The central Presbyterian. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1856-1908, 1869-05-26
Progress of Religious Liberty in Spain
FIRST PROTESTANT SERVICE.

correspondent gives, III Lonuon pa
per, very interesting record of the frs
Protestant service in Madrid. The Protes
tants there, having hired room, have com
menced regular worship; and the writer de-
scribes visit which he made to the place oi
worship. and the mode in which it was con.
Quoted.
He found the place, he says, by following
stream of Spanish people bent on the same
errand. The delay in finding the street
made me few minutes late, so the service
had commenced when arrived. AS ]
passed up the staircase, I heard, for the first
time since I left England, congregational
singing to one of Luthers grand old tunes.
The room had evidently been dining or
reception room, opening into an ante-room.
1t had double row of neat red-cushioned
benches, with narrow passage in the cen
tre; a harmonicum in one corner. When /
entered the seats were full, and had some
difficulty in finding one. Shortly after it
became crowded, and many had to 60 away,
unable to find even standing room. At the
extreme end was small recess with pull
pit or rather desk. The preacher was a
middlesized man, with good forehead, and
a countenance rather inclined to be hand
some. He wore the black gown and white
lappets of the Church of England, and the
service, which he read in Spanish, was part
of her beautiful service. The singing was
from printed sheet of four hymns, which
was given to every one on entering. One
of these was translation of that beautiful
one of Elliott's, beginning,
Just as I am, without one plea,
But that Thy blood was shed for me"
and another was the Doxology. counted
139 present; but how many of these were
Protestants, and how many had come from
mere curiosity, of course l could not tell.
That a goodly number, however, were the
former, waa Enthusiastically evidenced by the
singing, when it is remembered that in the
Roman Catholic churches the people do not
sing; all that is left to the priests. This
singing was started with a heartiness and a
precision impossible amongst those who were
not accustomed to it, and the congregation
so easily took it up and sustained it as to
prove that most of them were familiar with
the music. 1t was the more marked as the
majority present were men. There were
not dozen females, nor half a-dozen
children. The preacher, who, I afterwards
learnt, was pastor Ruet, the Spaniard who
has done so much for Professionalism in AL
geria, took for his text Matthew xviii 16
to Goth verses. He is a man of wonderful
eloquence, which he welded with evident
power over his audience. 1 noticed one or
two priests amongst them, besides many Of
what one might call the upper classes. F"
The discourse lasted exactly half an hour,
during the whole of which period he was
listened to with the most rapt attention.
His manner was deeply earnest, without the
least approach to 'rant.'' After picturing
the scene of his text, and expounding the
lessons derivable from it, he alluded to the
fact that recent events permitted every
Spaniard to think for himself, and to exer.
else the right SO long denied to them, but
permitted to other countries, of worshipping
God according to the dictates of conscience.
In the exercise of that right he, born
Spaniard, was conducting the Protestant
worship of Protestant Spaniards. He
denied charge which had been made
against them, to the effect that they were
carrying on their propaganda by English
gold. They were Spaniards, and not be.
holden for one penny to any one but Span
iards. England certainly, as Protestant
country, sympathised with the movement.
but beyond that he and his friends neither
asked nor accepted any assistance from Eng
land, but were carrying on their mission to
their Spanish fellow-countrymen in the
Spanish language and by means of exclusive.
ly Spanish contributions. The services
would be continued twice every Sunday, SC
long as the authorities sanctioned freedom
of worship, which it was hoped the Cortei
CONSTITUENCIES would confirm. In his enun
Citations of Protestant doctrine, he very
wisely used no fanatical defamation against
the Church of Rome and its customs. Sucf
would not do with people so superstitiously
attached TO it as the Spaniards are. I have
frequently seen them stop a priest in th'
streets to kiss the hem of his garment
Gently and calmly he showed how the ont
Mediator between God and man was so pow
erful as to render any others quite superAu
Gus. He said he was far from speaking will
disrespect of the Virgin; on the contrary
he felt sure that, if departed saints were per
mitted to see what was going on below, tn
Virgins breast must fill with joy at witness
ing the first Inauguration of Protestan
public worship in the capital of Spain. Ii
that worship, rich and gorgeous temple
might be all very we'll where the peopl
could afford them; but they were not abso
lutely necessary. A room, desk, Bible
and the light of heaven, were all that wa
really requisite. Throughout the whole dis
course there was an absence of that syster
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