PROTESTANT MISSIONS IN MEXICO.
By Elder D. T. Jones
IN 1821 Mexico became an independent nation, after having been a Spanish province for just three hundred years. But to be independent of Spain was not to throw off at once the effects of three hundred years of spiritual bondage, nor, indeed, to become independent of papal rule. The Declaration of Independence was called the "Constitution of the Three Guarantees." These guarantees were religion, independence, and union. The guarantee of religion provided that the nation should be Roman Catholic, without toleration of any other faith. This guarantee continued in effect, practically, till the laws of reform, referred to in a previous article, were enforced, after the overthrow of Maximilian, in 1867. But a circumstance which the Mexican Government could not control, had, ere this, awakened an interest in the minds of many to hear the pure apostolic gospel. Sometimes blessings come in disguise, and so it was in this instance.507 In 1847, when the American army penetrated the country to the capital, representatives of the American Bible Society accompanied this army and distributed Bibles in the Spanish language to all who would accept them. The Bible was an unknown book to the people; it was like a new revelation. Many devoured it eagerly, and the seeds thus sown afterwards bore fruit. But as yet for nearly twenty years no missionary dared to enter the country. About the year 1850 Miss Matilda Rankin went from Bloomington, Illinois, to Brownsville, Texas, and, establishing herself there on the north bank of the Rio Grande, improved every opportunity to send Bibles into Mexico, or to otherwise introduce the gospel into that country. Since the experiment of sending Bible agents with the army of General Scott, and in that way learning of the desire on the part of many to possess a copy of the word of God, the American Bible Society felt a deep interest in Mexico, and only awaited an opportunity to send their colporters into the country. In 1860 Mr. Thompson, an agent of the society, was stationed on the border with instructions to improve every opportunity to send Bibles across the Rio Grande. About this time the political kaleidoscope was given another turn. As we have already stated, the Laws of Reform were enacted in 1857, and directly following this a new constitution was adopted, providing for the fullest religious liberty, and the freedom of the press. The following year Benito Juarez, the author of the "Laws of Reform," and a principal mover in the adoption of the new constitution, was elected president of the republic. The country was in a disturbed condition. For almost forty years insurrections and revolutions had followed each other in rapid succession; and, with the church party in bitter antagonism to his policy, it was not an easy matter to reduce the country to a state of tranquillity, and quietly enforce the constitution and laws. But Juarez was rapidly bringing order out of confusion when an unexpected obstacle suddenly presented itself. It was at this juncture that what is known in the history of Mexico as the French Intervention occurred. At first France, England, and Spain united and sent their ambassadors to Mexico to demand the satisfaction of claims which certain of their respective subjects held against the government. Finally England and Spain withdrew, but France, violating her plighted faith, marched her army to the capital and took forcible possession of the government. It was now apparent that the intervention on the part of Napoleon III. was only the first step in a plan to overthrow the republic and establish an empire on its ruins. The church party, encouraged by Napoleon III. and the pope, made one more grand effort to get possession of the government. They saw clearly that the republic must be overthrown, or their own power in civil matters must cease. It was decided to establish an empire, and, in order to secure foreign sympathy and support, it was further decided to offer the throne to a foreigner. Napoleon III. was authorized to nominate the candidate, and he offered the glittering prize to Maximilian, archduke of Austria. Maximilian accepted it, and after visiting Rome to receive the pope's blessing, which was given, with the further assurance that heaven approved the enterprise and would bring it to a successful issue, he set out for his new dominions, arriving in Mexico in May, 1864. He was received with great demonstrations of joy by the church party, and repaired at once to the capital, amid every demonstration of royalty. President Juarez and his cabinet were driven from place to place, till they reached the little village opposite El Paso, Texas, which has since been named Juarez City. Here they kept up the form of government and directed the war against the imperialists. In December, 1865, Mr. Seward, then Secretary of State of the United States, notified the French Government that his government requested the withdrawal of the French troops from Mexico "within some convenient and reasonable time, . . . and thus leave the people of that country to the free enjoyment of the system of republican government they have established for themselves, and of their adhesion to which they have given what seems to the United States to be decisive and conclusive, as well as touching, proofs." This encouraged the Mexican patriots, and, after the withdrawal of the French troops, they steadily gained ground. The armies of the republic already held the northern part of the country, and this gave the Bible Society and the missionaries some opportunities for prosecuting their work. In 1866 Miss Rankin advanced to Monterey, and established a school, and a little later Mr. Thompson advanced to San Luis Potosi. In May, 1867, Maximilian, with two of his leading generals and the larger part of the imperial army, was captured at Queretaro, and a few days later Maximilian and his two generals, Mirimon and Mejia, were executed. Thus ended the last struggle for Catholic supremacy in Mexico. From that time the republic was thoroughly established. The political power of the Church of Rome was broken. The only thing that now stood in the way of executing the Laws of Reform, and enforcing the provisions of the constitution, was the spiritual power which the Roman Church wielded over the masses of the ignorant people, through her numerous clergy and the confessional. But the special provisions which were made by the republic for free schools, and the protection of Protestants as far as possible from all such violence, has gradually broken down prejudice, and opened up the country to the Protestant missionaries. The various missionary societies began at once to lay plans for occupying this new field. The first plan adopted was for a union and undenominational work. In 1869 a minister was sent to Mexico City, and found the field already fully ripe. Two able priests had renounced the Catholic faith, and were preaching the gospel with power. The minister began his work under very flattering auspices; the best people of the city crowded to his meetings; many renounced the Catholic faith and became Protestants. It almost seemed that Protestantism was to make a rapid and easy conquest of the capital, but the preacher, intoxicated by his apparent success, made mistakes that disgraced the cause which he represented, and cast a cloud over its influence. The union effort was abandoned, and each society commenced work along its own lines. For a time the work moved slowly. In many places the missionaries could neither rent houses to live in nor buy food or clothing. In some places they were beset by mobs. Some were killed. In all 58 persons, of whom only one was a foreigner, sacrificed their lives in the interest of Protestant missions in Mexico—an average of one for every three months from 1873 to 1878. There are at present not less than ten societies operating in Mexico, with a total of 177 foreign workers, 512 native workers, 385 churches, and 16,250 communicants. There are 11 religious periodicals published in the country and 4,000 pupils in Protestant schools. Every State, and almost every important city and town in the country, has been entered by the missionary. Catholic superstitions and prejudices are gradually giving way, and the civil and religious liberty which Protestantism inculcates is beginning to be recognized by the better class of people in the republic, as a needed and desirable reform. Juarez, the Washington of Mexico, though a descendant of the Aztecs, without a strain of foreign blood, no less a statesman than a patriot, in considering the influence which religion must exert on the commonwealth, said, "Upon the development of Protestantism largely depends the future happiness of our country." The rapid improvement of the country in business enterprise, education, and morality, as Protestant influence increases and the abuses of Catholicism are checked, shows the wisdom of this observation.