VISIT TO NAPLES, ITALY.
By John Nevins Andrews
For several months past I have been in correspondence with Bro. Ribton relative to visiting him at Naples. My arrangements for this journey were nearly completed when the REVIEW came to hand, containing an important article from Bro. White relative to Europe, and in which he counseled me to visit Naples at once. The only thing which I waited to do was to print the first number of our second volume, which was then almost ready for the press. Then without an hour’s delay I set out for this place. I thought it duty to call on Bro. Bourdeau, and to make a short stay with him. I found him in rather feeble health, but toiling very hard and making some progress. The laws of France are extremely oppressive to those who wish to preach our faith, or even to those who would distribute our tracts. Though our paper is permitted to enter France by the mails, yet it is examined by the police on the frontier to see if it has anything in it touching politics. I should say many things in our paper concerning the present movement of the French government against religious liberty, but it seems not to be prudent. Bro. B. has nearly twenty keeping the Sabbath with him, and there is reason to hope in the case of others. But perhaps it is not wise for him to remain and struggle with such difficulties when he could preach in French Switzerland without any hindrance from the law. After leaving Bro. Bourdeau, I came with as little delay as possible to this place. I have found in Bro. Ribton a man of a choice spirit. I have every reason to believe that he truly fears God. He is about forty-five years of age. He was formerly a professor in the University of Dublin. He can preach in English, French, and Italian. He is also master of the ancient languages. Bro. Ribton is very anxious to give himself to the work of God. His wife is in perfect accord with him in walking in the truth, and they will be baptized, as also their only child, a daughter of twelve years. Perhaps also there will be some others to be baptized. I improve every hour that our friends can listen in speaking from the Bible. When they have not time to listen, I prepare articles for LES SIGNES DES TEMPS. In a few days I will write again. I cannot doubt that God has a place in his work for Bro. Ribton to fill. In Europe, where everybody, almost, is lulled to sleep by the idea of salvation by grace without obedience, and certain of eternal life because they have professed to be converted, it is to me very refreshing to find a man who has just ideas of obedience, and who does not count the victory won till self and sin and Satan and the world are vanquished. I can hardly esteem this a promising field of labor. The laws of Italy are not very restrictive. There is a good degree of liberty so far as the civil law is concerned. But the power of the priesthood is almost omnipotent. If a man rents you a hall, the priests can put him under anathema. If he attends your meeting, they can forbid his customers to continue to deal with him. And so in a thousand ways, by means of the confessional, they can exercise great power to thwart you. But this is not the real trouble. It is found in the morals of the people. The church of Rome has had unlimited sway in Southern Italy for many generations. It was, until the fall of the Bourbons a few years since, sustained by the civil power in all its purposes. And now mark the result and give to Romanism the credit. The people have lost all ideas of truthfulness, of honesty, and of chastity. To lie, to steal, and to break the seventh commandment, are very light matters, of which they do not even feel ashamed. Whether it is possible to save men so sunk in pollution is more than I know. Some can be saved I hope, but the prospect is not cheering among such people. Other parts of Italy are less contaminated. Probably Bro. R. will change his field of labor, though his state of health demands that he continue in a hot climate. There are, however, in this city a great number of foreigners, and among them may be found many persons who are capable of conversion to God. I wish to give as just an idea as possible of the condition of the common people. It would be not wide of the truth were I to say that the mass of the people is totally given to idolatry. Their prayers are addressed to Mary, and before her picture they offer their adoration; but God and Christ are forgotten. God made this a beautiful country and gave to its inhabitants many choice blessings, but they have turned his blessings into a curse, like the inhabitants of the cities of the plain. God pity such a ruined people.