Bloomsburg democrat. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1867-1869, 1868-03-04

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| heretics by means Of :he faggot aud fire.
There are Bibles in Spain, but there are no
Bibles in circulation. Several thousand
sent over by the British and Foreign Bible
Society have been seized by Government,
and are now lying in boxes in q cellar, to be
sent back or destroyed. All attempts to
spread tho light Of Divine Truth, through
| any other than the channels Of the Church
Of Rome, arc prohibited, and it is q high
crime against the law, or the royal will,
which is the highest law in Spain, to preach
or distribute religious books, This puts an
end to all colportoge aud to evangelical Of.
forts Of every kind. The Queen is the most
religious Of all queens, but her. religion is
after the pattern Of Saul, not Of Paul.
We went after church to the old Palace Of
the Inquisition. 1t is now converted into
dwellings. Over the main entrance was the
inscription, common all over these foreign
countries as iu some parts Of our own, en-
sured Against Fire" The poor victims
who in former years were dragged under
that portal, would have been glad to read
such words, if they could be interpreted
into an assurance that they were to be safe
from the fire Of an auto ia te. a'' A.
The Spanish Inquisition affords the sad
dest story in the annals Of tue human race.
Whatever the name or creed Of the prose.
cutor-Jew or Gentle, Roman, Greek,
Protestant or Mahometan-- saddest Of
all possible facts is this, that man has put
to torture and to death bis fellow man on
account of his religious opinions. Let God
be praised that in all the earth except Spain
and Rome, men may worship Him in their
own way, with none to molest or make them
afraid.
And it is very well to bear in mind that
persecution has its spirit and some of its
power, where the victims ure by law insured
against fire. In the press and in the pulpit,
the venom of bigotry and the bitterness Of
intolerance may be poured on the heads Of
those who are guilty Of other opinions than
ours, and iu Gods sight such persecution
may be as offensive as the rack and boot of
the inquisition. The spirit Of tho Master
rebukes the use Of the sword, even in the
hands Of Peter, to cut of servants car,
and the same spirit forbids us to be unchar-
liable towards the meanest Of thoses who
have not the light or the grace to see rs we
see, or to defend Christ in our way. ......
We'll it requires all this charity and moro,
to imagine that people can have any prop
er idea Of the Christian religion, and spend
the Sabbath as these spaniards do. To see
them at it, we must go where they most en-
joy it. They have no cathedral in Madrid,
but their churches are many, aud in the
morning they, women especially, go to
church. The Spaniards are more dcvout
than the Italians. Infdclity has not made
so much progress. There is proverb that
to go to Rome is to disbelieve. The people
in Spain has not seen Romauism as it has
been seen in Italy, until the popular mind
is sick oft. But they make short work in
Spain of their devotions. Hrs a.
The Pradu is their Park on the skirts of
the town. And this is not enough for them
on Sundays. We saw the crowds pouring
out towards one of the gates, some in car
riages, but most of them on foot-men, wo-
men and children, hundreds, thousands, in
holiday attire-and we followed. Beyond
the Alcala gate, near which is the bull ring
half mile into the country, VIC cure to the
meadows over which these pleasure. seeking
Castilians had spread themselves to enjoy
their national and favorite pastime. A little
later in the season, when the weather is
warmer, thousands of these people would
stop at the bull-ring, an SEQ tho battle Of
men and beasts. It is too cool as yet, and
the bulls do not fight we'll except in hot
weather. But it is not too cool to dance out
of doors, and for this advertisement these
thousands have come. On the wide mead
ows there is not house, not shanty, not
shed Or booth. We have passed on the way
scores fwine shops; aud there the people
can resort if they choose. But on the
grounds there is nothing to be had but the
pure and the blesss air. The people are
distributed in groups all over the plain. -
The grass is green. The sun, winter sum-,
is kind and genial. The city lies in full view
with palaces aud domes and pinacles. And
in the distance, but in this blazing sun and
lucid atmosphere apparently very near, long
ranges Of mountains stand covered with snow
white, pure, glistening like silver in the sun
light and forming magnificent background
to the gay picture at our feet. In the centre
Of each ofthesc many groops dozen, more
or less, Of young men and women, are dane.
ing to music. This is furnished by one, two
or three musicians, strolling bands, with
guitars and violins. Often one is an old man
blind. His wife and daughter arc with him
with their instruments The airs are not
wild, not even lively, as compared with those