BOOKS SA M E AUTHOR SKETCHES MEXICO 121110 . 75 cents MEXICO COMING INT O LIGHT ‘ Mm H O D I S T E PI O P L H D XI O I $ SC A EA QUARTERS , ME C C T History of the Methodist Episcopal Church in Mexico M PERSONAL RE INISCENCES, PRESENT C ONDITIONS AND FUTURE OUTLOOK By JOHN WESLE$ BUTLER Introduction by M C FRANCIS J . CONNELL Bish op of the Method ist Ep iscop al Ch urch THE METHODIST BOOK CONCERN NEW $ ORK CIN CINNATI o h 19 18 b C pyrig t . , y JO HN WESLE$ BUTLER To M$ BROTHERS THE M EXICAN PREAC HERS OF THE PAST AND THE PRESEN T WH OSE FID ELIT$ C HALLEN GES THE AD MIRATION O F THE EN TIRE C HURCH CONTENTS M C NN N D B H . J . I TRO UCTION , IS OP F C O ELL FOREW ORD C HAPTER THE FOUN D ERS A PREPARED FIELD THE FIRST $ EARS REEN FORCEMEN TS ’ WOMAN S C OOPERATION M N EX N N H A ND ISSIO TE SIO , PAC UCA VICIN IT$ “ ORI ZA VA : JO $ O N THE WATERS “ MIRAFLORES : BEHOLD THE FLOW ” ERS PUEBLA A N D TLAX CALA GUAN AJUATO A ND THE MED ICAL WORK A — QuERET Ro C IT$ O F C HURCHES . — OAXACA LAND O F AN CIEN T KIN GS A N D M OD ERN PRESID EN TS T — XIII . R E R O S P E C T I O N F A C I N G THE F U T U R E W I T H A R E U N I T ED M ETH OD ISM IND EX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS E e e M Methodist p iscop al H adquart rs , exico City Frontisp iece F ACI NG P AG E William Butler 18 of M 26 Carved Walls Hall , itla Ruins ’ Patio of the School of the Woman s Foreign Missionary Society in Puebla Our Church in Pachuca Re v . Augustin Palacios Our Church in Puebla of the S m u N urses , Hosp ital Good a aritan , G ana inato M B N . e . The . V lasco ethodist Institute , Queretaro f the e E e o c . Prince Prez , Desc ndant Azt mp erors Map of Mexico INTRODUCTION T H E subj ect o f which this book treats is one of commanding importance to American Protestant F r ism . o five o r six years Mexico has been in the throes o f revolution . Those w ho stand closest to the national condition feel confident that the close o f the revolution will give an opportunity for Protestantism in Mexico greater than in the past . While the causes of the revolutionary developments have been in the broad sense economic and social , there are nevertheless distinctively religious factors at work in Mexico . The Roman Catholic Church there has not made use of its spiritual opportunities . While the general attitude of the church toward the people has been kindly and benevolent , the Roman to organization , as such , has given itself too largely material and political interests , neglecting the task of really spiritual shepherding of men . The ho s tility o f the revolutionary leaders of Mexico toward Romanism is not to be interpreted as an enmity o f toward religion , but toward an alliance organized ecclesiasticism with reactionary social forces . Prot es tantism M has a double mission in exico , especially o f — on one in these times ferment the mission , the o f hand , trying to save masses of the people who of old deserve compassion because , as those , they 1 1 INTRODUCTION are as sheep without a shepherd ; and , secondly , of holding up before the Roman Church itself the spiritual ideals of the gospel . The Roman Church is fitted to make a great appeal to all Latin -Ameri can peoples , but the appeal will come to naught if the emphasis is not kept more truly upon spiritual essentials . In this day of seething revolutionary change the question is not whether Mexico is to be o r M Protestant Catholic , but whether exico is to be ’ religious at all . A book like this o f Dr . Butler s o f r es on is full encouragement , as showing us the p s ivenes s o f the Mexican people to sincere preaching of the gospel . It is not necessary to speak at length of Dr . Butler himself . Son of the founder o f Methodist M i missions in exico , he has been familiar w th Prot es tan t work in Mexico from the beginning . A man o f broad and tolerant spirit , he nevertheless sees that the only salvation for the Latin-American peo ples is a rigid emphasis upon the spiritual essentials o f the gospel . Dr . Butler knew Mexico in the old chaotic days before Po r firio Diaz . He was familiar with all the changes that wrought themselves out under Diaz . He has with great heroism and incal culable self-sacrifice kept close to Mexico during these recent stormy years . It is not too much to say that he is better known and better loved by the Mexican people than any other American in Mexico . ’ The book is in large part the story of Dr . Butler s ow n achievement , though he himself would protest 12 INTRODUCTION . the M against any such statement In any case , eth odist movement in Mexico has always centered around Dr . Butler . He speaks with authority on the themes of which this book treats . RA C I E LL F N S J . MC CO NN . 1 3 FOREWORD r e the Methodi st Episcopal Church , graphically I the cords that life , but only ncidentally shows development of the work here . M r s . John W . But ’ v M un ler s olume , Historic Churches in exico , is o f doubtedly the only work its kind , the illustrations and quaint legends o f which include no reference to Methodist history . Hence there would seem to be a o f place for this volume , the production which has o f now been a labor love , and which is sent out with an earnest prayer that it may contribute toward awakening a more intense interest in the aims and our records of beloved church in Mexico , our next door neighbor . 1 6 CHAPTER I THE FOUNDERS As early as 1 836 the General Conference o f the Methodist Episcopal Church appointed a committee to consider the advisability o f establishing missions o f in M exico and South America . Before the end that year John Dempster was sent to begin work in M South America , but exico waited nearly forty 1 8 1 M years . In November , 7 , the issionary Commit tee made an appropriation of t o initiate a 1 872 work in this republic , and in November , , o selected f r superintendent William Butler , who twenty years before had been appointed to similar work in India , and , by an interesting coincidence , Bishop Simpson made both appointments . Three events worthy o f note gave t o the man selected peculiar preparation fo r this field . He was 1 83 . converted in Dublin , Ireland , in 7 He had been a devoted member of the E stablished Church , but at the age o f nineteen experienced what has been called “ an unmistakable conversion haVI ng the moral force f ” o a miracle . The story o f that experience is thrillingly told in the first chapter of William But ler : the Founder of T w o M ission s o f the Methodist . O usele Episcopal Church At that time Gideon y , the prince of Irish missionaries among Roman Cath 1 7 METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH I N MEXICO olics i . m , was at the cl max of his power A ong the of s oul s thousands , both Catholic and Protestant , o f m i which he was the hu an agent to br ng to Christ , was Lady Crompton , who soon afterward taught the young man who was later called to be the sup er in tendent of our Mexico mi ssion . In the last years ’ of Gideon Ouseley s life the Irish Conference was moved to appoint men to special work among the nfl Catholics . Under such i uences William Butler in came touch with that Conference , and that the love and labors of that gifted missionary had a great influence on his mind is evident from the fr e quent references which fell from his lips . The old claim that what one does soon after conversion he is likely to do all through life is strik ingly true of the founder of the mission in Mexico . Onl y three weeks after entering upon hi s new life he saw coming out of the cathedral in Dublin an old n lady whose face was bathed in tears . Hi s you g of u heart , all aglow with the love God and gen ine m r m him to sy pathy for all his child en , i pelled step forward and inquire the cause of her di stress . The l n li motherly Old sou replied , in touchi g simp city “ n o f . Why , my son , I am cryi g because my sins I have been to the father confessor and he has pro ” no unced words of absolution , but , she continued , “ l placing her hand over her heart , the burden is sti l ” here . The youthful convert asked if he might relate what God had done for him in the taking away of his sins .