DON FRANCISCO RUET
THE following notices of the conversion and ordination of Don Francisco Ruet to the Spanish Protestant Church of Gibraltar is extracted from the Home and Foreign Record of the Free Church of Scotland:—
“Gibraltar, October 28th, 1858.
"An event happened here two days ago, which is altogether new in the history of the Rock, and which is of so interesting a character that I trust you will find a place for it.
“I refer to the full equipment of a Protestant Spanish Congregation in Gibraltar by the ordination of Senor Don Francisco de Paulo Ruet as their minister by the Free Church Presbytery of the North of Italy. It was the first time a Presbyterian ordination had taken place in the colony, and, in all probability, the first time that such ordination ever was bestowed upon a Spaniard. The congregation present on the occasion, therefore, was a large one, composed both of Englishmen and Spaniards, some of whom were compelled by curiosity, and others by higher motives.
“The members of the Presbytery who took part in the service were the Rev. Dr. Stewart, of Leghorn, who preached in English, and after the ordination addressed Senor Ruet on the duties of his office in Italian; the Rev. A. Sutherland offered up the ordination prayer, and afterward addressed the congregation on their duties in the Spanish language, and the Rev. David Kay, of Genoa, who, after a few kindly words in Italian to the newly ordained minister, addressed the English portion of the audience. The service was interesting to all, but many of the Spaniards were visibly affected by it.
“The history of this congregation is a very interesting one. It is wholly composed of Spaniards, either born on the Rock or who have come to reside here, and who are converts from the Church of Rome.
“The Wesleyans have maintained schools for the instruction of children in Spanish for many years in Gibraltar, and it is possible that the Protestant movement among a certain number of this new congregation may be the result of this early training. Mr. Sutherland, after his arrival here, about three years ago, speedily mastered the Spanish language sufficiently to converse with enquirers who came desirous of being instructed in the differences between Popery and Protestantism; and the first formation of this Spanish congregation is, under God, his work. It already consisted of twenty members, whom he had instructed and admitted to communion when Senor Ruet arrived about two years ago.
“Senor Ruet's early career had been an eventful one Born at Barcelona, son of an officer of some rank in the service of the Queen of Spain, he was sent in due time to the Bishop's College in his native city, with the view of becoming an advocate, where he continued for six or seven years. It was during this period that he had his eyes opened to the iniquities of the Roman Church, and probably getting involved in some of the political entanglements of the time, was obliged to fly from Spain. He went to Piedmont and continued to support himself, as best he could, by his own exertions there during eight years. In Turin he was attracted to the Waldensian Church, and became deeply interested in the preaching and teaching of Dr. de Sanctis and M. Meille, by means of which his heart was changed, and after being for two years a catechumen in M. Meille's classes he was admitted to the Lord's Supper in the Waldensian Church. When Espartero came to power, the Liberals, who had expatriated themselves from Spain, returned thither again, and Ruet among the rest.
“He began to harangue the people of Barcelona in one of the public squares of that city, declaring to them that true liberty was to be found in the Gospel alone, and that so long as the Pope remained in power, and shut out the true light, no advance in freedom could ever be made. He was soon arrested at the instance of the priests, and cast into prison, whence, after an imprisonment of nine months, he was banished the country, his passport declaring that he was at liberty to return again as soon as he became reconciled to Holy Mother Church! That satisfied Mr. Sutherland and other friends, that if he suffered as an evil-doer it was for the truth's sake and not for politics, for he made his way at once to this place.
“The Spanish work in Mr. Sutherland's hands had now taken such dimensions that he felt need of assistance, and after careful inquiries, he engaged Mr. Ruet to visit and to address his inquiring countrymen. The wrath of the Roman Bishop here was greatly stirred at such a piece of audacity; and he had influence enough to enlist some of the employés of the government in the plan of banishing the firebrand, so that it required both prudence and firmness on Mr. Sutherland's part to secure for the exile, for Christ's sake, the asylum which had been freely granted to Spanish political exiles.
“An appeal to the Governor, Sir James Ferguson, settled the matter. Ruet has been at least for two years an inhabitant of the town, and except on the matter of his religion, no one can bring a complaint against him.
“As Don Francisco Ruet was the instrument under God of bringing Matamoros to a knowledge of the glorious Gospel of the Grace of God and thus delivering him from the trammels of the Roman superstition, some details of the links in this mysterious chain will be read with interest. I give the story as I heard it, and do not vouch for its complete accuracy, but what was communicated to me was, that a lady at Rome had given a tract to one of the most eloquent preachers of the Vatican, De Sanctis by name, and this treatise was on the importance of studying the Bible to come to an exact knowledge of the will of God and of the plan of Salvation. This tract made a deep impression on the honest mind of De Sanctis, and finally led him to the study of the Book of Books, which, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, ended in his abjuring the errors of the Church of Rome and embracing the truth as it is in Jesus. De Sanctis went to many places of Italy and also to Turin, where God had now directed the steps of the Spaniard, Don F. Ruet, who was to be brought also into the glorious liberty of the Gospel. He was in due time converted; returns to Barcelona; suffers imprisonment for the precious name of Jesus, and finally goes to Gibraltar, where Matamoros was in due time sent by the same spirit, and made the mighty instrument in God's hand of opening the doors of Spain to the incalculable boon of an open Bible. I had long asked God to send us one man with the true spirit of the early church, and in due time Manuel Matamoros appeared on the scene.
"God moves in a mysterious way
His wonders to perform,
He plants His footsteps on the sea
And rides upon the storm.
“Deep in unfathomable mines
Of never failing skill,
He treasures up his bright designs
And works his Sovereign will.”