Appeal From Italy by John Nevins Andrews

Pacific Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Oakland, California · Jun 13, 1878

Appeal From Italy.

By John Nevins Andrews

THE following appeal for help comes from those who have embraced the truth through the labors of Brother Ribton, at Naples. It was written by them of their own accord, and not at the request of Dr. Ribton. They sent it to me to be forwarded to the General Conference Committee, at Battle Creek, Mich. I send the original with twenty-two names appended, and I send also a translation for publication. I know not what words I can use that will add to the force of this appeal. When I was in Naples a small hall was found that could be had if we would lease it for nine months. But it was not even furnished with seats, and it was very uninviting. Just opposite to this hall is a Roman Catholic church, with an image of the Virgin in front, and this prayer to her inscribed in stone: "Show thyself to be a mother."

I could not regard such a hall thus situated as a promising place for the preaching of the truth. It would cost fifty francs ($10) per month, and it must be furnished with seats and lamps and other necessary things by us. But Brother R. had sought a hall for many months, and this was the first one that could be had. It was first offered while I was there, and there was no other which we could obtain. At first I was averse to hiring the hall. I told Brother R. that if the hall was hired I feared that I could do nothing for his personal expenses, and that he would suffer for means to sustain his family. But he said nothing could be done in Naples without a hall, and that he would trust God to sustain him in the work. I was at last perfectly satisfied that it was duty to hire the hall. But as it is easy to make mistakes even when we think we are right, I determined in my own heart that if there should be nothing accomplished by the preaching in the hall, I would as soon as possible replace in the funds of this mission all the money that I should take for the expense of the hall.

Our lease expired May 4, and cannot be renewed only at much higher figures; but it is not desirable to continue in that hall. Now what has been accomplished? Brother R. has preached in it a great number of times. In one letter to me the past winter he says: "The past fortnight I have preached sixteen times, written many letters, and made many visits." The opposition has been so violent that they have been obliged to have the police station guards at the door. Stones have been thrown through the windows, and on one occasion a quantity of fire works were exploded within the hall, so that his congregation was obliged to disperse. It has been at the peril of assassination that Brother R. has continued his labors. And now behold the result. Here is a company of twenty-two persons who unite in such a declaration of their faith as is expressed in the following appeal. Several of these persons are able themselves to become teachers of the truth to others.

These brethren ask that means shall be sent to sustain and enlarge the work in Italy. I second this request with as earnest entreaty as my heart can utter. Naples is one of the dark corners of the earth; but there God is causing the light to shine. Is it not a great privilege to do something to help in such a work? But why not let the Italian converts sustain the work in

Italy? Those who ask this question know not the situation of Italy. The wealth is all in the hands of a few wicked men. The mass of the people are extremely poor. There are no openings as in America, for men who live by their labor to ever gain even a moderate competency. I will say in behalf of these friends that they will do all that they can; but they must have help for the present. I have hitherto taken great responsibility with regard to the work in Italy. It would be a great relief to me if some member of the General Conference Committee would visit Italy, and make report as to what ought to be done.

It seems from some facts which Dr. Ribton writes me that there is a providential call to send the truth to the island of Sicily. For a very small sum one of Brother R.'s helpers in Naples might be sent to do this work. There is a Baptist minister on the east coast of Italy who has had our paper for some time past, and who is convinced of the truth. He has a great desire to see Brother Ribton, so much so that he proposes, when he can, to visit Naples. But Brother R. ought to go at once and visit him. I have not been able to send him means for this.

For a year or more we have been sending the paper to certain friends in Alexandria, in Egypt. There is in that city a considerable number of Italians who associate together for worship, and who understand the French language. The reading of our paper has convinced this entire company that Christ is about to come again. Five of these persons have received the Sabbath. Dr. R. must go before long and visit them. We are sending a number of our papers to the island of Malta, and it is not unlikely that we shall soon have a call for help from that island.

We have printed French tracts till we have nearly all that are needed to cover all the ground of our faith. We have nearly a sufficient variety of German tracts to answer the same purpose. Our expenses in the publication of French and German tracts for some time to come will be much smaller than heretofore. But now comes the same work for Italy. We have printed an excellent thirty-two-page tract, "The Sabbath of the Bible," in the Italian language. We have also in type, "The Sunday." The expense of a sixteen-page tract, 5000 copies, for press work and for white paper, is about $20, the paper being of nearly the same quality as that used in our American tracts. We do all the work ourselves except that of the press, and as our printers work without wages the money expense on our publishing work is for press work and for white paper.

Yet the living expenses of those who do this work must be met. This means house-rent, fuel, food, and clothes, and whatever may be really necessary. We must take from the funds of the mission the greater part of this expense, but beyond this we are not willing to take anything. We study to make our living expenses as small as possible, and to practice the strictest economy. We know that the money raised for this mission is given by many who must deny themselves in order to give. We therefore seek to use it so that every dollar shall count.

I am fully in agreement with the caution of Brother White that those who are in want or in poor circumstances should consider themselves excused from contributing to this part of the work. In general, these persons are in danger of going beyond their duty. They may give where their brethren who know their circumstances can advise with them as to how much they should give. But if our brethren who have wealth, and who are adding to it from year to year, will open their hearts and their purses to supply the missionary treasury at Battle Creek, so that this Italian work can be sustained, we promise them that not a dollar shall be wasted. If you would like to have your money used for tracts in Italian, we will print them for you at the above rates. Or if you would choose to help in the living expenses of those who do the work, you can do so.

But we beg that the appeal of these Italian friends may be regarded. There can be no greater privilege than that of giving in so sacred a work. Our paper must soon be printed both in Italian and in German. It will cost some money; it will cost also much labor, and care, and patience to print in these languages. But we are sowing the seed in Europe, and it is already springing up in distant places. Whatever money our friends raise goes into the hands of the General Conference Committee to be appropriated from time to time, according to their best judgment. The following is the translation of the appeal from the Italian brethren.

THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHRISTIANS OF NAPLES TO THEIR BRETHREN IN AMERICA.

Very Dear Brethren in Jesus Christ:

We, the undersigned, who have recognized the perpetuity of the moral law, the sacred duty to observe all the commandments of God, not excluding the fourth, that is to say, the sanctification of the Sabbath of the Lord, and who have received the doctrine of the near advent of Christ, unite to send you our fraternal salutation, and to express our gratitude for the interest that you, and especially our dear Brother Andrews, have had for our dear country, and for the aid you have sent us, by the means of which we have been able to hear these great doctrines. We are now desirous to unite as a church. It has been unfortunate for us that our hall which we have occupied hitherto has not, because of its unhealthful condition and its unfavorable location, permitted a numerous auditory. In a few days we must leave this hall; nevertheless we feel the need to meet together often to confirm one another in the faith and to instruct one another in the word of God, and to announce to the thousands who surround us, who are in ignorance, superstition, and idolatry, the good news, the commandments of God, the gospel of the kingdom, and to preach to them: "Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

But besides ourselves who have already recognized these great truths, there are many persons who desire to hear these subjects preached, and to study all these questions; but we see that this is impossible without a better hall, and without an Italian journal equal to Les Signes des Temps, and without tracts in the Italian language. Without these, we fear that the good fruit already obtained will in part be lost.

We are exceedingly grateful to our dear Brother Ribton that he has, with zeal worthy of a Christian in apostolic times, instructed us in the word of God, and given discourses of profound interest upon the prophecies, upon the fourth commandment, and upon the striking signs of the near advent of Christ. He has labored beyond his strength in this work; and though he has an ardent desire to preach the word of God, he is not able to dedicate himself entirely to the work of the Lord, because he must also labor for the support of his family.

Though we have lacked the means necessary to work to good advantage, yet in a few months' time we have accomplished relatively greater results than any of the evangelical churches of this city; though they have existed here for many years, and though they have sufficient means. It is with profound grief that we see that we are not able to respond to the growing demands of this work in its present state.

For these reasons we make appeal with confidence to you, dear brethren in the same faith, in the hope that with the fraternal love that you have already testified in our behalf, you will be able to aid us to obtain a hall suitable to receive the people that desire to attend, and so that Brother Ribton may be able to devote all his time to those who desire to learn the great facts concerning the advent of our Lord.

We all believe that the Son of man is near, even at the door, therefore we burn with desire to announce, while yet there is time, this great truth to our brethren.

We regret extremely, dear brethren, that we have not the means necessary to sustain the work ourselves, as do our brethren in other places; but owing to the peculiar situation of our country, we are all poor; a part of our number are students who receive from their parents scarcely the means to live; the others are persons who by their labor sustain their families with difficulty.

Receive, dear brethren in Jesus Christ, our salutation and love which abides forever.

[To the foregoing appeal were appended twenty-two names of the brethren and sisters in Naples.]

J. N. Andrews.