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Introduction—Variablenessof outward practice of Christianity—The like as to that ofMahometanism—Roman Catholicism most subject to thatmodification—Excesses of Roman Catholicism in Spainaccounted for by Spanish history—The Goths and Moors ofAfrica—Their conversion to Christianity—Theaborigines of America—Traditional coincidences withscriptural truth—National character of the religion ofSpaniards—Religion of the affections—SantaTeresa—Amatory propensities in connection withreligion—Knight-errantry—Motto of Spanishnobility—The four primitiveorders—Loyola—Religion the pretext for wars ofSpain—Three distinct features of the national character ofSpaniards, illustrated by Isabella the Catholic, Charles V., andPhilip II. | [7] |
CHAPTER I. |
The Spanish Clergy—Theirprimitive state—Their subsequentorganization—Barraganas—Immoral practices ofthe clergy—Their wealth, and its sources—Theirterritorial possessions—Their influence andincomes—Their opposition to the sciences—Theirultramontane principles—The “pass” of theSpanish sovereign necessary to the validity of the Pope’sbulls—Doctrine of the Jansenists favoured by theministers of Charles III.—Port-Royal and SanIsidro—Parish priests—Sources of theirincome—Many of them good men, but deficient in scripturalknowledge and teaching—Their preaching—Abolition oftithes by the minister, Mendizabal—Effects of thatmeasure—Poverty and present state of the clergy—Theirdegraded character and unpopularity—Their timidity inrecent times of tumult—Ecclesiastical writers of thePeninsula—Power of the Inquisition curtailed by CharlesIII. | [31] |
CHAPTER II. |
Monachism—The superiorityof the monastic over the secular clergy—Reasons forit—Orders of Monks—The Carthusians—Theiradvancement in agriculture, and love of the fine arts—Theirseclusion and mode of living—Only learned men admitted totheir order—Their form of salutation—Curiousadventure of a lady found in the cell of a Carthusian—TheHieronimites—The Mendicant orders—“Piousworks”—The Questacion—Decline of Spainaccounted for—Vows of chastity, poverty, andobedience—How vow of poverty eluded—Lahonesta—Vicar-general of the Franciscanorders—His immense income—Religious orders haveproduced many great and good men—Cardinal Ximenez deCisneros—His celebrated Bible—Corruption of monasticorders—Insubordination of friars to the bishops—TheJesuits—Deplorable reputation of theirliterature—Pascal, Escobar, Sanchez, andMariana—Suppression of the Jesuits by CharlesIII.—Their subsequent expulsion by Espartero under IsabellaII.—Nunneries, though spared on suppression of religioushouses, utterly useless—The Pope’s attempt toperpetuate them by concordat—Thelives of the nuns described—Their means of subsistence isnow precarious—Convent de las Huelgas. | [47] |
CHAPTER III. |
Celibacy andMorals—Illicit relations formed by theclergy—Shameless avowal of their fruits—Ferociouscharacter of love in the cloisters—Three flagrantcases—Murder of a young lady by her confessor, theCarmelite of San Lucar—His trial and sentence—Murderby a wife of her husband under the direction of her confessor,the Capuchine of Cuenca—His trial, imprisonment, andescape—Murder of a lady by the Agonizante ofMadrid—His trial and execution—Scandalous occurrencesin the Convent of the Basilios of Madrid—Forcible entry ofthe civil power—Murder of the abbot—Suppression ofinquiry—Shameful profligacy of the Capuchines of Cascanteand the nuns of a neighbouring convent—Mode of itsdiscovery—Imprisonment of inmates of bothconvents—Removal of prisoners—Their mysteriousescape—Exemplary performance of vows in somecases—Dangers of celibacy—Spanish women and theirinfluence on society | [73] |
CHAPTER IV. |
The Mass—Its introductionbut modern—The Spaniard Lainez opposed it—On whatgrounds—Description of the ceremony—Its religious andsecular peculiarities—Sacerdotal vestments worn whilecelebrating it—High and Low Mass—Both performed in anunknown tongue—Consequent indifference of thecongregation—Mercenary character of themass—“Masses for theintention”—Masses forthe dead—The solemn mass on Christmas eve, or Nochebuena—Its profane accompaniments—Passionweek—Thursday—Good Friday—Adoration of theCross—Processions—Anecdotes of IsabellaII.—Brilliant rites and ceremonies on the day after GoodFriday—Uproarious conduct of the faithful on thatoccasion—The mass as celebrated at Toledo—Judicialcombat, or judgment of God | [87] |
CHAPTER V. |
Devotion of Protestantsscriptural and reasonable—That of Roman Catholics poeticaland affectionate—Religious enthusiasm leads toinsanity—Mental devotion as distinguished fromphysical—Nature of Roman Catholic devotion accounted for bythe worship of images—Intercession of saints—SaintAnthony—The illiterate guided by bodily vision rather thanspiritual discernment—Horace confirmsthis—Illustrated by popular errors—Sensual andpoetical elements were introduced to devotion by theGreeks—Destruction of images by the Emperor Leo theIconoclast—Opinion of Pope Leo the Great—Imagesadorned like human beings perplex the mind between truth andfiction—Familiar examples—Money-contributions foradornment of images—Belief that saints can cure certaincomplaints—List of those—Saint Anthony ofPadua’s miracles—The fête of San AntonAbad—Virgin Mary, and her innumerableadvocations—A list of several—TheRosary—Statues of the Virgin—Immense value of theirwardrobes and trinkets—The most ugly of those statuesexcite most devotion—Virgin of Zaragoza—The heart ofMary—Month of Mary (May)—Kissingimages—Anecdote of the Duke of A--- and hiscourtezan—Habits and promises—Penance | [102] |
CHAPTER VI. |
Feast-days—Processionsand Novenas—Corpus Christi—How performed in Seville,and the sacred dances of los seises—How inMadrid—Procession of Holy Week—The SantoEntierro—Clerical processions—Procession of theRosary—Rites of Roman Catholicism—Jubilee of fortyhours—Romerías or pilgrimages | [122] |
CHAPTER VII. |
Purgatory—Deliverancefrom by devotions of survivors—Those devotionsdescribed—Difference between dogma of purgatory and otherdogmas—Modes of drawing out souls—Masses for thedead—Legacies to pay for them—Externalrepresentations of images and pictures—Day of All Souls andits practices—The Andalusian Confraternity ofSouls—Mandas piadosas—Debtor and creditoraccount between the church and purgatory—Howbalanced—Bull ofComposition—Soul-days—Responses—Cepillo,or alms-box—Financial operation—Origin of bills ofexchange and clearing house—Wax Candles—Theirefficacy—Cenotaphs—Summary of funds, and reflectionson their misapplication | [142] |
CHAPTER VIII. |
Auricular Confession—Asacrament inseparable from that of communion—Obligatory onall once a year—Plan of discovering defaulters—Howpunished—Evils of confession—Power of thepriest—Four evils pointed out—Discoveries in theInquisition in 1820—Facility of obtainingabsolution—Louis XIV.—Robbers and assassins—Theconfessional—Practice, how conducted—Expiatory acts—Refusal of absolution—Ahusband disguised as his wife’s confessor—Theinjunction of secrecy on part of confessor—Advantages ofthe knowledge he gains—Jesuits advocate theconfessional—No fees for confession, but gratuities aregenerally given | [152] |
CHAPTER IX. |
Fasts and Penances—Howobserved—Indulgences—Spain is privileged by the Bullof the Holy Crusade—Description of that bull—Pricesof copies—Commissary-General of Crusades—Hisrevenues—Their shameful application—Copy of thatbull—Other acts of penance—The Disciplina orwhipping—Cilicios | [170] |
CHAPTER X. |
False Miracles, Relics, and ReligiousImpositions—Veneration of crucifixes and statues orimages—Their power of healing—Picture atCadiz—Lignum Crucis—Veronica—Bodies ofsaints—How procured—Inscriptions—Lives ofsaints—Maria de Agreda—St Francis—Scandalousrepresentation of the appearance of the Virgin to asaint—Fray Diego de Cadiz—BeataClara—Her fame and downfall—The nun, SisterPatrocinio—Her success, detection, confession, andexpulsion—She returns, and is protected by a highpersonage—She is again expelled, but again returns andfounds a convent—Its disgraceful character andsuppression—Her flight towards Rome—Occurrences onthe road—Her return to Spain | [187] |
Conclusion | [201] |