Page:About Mexico - Past and Present.djvu/390

382 byterian form of government. The Church of Jesus adopted the old Spanish liturgy used by Christians of Spain during the centuries in which they held aloof from the Church of Rome.

At last the liberal government felt strong enough to provide the Protestants with a house for public worship. Confiscated churches by scores were standing empty, and one of the handsomest of these—the church of San José de Gracia—was sold to Dr. Riley for a merely nominal sum. The fury of the Romanists knew no bounds. They declared that the day the Protestants took possession of that church the pavement should stream with their blood.

One night, as Dr. Riley returned to his lodgings, he found a letter thrust under his door; in this letter he was told that six men had sworn to waylay and kill him. He knew that in those lawless times it would be easy for them to fulfill the threat, but said, "If life must be short, let it be earnest."

A pamphlet exposing the errors of Rome was now sent out from the press. A copy of this was given by a brother-priest to Manuel Aguas, the most earnest and eloquent champion of the Church of Rome known in Mexico, and a bitter enemy of Protestantism. Aguas was called upon to answer at a public meeting this bold challenge of the Protestants. In order to prepare himself for his task, he took the tract home and sat up all night to read it. Other Romish priests had done the same, and had been hardened in error; but Aguas was pierced to the heart. He opened the Bible, so long neglected for the traditions of the Church, and it proved to be a sword of the Spirit to him. He wept and prayed, and at last, yielding to his convictions, he went to Dr.