the Roman Catholic respecting the reading of the Holy Scriptures. (1.) The Rmp?nists boast that their church doe? not ab?ut?l?
- ,?b/r, but in certain circumstances perm/?, the reading of the Scriptures.
Now we main? that this ]2?? is an arrogant and autichristian assumption. The Bible is a proclamation of mercy, addressed to sin- ful men, in such term8 as the following: "]?ook unto me, and be ye saved, all ye ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is none else," lsu. xlv, 22. The Ohurch of Rome stands by, and presumes to decide who shall, and who shall not, hear these words of the Almighty viour; and if any person at all hear them, it is by her permission. This is assuming a power and authority equal to that of ?h2d, and a right to e. muyo/, or at least to reg3da?, the manner of communicating his will to his own creatures. It is arrogating an authority which belongs to no creature, nor to any assembly of creatures, to decide when and to whom the Almighty shall address his overtures of mercy and grace. This claim of an authority to joefin/t, implies an authority to/n*eveu? or b/f the reading of the Scriptures, whenever it shall happen that preven* tion is more agreeable to her than permission. This, in general, has been the case; and if her assumed anthority of perslitting proves her to be in error, much more will her preventing fix that character on her. (2.) The restrictions under which the members of the Church of Rome are permitted to read the Scripture8 amount to a/?*oA/bif/on. Thi? will appear, if we consider the number and kind of the restrictions and the extent of the privilege :--1. The original Scriptures are entirely overlooked by them. ?.. Our English version and all Protestant yet* 8ions are placed on the list of prohibited books. 3. The Latin vtdge?e only is permitted to be read without a license, and very few can read it. 4. Their Douay version is scarce, and they take no pains to circu* ]ate it among their people. 5. No person is permitre(1 to read their own Scripture in his own native language, without a tor/t2n ? from his bishop, or from an inquisitor, with the advice of the priest or confessor. 6. No person is nilewed to be licensed nnleas those who are supposed to receive "an increase of faith and piety," that is, if he be such as will not, by reading, call in question the doctrines of his church. 7. He that presume8 to read or possemr the Bible without such a license is punished by a penalty the most terrible to a Romanist, viz., he is not to receive absolution of his sins till he has returned such Bible to his priest. 8. Any bookseller who eelIs a Bible to any person not thus licensed to posses8 and read it ?/m/2forfe?t t/tepr?c? oftAe boo?, (librerum pretium amittant,) a,id ?ubrn? to otke?' puniskmen? a? llte ef ki? biskop, accordifig to tlte qua?it.? of thf o?nce. ( Aliioque pmnis pro delictis qualitatis ejus episcopi arbitrio subjaceant. De//brgs regula iv, 8.) They consider the general reading of Scripture as pro* ducing more harm than good, through the rashness of men, and thus they represent the Bible as a dangerous b?i. 9. Finally, the favourod Jew who are permitted to read are not to exercise their judgments in reading, but are to be blindly led by the church, i.e., the priests, or the ?, without which no Bible is to be printed on any account. No Romanist can deny thee, restrictions, as they are those which �re imposed by the infallible decisions of the Counoil of Trent. And if they are all put together, they will amount to a prohibition against all Digitized by ?00gI{?
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