In the little city of Nazareth the fury of persecution has been felt.  Not a great while after the church had been organized by Dr. Entzminger the farmers in the community and the priest combined to drive the Protestants out of town.  Dr. Entzminger heard of their purpose and went up to Nazareth, accompanied by a number of soldiers whom the Government had put at his disposal.  A great throng was collected at the station to do violence to the missionary on his arrival, but when they saw the soldiers they took to their heels, and many came that night to the service to show that they were not in the mob.  A year or two later another mob broke into the church, poured oil over the furniture and burned practically everything.  The police saved the building.  Once after this, when Missionary Ginsburg was to hold an open-air meeting in this same town, a soldier was hired to take his life.  The officers of the law left town in order that the deed might be done without hindrance.  The soldier drank whisky in order to brace himself for the deed, and fortunately imbibed too much and became so intoxicated that he fell asleep.  When he awoke the meeting had been held and he had missed his chance.  These facts were confessed by the soldier to Dr. Entzminger after the soldier had been converted a year later.

At the railway station at Nazareth we met Primo da Fonseca, who had, for the sake of the gospel, lost all in a great persecution at Bom Jardim, which is not a great distance from Nazareth.  He was a reader of evangelical literature and preached the gospel all over that country, though he had not been baptized.  A native missionary went into that region, began preaching and soon afterward gathered a congregation and organized a church in Fonseca’s home.  The political boss of the community planned with the Catholics to take 800 men into Bom Jardim on the night of April 15th, 1900, for the purpose of killing all the Protestants who were in prayer at Fonseca’s house.  The mob divided into two parties.  One party was to approach the house from the front and the other from the opposite side.  A gun was to be fired as a signal for the attack.  The first party approached the house, which was near the theater.  Now in the theater at that time was gathered a great throng of people.  When the news came to them of the approach of the mob the women thought it was a part of the band of bandits led by Antonio Silvino, who is perhaps the most famous outlaw of Brazil.  All were greatly frightened.  The Mayor went out to see if he could not do something to persuade the mob to leave the town.  After some parleying they said that inasmuch as the Mayor asks, we will turn back.  Someone at that time fired a shot and shouted, “Viva Santa Anna” in honor of the patron saint of that city.  This signal brought up the supporting party at once, who mistook their comrades for the believers and fired into them.  In the melee twenty people were killed and about fifty wounded.