TOLERATION IN SPAIN.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 196, 5 January 1877, Page 7

TOLERATION IN SPAIN.

The 'Tablet' publishes by request the following correspondence in reference to the question of " Toleration in Spain : " — ' Sir, — In the daily papers of Friday last there appeared an j v account of an interview granted by Lord Derby to the representatives of various Protestant societies on the above subject. As in my daily business intercourse I found thxt large numbers of Protestants held very strong opinions upon this subject, and as in the majority of instances I found that they spoke in considerable ignor- ' ance of the class of men who spread themselves abroad as " missionaries to Roman Catholics," I thought it desirable to express I through the medium of the Press the views which I found were unknown to all with whom I had conversed on these points, more ' particularly as they admitted that they materially altered the opinions they had formed previously. I, therefore, wrote tho following letter to the ' Daily Telegraph,' and one precisely similar to the ' Echo : ' — " (To the Editor of the ' Daily Telegraph.) ' " Sir, — Permit me to make a few observations in regard to the deputation that recently waited upon Lord Derby on this question. "I will promise that as the intelligence we have on the subject is almost exclusively one-sided, and appears to consist chiefly in certain acts by minor officials, the legality of which is now the subject of inquiry by the Spanish Government ; and as, moreover, later telegrams contradict charges contained in previous messages, it would appear to be the wiser course to suspend all judgment upon the alleged acts of intolerance until we have more reliable information, and the explanations of the accused parties. ' " My special reason for requesting the insertion of this letter is, however, to point out the character of some at least of the societies represented in the above-mentioned deputation. Having-, I regret to say, been an active supporter in my earlier days of ' Protestant Institutes,' I know full well the amount of narrow bigotry and intolerance they represent, and the repressive measures against English Catholicity that they would be only too glad to use had they the power. I have frequently heard the lecturers and preachers of these societies demand amidst the tumultuous applause of their hearers, the re-enactment of the Penal statutes repealed in 1829. But a few weeks ago a Wesleyan Methodist writer openly stated that it might soon become necessary to check the spread of | "Romanism " by having recourse once more to the Test Act, and | distinctly warned advocates of Catholicity that their religion existed ! only by • tolerance ; ' and that if needful the country would cause , the expulsion of every Catholic from Parliament and public offices. ! A few months ago I was present at a lecture delivered by the Rev. Dr. Wainright, clerical secretary of Islington Protestant Institute (one of those represented on Thursday), in which he referred to Cardinal Manning as ' that red-hatted, redstockinged rebel,' and a large audience went into raptures of applause at the sentiment. " I need not speak of the Church Association. Their devotion to the principles of religious toleration are but too well-known, and aro doubtless highly appreciated by all High Churchmen of their own Communion. I '• Believe me, Sir, Protestant intolerance is not dead, but powerless. There still live thousands who would say, and do say, with John Wesley, • To tolerate Popery is to be instrumental in the perdition of immortal souls*, and the direct way to provoke the vengeance of a holy and jealous God upon our fleets and armies.' For which speech he received the thanks of the Protestant Association, Feb. 17, 1780. Nay ! so lately as Dec. 8, 1850, a sermon was preached in one of the principal Liverpool churches calling for the j execution of all priests convicted of having heard confessions. The I • Liverpool Mercury reports the sermon thus : — ' I would make it a I capital punishment to administer the Confession in this country, j Transportation would not satisfy me, for that would merely transfer the evil from one part of the world to another. Capital punishment alone would satisfy me. Death alone would remove the evil. This is my solemn conviction.' A few days afterwards, at a meeting i held in Exeter Hall, with the Duke of Manchester in the chair, the same rev. gentleman moved the following proposition : • That they should demand an enactment that the total abjuration of Popery should be a slue qua noniov the holding of offices of trust and power o^tfany description under the Sovereign of England. < " I wonld ask you, Sir : 1. Are these the men to come with I clean hands to complain of intolerance ? 2. Can any one wonder i that Spaniards should feel extreme reluctance to give unlimited freedom to men so bigoted against their faith and so determined to uproot it by any means, fail or foul F Spam is but just recovering from civil war, and Spanish statesmen may well be desirous of controlling elements of discord and danger. " There is one exquisite joke in the repoit, and that is the ' reference to the impending ' persecution ' of German missionaries in Spain. For Germany to be aggrieved at any intolerance would < indeed be a fine piece of humor. Germany ! whose armed officials I have torn the priest from the altar in the midst of his sacred f unc- ! tions — Germany ! whose jails are filled with Catholic Bishops and clergy— Germany ! that has sent to prison high-bom ladies for ■ merely expressing natural sympathy with their pastors — Germany ! where ' liberty of the Press' means the imprisonment of editors | for publication of ecclesiastical documents ! ' " It is the old tale of Protestantism, ' The saints shall rule the I world, aud we are tho saints.' — I am, Sir, yours, &c, " A Koman Catholic."

Neither of the papers having inserted the above letter, I forward you a copy, believing that many of your readers maybe interested in the facts therein detailed, as I know that few of my fellow-Catholics are aware of the large numbers of their Protestant fellow-countrymen who will talk to them most suavely of the happiness of living together in mutual charity, whilst in their hearts they would be but too happy to proscribe the exercise of the Catholic religion lam happy to bear witness that there are thousands who really believe and carry out their principles, but the number of P.ipophobists is by no means small. Only last week^a clerical speaker at a meeting at Chiswick declared that, had he the power, he would prevent those who wished to do so from attending tho Confessional, and although his remarks were especially directed against Ritualists, no one will doubt that he would use the same intolerance against the institution by whomsoever directed.— l am, Sir, yours faithfully, Alfrid Denton Cheney. 13 Mayland-road, Shephcrd's-bush, London W., Oct. 3, 1876.