Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1869-02-16
Popery and the Bible.
The long letter ofaP. SAvOIE. PTRE,

of the serpent, however much they
fail to exhibit the harmlessness of the
dove. Artful, in two respects; first,
that although addressed to an obscure
individual, it was evidently designed
for the hundreds of Protestant fami
lies in which Popery could get hear
ing in no other way than through the
columns of secular newspaper; sec
ond, that while seeming to super
fetal reader to meet the questions of
David Durivage fairly and squarely,
it does not, in fact, meet them at all,
but by an adroit flank movement,
raises other questions and pretends to
answer them. Leaving David Duri-
wage to take care of his own discus
sion, if he chooses to, my purpose in
this article is to discuss one of these
side issues raised by "P. SAvoIE,
PTRE, Missionary. He says" you
have the air of believing that the
Catholic church forbids her children
to read the Holy Scriptures. Is this
possible? In every case would say
to you squarely, that the Catholic
church usually forbids in no wise her
children reading the Holy Pages, and
that she engages them even.' On
the contrary, | affirm, and shall prove
! by Catholic testimony, that the Cath
Ollie church does prohibit the reading
of the Bible by its members. The
very evidence which he advances to
prove his position proves the contrary,
for the letter Of Pope Plus VI, APP
proving Marines translation OF the
Bible into Italian, approves it espec-
Tally, where you show that you have
added explanatory notes taken FROM
the Holy Fathers, removing all dan
ger of abuse" The Bible, pure and
} simple, the undiIuted and unadulter-
, ated word OF God, is one thing; the
Bible, with " explanatory notes taken
from the Holy Fathers which teach
the distinctive doctrines and practices
. of Popery, is quite another thing. 1t
is the Bible, which Popery hates and
the use of which it prohibits; not the
Bible with Popish explanations, or, IL
+ speak more accurately, it hates anC
prohibits the latter with less severity
than the former.
But, not to rely upon the weakness
of the evidence on the other side, lie
e US consider the positive evidence il
support OF my proposition. And herr
< let it be borne in mind that Pepper,
is Interchangeable. What it was one
/ it still Is, and such it intends AWAY
e to be. That is its boast. Butler, on
i of the ablest advocates of POperl
+ says in his Book of the Roma
a Catholic Church." =. 1t Is most tru
t that Roman Catholics believe the doc
2 trines of their church to be unchangt
J. able, and that it is tenet of thei
> creed, that what their faith ever ha
Y been, such it was from the beginning
z such it is now, and such it ever wi
{ be" Let it also be borne in min
d that in the Romish church, the deere
d Of a general council, confirmed by
e. Pope, is law, as binding upon its men
sc berS as statute, enacted by the Sci
II ate and House of Representatives an
j signed by the President of the Unite
T States, is binding upon the citizens 0
er this country. Let US see then wha
is the law of the Interchangeable churci
The 4th rule of the Index OF pr,
! hibited books, established by I'll
\ Council of Trent. and confirmed b
e. Pope Plus ", is as follows; "Ina
is much as it is manifest that if the iioI
20 Bible, translated into t b e vuIga
u tongue, be Unfortunately above
to every one, the teme,ity Of men ,0i
Cause more eUiL thUn good to arise fro
70 II, it is on this point referred to II
III judgment of the bishops, or inqus
&C. tors, who may by the advice OF tt
e priest or confessOr, permit the rea
h. ing of the Bible translated into Il
Ill vulgar tongue by Catholic authors,
$ those persons whose faith and piet
oe they aDprehend will be augmente
:, =, and not improved by it; and his pc
mission they mast hare IN ,0riting. b
if any one shall have the presumptit
a. to read or possess it without sus
d. written permission, he shall not r
:; eoivo dissolution until he have first d
n livered up such Bible to the ordinary
er If that is not prohibition, it wou
r. be difficult to devise any forms of e
'e preston that would amount to prof.
bition. Notice that the reading q
the word Of God, pure and simple,
ch not allowed to any layman under ar
If circumstances, but only the readir
ne of it when accompanied by notes ar
III comments adapted to make an il
n preston different from what would
w. made by the word of God alone VIII,
IS, translated into the vulgar tongue
en- Catholic authors" Notice, moreove
that even that is not to be read fire
Of. ly. The permission of the 4" bishol