The Third Angel's Message in Peru by A. N. Allen

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Nov 23, 1911

The Third Angel's Message in Peru

By A. N. Allen

A. N. ALLEN

NEARLY three years have passed since we landed in Peru. Though deprived of everything except our trunks by the sinking of the steamship “Finance,” on which our household goods were shipped, we, with the help of God, have again surrounded ourselves with some of the comforts of life. God has blessed his work in this field, and the seed sown by the colporteurs and in other ways is constantly bearing fruit. The membership in this field, which was twenty-two when we came, has grown to over one hundred. Several thousand dollars’ worth of literature has been sold, mostly by natives. It has cost considerable to maintain the mission and secure these results. The field being large and the believers widely scattered, much traveling has been necessary. However, we are putting forth every effort to reach a normal basis, and as the tithe increases from year to year, we hope the time will soon come when self-support may be possible.

The state of mind of a large per cent of the people of Peru is best expressed by an occurrence in Uruguay recently referred to by Brother Maximo Trummer. From the last page of the REVIEW of August 31, I quote: “From early morning until late at night, carriages were driven from one part of the city to the other, from which were distributed leaflets with such titles as these: ‘Away with God;’ ‘Let the Family and Church Be Separate;’ ‘We Desire to Be Free From All Religion.’ Young women

marched through the streets carrying a banner with the inscription, ‘All Women Who Are Against the Church, Come to the Meeting.’”

Is the French Revolution to be repeated in South America? What can be done to meet this situation? What is the responsibility resting on us as a people in this continent? The importance of the words found in “Testimonies for the Church,” Vol. IX, page 67, becomes apparent: “Why . . . do not our people appreciate and circulate more widely the books bearing the divine credentials? Why is not a specialty made of the books containing the warnings regarding Satan’s work? Why do we not give greater effort to circulating the books that point out Satan’s plans to counterwork the work of God, that uncover his plans and point out his deceptions?” Every student of prophecy knows what this “counterwork” is. Here in South America thinking men and women have seen the corruption of this false system, and instead of seeking the true faith, they are preparing to repeat the history of France. How urgent that we circulate books here, not only revealing the deceptions of the false system, but also teaching the truth for this time.

The leading men in Peru are Masons, and a large per cent of the young men are atheists. The women are also rapidly losing faith in the priests. Strong anti-clerical articles find place in all the leading newspapers. Other papers are published with the sole purpose of combating the power of the priest in politics, home, and business. Our papers find a ready sale in all parts of the republic. Shall we hesitate longer in giving the people the books dealing with these subjects in the light of prophecy and history?

Some agitation is continually going on in favor of liberty of worship. Apparently one of the chief hindrances to the changing of the constitution so as to legalize freedom of worship is the straitened political relation of Peru with her neighbors, which have granted freedom, and thus have to a degree lost their connection with Rome. But Peru fears to lose any advantage of influence she may have over her neighbors through the Pope. For this reason she hesitates to offend by making any laws unfavorable to the Church of Rome. However, public opinion is very liberal, and I have yet to experience any serious difficulty in holding public meetings anywhere in the country. In one place we were given, free of charge, a large municipal hall for our meetings. In another place we have the offer of the free use of the municipal theater whenever we wish to hold public services. For all these openings we praise God, and push ahead with the message.

If our brethren in the home land could see the joy with which some of these people accept the truth, and how they labor and sacrifice in order to give it to others, they would feel highly repaid for all their sacrifice for foreign missions.

Lima.