Naples, Italy by John Nevins Andrews

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Oct 18, 1877

Naples, Italy.

By John Nevins Andrews

I HAVE spoken of the sad condition of the Neapolitans, yet I feel an intense interest for them, and for the people of Italy in general. The providence of God plainly calls us to make an effort for Italy, and we shall be very remiss in our duty if we do not respond to the call.

Immediately after my arrival in Naples, Brother Ribton made a special effort to obtain a hall for public lectures. As we could not obtain a hall from the Catholics, we made an effort to obtain one from the Protestants. We would naturally suppose that where the Catholics are so strong and so bigoted, the Protestants would be found liberal. But I regret to say that they are very far from this. There is a considerable number of Protestant places of worship in Naples, but these different societies are very jealous one of another, and each is afraid to do anything which shall enable the rival societies to say something against them.

We finally obtained the promise of a Protestant place of worship for two evenings, the minister, who was a personal friend of Brother Ribton's, saying that he would take the responsibility for that length of time. We therefore sent printed notices to those persons that had become interested by the distribution of tracts and papers, and invited them to attend. After the notices had been sent out, we received a letter from this minister stating that his deacons refused to permit us to have the hall. The reason which they assigned was that another Protestant church in their vicinity was their special enemy and would speak to their disadvantage if they allowed us their hall.

We were now in a serious strait. Our meeting was appointed for the evening of the following day, and our hall was lost. But Brother R. has a Catholic friend who gives music lessons in his own apartments, and has a room sufficiently large to receive a considerable number of persons. This man was very willing to rent his hall, but as the other occupants of the great house in which his rooms are situated are very bigoted Catholics, he said that he would receive the company as though they came to his music lectures, and that if we thus avoided attracting the attention of the other families in the house we might continue our meetings there for a month. As this was the best we could do we very gratefully accepted the offer. Nearly all who received our notice came to our first appointment, and we had a very solemn and interesting meeting.

But while I was speaking four persons, without our knowledge, took their place in the street in front of the house, and announced to all the persons in the street the nature of our meeting, and invited them to enter. Besides this they ascended the great staircase of the house to the fifth story, and thrust Protestant tracts under the door of each Catholic family. This raised such a storm against us that another meeting in that house was impossible. We supposed that it was the design of those who did this to expel us from the house by this apparent zeal for God.

As public meetings were thus for the time rendered impossible, I devoted my time to visiting such as are interested, at their own houses, and also to conversation upon the Bible with Brother Ribton and his family and with those that called at his house. I think this was productive of much good. We sought a place for baptism, and found a retired and beautiful place in the harbor of Puteoli near the spot where Paul landed on his voyage to Rome. Acts 28: 13. Here, a few miles west of Naples, Brother and Sister Ribton, and their daughter, and another sister were baptized. The occasion was one of solemn and joyful interest. There are others at Naples to be baptized after a little.

I have spoken of the difficulty of obtaining a hall in the city of Naples. Brother Ribton felt extreme anxiety to obtain a hall, as otherwise it is impossible for the friends of truth to assemble on the Sabbath, as they are very widely scattered in the city. I assumed the responsibility of the rent of a hall for nine months, and upon my return to Bale I sent the pay for the first three months’ rent, and something also to meet other expenses. And now I have the happiness to add that Brother Ribton has gone to work in the most earnest, faithful manner in this new place of worship. A few days since he wrote of the conversion of a brother, and to-day he writes me of the conversion of another. Certainly this seems like the work of God. I do not regret that the hall was hired. I believe that a church of commandment-keepers will be raised up in Naples.

I visited a considerable number of persons in Naples who receive Les Signes des Temps, and who are deeply interested in the truth. One of these is an English lady who resided some six years as a teacher in Russia, and who now keeps the Sabbath. This lady is well versed in the Russian language, and perhaps it may be well to have her translate some one of our small tracts into the Russian language. My visit to the few Sabbath-keepers in Northern Italy was very interesting.

Brother Bourdeau has removed to Switzerland, and I am making every effort to join him speedily in his new field of labor.

Remember us in prayer.

Bale, September 18. J. N. ANDREWS.