COMMUNICATIONS FROM BARCELONA
ON the receipt of the last interesting letter, and feeling deeply for our brother in bonds, I wrote to him again to solace and comfort him, laying his case before the Lord in prayer frequently, and asking for especial wisdom and guidance. I watched anxiously, as may be supposed, for an answer, and received, in the beginning of November, the following reply:—
"Prison, Barcelona, November 8th, 1860.
"RESPECTED AND MOST DEAR BROTHER IN THE LORD JESUS CHRIST, OUR HOPE AND CONFIDENCE,
"My poor pen cannot describe to you the exceeding joy and gratitude which I felt on the receipt of your most kind and Christian letter. I can only say that it was a real comfort to me in my bitter trial.
“The Spanish clergy are thoroughly alarmed; the press, which is their creature, labors to aggravate the evils of our position-inquisitorial influences are pitilessly working against us, both in secret and in public. May God forgive them all for the evil they would do, and bring them into the path that leads to life!
Has the English press done anything for us It is most desirable that it should do so; for that portion of the Spanish press which is favorable to us dares not speak out, and that portion which is against us is doing us much injury, by giving an utterly false color to our holy cause.
“I purpose, dear friend, when I am brought before the superior tribunal, protesting before them and before the Spanish public against the injustice and cruelty with which they treat us, for the sole crime of being Christians. If I am condemned, I will protest, by the press of every country in Europe, against the injustice that punishes for the sole sin of professing Christianity. The world should know that the Inquisition still rules in Spain; the world should know that it is a crime in this land to love the gospel; the world should know that if the fires of the stake have been extinguished, the tortures of the galleys still exist. This protest I will send to you, that you may translate and publish it. It is no foolish pride that induces me to do this; I believe it is an act of Christian faith. I love the Lord Christ, and will confess his name; and will protest against the Church of Rome, which so unjustly assumes it.
“The Council of Granada summons me to appear there. I shall be forced to travel 200 leagues (about 700 miles) on foot, bound in a gang of criminals, and confounded in their disgrace in every town and village through which we shall pass, where my offense will not be known. My health is very delicate, and this journey and the cold, and the wretched prisons of the smaller villages on our road, will be all dangerous to me. Only by paying my own passage, and that of the two men who escort me, should I be permitted to make the journey by sea; of course this expense is quite beyond my power. Neither will I ask any fresh sacrifice from our friends in France. My family is in much distress on this account; in truth, my position is trying. My faith does not and will not waver, but I suffer physically.
“A thousand, thousand thanks to you for the love and favor which you express towards me in your letter. I do not deserve it, but I am grateful for your noble and Christian feeling; also I thank you for the succor you are sending to my family. God will repay you. He is blessing me with much quietness of mind on this account.
“I hope you will soon write to me. I can receive but one more letter from you at Barcelona. My family remains here. Pray to God for us, dear brother, as I pray for you.
“Ever believe in the love and gratitude of your brother in Christ, "M. MATAMOROS.”
On learning by the last letter the summons of the Granada tribunal, and hearing of the very delicate state of Matamoros' health—brought on by his great exertions in preaching, and laboring for the good of souls—I feared that if he made this long journey on foot, and in the manner mentioned in his letter, his health would give way, and that he would never reach Granada alive. So I determined at once to send him what money I had by me at the time, and which I forwarded, amounting to £15. And here let me give an account of God's faithfulness in behalf of those that endeavor to serve Him.
The account of the imprisonment of a Spaniard at Barcelona appeared, I believe, in a London paper. My name was connected in some way with it. A lady residing there read the account, and immediately sent me a sum of money in aid of the prisoner. The amount which she sent me was precisely that which I had sent to Matamoros and this without the least communication between her and myself. Indeed, no one but the God who had enabled me to send the money, and who had now returned it to me, knew of the matter. I felt deeply humbled, and very grateful to the loving Father who had thus ordered the steps of His children, and heartily set my seal to the words, "Doubtless there is a God that judgeth in the earth.”
The following letter came at this time:—
"Prison, Barcelona, November 27th, 1860.
"RESPECTED AND VERY DEAR BROTHER IN OUR BELOVED REDEEMER JESUS CHRIST, THE ONLY MEDIATOR BETWEEN GOD AND MEN,
“I have just received your comforting and Christian letter of the 17th November, and with it an order for £15. Thanks! a thousand thanks, dear brother, to you and to your friends, for this good deed—thanks from the bottom of my heart, which my pen cannot express. But you and the lovers of the gospel, the true children of the Church of Christ who have joined you, will be able to appreciate the depth of my gratitude by the Christian joy you have experienced in succoring a brother in bonds for Christ's sake, a brother whose only offense and only crime has been loving and circulating the Word of God.
"Dear brother, it appears that my tyrants seek to make my captivity daily more irksome, striving with each other for the pleasure of giving me pain. I have been examined a third time, and have been informed that I must obey the summons of the tribunal of Granada; but that besides this, the tribunal of Barcelona had determined to bring another action against me to discover and prove what I have done and attempted for the circulation of the gospel in Catalonia. So not only is one tribunal acting against me, but two—or rather three—those of Granada, Barcelona, and Malaga. The tribunal of Granada is so anxious for my appearance there, that in the space of a very few days I have been several times summoned, and my papers called for also. They need not be in haste—I am ready. My poor mother has petitioned the government to delay my journey, in consideration of the feeble state of my health; and some of the newspapers have supported this demand of hers. Will the governor grant it? We shall see; and I will let you know the result. My poor mother is suffering martyrdom. Her repeated anxieties have brought on a serious attack of illness; and she has been confined to bed for several days.
“I cannot recall without a shudder the sorrowful scene that occurred the day of my arrest. When my dearly-beloved and most unhappy mother saw me seized, she fell fainting and senseless to the ground; and my little brothers burst into tears and loud cries, for in their innocent and comfortless sorrow they believed that she was dead. I attempted to go to her assistance, and was not permitted. Cruelty! I shall ever remember that terrible moment with anguish. From that time her health has been so feeble that I am deeply anxious about her and on her account. I really dread the day of my departure. God's will be done.
"Spain is the grave of many martyrs, the victims of the Church of Rome. In her religious intolerance she has only changed in the external forms for the last two hundred years. The Church of Rome hates light and knowledge, and punishes us because we have learned to know Christ. The Church of Rome despises the Word of God, and imprisons us because we love and respect it and 'hold it in our hearts as a sacred and saving possession. Let us take comfort, however, for we see that the rigor of Papal tyranny is impotent against us, and their satanic wiles are useless. Our imprisonment was needful, and has done much service to our holy work. All Spain knows that we suffer for Christ's sake; and so all may see, evidently, how far removed is the practice of the Roman Church from the precepts of God's holy Word. But whatever she may attempt against us now is already too late. The Word of God is in the hands of thousands of Spaniards, and the study of it has raised up hundreds of decided Christians, willing and rejoicing to spread the good news, and despising the gainsaying and the persecution of men, ready to take up the cross and follow Christ. So; though tyranny does not falter, neither shall our holy work. But tyranny is the work of man, therefore it must cease. Our work is of God, and therefore ultimately it shall gloriously triumph.
“For myself, I am perfectly tranquil. Every fresh suffering that my poor weak body endures, every fresh delay which is interposed between me and the day of my release, is a fresh motive to increase my joy and confirm my faith. I glory in tribulations! My imprisonment is a trial to the body, but not to the soul. The slayers of the body are weak and miserable enemies to the soul of a Christian. It can even rejoice in its sufferings for Christ's sake.
"I cannot describe to you, dear brother, the happiness that I have felt since I received your letter, and learned from it that your noble fellow-countrymen had interested themselves in my fate. Oh, give them the assurance of my deep gratitude. How can I repay so many favors, so much Christian love? The reward is so great that I could never give it, but God will repay it tenfold; and posterity will not fail to keep a sacred niche in history for the sons of noble and powerful Albion, who are ever ready to support the good cause, and to defend the weak and the afflicted. "May God enlighten you, dear brothers in Christ, —may He take you under his special protection! May He recompense, as He sees fit, your noble deeds! "I have confessed Christ before the tribunals. I do not, and shall never, repent of this. As I have done at Barcelona I purpose doing at Granada. I will confess Christ before the weak as before the strong; before my brethren as before my murderers.
I shall suffer-and what then? Did not Christ suffer for us miserable sinners? Did He not lay down his life for our sins? Did he not redeem us by his death? What are my little trials to be compared to the blessing that his words and his example are to me? Oh, nothing 1 less than nothing! I knew well, when I undertook my evangelical labors, that I was in the midst of wolves. I knew the thorns and thistles that would be under my feet, but I never forgot the words of the Savior, 'He that taketh not his cross and followeth after Me, is not worthy of Me.'
“Let us pray to our great Master, that He would pardon our enemies and prosecutors. Let us pray with sincere and humble faith that He would bring them to His heavenly fold—that He would enlighten and preserve them. I feel no anger against them. I understand the motive of their inhuman cruelty, and I heartily pity them for their separation from Christ.
“Farewell, dear brother; I do not yet know when I shall leave this place. The journey to Granada is indispensable; but the state of my health may occasion some delay. But you shall hear of my movements if possible.
“Your brother in the Lord Jesus Christ,
"MANUEL MATAMOROS.”
Seeing that the money had been received in due time, I felt a pleasure in praying much to the Lord that He would continue to guide all things for the best, and for His own glory, and for the advancement of His truth in Spain. Before Matamoros left Barcelona, the intelligence having reached that city of the sympathy of British Christians, a letter was forwarded by him as follows, with forty signatures appended—
"Barcelona, December 26th, 1860."
RESPECTED BROTHER IN THE LORD,
"We desire to use but few words in the expression of our deep gratitude towards your Christian fellow-countrymen, for their noble and generous conduct towards our brethren in Christ, who suffer persecution for their faith in this country, through the intolerance of our government and the influence of the Roman priesthood. We, the undersigned, have now the pleasure of declaring that we do not belong, nor will we ever belong again, to the Church of Rome, whose dogmas we consider to be opposed to the Word of God, which is our rule of faith now; nor do we acknowledge any other religion to be true than that of Jesus Christ and his apostles. Having made the above declaration, you will understand, dear brother, how grateful we feel for the active measures taken by the distinguished deputation which waited on Lord John Russell, not only because of the good it will do to our brethren, but because of the incalculable benefit which will result to the Lord's work here. We have heard, also, of the generous assistance which Messrs. Newton, Tregelles, and Peddie have, with yourself and others, rendered to our dear brother, Don M. Matamoros, whom we love as he deserves, and for which we hasten to express our heartfelt gratitude. We feel confident that we express the sentiments of many Spaniards, and therefore we have not hesitated an instant in sending you not only our own thanks but also those of many who are like-minded with ourselves.
“We trust you will not be surprised at not seeing our addresses given, because of the fatal persecutions to which we are exposed in this unfortunate country. To you and all Englishmen who are interested in the Lord's work, we offer our sincere Christian love, sympathy, and affection, and are your brothers in the
Lord Jesus.”
[Here follow forty signatures.]
All having been prepared by God for our brother's voyage, he set sail on the 26th December, 1860, and I received a letter communicating the fact to me, as follows:—
"National Prison, Barcelona, December 26th, 1860.
"BELOVED BROTHER, MR. GREENE,
“In two hours from now I start for Granada in the steamboat as far as Malaga.
“I have just been visited by a body of the brethren, who have given me the accompanying memorial to forward to you. They had previously read the letters you wrote to me, which produced enthusiastic joy, and called forth the enclosed document, which, as you will perceive, is a most important one. It would be well to publish it, suppressing the names, the insertion of which would be quite sufficient to insure the immediate imprisonment of all concerned. The reason there is not double the number of signatures is because they wish to take advantage of my presence here to forward it. The enthusiasm is intense and indescribable. They have written to Malaga on the same subject, and I believe that they will also write to you.
“I shall have to be three days in prison at Alicante. My expenses will be greater than I expected, but there is no help for that now. I know that my friends are awaiting me on the pier, and will accompany me to the ship,' to bid me farewell. The Lord reward their love. What think you of the love of these brethren? I will send you my address when I arrive at Granada, and if possible will write to you from Alicante. I am writing to-day to A—, and yesterday I wrote to Dr. Tregelles. Farewell, dear brother; a thousand kind regards to your dear family. Adieu! may His Holy Spirit be with you.
"M. MATAMOROS.”
About this time a valuable letter appeared, which, as it gave many interesting statements to the public concerning the imprisonments made in Spain, I have thought well to introduce here. It is as follows:—
“The following is a brief statement of facts connected with the still continuing persecution in Spain. It originated thus: A young man of about twenty years of age, named N. A—, belonging to a respectable family at Granada, was student at an ecclesiastical seminary, presided over by the archbishop of that province. Having made rapid progress in his studies, he became one of the favorite scholars of the rector, and a protégé of the archbishop. A friend presented A—with a New Testament and two controversial works. He was reprimanded and kept in close confinement for a week; but his convictions remaining unchanged, it was resolved that he should be arrested. His Protestant friends having heard of this, advised him to escape to Gibraltar. He did so, and is now a refugee in England.
“Jose Alhama, a hatter at Granada, a man of high Christian character, and greatly respected by all, was suspected of having aided the flight of A-; he was suddenly arrested, his house searched, and himself carried off to a dungeon, his wife and family being wholly unprovided for. Among the letters found in Alhama's house were some from Manuel Matamoros, from Barcelona. A telegram was sent to that town for his arrest. At midnight, on the 6th of February, foul gensdarmes with their sergeant and a constable entered the house of Alhama; his aged mother admitted them; they demanded all the keys to search the house. His wife was in bed, ill from premature confinement, brought on by distress at her husband's sufferings. They obliged her to rise, and searched the mattresses, boxes, trunks, beds, clothes, pockets; for two hours the savage search continued; nothing, however, was found to incriminate the family, but the terror was too great for Alhama's wife, and she fell down in an epileptic fit.
“Very recently eighteen persons have been arrested in Malaga; three out of one family, the father, mother, and eldest son, five little children being left wholly unprovided for. They were arrested at dead of night, and were carried off to a dungeon, where they still remain. More arrests have also taken place at Seville, and the head of one of the best public schools in that city is now in prison.”