Morning journal and courier., 1881-06-13
Free Italian Church.

| dlences listened to the eloquent patriot and
orator Gavazzi. At the North church the
distinguished visitor was admirably intro
duced by the Rev. DR.. HAYES, whose person
al acquaintance with Gavazzi began ten or
more years ago, when Mr.. Halves introduced
the speaker to an immense Phil adelphia au-
dience in one of the most noted halls of that
city Gavazzi first visited this country thirty
i years ago. He was then still in the flower of
his manhood, able then to discourse elo.
quently, though somewhat broken as now,
in the English tongue, having acquired the
language when ten years an exile in England.
He is man of 70, of large frame and still of
fine physical presence, and as speaker is
intense, forcible, magnetic and electric.
At the Center church last evening that
place of worship was thronged, and many
with difficulty were found seats and the aisles
| we're filed with camp chairs. Rev. DIR. Ba-
con offered prayer, and the choir sang ''Turn
all that dwell below the skies.'' DIR. Bacon
then introduced Signor Gavazzi, saying A
little while ago we had the great satisfaction
| of listening to a representation from an en-
thus1astic and enlightened Frenchman con-
| corning the revival of Professionalism in
France, where it was crushed out long ago
| by the tyranny which dominated. We meet
this evening to hear representative of the
Free Church of Italy. The Rev. Mr.. Gavazzi
has long been known in his native country, first
as distinguished preacher and orator, first
/ in connection with the Roman Catholic
! church and the monastic order. His devoted
love of his country separated him from his
back from the cause of liberty to which at
| first he was pledged. Signor Gavazzi went
| forward, and to-day he speaks in behalf of
| united Italy and free Italian church. The
speaker added that at the end of the address
aid for the cause would gladly be received,
and papers would be found in the pews for
names and amounts
Signor Gavazzi in opening said Let me
say that twenty two years ago the gospel
could not be preached in any part of Italy
and ten years ago it could not be preached
in Rome, and worBhipers had to worship
without the walls of the city. In order to be
free we thought it necessary, first of ALL to
be independent Independent of foreign tyr
amy, SO that we had to fight the fight for
right. We commenced the great national
fight in 1913. The cause of this beginning the
speaker wildly described. Five days, five
days of glorious fighting came. The speaker
was asked for speech. He spoke to 49,,
600 hearers in tn 20 Coliseum. Three thou
sand volunteers were added that day. Three
days after the army left Rome and marched
| to Venice, Forty days we marched. Before
marching from Rome 1 had a writing from
Plus, then my friend, appointing me spiritual
leader. That papal authority and blessing
given me for the cause was the cause of our
| defeat After that we did not take any papal
blessing, and were successful. Then came
an attempt from within to strangle the young
italian republic. With 5000 volunteers un-
der Garibaldi we drove the French from
Rome and defeated them beautifully. We
were lily armed, and we had the French and
the Austrians to cope with. The speaker
alluded to the monastic garb he wore at this
period. His efforts for the republic resulted
in his Imprisonment. A critical moment for
the speaker and the cause was then described.
In that moment he found shelter under the
American flag. The stars and stripes had a
magic effect over the papal police. After
three days of American hospitality he OBJ
tanned passport and escaped to England,
where for ten years he remained an exile.
The speaker with graphic words, full of fire
and exultation, in which the audience invol-
unfairly sympathized, told of subsequent
beautiful work-beautiful being delightfully."-
rolled and elongated to the enjoyment of the
audience. With further exulting words the
hero and patriot spoke of the downfall of
Napoleon at Sedan, and with it the uprising
of the hopes of Italy. Soon Italy became the
fifth nation of Europe. It was a real union,
a union in one. With it came civil and re-
igious liberty. Now there is much freedom
of speech, freedom of press, freedom of
religious opinion in Italy, as exists in this IA
vored country.
The speaker now, with more graphic and
exuItant words, described the formation of
the Free italian Church, church of Jesus
Christ free from Romanism. The free Chris
tian church in Italy is exclusively mission
airy church. This, all should remember, that
their sympathies might be enlisted fully in its
behalf. It is something new for Italy-an
prefer that the Italians should be evangelical
not English-ly, nor Frenchly, nor American
ly, but Italian-ly. nativeItalian evangelist
can do more good in one year with Italians
than one of another can in ten. He can
strike directly at the hearts of the Italians.
We are called reformers, which we are not, |
and L for one, decline the honor of being !
reformer. I decline it because we in Italy |
have nothing to reform. People may say,
Have you not the Romish Church to |
nofa TTa 1411ik 1Oca oh -
form that church for nothing. It is I'M
reformable. Yes yes, there is something |
good in the Church of Rome beyond ques- |
ton. There is something good in every |
thing There is something good in the boa |
constructor, the skin. But to get the skin of |
the boa you must kill the boa. The skin of /
the Church of Rome is desirable. but to get |
the skin you must kill the church. Our |
scope is to renew Italy, to restore to the Ital-
ians the ancient primitive Apostolic church, |
without popes and without popery. Purity of |
doctrine, simplicity of doctrine and simplici- |
ty of worship characterize, Italian |
church. We have churches in all the cities |
of Italy. We have SO churches and 35 evan
geGcal stations where we preach the word /
and break the bread, III churches in less /
than 10 years. 1t is marvellous and shows
the blessing of God. In 10 we had scarcely
400 COMMITMENTS. We have now 1000 |
communicates and 200 Sunday school chill
dren.
All of our communicates are converts
from Romanism Listen to that. This year
we open a new church in Venice, one near
Brundisi and one in another place. In Sar-
dinia, the most ignorant and bigoted spot in
Italy, we have opened this year the first
italian church. The Italians patriotism is
stirred also by the fact of this church being
of italian formation.
Let m say a word about our evangelical
schools. We have now everywhere public
schools, but I insist upon our evangelical
schools. Our present communicates will die
and we want second generation of staunch
Christians. stand, therefore, for our evan
geical schools. We have above 1900 pupils
our schools. More than two thirds |
are children of Roman Catholic parents.
The speaker with much eloquence cried
shamel shame! that in this Protestant
country Protestants will send their children
to Roman Catholic schools, while in Catholic
Italy Catholics send their children to our
Protestant schools
The speaker now alluded to his theological
seminary now established in Rome. We have
in it, he said, four theological professors and
other professors. Our curriculum covers four