THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND THE MISSIONARY.
THAT the Roman Church has not lost its intolerant, persecuting spirit, is evident. The following account of mob violence, exercised against a Protestant mission, comes from Guatemala, Central America, and is from F. G. Toms, one of the missionaries in charge: "On Good Friday, as a tremendous Catholic procession was passing our new building, a drunken man in the crowd threw a stone, which seemed to be a signal for the entire rabble to yell, 'The Masons [the usual nickname given to us] are stoning the Lord's image.' At the same time the crowd saw, on the inside of the building, one of our young believers who guards the premises, with three other believers, and immediately they forced the doors, the police entered, brought them out, and took them off to prison, beating them shamefully as they went, altho they made no resistance to their arrest. "Word was soon carried to Brother Toms, who lives not far distant, who went at once to see the prisoners, and then, thinking that perhaps the premises had been left open, he went to look after matters there. As he made his way through the procession, he was repeatedly insulted, and, as he drew near to the building, the stones commenced to fly rapidly; a door adjoining the mission being open, he entered, and closed it for safety. Altho he had not uttered a single word, the crowd commenced to yell for his blood. He being long delayed, Mrs. Toms and their son went out to look for him, and received at the hands of the procession stones and threats. General Orantes, the superior officer of the army, who lives opposite the mission, saw the danger, and telephoned to the fort for a patrulla of soldiers, who came, and attempted to disperse the mob, and conducted Mrs. Toms and Herbert safely home. In the meantime a family of believers, who live adjoining the house which Brother Toms had entered, suggested that it would be better for him to come over the wall into their house. The mob outside was not fully dispersed, and Brother Toms waited from four o'clock until after nine before it was safe for him to go through the streets to his home. "The following morning about ten o'clock, the customary time after Good Friday for destroying the images of Judas, the rabble fell upon our old mission, tore down the doors, and almost destroyed the building, entered, and literally demolished every article inside, including our valuable new organ. At about the same time the dwelling-house of Brother Bishop, in a more remote part, was assaulted, but the destruction did not pass the smashing of window glass. At about the same time, when he was on his way to the city in company with Brother Toms, to look after the believers who had been imprisoned, a man with an open razor threatened his life, but as he was on his faithful mule, Nolasco, he passed on without harm. The spirit of the people was devilish, and on every hand threats were made. They said, 'We have destroyed the mission property, and now we are going to destroy the native believers and missionaries, and put an end to this whole detestable work.' "It gives us real pleasure to say that no sooner had our American minister called the attention of the government to these serious conditions, when they at once took steps, sending guards to protect the mission, our school, and our dwelling-places. From that time to the present, day and night, we have been under the protection of these guards, and the government assures Mr. Combes, our minister, that they will ferret out the matter, thoroughly punish the guilty ones, and that the perfect liberty which the constitution guarantees in religious matters will be fully enjoyed by us in the future. Some of the priests have been preaching against us, and recently one, after saying many untrue things, said: 'If these things are not true, you may tear my tongue out by the roots.' "The people, thus inflamed, were only waiting an opportunity. Satan, the real promotor and ever the kind ally of bloodthirsty Rome, has thus overstepped the line. In all of our trials the hand of our God has given protection."