This lesson, amongst others, has taught me that in my work of reform I must not seek the aid of priests. They would be nothing but a burthen and a trouble to me. It is not they who constitute a reform, but the believers; and among them it does not appear to me that the priests, as a body, hold the first place; if by the word believer is to be understood a man endued with faith and religious zeal. I hope our Italian Church will institute good laws with respect to its ministers; in the meantime, I shall get my operations forward, without again associating myself too closely with any of the priests who may be converted. I shall exhort them to work as I do, and gain their own bread. St. Paul "laboured with his own hands;" and why should not a priest, who has not much to do in his ministry, employ his leisure time in some civil or literary employment? I even indulge the hope that we may at last return to the old practice in this matter, when the priests did not form a _caste_, but were merely the heads of the families that were the most respected; and were chosen by the people, on account of their wisdom or piety, to the office of minister or elder. The inconveniences to which we are now subject in Italy, through the priests, warn us in time, as to what arrangements we ought to make respecting them. It is certain that as to exalt Christ we must abase the Pope, so to raise the spirit of Christianity we must combat the idolatry of mere forms; and that to purify Religion, which has become corrupted by priests, we must in every possible way make war against everything that comes under the head of priestcraft. FOOTNOTES: [93] 1 Sam. iii. 9. [94] _Vide_ M'Crie's "History of the Reformation in Italy;" Baird's "Sketch," &c. [95] Luke ii. 29. [96] 1 Peter v. 8. [97] "Form of Divine Service in the Italian Church in Malta." Malta: 1847. Printed by Vassalli. [98] "Psalms and Hymns for the Italian Church in Malta." 1848. Printed by Vassalli. [99] He made profession of his faith in a letter to the General of his Order, published in the _Indicatore_, and circulated at Rome as extensively as possible. Vide Appendix, Indicator I. March 1847. [100] Eph. ii. 20. CHAPTER XV. MY MISSION. MEDITATING on the events that had taken place at Malta, I was compelled to acknowledge that the method which I had deemed the best to evangelize Italy, viz. a Missionary College, was not the way that Providence had appointed. In fact, instead of proving an advantage, it turned out to be a complete obstacle to my success, and gave occasion to so much injurious discussion that at length I began thoroughly to be disgusted with it.