The Encyclical Letter of Our Lord Pope Gregory XVI: To All Patriarchs, Primates, Archbishops, and Bishops, Issued May 8, 1844. 9781617190018, 1617190012

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T h e encyclical letter of Our Lord Pope Gregory XVI.

Analecta Gorgiana

514 Series Editor George Anton Kiraz

Analecta Gorgiana is a collection of long essays and short monographs which are consistently cited by modern scholars but previously difficult to find because of their original appearance in obscure publications. Carefully selected by a team of scholars based on their relevance to modern scholarship, these essays can now be fully utilized by scholars and proudly owned by libraries.

The encyclical letter of Our Lord Pope Gregory XVI.

to all patriarchs, primates, archbishops, and bishops, issued May 8,1844.

Translation and Introduction by

Culling Eardley Smith

1 gorgias press 2011

Gorgias Press LLC, 954 River Road, Piscataway, NJ, 08854, USA www.gorgiaspress.com Copyright© 2011 by Gorgias Press LLC Originally published in 1845 All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning or otherwise without the prior written permission of Gorgias Press LLC.

ISBN 978-1-61719-001-8

Printed in the United States of America

ISSN 1935-6854

DEDICATION.

MEMBERS OF T H E CHURCH OF CHRIST,

IT is not u n c o m m o n to dedicate a work to which the writer attaches some importance, to an individual of weight and influence, in order to obtain for it a general peri Earnestly desiring that the a c c o m p a n y i n g d o c u m e n t m a y be read and studied by m a n y , I dedicate it to every individual who is conscious of being a member of the church of Christ. I ask such to make it known to otl Should the question be raised, " W h o are members of the church ? " — a question which appears to me to lie at the root of almost all controversies,—a sound and scriptural reply m a y be given in the terms of the nineteenth Article. In the spirit of that article, every person is a member of the visible church of Christ who is a member of " a congregation of faithful men in the which the pure word of God is preached, and the sacraments are duly administered according to Christ's ordinance in all those things that of necessity are requisite to the same."

iv

DEDICATION.

Do we inquire who are " faithful men," St. Peter answers the question when he defines Christians as " those that have obtained like precious faith with us those, in fact, that have the faith of St. Peter. Would we know the faith of St. Peter, we need but refer to that confession of belief on account of which Christ surnamed him a rock, and said that 011 this rock he would build his church; " thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." 6 What then is involved in that confession, and in Christ's acceptance of it? Let us develope St. Peter's creed. It asserts that Jesus is the predicted Christ, or Anointed One. It presupposes that God and man are divided, and that Jesus is " the" Person who reunites them. It contemplates a just God, and a guilty race, and asserts Jesus to be the anointed Priestc to atone for human guilt. It contemplates God as holy, and man as depraved, and Jesus as the anointed Prophet,d sanctifying his church by the agency of the Divine Spirit. It contemplates a disordered and lawless earth, and Jesus as the anointed King,d who governs the events of the world and rules supreme and alone in his church. It assumes the deity of Christ, for it terms him the Son of God/ It acknowledges his manhood, for it is a reply to questions in which Christ styled himself " the Son of man." The manhood is consented to by Peter, as well as the deity asserted. The Lord's acceptance of St. Peter's confession involves, moreover, the great cardinal doctrine of justification by a

2 Peter i. 1. d

b Matt. xvi. 1-6. 0 Exodus xxviii. 41. X Kings xix. 16. ' John v. 18.

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DEDICATION.

faith ; for He made the belief and avowal of this creed the test of discipleship. Whoever believes and professes what St. Peter believed and professed is built upon the rock, against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. You then who participate in this creed, and all that it involves, and have joined yourselves to churches professing it, constitute in the aggregate the visible church of Christ. To

THAT CHURCH I

ADDRESS

MYSELF.

She

is

the

spouse of Christ. Her Lord is absent for a while; he is gone on a long journey, to receive to himself a kingdom, and to return. But his whole will concerning his servants he has left in writing, for their direction during his absence. Of this record, the church, like a wife whom her husband trusts, is the delegated guardian. Of his authority she should be the faithful asserter—of his honour, the fearless champion. It would seem that Providence is at present reminding the true church that this her duty has been neglected. There has existed as a visible corporation for about twelve centuries and a half, a false church with a mortal head. She has dethroned Christ, under the pretence that her president is his viceroy—even calling him "Vice-God."" Her head pretends to be " The following is the title of a book, sanctioned by the Neapolitan censorship : " Istoria dell' antica Kepublica di Amalfi e delle sue Citta col registro di tutti gli archivj dell' istessa, composte dal Dottor Francesco Pansa e data alia luce per mezzo delle stampe dal Dottor D. Guiseppe Pansa, suo Nipote, Dottore dell' una e l'altra legge. Consecrata al Vice Dio Benedetto Decimo Terzo Pontefice Ottimo Massimo. In Napoli, 1724. Con licenza dei Superiori."

yi

DEDICATION.

a priest (sacerdos) and to make priests — to teach authoritatively, and to govern absolutely, even to the extent of assigning eternal punishment and granting free pardon. In her definition of the church, she has substituted for the faith of St. Peter an imaginary succession from, St. Peter, asserting in contradiction to Christ, that Christians are not those who believe that apostle's creed, but those who have received some mysterious electricity from that apostle's hands. Thus having dethroned the Bridegroom, she has degraded his bride. Nor is it to be wondered that, having thus adulterated Christianity, she strives to keep back from the world the only authorised communication that Christ has given of his will. Were that universally spread and universally believed, there would remain no doubt whether the church has an earthly head, or whether you, or the Roman community, are the catholic church. Now, is not the true church, to a certain extent, responsible for the current misapprehensions concerning Christ, his church, and his word? She has never, as a body, protested against the dethronement of Christ. She has never, as a body, asserted herself to be the spouse of Christ, and recognised all her own members, as sharers in that honour. She has never, as a body, raised her testimony in behalf of the sole, absolute, and supreme authority of the word of God, and asserted the right of every human being to examine it for himself. Members of the church ! The following document appears to me to be a providential reproof to us for

vii

DEDICATION.

the past, and a call in providence for the future. Surely it is a reproach to Christians that three hundred years have elapsed since the Reformation, without the point having been decided whether it be the duty of every man to read the Scriptures and to judge of their sense, or whether mankind be bound to accept the authorised exposition of them at the hand of a sacred order. A better opportunity for wiping off this reproach could hardly present itself than the appearance of this remarkable statepaper. The style and reasoning of it are far above mediocrity. Let, then, the question be raised ! It involves many others. Who can say that a joint reply to this papal manifesto, from the European and American churches, might not, under the Divine blessing, incidentally lead to that manifestation of the oneness of the true church, which apparently is to be the means of exposing the unsoundness of the false church, and of proving to the world the Divine mission of the Lord Jesus Christ? C. E. S,

NOTICE.

T h e accompanying document was published on the 25th May, 1844, in the Diario di Roma, (the official gazette of the papal government,) in the Latin and Italian languages, It is now printed from a copy purchased at the Roman Gazette Office, in June. It has been thought desirable in the present publication to combine the Latin and Italian forms with an English version. The public will thus possess the original document in Latin; an authorised version in Italian, which will prevent any misapprehension of the meaning of the original; and an English translation, which the writer has taken pains to render as correct as possible. The annotations, as they consist entirely of references which can only be serviceable to the ecclesiastical student, are given in the original Latin. London, November 25th, 1844.

A reprint of this document having been called for, the opportunity has been taken of publishing as an Appendix, the admirable address of the Christian Alliance of America, which called forth the Encyclical Letter. The reader has now in his hand the whole case for and against the Scriptures,—the Protestant indictment and the Papal reply. London, March 25th, 1845-

ENCYCLICAL

VENERABLE

LETTER.

BRETHREN,

G R E E T I N G AND T H E APOSTOLIC B E N E D I C T I O N .

the principal machinations by which in this our age the Non-Catholics of various names endeavour to ensnare the adherents of Catholic truth, and to t u r n away their minds from the holiness of the Faith, a prominent position is held by the Bible Societies. These societies, first instituted in E n g l a n d , and since extended far and wide, we now behold in one united phalanx, conspiring for this object, to translate the books of the Divine Scriptures into all the vulgar tongues,-—to issue im-

AMONGST

LETTERA

SSMI. DOMINI NOSTRI

GREGORII DIVINA PROVIDENTIA PAP iE XVI. E P I S T O L A EiS'CYCLICA AD O M N E S P A T R I A U C H AS, P R I M A T E S ,

ARCHI-

E P I S C O P I ^ , ET EPISCOPOS.

Venerabiles Fratres Salutem et Apostolicam

Benedictionem.

INTBR prsecipuas machinationes, quibus nostra hac setate Acatholici diversorum nominum insidiari cultoribus Catholic« veritatis, eorumque animos a sanctitate Fidei avertere connituntur, haud ultimum tenent locum Societates Biblicaä, quas in Anglia primum institutas, ac longe hinc lateque diffusas, facto veluti agmine in id conspirare conspicimus, ut Divinarum Scripturarum libros

ENCICLICA

DI NOSTRO SIGNORE

PAPA GREGORIO XVI. AI PATRIARCHI,

PRIMATI,

E

VESCOVI.

Venerabili Fratelli Salute ed Apostolica

ARCIVESCOVI,

Benedizione,

FRA le principali macchinazioni, con cui in questa nostra età gli Acattolici di vario nome si sforzano d'insidiare i seguaci della verità Cattolica e di allontanarne gli animi dalla santità della Fede, non tengono l'ultimo luogo le Società Bibliche : le quali dapprima in Inghilterra istituite, poi largamente difìuse per ogni parte, vediamo cospirare tutte a un fine, di dar fuori in grandissimo numero di

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T H E ENCYCLICAL L E T T E R

mense numbers of copies,—to disseminate them indiscriminately among Christians and Infidels,—and to entice every individual to peruse them without any guide. Consequently, as Jerome® lamented in his time, they m a k e common to the garrulous old woman, the doting old man, the wordy sophist, and to all men of every condition, provided only they can read, the art of understanding the Scriptures without an i n s t r u c t o r ; nay, which is absurdest of all, and almost unheard of they do not even exclude unbelieving nations from such community of intelligence. B u t , Venerable Brethren, you are not ignorant of the tendency of the proceedings of these societies. F o r you know full well the exhortation of Peter, the chief of the Apostles, recorded in the sacred writings themselves, who, after praising the Epistles of Paul, says vulgaribus quibusque Unguis interpretatos permagno edant exemplarium numero, eosque inter Christianos juxta atque Infideles nullo delectu disseminent, et horum quemlibet ad illos nullo duce legendos alliciant. Ita igitar, quod suo jam tempore lamentabatur Hieronymus," et garrulm anut, et deliro seni, et sophistce verboso, et universis, si modo legere norint, cujusque conditionis hominibus communem faciunt artem Scripturarum sine magistro intelligendarum ; immo, quod longe absurdissimum, peneque inauditum est, ne ipsas quidem mfidelium plebes ab ejusniodi intelligenti® communione excludunt.

esemplari le Divine Scritture voltate nelle diverse lingue volgari, e senz' alcuna scelta disseminarle fra i Cristiani e gli Infedeli, allettando ogni sorta di persone a leggerle senza guida nessuna. Talché fanno, come già nel suo tempo deplorava S. Girolamo,® comune a tutti l'arte d'intendere senza maestro le Scritture, sian pure dormicciuole, o vecchi rimbambiti, o verbosi sofisti, purché sappiano leggere ; anzi (che è più assurdo e quasi inaudito) pretendono non essere esclusi da siffatta intelligenza neppure i popoli infedeli.

Sed Vos quidem minime latet, Venerabiles Fratres, quo ¡. sum hcec Societatum earumdem molimina pertineant. Probe enim nostis consignatum in sacris ipsis Litteris monitum Petri Apostolorum Principis, qui post laudatas Pauli

Ma non vi è nascosto, Venerabili Fratelli, quel che si vogliano con tali disegni. Perocché ben sapete come nelle Scritture medesime il Principe degli Apostoli, lodando le lettere di S. Paolo, ci ammonisca essere in quelle alcune

E p i s t . ad P a u l i n u m , sec, 7, q u a est E p i s t . liii. torn. i. Op. S. H i e i o n . edit. Vallarsii.

OF POPE GREGORY XVI.

11

that there are in them some things difficult to be understood, which they who are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other Scriptures, to their own destruction; and immediately adds, Tou, therefore, my brethren, knowing this beforehand, he on your guard, lest, deceived by the error of the foolish, you fall from your own stedfastness." Hence it is clear to you, that even from the first age of the Christian name, this art has been peculiar to heretics, that repudiating the traditionary word of God, and rejecting the authority of the Catholic Church, they either interpolate the Scriptures by hand, or pervert them in the explanation of their meaning. 5 Nor, lastly, are ye ignorant how great diligence and wisdom are needed in order to transfer faithfully into another language the words of the L o r d : so that nothing is more likely to happen than that in the versions of them multiplied by the Bible Societies, the most grievous errors may be introduced,

Epistolas, esse ait in illis qucedam dißcilia, intellectu, quœ inebeti et instabiles dépravant, sicut et ceteras Soripturas, ad suarn ipsorum perditionem : statimque adjicit : vos igitur fratres, prœscientes custodite ; ne insipientium errore traditeti excidatis a propria firmitate." Hinc et perspectum Yobis est vel a prima Christiani nominis œtate hanc fuisse propriam hœreticorum artem, ut repudiato verbo Dei tradito, et Ecclesia^ Catholic® auetoritate rejecta,scripturas aut manu interpolarent, aut sensus expositione interverterent. 5 Nec denique ignoratis, quanta vel diligentia vel sapientia opus sit ad transferenda fideliter in aliam linguani eloquia Domini : ut nihil proinde facilius contingat quam ut in eorumdem versionibus per Societates Biblicas multiplicatis gravissimi ex tot a

% Petri ili. 16. Ì7.

cose difficili a intendere, che gl'indotti e gl'instabili depravano, siccome fanno delle altre Scritture, in loro propria perdizione; e tosto soggiunge, voi dunque sapendolo guardatevi, o fratelli, affinchè l'errore degli insipienti non ismuova la vostra fermezza." Quindi vedete che fino dalla prima età del Cristianesimo questa fu l'arte propria degli eretici, ripudiata la divina tradizione, e l'autorità della Cattolica Chiesa, interpolare le Scritture o pervertirne la esposizione.* Nè finalmente ignorate di quanta diligenza e sapienza sia d'uopo a traslatare fedelmente in altra lingua le parole del Signore ; sicché niente è più facile ad avvenire, che il moltiplicarsi nelle versioni procurate dalle Società Bibliche, o per frode o per ignoranza di tanti interpreti, gravissimi errori*:

* Tertulliano, lib. De Prtescriptionibus adverstls hsereticos, cap, 37, SS

12

T H E ENCYCLICAL L E T T E R

by tlie ignorance or fraud of so m a n y interpreters ; errors which the very Multitude and variety of the translations l o n g conceal to the ruin of m a n y . To those Societies, however, it matters little or nothing into what errors the persons who read the Bibles translated into the vulgar tongues, m a y fall, provided they be gradually accustomed to claim for themselves a free j u d g m e n t of the sense of the Scriptures, to contemn the Divine traditions as t a u g h t by the Fathers, and preserved in the Catholic Church, and even to repudiate the Church's direction. To this end, these members of B i b l e Societies cease n o t to calumniate the Church and this holy see of Peter, as if it had for m a n y ages been endeavouring to keep the believing people from t h e knowledge of the Sacred Scriptures ; whilst there exist m a n y a n d most perspicuous proofs of the earnest desire which, even in recent times, Popes, and other Catholic dignitaries under their

interpretum vel imprudentià, vel fraude inserantur errores; quos ipsa porro illarum multitudo et varietas diu occultai in perniciem multorum. Ipsarum tarnen Societatum parum aut nihil omnino interest, si homines Biblia illa vulgaribus sermonibus interpretata Iccturi in alios potius quam alios errores dilabantur ; dummodo assuescant paullatim ad liberum de Scripturarum sensu judicium sibimetipsis vindicandum, átque ad contepmendas Traditiones divinas ex Patrum doctrina in Ecclesia Catholica custoditas, ipsumque Ecclesia magisterium repudiandum,

i quali poi lungamente occulta, e con danno di molti, la stessa moltitudine e la varietà di quelle. Ma poco importa alle dette Società quali errori si bevano i lettori di siffatte versioni, purché a poco a poco si avvezzino a giudicare arditamente del senso delle Scritture, a dispregiare le tradizioni divine custodite dalla Chiesa secondo la dottrina dei Padri, e a ripudiare il magistero della Chiesa medesima.

Hunc in finem Biblici iidem Socii Ecclesiam Sanctamque hanc Petri Sedem calumniar! non cessant, quasi a pluribus jam sfeculis fidelem populum a Sacrarum Scripturarum cognitione arcere conetur ; quum tarnen plurima extent eademque luculentissima

Per questo i suddetti Biblici non cessano di calunniare la Chiesa e questa Santa Sede di Pietro, come quella che già da molti secoli si sforzi d'impedire al popolo fedele la cognizione delle Sacre Scritture : quando all' incontro per moltissimi e lucidissimi documenti è compro-

OF POPE GREGORY XVI.

13

guidance, have felt, that nations of Catholics m i g h t be more carefully instructed in the written and traditionary words of God. T o which head belong, in the first place, the decrees of the Council of Trent, in which not only is it enjoined on bishops, to provide for the more frequent announcement t h r o u g h each diocese of t h e sacrecl Scriptures and the divine law,a but, enlarging the enactment of t h e L a t e r a n Council, 5 it is moreover provided, t h a t i n each church, whether cathedral or collegiate, of cities a n d considerable towns, there should be a theological prebend, which should be conferred solely on persons capable of expounding a n d interpreting the sacred Scripture. 0 Respecting the subsequent constitution of the theological prebend on the plan of the above Tridentine enactment, and respecting the lectures to be delivered

documenta singularis studii, quo recentioribus ipsis temporibus Summi Pontifices, ceterique illoram ductu Cattolici Antistites usi sunt, ut Catholicorum gentes ad Dei eloquia scripta et tradita impensius erudirentur. Quo imprimis pertinent Decreta Tridentina Synodi, quibus neduin Episcopis mandatum est, ut sacras Scrip tur as divinamque Legem frequentius per Dioecesim annuntiandam curarent,® sed, ampliata insuper Lateranensis Concilii6 institutions, provisum, ut in singulis Ecclesiis seu Cathedralibus seu Collegiatis Ilrbium insigniorumque Oppidorum non deesset Theologalis Prebenda, eademque conferretur omnino personis idoneis Sacras Scripturse exponendee et interpretanda;. 0 De ipsa postmodum Theologali Prebenda ad

vato lo studio con che nei tempi anche più recenti i Sommi Pontefici, e con la loro guida gli altri Pastori Cattolici, intesero ad erudire i popoli nella parola di Dio conservata nelle Scritture, e nelle sacre Tradizioni. Il Concilio Tridentino principalmente non solo raccomandò ai Vescovi la cura che venissero annunziate frequentemente nelle Diocesi® le sacre Scritture e la legge di Dio: ma, ampliando la istituzione del Concilio Lateranese, 4 provide che in ciascuna Chiesa o Cattedrale o Collegiata delle Città e grandi Terre non mancasse una Prebenda Teologale, da conferirsi a persone certamente idonee allà esposizione, e interpretazione della Sacra Scrittura. 0 E della [dello] stabilire la Prebenda Teologale a forma di quel Decreto

» Sess. X X I V . cap. 4. D e R e f . » Concil. L a t e r a n . a n n i 1215, s u b I n n o c e n t i o I I I . cap. x i , q u o d i n c o r p u s j u r i s r e l a t u m e s t , cap. 4, De Magistris. « T r i d . Sess. V. cap. I. De R e f .

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THE ENCYCLICAL L E T T E R

by the theological canon to the clergy, and even to the people, steps were taken, in several provincial synods, 0 particularly in the R o m a n Council of the year 1725, 6 to which Benedict X I I I . , our predecessor of happy memory, had convened not only the sacred dignitaries of the R o m a n province, h u t also several of the archbishops, bishops, and other local ordinaries, under the immediate authority of this holy see. 0 T h e same Pontiff made several provisions with the same design, in the apostolical letters which he issued specifically for Italy, and the adjacent islands. d To you, too, Venerable Brethren, who at stated periods have been accustomed to report to the apostolic see, upon the condition of sacred affairs in your respective dioceses, it is manifest, from the replies

Tridentina illius sanctionis normam constituenda, et de lectionibus a Canonico Theologo ad Clerum atque etiam ad Populum publice habendis actum est in plurimis Synodis Provincialibus," nec non in Romano Concilio anni 1725," in quod Benedictas XIII. fei. ree. Processor noster nedum sacros Antistites Roman® Provincias, sed plures etiam ex Archiepiscopis, Episcopis, oeterisque locoram Ordinariis Sanctse huic Sedi nullo medio subditis convocaverat.0 Idem prseterea Summus Pontifex eumdem in finem nonnulla constituit in Apostolicis Litteris, quas pro Italia nominatim Insulisque adjacentibus dedit/ Vobis denique, Venerabiles Fratres, qui. de conditione sacrarum rerum in cujusque Difflcesi ad Sedem Apostolicam

Tridentino, e delle lezioni, che il Canonico Teologo dovesse fare pubblicamente al Clero ed anche al popolo, si trattò poi in molti Sinodi provinciali," e in quello di Roma dell' anno 17256 al quale la fel. mem. di Benedetto XIII. Predecessore Nostro, oltre i Pastori della Romana Provincia, aveva convocati non pochi Arcivescovi, Vescovi, ed altri Ordinarj immediatamente soggetti a questa Santa Sede.0 Inoltre lo stesso Pontefice colle sue lettere Apostoliche fece al medesimo fine parecchie costituzioni nominatamente per l'Italia e le isole adjacenti.rf A voi finalmente, Venerabili Fratelli, le risposte date più volte dalla nostra Congregazione del Concilio a voi stessi o ai Predecessori vostri, sopra le relazioni che solete fare di

« In Concil. Medici. I. an. 1565, par. i. tit. 5, De Prœb. Theol. ; Medio], V. an. 1579, par. iii. tit. 5, quœ ad Beneficiar, collai, aitin. ; Aquensi, ail. 1585, De Canonìcis, et ali is phuib. » Tit. i. cap. 6, seqq. * In Litteris indictionis Concilii, 24 Decembris, 1724. -J Const. Pasîoralis Ojìciì, XIV. Kaiend. Junìi, an. 1725.

OF POPE GREGORY XVI.

15

again and again given® by our " Congregation of Council" to your predecessors, or to yourselves, how this holy see is wont to congratulate bishops, if they have theological prebendaries ably discharging their duty in the delivery of public lectures on t h e sacred writings, and never ceases to excite and assist their pastoral anxieties, if anywhere the matter h a s not succeeded to their wishes. W i t h regard, however, to Bibles translated into the vulgar tongues, it was the case even m a n y centuries since, t h a t in various places the holy dignitaries were obliged at times to exercise increased vigilance, when they discovered t h a t versions of this sort were either read in secret conventicles, or were actively distributed by herfetics. T o this refer the admonitions and cautions issued by Innocent I I I . , our predecessor of glorious statis temporibus referre" consuevistis, ex responsis per nostrani Congregationem Concilii ad Decessores vestros, aut ad "Vos ipsos iterum iterumque datis, perspectum est, quemadmodum Sancta eadem Sedes et gratulari Episcopis soleat si Prœbendatos Theologos habeant in publicis sacrarum Litteramm lectionibus muñere suo bene fungentes, et nunquam intermittat excitare atque adjúvare pastorales illorum curas, si alicubi res adhuc ex sententia non successerit. Ceterum ad translata in vulgares linguas Biblia quod attinet, multis jam abhinc sseculis contigerat, ut diversis in locis sacri Antistites majore interdum vigilantia uti debuerint ubi versiones hujusmodi aut in occultis lectitari conventiculis, aut per Hsereticos impensius diffundi animadverterent. Atque huc spectant mónita, et cautiones

ciascuna Diocesi alla Sede Apostolica," debbono aver chiaramente mostrato come usi essa di congratularsi coi Vescovi, se presso di loro i Prebendati Teologi bene adempiano l'ufficio di leggere pubblicamente le sacre Lettere, e come non mai intermetta di eccitare e di ajutare le loro cure Pastorali, se in questo siano rinscite men fruttifere.

Ma per tornare alle Bibbie volgari, già da molti secoli era avvenuto che i sacri Pastori fossero costretti in vari luoghi ad una più severa vigilanza, o perchè di tali volgarizzamenti si leggevano in occulte radunanze^ o perchè gli eretici ne andavano qua e la diffondendo. E qui giova ricordare le ammonizioni e le cautele ado-

* E x Constit. Sixti V. Momanus Pontifcx, X I I I . Ka3. Jan. an. 1585, et Const. Bened. XIV. quod Sancta Sardicensis Synodus, I X . Kat. Decemb. 1740, torn. i. Bullar. ejusdem Pontii., et ex Instructione, quae extat in Append, ad Diet. torn. i.

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T H E ENCYCLICAL L E T T E R

memory, concerning assemblies of laics and women secretly held i n the diocese of Metz,® under a pretence of piety, for reading t h e Scriptures; and also the peculiar prohibitions of Bibles in the vulgar tongue, which we find to have been issued in F r a n c e soon after, 6 and in Spain previous to the sixteenth century. 6 B u t greater precaution was needed afterwards, when the L u t h e r a n and Calvinist Anti-catholics, venturing to assail with an almost incredible variety of errors the unchangeable doctrine of the F a i t h , left n o means untried to deceive the minds of the faithful by perverted explanations of the Scriptures, and by new translations of them into vulgar tongues, edited by their adherents. The lately-discovered art of printing assisted them in multiplying and adhibit® ab Innocentio III. glor. mem. Decessore nostro circa laicorum mulierumque castus sub pietatis obtentu, et legendarum Scripturarum causa secreto hábitos in Metensi Dioeeesi nec non et peculiares vulgarium Bibliorum interdictiones, quas sive in Galliis paulo post,6 sive in Hispaniis ante sseculum XVI.C latas iuvenimus. Sed ampliore postmodum Providentia opus fuit, cum Luterani Calvinianique Acatholici,incommutabilem Fidei doctrinam incredibili prope erroruin varietate oppugnare ausi, nihil intentatali relinquebant ut fidelium mentes deciperent perversis explicationibus sacrarum Litterarum, editisque per suos asseclas novis illarum in populärem sermonem interpretationibus ; quarum quidem exemplis multiplicandis, et citissime divul-

perate da Innocenzo III. nostro Predecessore di gloriosa memoria, sulle adunanze di laici e di donne che facevansi con pretesto di pietà e per leggere le Scritture nella Diocesi di Metz f e le particolari proibizioni di Bibbie volgari, che troviamo essersi fatte poco dopo in Francia, 6 e prima del secolo decimosesto nelle Spagne.5 Maggiori provvidenze bisognarono, allorché i Luterani e i Calvinisti, sorti ad impugnare con infinita varietà di errori l'immutabile dottrina della Fede, niente lasciavano intentato per ingannare i Fedeli con le perverse spiegazioni dei sacri Testi, e con le versioni lavorate dai loro seguaci ; ajutati a divolgarle rapidissimamente dal nuovo trovato dell'arte tipografica. E infatti nelle regole scritte da alcuni Padri a ciò deputati dal Concilio Triden-

• In t r i t a s Litteris datis ad Metenses, atque ad illorum Episcopum et capital, nec non ad Abbates Cisterciensem, Morimundensem, et de Crista, quaì sunt Epist. 1 « , 142, lib. ii., et Epist. 235, lib. iii. in Edit. Balutii. b I n Concil. Tolosano, an. 1229, can. 14. « E x testimonio Cardinalis Pacecco, in Concilio Tridentino (apud Pallavicinum, storia del Concil. di Trento, lib. vi. cap. 12.)

OF POPE GREGORY XVI.

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speedily spreading copies. Accordingly we read in the rules drawn up by the F a t h e r s chosen by the Council of Trent, approved by P i u s IV., our predecessor of happy memory," and prefixed to the I n d e x of Prohibited Books, a provision of general application t h a t Bibles published in the vulgar tongue, should be allowed to n o persons hut those to whom the reading of them was j u d g e d likely to be productive of an increase of faith and piety. 4 To this rale, afterwards rendered more stringent, owing to the pertinacious frauds of the heretics, a declaration was at last attached by the authority of Benedict X I V . , that t h e perusal of such versions may be considered permitted, as have been published with the approbation of the apostolic see, or with annotations taken from the holy F a t h e r s of the Church or from learned and Catholic men.'' gandis invent® nuper typographic® artis presidio juvabantur. Itaque iis in regulis, quse a Patribus a Tridentina Synodo delectis, conscript®, et a Pio IV. fei. mem. Prasdecessore nostro " approbate Indicique librorum prohibitorum pr®miss® sunt, generali sanctione statutum legitur, ut Biblia vulgari sermone edita non aliis permitterentur nisi quibus illorum lectio ad fidei atque pietatis augmentum profutura judicaretur/ Huic eidem regul®, nova subinde propter perseverantes h®reticorum fraudes cautione constrict®, ea demum auctoritate Benedicti XIV. adjeeta declaratio est, ut permissa porro habeatur lectio vulgarium versionum, qu® ah Apostolica Sede approbates, aut cum annotationibus desumptis ex sanetis Ecelesice Patribus vel ex doctis Gatholicisque Viris edit® fuerint.®

tino, approvate dalla fel. mem. di Pio IV. Predecessore Nostro ° e premesse all' Indice dei libri proibiti, si legge con generica sanzione stabilito, che la lettura delle Bibbie volgari a quelli soli si permetta, cui si giudichi poter tornare in aumento di fede e di pietà. 4 Alla qual regola, vieppiù ristretta dappoi per le continuate frodi degli eretici, fu in ultimo per autorità di Benedetto XIV. aggiunta la dichiarazione, che sia lecita la lettura di quelle traduzioni volgari, le quali siano state approvate dalla Sede Apostolica, ovvero illustrate con note desunte dai Padri della Chiesa, o da altri dotti e cattolici autori.®

0 In Regulis Indìcis III. et IV. « In Const. Dominici Gregis, 24 Martii, 1564.