A Brazilian Church Raised Up by Bible Reading
THE Missionary Review of the World gives the following interesting account of a church raised up in Brazil simply as the result of the reading of the Bible: “Some time after the Presbyterians had established mission work in Brazil, they found in the interior of one of the provinces, quite remote from any Protestant work or influence, a community of Bible Christians, with an organized church, living harmoniously together, without any connection or definite knowledge of any other like Christian community. Investigating the origin of this society, it was ascertained to be a growth from the reading of a Bible that had fallen into the hands of a young man in the community. Other young men joined him in reading it, and became deeply interested. They believed the truths and accepted the salvation thus made known. Others were brought under its influence, and after a time they decided to organize a church according to the teaching of the apostles, with elders and deacons. One served as pastor, to whom they paid a moderate salary. The missionaries found that this Bible was one of an edition of the American Bible Society, published in 1834 or 1836, and doubtless was taken to the country by a Methodist missionary, who was the first one to distribute Bibles in Brazil. He was there from the winter of 1837 to the summer of 1840. No other Bibles were sent to that country till several years later. An attempt was made by the Romish priests to destroy these Bibles, but this one and a few others escaped.”