CRUZ DAS almas: a BRAZILIAN VILLAGE' — ^PIERSON 



177 



sincerity of the visitors and their apparently pro- 

 found conviction that they possessed "great 

 trutlis." Some weeks later, from 6 to 10 persons 

 were coming regularly each Sunday. Among the 

 group was the new soldado and his wife who had 

 just arrived in the village and who previously 

 had been members of the same sect.'" 



At approximately the same time, a few other 

 persons began to meet in the home of the tinsmith 

 who, together with his wife and mother, also had 

 recently moved to the village. All had formerly 

 been members of the Igreja Crista do Brasil 

 (Christian Church of Brazil). In addition to the 

 tinsmith and his wife, the gi'oup included a farmer 

 and his family and the young wife of the black- 

 smith. Each Sunday afternoon, a ceremony was 

 held, consisting of the reading of passages from 

 the Bible, prayer, the singing of hymns and an 

 exhortation by one of the group. A few weeks 

 later, about 20 to 25 persons, mostly farmers and 

 their families, were attending regularly, the women 

 each time being approximately twice as numerous 

 as the men.^^ In a farm home, located about 6 

 miles from the village, another small group of the 

 same sect have been meeting for some time. Ap- 

 proximately an equal distance from the village, in 

 another direction, is a small chapel built a few 

 yeare ago by the Methodists, in which a religious 

 ceremony is held each Sunday afternoon. The 

 members of all these groups, irrespective of sect, 

 are referred to by other local residents as Evan- 

 gelistas or, literally, "evangelists." 



Recently, a baptismal ceremony, sponsored by 

 members of the Igreja Crista do Brasil who live 

 in nearby towns, was held at the edge of the vil- 

 lage and this rather dramatic event became for 

 days the principal topic of conversation in the 

 community. On the appointed Sunday, two 

 trucks, filled with people, came into the village 

 from Sao Jose dos Patos, and five other trucks 

 brought in visitors by way of the Boa Vista road. 

 Soon a crowd of approximately 250 persons had 

 gathered at the edge of the creek near the village, 

 about a tliird of whom were curious spectators 



=" Since this was written, the soldado has been transferred 

 elsewhere in the State. The vistors from S<uo Paulo can no 

 longer be present each Sunday and meetings are held only 

 sporadically. 



^»° Since this was written, a man has moved to the village to 

 act as a layman leader of the sect. He is called the encarregado 

 (the one who is in charge) . He earns his living as a day laborer. 



from the local community. Several hymns were 

 sung, after which the visitors knelt on the ground, 

 which was wet from a heavy rain the night be- 

 fore, their eyes closed, while an elder prayed a 

 lengthy and fervent prayer for "the salvation and 

 purification of all men." Several persons wept, 

 while others from time to time, with an appear- 

 ance of deep emotion, called out, "Aleluia ! Ale- 

 luia !" When the prayer terminated, the visitors 

 rose to their feet and the elder took up a Bible 

 and read a passage from St. Matthew and a few 

 admonitions from the Epistles of St. Paul, after 

 which he began to speak, earnestly, in a voice that 

 became increasingly high-pitched as he went on, 

 and with such rapidity that his breath came only 

 in periodic gasps, between long streams of words : 



St. John the Baptist always baptized with water, 

 although he preached that some day there would come 

 One who would baptize with fire. It was St. John 

 who baptized Our Lord Jesus. If Jesus, who was with- 

 out sin, was baptized, how much more reason is there for 

 us, who are full of sin, to be baptized ! A person who has 

 committed a sin may not be in prison but he stiffers just 

 the same, by reason of his remorse. If he turns his 

 thoughts to God and is baptized, though, his guilt will all 

 be washed away. The water flows over him and cleanses 

 him. It takes away his sin. The Kingdom of Heaven 

 has been waiting there since the creation of the world. 

 God says, "Come and take your place by my side!" 

 Beloved, the voice of God is calling, "Come, I will re- 

 ceive you all !" God is a judge before whom it is useless 

 to bear false witness. He is never misled. When yoii 

 have been baptized, you are ready to appear before God. 

 It brings grace to you. But a person should never be 

 baptized until he has reached the age of understanding. 

 Why should a baby of only 2 or 3 months be baptized? 

 He has not sinned. A baby who is so small that he has 

 to be carried to his baptism will remember nothing about 

 it when he grows up. Baptism has no meaning for him ; 

 it was done without his willing it. But we do not carry 

 people to baptism who know nothing about it. We baptize 

 only persons who are old enough to have understanding 

 and to ask for it themselves. When a child is baptized, 

 they put a candle in his hand. Even if he isn't able to 

 hold it, they put it there just the same. Sometimes the 

 candle falls over and burns the child. Almost anytliing 

 can happen ! Beloved, that is not the kind of fire of which 

 St. John the Baptist spoke! He who baptizes with fire 

 is the Holy Ghost! Beloved, it is Our Lord Jesus who 

 calls ! Dear ones, our religion will make the whole world 

 right! It takes out the anger that is within you. It 

 takes out the desire for money. Money does not have 

 much worth. It is of greater value to be right with God. 

 One should go to school. But to what school? To the 

 public school ? No, my brethren ! To the school of the 

 congregation where the brethren come together. There, 

 you will find God who wiU teach His people. Beloved, 



