Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1854-12-27
FL FOR THE AMERICAN ORGAN
The Catholic Church opposed TO the un-
restricted reading OF the Bible.

i. FOR THE AMERICAN ORGAN.
The Catholic Church opposed to the I'M
restricted reading OF the Bible.
1t is easy to demonstrate this, from the writings
Of those high in the Church Of Rome and shall
content myself with extracts from work, entitled
A General Introduction to the Sacred Scriptures.
by the Rev. Joseph Dickson, D. D., Professor Of
Sacred Scriptures and Hebrew, in the Royal Col
lege Of st. Patrick, Maynooth, now Archbishop
of Armagh, and Primate Of all Ireland" The
above is very high authority, as viii be readily
perceived from the high position he occupies in
the Church.
In centuries past, the Bible was almost entirely
found in the Greek, Latin, and Syriac languages
After the art of printing was invented, it was
translated in every living language, and conse-
quently became generally diffdsed among men.
Previous to this, the private perusal Of the Scrip
lures must have been for numbers an impossibiity,
arising from the want Of means to purchase books,
which were all in manuscript, and consequently
very costly and according to the authority above
cited "the private perusal Of the Scriptures was
far from universal among the simple faithful, and
became less common in the church, In proportion
as these languages, Greek Latin, Syriac--in which
the Scriptures were found from the early days of
the church-rors out of the Knowledge Of the poo
pie"
AT this period, and probably for some time SUBJ
sequently, there was no actual restriction, or pro-
hbtiou to the general reading Of the Scriptures in
the Catholic discipline, but says the same author:
The practice Of the Christian church at all times,
upon this head, has been quite irreconclable with
the superstition, that the founder Of that Church,
OF His Apostles imposed any obligation upon al
Christians generally to read the Scriptures 1t is
hardly necessary for TO controyert the position
here taken by the learned Prelatc, to quote the
language recorded in the fifth chapter Of St. Johns
gospel: Search the Scnpturcs,n or the words of
St. Paul to Timothy, ''all scripture inspired of God,
is profitable TO teach to reprove, to correct to IN
struct in justice, that the Of God may be per.
feet, furnished to every good work"
Just previous TO, and about the time of the Ref
ormation, numerous editions Of the Bible In mod
crn languages, came from the press, and then the
Church deemed II necessary to enact laws upon the
subject For says Dixon;
After the commencement of the Reformation,
| when, under the guisc Of pretended zeal for the
diffusion Of scriptursl knowledge the reformcrs at
tempted TO pervert the faith OF the people by cor
rupt versions, and by exhorting every one TO in
terprct tho Scriptures for himself then the church
considered 1t necessary 10 impose certain restric-
tons on the liberty of reading the Scriptures in
modern languages"
vious extracts, that the Scriptures could not reach
the great mass of the people, except through the
| editions printed r the modern languages, for he
says, /" tho Creek Latin, and Syriac languages we're
being gradually wore out OF the knowledge Of the
| people,
This was not the first occasion on which the ec-
clesiastica authority Of the Catholic church inter-
posed to prevent the liberty Of reading the Scrip
lures" for we find Innocent III, In the year 1899,
praised the zeal Of bishop Of Mentz, for having
denounced certain persons in his diocese Who hav-
| ing obtained French edition Of certain portions
Of the Scriptures, held clsndestine meetings, in
which they not only read the Scriptures, but also
prcsumptuously usurpcd to themselves the minis
| try Of teaching"
The above historical fact Is recorded by Dixon,
and plainly shows that, not only was the liberty
OF reading the Scriptures denied but the effort TO
teach was also declared to be presumptuous usur-
patton Of the right Of the bishop.
Again, from the same author, " In the year 1929,
the provincial council Of Toulouse prohibited to the
laity the use Of versions in the vulgar tongue,
which prohibition extended to all editions In the
living languages Of the time. The church adhered
rigidly to the Greek, Latin, and syriac editions,
which languages the author confesscs were gener-
ally wearing "oH Of the knowledge of the people,
However, continues the same distinguished
author 1T was AFTER the reformation that that
law, in reference TO the use Of the modern vcrsions,
was introduced, which prevails generally now
throughout the church, and wcmay say everywhere,
At least as 70 the substance Of the law This law
was drawn up by /" number Of the Fathers Of
Trent chosen for the purpose by the council and
twas afterwards confirmed BY Plus Nv. IN the