THE PRACTICAL WORKING OF THE CHURCH

OF SPAIN.* THE interest of this volume lies as much in the circumstances of the times, and the matters to which the author's inquiries were directed, as in the absolute value of the work. When the claims of Rome are more rampant than ever—when a self-satisfied and self-obtrusive section of English Churchmen are covertly recom- mending the Romish Church or openly going over to her commu- nion—and when many less clamorous but more conscientious members are grieving at what they think the improper subjection of the Church to the State—it is useful to see the actual working of Romanism in "Catholic Spain," even if the information shoal only extend to fuller particulars of results which may be arrived at from other sources, or present the known corruptions of Popery in a more glaring light. The book originated in the ill-health of the Reverend Tames Meyrick, which compelled him to pass the two winters of 1849- '50 and 1850-'fil in the South of Spain. He was attended, as we infer, by his wife or sister ; and they both started with minds dis- turbed by the dissensions in the English Church and by-the State supremacy to which they considered it was subjected. They started, too, with an admiration for the Church of ]tome, if not with a positive leaning towards its communion. But a very little of the reality dissipated their religious romance ; and long before they quitted Spain, they were disgusted by the practical working of the Catholic Church in its once strongest hold, and more than ever at- tached to the Church of England.

The work has been compiled by the Reverend Frederick Hey- rick from the letters written by his relatives ; his own task consist- in

negof little more than classifying and setting the correspondence, unless he the author of a tour from Gibraltar to Granada, Cor- dova, and vile, with which the volume closes. The letters them- selves con ute the main interest of the book, from the fresh and day-by-day ccount they give of the effects which near examination produced upon the minds of the writers. The first result, at Malaga, was one of disappointment with externals. The ceremonies and Un- guent services, which had appeared so religiously attractive to the imagination at a distance, looked like theatrical spectacles when close ; and appeared generally to be regarded in that light by those who attended them, which so far as the services were concerned were chiefly women. The first and best conclusion the travellers could draw was that the processions and such like kept the people from worse scenes and amusements. The palpable Mariolatry and saint worship, or superstition, offended persons who yet retained their right of reason and had not subjected their entire belief to the dictum of a priest. The immorality they saw and heard of, the contempt with which the priesthood was regarded, the wholesale plunder and proscription to which not very long since the Church had been subjected, led them to the natural conclusion that such things could not have happened had the so-called Church done any- thing like its duty. They shortly found, too, that the supremacy of the State, which they had so quarrelled with in England, was more rampant in Spain, and from the prevalence of faction and the corruption of the Government more scandalous.

These feelings were deepened as they became better acquainted with the people and more versed in the language. The peasantry, indeed, had not the indifference or want of faith of the lower or- ders in the towns but their faith was not Scriptural, scarcely Christian : the Virgin Mary was in theory placed on a level with that of the Divine persons of the Trinity, and in practice superseded them. The men of the educated and middle classes in " Catholic Spain " are in general of no religion. Those who are the most regular in conduct, and are by nature religious-minded, are in a painful state ; anxiously looking round them, disbelieving their own church, but knowing no other, and really in want of a creed. Many have lapsed into a species of Deism, or the cold rationalism of the last century : " I do no harm to any one," they say, " and give what I can to the poor, and then it does not sig- niffy what I believe." Many have become downright infidels of the French school ; making the priests, and the Bible so far as they know anything about it, topics of ridicule. " If it were not for the poor, there would be no worship of God in the land," said a priest of the travellers' acquaintance. These poor, however, are chiefly the peasantry ; and their ignorance is the only safeguard of their faith. As soon as they gain any knowledge, whether from conversation, moving about, or from books if they are able to read, the gross na- ture of the stories they are called upon to accept as gospel subverts their belief in all religion whatever, since they are allowed to know of none other than the Roman Catholic.

This creed as taught in Spain, and, as the author of the tour to Granada would seem to thin in Italy and Sicily, is not the theory of the Romish Church as presented to our Northern eyes by learned casuists. The Anglican enthusiast will not find in Southern climes `the church of his books and imagination reduced to practice, but a Romtuaism which, not content with corrupting the Scriptures, corrupts even its own corruptions.

• The Practical Working of the Church of Spain. By the Reverend Frederick Meyrick, MA., Fellow of Trinity College, Oxford. Published by J. H. Parker. " Till I had visited countries where the Roman religion was dominant, I did not know how little one can judge of the prayers of the people, and doctrines taught from the pulpit by the breviary and missal. The latter are exponents of the system which is contained in the heads of the learned and on paper, but they are not the exponents of the system which is work- ing in the hearts of the poor. They are often not to be had at any price, seldom except at such a price as would hinder all but the wealthy from pur- chasing them. There is indeed, however, but very little demand for them. They are not what the Book of Common Prayer is to us, but, like Holy Scripture, have practically been shelved to make way for Semaila Santa; Litanies, Rosaries of the Blessed Virgin, books of devotion, to which so many Prelates have attached so many days of indulgence, Meditations, and such other works as the people are not precluded by the language from understanding. That the inhabitants of Roman Catholic countries have deviated without rebuke, and have been encouraged to deviate from the au- thoritative standard of their faith, in one direction, farther than the people of England from the teaching of the Prayer-book in another, is a patent fact."

The lives and miracles of the saints, however daringly false -or ridiculous, come rather under the head of ignorant superstition. The preeminence assigned to the Virgin takes the worst form of blasphemy. It is not the contempt of stolid- or scoffing unbelief, which to the unbeliever himself is not really blasphemy. The wife of Joseph is raised to the level of the Godhead. The follow- ing is taken from a " Novena to the Blessed Virgin, under the title of the Most Holy. Mary, Queen and Mother of Mercy. One Arch- bishop and eight Bishops have so highly approved of it that they have attached to it all the indulgences they can, that is, four hun- dred days for each prayer : so that to say one prayer from this book is better than a year's penance."

" Of the Charity of Most Holy Mary.

" As the eternal Father delivered His only begotten Son to death in order to give life to men, so this admirable Mother of love delivered Her only Son Jesus to the rigours of death, that all might be saved. She slid not content Herself with giving to the Divine Word flesh, wherein to suffer for men : She herself sacrificed Him. Standing at the foot of the Cross, whilst Her Beloved immolated Himself for the salvation of mortals, She Herself offered the sacrifice of this unspotted Victim, beseeching of the Eternal Father that He would receive it as a payment and satisfaction for all the sins of the world. She gave to men all that She could give, and She loved them more. She gave Herself; and if She did not realize the sacrifice, it was because Her offering had all the merit of which it was capable.'

" Of the Itighteoasness of Most Holy _Vary.

"' It is well known, that Most Holy Mary, instead of being a debtor, gave so abundantly, that all remained and are Her debtors : Men for redemp- tion ; Angels for their special joy • even the Moat Holy Trinity are in a cer- tain way a debtor to her for tie accidental glory which has resulted and does result to them from this their Beloved."

This is from authority. The following is the practice of an in- dividual priest; but the writer declares it universal. The sermon alluded to was one of, the first country sermons heard.

"The subject was Our Lord's first speech from the Cross. It was far the best I have heard ; the most evangelical, enforcing on the people that pe- nances and outward religious duties were serviceable to them only as tend- ing to conversion of heart. It was also the most Popish : e. g. the first ex- ample given of forgiveness was that of the Blessed Virgin ; when the cen- turion pierced the side of Our Lord, she came forward and bid him (the words were given) not to maltreat her Son ; at the same time, she so loving- ly forgave him, that he was converted on the spot, and afterwards became a holy man ; this is certain, for the Blessed Virgin revealed it herself to one of her servants. But still more, the sermon ended thus, Gloria al Padre, Gloria al Hijo (the Son), Gloria al Espiritu Santo, Gloria a la Sacratiaima Virgen.' This is to me very shocking, being a deliberate addition to the doxologies of the Church, putting the Blessed Virgin on an equality with the Holy Trinity : but these are daily words here."

The following is an example of a state of mind common among those Spaniards who are troubled by the question " What must I do to be saved ?"

"I must tell you something of the state of mind of a Spaniard of our ac- quaintance. His history is a very simple one. He is a man of naturally re- ligious character. He was sent abroad for his education, carefully taught in the things of this world, left to take his chance about those of the next, as many are in all countries. He came home to find empty heartless forms and ceremonies, beautiful in their, original intention, but now sometimes almost ridiculous from their want of life. Monks with large families of children, priests the same, openly known to all. Confession and communion once a year compulsory, (no man was eligible to any employment who could Ma produce a certificate,) the certificates of having confessed commonly sold at the price of tenpence apiece or less. He became thoroughly disgusted, and advocated all liberal measures; the destruction of convents, abolition of the law about confession, &c. These measures were carried. The result is, that instead of rich clergy, there are poor ; that instead of confessing under compulsion, or bringing a ticket, he never confesses, but he is more miser- able than ever. He says that the Church orders confession, but he cannot and will not confess to such priests. He has become acquainted with some good English people, and studied the Prayer-book and New Testament. Finding no rest or peace in his own church, he longs to try ours. He wishes to come to the English chapel. Of course it will not be allowed. I greatly fear that he has embarked in the downward course that leads to in- fidelity ; and yet he is a man of a religious disposition. He sees his children growing up. His wife is a good woman, who is con- tented to believe as she was taught ; but he fears that the children are not religious, and how to make them so he does not know. If there were a priest whom he could trust, a man of intelligence and holiness, all.might yet be right ; but he knows of none such. He says of himself that he mpro- fane, for he cannot believe the miracles of the saints. Surely we cannot find such instances of want of guidance in the English Church. Of course there is self-will in this; but what first stirred him up to set himself against priests and monks, but their own corruption? If he and his should be lost at the Last Day, will they not have reason to cry out against their branch of the Church as much as any in England against theirs.'

Mingled with the religious topics will be found general pic- tures of society, remarks on art, and descriptions of buildings. The subject of the volume, however, is the working of the Church in Spain, illustrated by anecdotes, observations, descriptions, and extracts from the sermons of the clergy and the books of devotion in common use; and matter of this kind predominates. Something of awkwardness and repetition may be felt, from the letters of the two correspondents being presented separately. On the other hand, they have frequently an additional interest from the same facts being presented if not from different points of view by different minds. Many passing travellers have thrown more or less light upon the state of Romanism and Christianity in Spain according to their objects or opportunities; but we suspect these "Workings" are the fullest, the most natural, and the most trustworthy of anything that has appeared upon the subject since the time of Blanco White's confessions.