"He merited not to be born who thinks he was born for self."—Metsatasio.
THE hilly region of Piedmont presents some of the most picturesque scenery in Italy, and the subject of our present sketch passed his eventful life in the midst of it. His native village stands on a hill commanding an enchanting view of two fertile valleys, clothed with richly cultivated vineyards. He belonged to the leading family of the neighborhood, and could boast of having had a near ancestor in the local bishopric His parents and relatives were devoutly attached to the Church of Rome in which he was baptized and confirmed. Having finished his preparatory studies at the grammar school, he proceeded to Turin to study law, following the profession of his father, who was a well-known solicitor. Italy seems to be a land indigenous to Universities, from which have gone forth many of her brightest sons to enrich the fields of the world's learning. Turin University was founded in 1404, and numbers 2500 students.
Eugenio was a passionate lover of music, and in after years used to recount how in his youth he often listened with breathless emotion to the sacred music of the great Italian masters, " which, however, when ended left my heart empty." One evening he went to hear the famous musical production, “The Massacre of the Huguenots." The melodious notes which reproduced the patient sufferings of those pious martyrs, made a deep impression upon Eugenio's mind, and he began to think of those faithful protestants, not as the vile heretics depicted by Rome, but as persecuted followers of Christ. He knew that they had received their faith and fortitude from the Holy Scriptures, and now his uppermost desire was to procure a copy of the Bible and read its Holy pages. But in 1847 it was difficult in Italy to find a copy of God's Word in Italian, priests against its entrance which “gives light."
Eugenio's character was free and open, and he did not conceal his sympathy with the cause for which the Huguenots had been so mercilessly massacred, and in his written exercises he occasionally illustrated his subject by referring to those cruel deeds committed in the name of religion whereby one hundred thousand innocent protestants pilfered death. A latent suspicion existed in the minds of some of his clerical professors as to the orthodoxy of his religious views and reached its climax through one of his literary efforts. In a Latin examination he was asked to choose and translate any piece of Latin into Italian verse. He asked for a copy of the Vulgate Bible and put the 19th Psalm into beautiful Italian poetry. His suspicious teachers thought they had discovered in Eugenio's rendering a decided tendency to the Evangelical faith, and specially in the closing verse where the Psalmist sings: " The words which from my mouth proceed, The thoughts raised from my heart, Accept, 0 Lord, for Thou my Rock And my Redeemer art."
Many years after, speaking of that event, Eugenio one day weeping said: “I did not know Him then as my Rock and my Redeemer; and yet my enemies discovered my longing after Him, and persecuted me all they could. Some of my professors were kind and impartial, and one of them told me privately that my work was excellent, but he counseled ME not to present anything of that kind again. Another professor showed me much sympathy, and endeavored to comfort me with the vain assurance that if I only knew how to dissimulate as others do, all would be well with me."
In similar moral experiences of disappointment and resentment, many of our most promising young men give way to indifference and skepticism. They fancy that such a sphere may afford them more freedom from the responsibility and care of any definite religious course. But before they have traveled far on the broad road they discover that it is a downward grade. Such was the experience of Eugenio, happily a very brief one.
Late one afternoon he was returning from the University to his lodging. It was raining, and the young student was walking pensively under one of the porticos when a humbly attired colporteur offered him a Bible.
“Sir, purchase God's Word. You will not regret having done so." This was the very Book he had been seeking, and the very Word he was in need of that very moment! He bought the Bible in his own soft mother tongue. The faithful colporteur had quickly to make off, for he was spied by the enemy of the Bible, and Eugenio never met him again! When he arrived at his room, he was so enraptured with his sacred volume that he did not observe that the table was spread for his meal, and he began to turn over its pages without any definite order or object in view. He then remembered that he had not dined, and he hid the Bible in his room till he felt free again to read some of its Divine teaching. That very evening he brought it from its secret corner, and till early in the morning he poured over its Holy pages. Speaking of that memorable event in his life, he says: “I felt as if I could read it all that night. I cannot express the impression it produced upon me: the joy, and then the confusion of face as I thought of my spiritual condition." He knew and felt that he was one of "the sick" who need the Physician (Matt. 9:1212But when Jesus heard that, he said unto them, They that be whole need not a physician, but they that are sick. (Matthew 9:12)).
Eugenio found peace in believing “the record that God gave of His Son." The great and glorious end of the Holy Scriptures is mentioned by the Apostle John: " These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God, that ye may know that ye have eternal life " (1 John 5:1313These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. (1 John 5:13)).
Eugenio had become heir to a considerable quantity of land near his native village, and he now decided to study agricultural science with a view to developing his ground. He was led to this decision however, from a growing desire to be free from his dependence upon those who had shown their hatred against his faith. He thought that as a landowner and by cultivating his vineyards according to the most scientific methods, he would be in a position which his enemies could not easily assail. So with all the courage and tenacity of his nature he gave himself to the study of agriculture, and to him it became a science which he cultivated to its highest degree. He entered the National College and studied under the most famous professors of his day. Having successfully finished his course, he began to put into practice the knowledge he had acquired, and soon made very radical alterations in the land of which he was now the owner.
The news of Eugenio's evangelical faith had spread all over the district, and the people were wondering whether they should believe the priest's version of it when some of the oldest peasants began to rebel against the new scientific methods of cultivation. “Our forefathers," they argued,” never studied botany nor chemistry, and yet they lived and died without these modern ideas. They worked their little plots, and did not trouble about studying the nature of the soil. They left it as they found it, and so shall we. Don Merlo says that Signor Eugenio is a religious revolutionist, and it would seem that he is not content with changing our religion: he actually wishes to change our ideas of the land! "
But before many seasons had passed, the most antiquated and bitter enemies of progress were glad to learn and adopt the agricultural methods introduced by Eugenio, and in consequence the whole district became prosperous. Many land owners sent their peasants to his fields to study the new means of receiving richer returns from the soil. While Eugenio freely and gladly offered to all the benefits of his agricultural studies, he quite as freely and still more gladly made known to them the good news of salvation. This, however, increased the opposition of the priests, and the young heretical landowner was now engaged in a daily battle with papal Rome. There was no doctrine of the Romish Church he had not fully considered and he fearlessly faced the priests and friars sent by the bishop to oppose him. But this controversy only resulted in greater publicity for the Gospel, and the Bishop changed his modus operandi. Nothing was left unsaid or undone to discredit the Gospel testimony of Eugenio and his few brethren, and among the weapons used by the enemy, none proved more likely to succeed than that of fear which always thrives upon superstition. So the priests spread the report that the Protestants did not bury their dead properly, and the more ignorant among the people actually believed the suggestion that the devil came and carried off the bodies of the heretics!
One day the dear little child of a Christian in the village died, and for the first time the people were to see what a Protestant funeral was like! The fond mother kept a careful watch over the little corpse, but the dreaded fiend did not appear. Was the priest's sure and sacred report to end in a fiasco? No! What then? A funeral boycott! So the gravedigger refused to do his work, and the news soon spread that the little protestant body would not, could not be buried!
But Eugenio was not so easily defeated, and going to his poor sorrowing Christian brother, he said “Come with me, all is well."
They went together to the civil authorities, and in the name of the law asked for a piece of ground in the cemetery. This was granted. They then went to the priest and demanded the keys of the burying ground. They were handed to Eugenio, who then called one of his own peasants and ordered him to bring two spades, and a large crowd gathered to witness Signor Eugenio with his farm servant digging a grave! Having finished his noble work he addressed the people, many of whom wept as he preached by the newly made little grave, and all had a manifest object lesson on the works as well as the faith of protestants in weeping with those who weep.
Eugenio was now married to a Christian lady who fully and faithfully shared with him the joys and sorrows of life. Their home became the center of the gospel testimony in that district and from it, through the labors of several earnest Italian evangelists, spread far and wide. The village priest was becoming old, and the bishop thought that a younger padre might more effectually stem the advance of the protestant plague. So he chose a young priest, tall, strong and arrogant: more aggressive than progressive. He vowed to his bishop that he would soon rid that fertile valley of the evangelical pestilence. As he rode on horseback to his new parish, he stopped at the house of an aged villager who most reverently saluted him.
“I see you are a loyal son of the Church."
“Yes, I am, your Reverence."
“Well, you are the very man I want. Your long experience is valuable to me in my new official and difficult duties here. You may know that the bishop has chosen me for this parish as he believes I am the priest befit fitted to free the whole district of the protestant heresy. Now, as you know these protestants well, I want you to counsel me as to the best way to act."
" Well, your Reverence, I have long known Signor Eugenio and those who meet with him, and I can assure you that if you want to get rid of them the best way is to leave them alone, for these evangelici always increase through persecution."
The proud prelate shook his head, mounted his horse and rode off, determined not to accept that humble counsel, which soon proved true as his Reverence endeavored to carry out his aggressive plans.
About this time Eugenio made the acquaintance of Carlo, a Christian tradesman living in a town twenty miles down the valley. Carlo had a rich voice, and had often sung in the Church. A young friend of his was going from home, and left with him a parcel, requesting him to keep it till he returned, adding: “if I die, keep it altogether." In a few weeks Carlo received the news that his young friend was dead. With emotional respect he opened the little parcel. It contained the Bible of that young Christian, whose life had spoken to those who would not listen to his words. Carlo remembered what a pious young man his deceased friend was, and although a protestant, and excommunicated with his Bible, yet an evil tree could not bring forth such good fruit; and so he determined to take the risk and read the Book. It became such a revelation to him that he invited his friends to come to his house and read it; and thus began a gospel testimony which, in its far reaching results, has proved one of the most important in Italy.
Through this new link Eugenio now became united to many other native Italian Churches with which his fellowship grew in mutual blessing.
Eugenio contributed much to the evangelical literature of the country. He was most jealous as to sound doctrine, but always spoke truth in love. He exhorted his brethren not to forsake the assembling of themselves together, and gave the example by attending the meetings far and near, even when his health was weak. He was kind to the poor, friendly, affectionate and sympathetic with all in suffering.
After a life of faithful service for God, Eugenio was called to his Heavenly Home. As he departed he was surrounded by the love and esteem of those who had formerly opposed him. One hundred and fifty of his native Christian brethren stood by his grave; nine Italian evangelists preached the Word of eternal life to hundreds of people gathered in profound respect.
“Now Signor Eugenio has gone!” exclaimed the priest, “soon his flock will be scattered!” But the flock was not Eugenio's! He had often prayed: " Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that Great Shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do His will, working in you that which is well pleasing in His sight, through Jesus Christ, to Whom be glory forever and ever. Amen."
One of the first young men whom Eugenio led to Christ, continued to labor in the Gospel in that fruitful field. " And so were the Churches established in the faith and increased in numbers daily."