In estimating the success of mission work in Italy, one should be careful not to lose sight of the peculiar difficulties that confront the missionary. Under the old regime, in the days of papal supremacy, good schools were rare and great ignorance prevailed. Even as late as 1881 nearly five per cent. of the entire population of Italy were unable to read, which means that about twenty million Italians can be reached with the Gospel only by means of the living voice, the tracts and the Bible being to them a dead letter.
Prejudice is another serious hindrance. Some of the best and most sincere among the people honestly believe that protestantism is rank infidelity. A priest once said to a young man, in the writers hearing, “Ah! beware of protestantism, beware of protestantism! Why, don’t you know that protestantism was founded by Voltaire and Tom Paine?” The abuses of Romanism have yielded a rich harvest of materialism and infidelity. The salt has lost its savor and men have cast it out and trodden it under foot. One of our greatest difficulties, especially in Rome, lies in the stolid indifference of the great mass of the people to all spiritual things. Thousands have been taught to depend on forms and ceremonies, and to relegate all personal responsibility to the Church and the priest, and to such our doctrines are by no means acceptable.
In a land like Italy, where a great system of error has kept the people in ignorance and spiritual darkness, and bound them with fetters of iron, one must not expect too much. A few days ago, we were asked by a Christian woman, “How are you succeeding in your work?” And on hearing the response she replied: “I know Rome well, and I can assure you that it is a great marvel that you can do anything at all.” But despite difficulties and Satanic hatred and opposition much has been done. Italy has become a united and free country and liberty of speech is everywhere enjoyed; the Pope has lost his temporal power, and with it the right to interfere with the missionary of the Cross; hundreds and thousands of tracts and Bibles have been scattered among the people, as silent but powerful witnesses for the Truth; prejudices have been overcome, and public opinion has been greatly modified and enlightened with reference to protestants and protestantism; more than three hundred Christian workers have been raised upon the field, and not less than 10,000 persons have professed faith in Christ. It should not be forgotten that previous to 1848 not one publicly declared Italian evangelical could be found in Italy, and that before 1870, to preach or profess evangelical doctrine in Rome, meant certain imprisonment and possible death. While praying and hoping and earnestly laboring for much greater results, we can but exclaim, “The Lord hath done great things for us, whereof we are glad.”
CHAPTER XLVIII.
FROM ROME, VIA PISA AND FLORENCE, TO VENICE.
Peasants—A Three-Fold Crop—Elba, the Exiled Home of Napoleon—Pisa—Leaning Tower—An Odd Burial-Ground—Florence—The Home of Savonarola, Dante, and Michael Angelo—Art Galleries—On to Venice—A Flood—Johnson Excited—Storm Raging—Lightening the Ship—Venice, a Water-Lily—No Streets but Water—No Carriages but Gondolas—Shylocks.