Italy by CHAS. T. EVERSON

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jan 16, 1908

Italy

By CHAS. T. EVERSON

ROME.—It gave us new courage to learn that another worker was to be added to the ranks in Italy. It is indeed a source of much comfort to know that those in the home field are thinking of us and our difficult place, the home of the papacy. We are thankful for the aid sent in the person of Brother Giraldi, and we pray that he may prove to be an instrument in God's hands for gaining many of his countrymen for the present truth. I had a long and pleasant visit with him, as he remained in this city with us for several days. He spoke to our little company on Sabbath and Sunday night. He has gone on to Naples.

Professor Fant is now laboring in Genoa, the birthplace of the famous navigator and discoverer of America. This is an energetic city, full of activity and life. It is growing very rapidly, and is becoming a prominent seaport. With Brother Fant is another Italian brother, by name Gaeta, a member of our Rome church. At the present time he is engaged in canvassing. He was formerly a canvasser of the Bible Society.

With Brother Benezet, in Turin, is Brother Bertalot, who is doing a good work selling our literature.

In this country we now have the principal points on the Mediterranean Sea occupied by our missions; so we form quite a good force on one side of Italy. We still lack Sicily on this side. A young man from that island is now with me. He is investigating the truth, and has a great desire to work there as a canvasser. I have been told that the other denominations have made excellent progress in their work in Sicily; in fact, in one place the Waldenses have converted to Protestantism a whole community, consisting of about fifteen thousand persons, with their mayor. I do not understand by this that all are members of the church; but while many are members directly, others are in favor of the Protestant religion as opposed to the Catholic.

Brother Fant made a trip to a town not far from here, this summer, and found, high up in the mountains, in an out-of-the-way place, a man who had been keeping the Sabbath with his family for ten years without the knowledge of another Sabbath-keeper in the world. He found the Sabbath while still a Catholic, without the aid of any one. One day he asked his priest why the Catholic Church observes Easter. He was given the usual explanation—that the councils enjoined it, etc. But this did not satisfy him, and he wanted to know what the Bible teaches about it. The priest told him he had only a Latin copy of the Bible, and sent him off without further ceremony.

The man happened to know of a Protestant who lived not far from there, and he went to him, and asked if he had a copy of the Scriptures. The Protestant gladly loaned him his, and he began to read it, to see what it taught about Easter. But while he found that it taught very little about this, he learned that it everywhere insisted on the observance of the Sabbath. He returned to his priest, and asked of him an explanation about this Sabbath question; but the former replied that the church had changed the day to Sunday. Thereupon the brother asked by what right the church changed the precepts of God. The priest then became angry, and called him an ignorant countryman, incompetent to enter into the reasons for the church's actions and authority, and sent him off.

He tried to get an explanation from the Protestants, but they could furnish only inadequate reasons, and he finally made up his mind to hold to the truth, and keep the Sabbath, although alone. He suffered many persecutions, both from the Catholics and from the Protestants, but he was firm. You can well imagine his joy when he heard that there were other Christians observing the seventh day, and standing for the same truth for which he had been combating so long. He received Brother Fant with open arms, and immediately began to invite his neighbors to come in and hear the truth. Many of them did come. Of course Brother Fant's stay was limited, so that we have not been able to follow up the work as yet. I received a good letter from this brother, in which he says, among other things: 'Blessed be God, who in his love has been pleased to comfort me, poor unworthy creature, by making known unto me brethren, full of charity, humility and brotherly love such as I never experienced before in my life. O brother, you can not imagine the great joy that has come to me by the revelation of these new brethren.' I shall not take the time to quote more, but will simply say, that he, with his family, has asked to be admitted into the church, and be one with those who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus. CHAS. T. EVERSON.