“Since it is manifest by experience that if the Holy Bibles are allowed everywhere without difference in the vulgar tongue, more harm than good would arise from it on account of the rashness of men. Let the judgment of the Bishop or inquisitor be abided by in this matter, so that with the advice of the parish priest or confessor they may grant the reading of the Bible in the vulgar tongue, translated by Catholic authors to those whom they shall have ascertained to be likely to derive no harm, but rather an increase of faith and piety from this sort of reading, which permission they must have in writing; but if any one shall presume to read or possess them without such permission, he may not receive absolution of his sins unless he first deliver up the Bibles to the ordinary.
From Pope Pius 4th, we have the following cautionary rule—That since it is manifest from experience that if the Bible be indiscriminately permitted in the vulgar tongue, more injury than benefit will result through the rashness of men, the use of Catholic versions shall be granted by the voice of the priest or confessor to those alone who it is understood will not be hurt by the reading of them, but will be advanced in faith and piety.”
—“they may grant”—“shall be granted!”—Man giving permission to read the Bible! That is, on Romanist principles, if one of you, my parishioners, wants to read the Bible, he must come to me, as his Rector, for permission—for a written certificate!
Mark also the condemnation by Pope Clement XI of a proposition made by an eminent writer (Quesnel) of the Romish Church.
“It is useful and necessary in every time, in every place, and for every degree of persons, to study and to know the spirit, and piety, and mysteries of the Sacred Scriptures.”
This was laid down by Quesnel, and Pope Clement condemned it.
But I ask “Is it a fact that in this very town, where we have a considerable number of Romanists, the Scriptures are disseminated in the Romish version?” One of the excuses which might be urged for the Priest is, that the Testament which was burnt by him was not the authorised version. Two or three weeks have elapsed since he burnt that one, but has he given, in its place, one of his own Testaments? He had not done it up to yesterday morning. What! has he burnt the Testament of a little child without the slightest restitution? Had I taken away what I deemed an erroneous version, at least I should have gone to the first Bible depository and should have said “At any rate, if I take away what I consider erroneous I must supply what I think is right.” On his own showing, he was bound to have given the child a New Testament according to the Romish version.
But it will be said, “There are many towns where you can buy the Romish version of the Scriptures at their booksellers.” I can attribute this to nothing else than that Rome skilfully accommodates herself to circumstances of time and place. This remark will be deemed uncharitable by many. Brethren, it is not very easy to avoid the appearance of uncharitableness when speaking of the practises of the Church of Rome.
“Dr. Dens, having given the Fourth Rule of the Index, and stated that it is strictly binding in Romish countries, says—‘Yea, rather according to Steyaeret, the law (4th rule of Index) was received and hitherto observed (with some variety, according to the peculiar genius of nations), in by far the greatest portion of the Catholic world, nay, in the whole of that part of the world which is completely Catholic: it was more dispensed with only where Catholics lived among heretics.’” [11a]
Where the Protestant Bible is extensively circulated, there you will find the Romish Scriptures may be purchased.
But, in the face of the hundreds here to-night, I state it as a fact which may be substantiated by superabundant evidence, that the Church of Rome is still, as by her own showing she is not ashamed to own, opposed to the general circulation of the Word of God in the vernacular tongue, even according to her own received version. [11b] And now let us inquire into the reasons for this conduct. The first is, as the words just quoted bear me out in asserting that they consider that danger and mischief would arise from the general circulation of the Word of God among the masses of the People. Men and Brethren! I desire to put a bridle on my spirit and on my tongue to-night, but when I hear a man telling me that the Word of the living God—that that revelation which our Heavenly Father has graciously given to us his fallen sinful creatures, to tell us of his love, to make known his will, and to declare the way of salvation—that this is to be denied to the masses of the people, I feel within me (I trust a holy) indignation. Why is it not the very glory of the Word of God—is it not one of the best evidences of its adaptation to the wants of man—that while there are mysteries which neither a Bacon, nor a Newton, nor a Locke could fathom, and into which even an archangel can but desire to look—there are lessons which the simplest can fully understand, which a Timothy may learn at his mother’s knees. Is it not a blessed and irrefragable proof of the fact that God intended all to have the Bible—that the Bible in its great and vital truths (I do not say its every mystery) is open, under the teaching of the Holy Spirit, not merely to the Priest or to the scholar, but to the most ignorant of men? And I will venture to assert that, so far from the Bible being above the comprehension of an uneducated man, whenever you find such an one become a humble, prayerful, reader of the Bible, it expands and strengthens the powers of his mind. Yes! You will find in the courts and alleys of this vast town, many a man who could not discourse to you of this world’s lore, but his eye would kindle, his mind would be all intelligence, and his tongue all fluency, as he began to talk of the wondrous themes of the Word of God.