The Roman Catholics opposed this work from the first, and anathematized the books issued.
The labor and expense were increased by the singular use of alphabets in the Levantine regions.

The Maronites and Syrians spoke the Arabic language, but employed the Syriac alphabet in writing.
The Armenians, to a large extent, spoke the Turkish language, but wrote it with the Armenian alphabet.

The Greeks in Asia generally spoke the Turkish language, but used the Greek alphabet.

The Grecian Jews spoke the Grecian language, the Spanish Jews the Spanish, the Barbary Jews the Arabic, but all three used the Hebrew alphabet.
Then, too, the worship of the Syrians, Greeks, and Armenians was in the ancient languages of those nations, which were for the most part unintelligible to the common people.
Mr.Temple began preaching in Italian early in 1826, and during his whole residence on the island he preached every Sabbath, either in Italian or English.

The rule he prescribed for himself, whether preaching to Gentiles or Jews, was to preach the great truths of the Bible plainly and faithfully, appealing as little as possible to Fathers, Councils, or Rabbins.