The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1896-04-20
APLEA EOR AID.

The Addressed Rev. BFanseseo Roetant Of
Italy, at tho Flrlt Presbyterian church
Last Night.
Last night at the First Presbyterian
church the Rev, FRANCISCO Rogtan, del
egate OF the waidensian church OF
Italy to the general assembly Of the
Presbyterian church OF this country,
delivered an address TO a large congre-
CATION in which he gave an Interesting
account Of that ancient and much per-
secuted church, and made an appeal Tor
aid for the conduct Of the mission work
OF the church. Rev, Rostan 10 COM
paratiYely young man. tall and hne
looking, showing his italian birth In
his dark complexion and his speech. He
impreases his hearers as being a very
earnest man.
Several months ago, said the Rev.
RostAn, the board Of missions Of the
Waldensian church delegated me TO
visit this country 70 enlist your SYM
pathy in behalf Of our missionary work
In Italy, Sardinia and Sicily. / have
also been sent to give you some infor-
nation about my people. II / know the
Presbyterian people well, and think 1
do, know that they are in sympathy
with US In Italy, The WAldensian
church was never united to the church
Of Rome: It existed four centuries be-
fore the Reformation, and as moder-
ator Of the United Presbyterian general
assembly In the United States once told
me 1t Is the only church that never
needed reformation. IT was In this
church that Protestantism existed be-
fore the Reformation. The Waldensian
church was subjected for years to the
hercest and most bitter persecution,
and in 1885 were driven out Of ltaly TO
Switzerland, where the people re-
manned for three years. 1t was only on
February II, 1siS, that they were al
lowed to enjoy the same liberty as you
have in America. Now we are allowed
to go from place to place and spread the
gospel. It was only q few years ago
that It was impossible TO do mission
work in Italy. Not longer than 1870
there were nc. evangelical churches in
Italy except those outside the walls Of
Rome. Now there are fourteen or fif-
teen within the city. In 1855 the church
was persncuted in Florence. But while
we enjoy liberty We are not yet free
from persecution. II person Joins our
church he loses a considerable amount
OF his custom II he Is a merchant, but
we are improving in this respect under
best sovereign reignlng IN Europe to-
day. Our people number between 25,-
900 and 5000. and the Waldensian
church has a membership OF 1850 We
hlYe AZ Christian stations, and there iB
no church, except the MeFayian, that
supports more missionaries in propro-
tIon to,its membership. We now have
a church in Milan with 400 members.
We are also in Rome We have 50
schools for the education OF the people,
and We are preaching the gospel every
where. Some persons ask Is It neces-
sary to do missionary work in Italy.
Ny friends, you do not know what
Rome is. The priests in, America are
very different from what they are In
Rome. 1t Is said that Rome wants to
unite all the churches OF the world, and
that the time Is not far distant when
tine lion and the lamb will lie down to-
gether. Yes, but when the lion does lie
down the lamb will be inside OF him.
1 have been pained to know that
many italian immigrants That come to
your country are considered undeslr-
able. 1t iB no wonder when one consid-
ers the ignorance that abounds In that
land. Fifty per cent of the people can
not read or write, people who are Kept
in the grossest ignorance by the church
OF Rome. When these people come to
the United States the first thing they
object to Is your public schools. Amer
leans have nothing 10 learn from the
church of Rome, and everything TO
teach 1t. An italian lawyertwas asked
who wrote the first gospel, and he an
swered Isaiah, and another thought
Jeremiah had written another. An
other gentleman had sent to him the
gospel OF st. John by o friend, and he
wrote and thanked him for the gitt,
adding that whenever ne wrote another
book like that to be sure not to forget
him. Think OF that. Ascribing the
authorship of that gospel to an Italian
OF the nineteenth century. You do not
know the amount OF superstition and
Ignorance that exists In Italy. have
seen with my own eyes persons enter a
church and lick the floor from the door
to the altar, doing penance, and leaving
the edifce with protrudinE and swollen
tongues,
church in Sicily. She had In her arms
a bright, good-lOoking baby, and said
what a handsome child you have. A
singular look cnme over her face which
/ could not understand. asked an
other lady the cause OF It, and she told
me 1t was considered a sign Of Ill omen
for the child, and that the superstition
OF the country was lnul Ils Clluu WOulu
soon take sick or die. The next time I
knew better. and l remarked, What a
wretched looking thing you have
there" What we want Is to do some
thing for such n people. Righteousness
exalteth a nation, and we are striving
10 spread Righteousness through the
land. Look at your own country. How
much YOU owe to the first settlers Of
this country. How much you owe to
the God.fearing Puritans Of New Eng
land, the scotch-Irish Of Pennsylvania
and the Huguenots Of North Carolina.
II the people coming here to-day had
been the first settlers you would not be
where you are. 1t was the men OF God
who first came that made your present
greatness possible. Righteousness eS-'
Rlteth a nation. During recent cele-
brntIon commemorating the return OF
our people to Italy King Humbert sent
n letter Of congratulation and a gift Of
81 900 for the church, We need some aid
In our missionary work. 1t costs $780,
600 a year to support our missions. Our
neople have contributed $4,000. The
work recommends itself.
After the sermon a collection was
taken up, and the members OF the con-
greEation responded literally.
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