272 THE STUDY OF HOLY SCRIPTURE.
spoke first by the prophets, then by His own mouth, and lastly by the apostles, composed also the canonical Scrip- tures,^ and that these are His own oracles and words ^ — a Letter written by our Heavenly Father and transmitted by the sacred writers to the human race in its pilgrimage so far from its heavenly country.^ If, then, such and so great is the excellence and dignity of the Scriptures, that God Himself has composed them, and that they treat of God's marvellous mysteries, counsels and works, it follows that the branch of sacred theology which is concerned 'I with the defence and elucidation of these divine books I must be excellent and useful in the highest degree.
Now We, who by the help of God, and not without fruit, ,• ""have by frequent Letters and exhortation endeavored to Wpromote other branches of study which seem capable of advancing the glory of God and contributing to the salva- tion of souls, have for a long time cherished the desire to give an impulse to the noble science of Holy Scripture, and t^-iBipart to Scripture stiidy'a'direction suitable to the needs of the present day. The solicitude of the apostolic office naturally urges, and even compels us, not only to desire that this grand source of Catholic revelation should be made safely and abundantly accessible to the flock of Jesus Christ, but also not to suffer any attempt to defile or corrupt it, either on the part of those who impiously or openly assail the Scriptures, or of those who are led astray into fallacious and imprudent novelties. We are not igno- rant, indeed. Venerable Brethren, that there are not a few Catholics, men of talent and learning, who do devote them- selves with ardor to the defence of the sacred writings and to making them known and better understood."' But whilst giving to these the commendatiOTrthey deserve, We cannot but earnestly exliort others also, from whose skill
- S. Aug. de civ. Dei. xi. 3.
^S. Clem. Rom. 1 ad. Cor. 45; S. Polycarp. ad Phil. 7; S. Iren. c. haer. ii. 28, 2.
^ S. Chrys. in Gen. horn. 2, 2; S. Aug. in Ps. xxx., serm., 2, 1; S, Greg. M. ad Theo. ep. iv. 31.
