Page:Delineation of Roman Catholicism.djvu/79

 �Ov. II scawrwas. ternder age whioh lure the flexibility of wax to receive impressions, and the solidity of bronze to retain them. "It is proved by the annexed testimony that Mr. Isaac Wheelwright, camusry to the prohibitions of the holy Roman Catholic Church, has promoted the general reading of the Bible ithout notes in the Spanish hmgtmge, and has circul.d a tract eutided, ' A Few Words to the Wise, the object of which is to show that the sacred Scriptures ar to be understood according to men's private judgment, and not according to the exposition made by the holr fathers, as saith father Scio, in his original work. He has also put rate the halide of children two tracts of fictitious narrative, one entitled ' Swiss Village Woman,' and the other the 'Dairyman's Daughter,' which lead to the capital ei-rors Protestantism. "The accompanying papers impugn these pernicious maxims, and will convince the supreme government that the circulation of the Bibles .d tracts alluded to ought to be prevented. They will also inflame ts zeal to cut up by the roots this crying enormity. Ood preserve your excellency. NcroL,S, sAop of Quo." The Rev. J. A. Clark, of the Protestant Episcopal Church of Andrews, Philadelphia, in a letter to his congre,ation, dated Rome, Mrch 24, 1838, says :--" The Bible in Rome is a strange and rare book. The only edition of it authorized to be sold here is in fiteen large volume, which are filled with popish commentaries. Of colxrse none but the rich can purchase a copy* of the sacred Scriptures. In- deed very few of the common people here know what we mean by the Bible. The question was proposed the other day by one of my fellow- Lodgers to the lady from whom our lodgings are obtained, and who may be considered as a fair representative in point of intelligence and reli- gions information of the middle class of society in Rome, ' if the peo- ple here generally had a copy of the Bible in their houses ?' The reply was,' 0 yes, all the religious people have.' She also added that she had a very Fine copy of the Bible, and immediately went to get it. When produced, it proved to be a mass-book, with here and there a passage of Scripture accompanied with Romish glosses. When it was more fully explained to her what we meant by the Bible, she replied, ' O, yes, I know what you mean; that book is in several of the libraries in Rome, and some persons who are very religious also have a copy of it.'" This plainly shows in what estimation the Bible is held at the very centre of Roman Catholicism. 2. That the Scriptures are to be road by all persons in their verna- /ar tongue we have abundant testimony from Scripture. We can also show that such was the doctrine of the primitive church. The clergy are to instruct the people according to the precepts and doctrines of 'Scripture; and the laity are to judge of the doctrines of their pastors. (1.) When God would give his law to the Israelites he said to Moses, "Gtther me the people together, that I may make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days th,t they shall live upon the earth, and that they nmy teach their children," Deut. iv, 10. Moses just before his death assembled all Israel together, and said unto them, "0 Israel, hearken unto the statutes and unto the judgments which 1 teach yore fo to do timre, tlmt ye may live. Ye sh*! not add unto the l

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