Page:The Great Encyclical Letters of Pope Leo XIII.djvu/288



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THE STUDY OF HOLY SCPIPTURE.

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C not the work of the apostles at all. These detestable errors, whereby they think they destroy the truth of the divine books, are obtruded on the world as the peremptory pronouncements of a newly invented jree science; a science, however, which is so far from final that they are perpetually modifying and supplementing it. And there are some of them who, notwithstanding their impious opinions and utterances about God, and Christ, the Gospels and the rest of Holy Scripture, would fain be con- sidered both theologians and Christians and men of the Gospel, and who attempt to disguise by such honorable names their rashness and their pride. To them we must add not a few professors of other sciences who approve their views and give them assistance, and are urged to attack the Bible by a similar intolerance of revelation. And it is deplorable to see these attacks growing every day more numerous and more severe. It is sometimes men of learning and judgment who are assailed; but these have little difficulty in defending themselves from evil consequences. The efforts and arts of the enemy are chiefly directed against the more ignorant masses of the people. They diffuse their deadly poison by means of books, pamphlets, and newspapers; they spread it by addresses and by conversation; they are found every- where; and they are in possession of numerous schools, taken by violence from the Church, in which, by ridicule and scurrilous jesting, they pervert the credulous and unformed minds of the young to the contempt of Holy Scripture. Should not these things. Venerable Brethren, stir up and set on fire the heart of every pastor, so that to

this knowledge, falseh

lUed^ may be opposed the

ancient and true science vCllMl l'lie-â‚¬hureh_lhrough the apostles, has. rPfpivpH frnrn CbxiiJ.) 11,11(1 Ili.li. TTiiiy Scripture may find the champions that are needed in so momentous a battle?

Let our first care, then, be to see that in seminaries and

Â» 1 Tim. iv. 20.