accepted Christ and the two
families began to hold worship in their homes. Soon they rented a
hall, with the aid of a few others, and sent to Pernambuco for a
missionary to come and organize them into a church. This man has
endured cruel hardships. He had to abandon his business as a
street merchant because the people boycotted him. He rented a
house, built an oven and began to bake bread. Not long after that
he was put out of this house. Again and yet again he had the same
experience until recently he has rented a house from the same man
who provided for our church building. He can now make a living.

The church has had experience similar to that of its founder. It
was put out of three rented buildings at the instance of the
Vicar, who either forced the owners to eject or he, himself,
bought the property. Finally a man who is not a believer, but
whose mother is, bought the present building and sold it to me
church. He is permitting the church to pay for the building in
installments of small sums. At last the church has a place upon
which it can rest the sole of its feet and in two years has grown
from ten to fifty members. On the occasion of our visit six more
made public confession of Christ before a large audience and were
received for baptism.

Out on the cape is a fine lighthouse which we had admired as we
came up the coast on the ship. May it be a symbol of the
lighthouse which this church may become to the storm tossed in
that section of Brazil.

Of course, persecution is a painful thing for those who are called
upon to endure it, but wherever I found those who had passed
through afflictions they counted it all joy to suffer for the
cause of Christ, and whenever I attempted to comfort them because
of their hardships, I came away more comforted than they, for the
reason that their joyous willingness to suffer for His sake
strengthened my own faith and assured me of the ultimate triumph
of the gospel through the labors of such heroic people.
Persecution, while it may temporarily suspend work in a certain
place, always defeats its own purpose, and instead of preventing
the spread of the gospel, is one of the most helpful agencies in
the growth of the truth.

A most encouraging illustration of this fact occurred in
Pernambuco in 1904. There had been a bitter persecution at Cortez,
a village not far from Pernambuco. The chief instigator of the
trouble was the parish priest. The believers were driven out of
the town and their lives threatened. The missionary went and was
also driven out, but returned under the protection of some
soldiers and conducted gospel services through a whole week in
order to give courage to the believers and to demonstrate that the
Protestants could not be driven out. A news account of this
persecution was published in a daily paper in Pernambuco. A boy
cut this article out and gave it to his teacher, a priest in the
Silesian College. The teacher read the article and wrote a letter
to Missionary Cannada and asked him to come to the college at
midnight to explain the gospel. Two letters were passed before the
missionary finally went at midnight to hold a conference. The
priest came out and discussed the gospel with the missionary and
then returned to the college, taking with him a copy of the New
Testament. After a month the missionary went again at midnight to
the college and the priest came away with him once for all. The
priest went to the home of the missionary and for two months
studied the Bible, after which time he was converted. He at once
began to preach the gospel to his friends as he would meet them on
the streets. He also made a public declaration of his conversion
in print. The President of the college from which he had gone
obtained an interview with him and offered him every inducement to
return. His parents disinherited him and many other trials came to
him, but through all, he stood firm. He has just graduated from
the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, taking the Th. D.
degree and has been appointed to teach in the Baptist College and
Theological Seminary in Rio. His name is Piani. About a year after
Piani's conversion he induced another priest to leave the same
college. This man spent a month in the missionary's house studying
the Bible, but was enticed back by the priests and hurried away to
New York in order that he might escape the influence of Piani.
Three months after reaching New York he was converted and joined
the Fifth Avenue Baptist Church and is today a pastor of a Baptist
church in Massachusetts.

In no place where our people have endured persecution, even though
it may have been severe enough to cost the lives of some, has the
work been abandoned, but in every place the weak, struggling
congregation which faced obliteration at the fury of its enemy,
has in the end increased, and today enjoys the blessing of growth
in numbers and in the sympathy of the people. Persecution is a
good agency in the spread of the gospel.

CHAPTER XIII.

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.

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