SIR, LETTER XX. ACCORDING to my promise, I lay before you a translation of several official Documents, published lately against Bible Societies: and first, the Papal Bull or Rescript issued from Rome under date of June 29, 1816, to the Archbishop of GNEZN, Primate of Poland. § "POPE PIUS VII. "VENERABLE BROTHER, "Health and Apostolic Benediction. "In our last letter to you we promised, very soon, to return an answer to yours; in which you have appealed to this Holy See, in the name also of the other Bishops of Poland, respecting what are called Bible Societies, and have earnestly inquired of us what you ought to do in this affair. We long since, indeed, wished to comply with your request; but an incredible variety of accumulating concerns have so pressed upon us on every side, that, till this day, we could not attend to your solicitation. "WE HAVE BEEN TRULY SHOCKED AT THIS MOST CRAFTY DEVICE, BY WHICH THE VERY FOUNDATIONS OF RELIGION ARE UNDERMINED; and, having, because of the great importance of the subject, convened for consultation our venerable brethren, the Cardinals of the Holy Roman Church, we have § By recent information it appears, that the Jesuits have been indefatigable in different parts of Europe, to prevent the success of the Bible Society; and that they have prevailed so far in Bavaria as to obtain an express prohibition (and even the total suppression) of all Bible Associations, whether connected with foreign countries or otherwise! We know, likewise, how active they are in other quarters of the world to prevent the free use of the Scriptures. deliberated, with the utmost care and solicitude, upon what measures, within the compass of our Pontifical authority, are proper to be adopted, IN ORDER TO REMEDY AND ABOIn the mean LISH THIS PESTILENCE AS FAR AS POSSIBLE. time, we heartily congratulate you, venerable brother; and we commend you again and again in the Lord, as it is fit we should, upon the singular zeal you have displayed under circumstances so hazardous to Christianity, in having denounced to the Apostolic See, THIS DEFILEMENT OF THE FAITH, MOST IMMINENTLY DANGEROUS TO SOULS. And although we perceive that it is not at all necessary to excite him to activity who is making haste, since of your own accord you have already shown an ardent desire to detect and OPPOSE THE IMPIOUS MACHINATIONS OF THESE INNOVATORS; YET, IN CONFORMITY WITH OUR OFFICE, WE AGAIN AND AGAIN EXHORT YOU, THAT WHATEVER YOU CAN ACHIEVE BY POWER, PROVIDE FOR BY COUNSEL, OR EFFECT BY AUTHORITY, YOU WILL DAILY EXECUTE WITH THE UTMOST EARNESTNESS, placing yourself as a wall for the House of Israel. ،، For this end we issue the present letter, viz. that we may convey to you A SIGNAL TESTIMONY OF OUR ApproBATION OF THESE YOUR LAUDABLE EXERTIONS, and also endeavour therein still more and more to excite your pastoral solicitude and vigilance. For the general good imperiously requires us to combine all our means and energies To frus "TRATE THE PLANS, WHICH ARE PREPARED BY ITS ENEMIES FOR THE DESTRUCTION OF OUR MOST HOLY RELIGION: whence it becomes an Episcopal duty, THAT YOU FIRST OF ALL EXPOSE THE WICKEDNESS OF THIS NEFARIOUS SCHEME, as you already are doing so admirably, to the view of the faithful; and openly to publish the same, according to the RULES prescribed by the Church, with all that erudition and wisdom in which you excel; namely, THAT BIBLES PRINTED BY HERETICS ARE NUMBERED AMONG PROHIBITED BOOKS, AGREEABLY TO THE RULES OF THE INDEX, (No. ĮI. R and III.); FOR IT IS EVIDENT FROM EXPERIENCE, THAT THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, WHEN PUBLISHED IN THE VULGAR TONGUE, HAVE, THROUGH THE TEMERITY OF MEN, PRODUCED MORE HARM THAN BENEFIT:' (Rule IV.). And this is the rather to be dreaded in times so depraved, when our holy religion is assailed from every quarter with great cunning and effort, and the most grievous wounds are inflicted on the -Church. It is, therefore, NECESSARY TO ADHERE TO THE SALUTARY DECREE OF THE CONGREGATION OF THE INDEX (June 13th, 1757); THAT NO VERSIONS OF THE BIBLE IN THE VULGAR TONGUE BE PERMITTED, EXCEPT SUCH AS ARE · APPROVED BY THE APOSTOLIC SEE, OR PUBLISHED WITH ANNOTATIONS EXTRACTED FROM THE WRITINGS OF THE HOLY ·FATHERS OF THE CHURCH. "We confidently hope that, even in these turbulent circumstances, the Poles will afford the clearest proofs of their attachment to the religion of their ancestors; and this espe cially by your care, as well as that of the other Prelates of this kingdom, whom, on account of the stand they are so wonderfully making for the faith committed to them, we congratulate in the Lord, trusting that they all will very abundantly justify the opinion entertained of them. "It is moreover necessary that you should transmit to us, as soon as possible, the Bible which JACOB WUIEK published in the Polish language with a commentary, as well as a copy of the edition of it lately put forth without those annotations, taken from the writings of the holy Fathers of our Church, or other learned Catholics, with your opinion upon it; that thus, from collating them together, it may be ascertained, after mature investigation, what errors lie insidiously concealed therein, and that we may pronounce our judgment on this affair for the preservation of the true faith. PROCEED, THEREFORE, VENERABLE BROTHER, TO PUR SUE THE TRULY PIOUS COURSE UPON WHICH YOU HAVE ENTERED; VIZ. DILIGENTLY TO FIGHT THE BATTLES OF THE LORD IN SOUND DOCTRINE, AND WARN THE PEOPLE INTRUSTED TO YOUR CARE, THAT THEY FALL NOT INTO THE SNARES WHICH ARE PREPARED FOR THEM, TO THEIR EVERLASTING RUIN. The Church waits for this from you, as well as from the other Bishops, WHOM OUR EPISTLE EQUALLY CONCERNS; indeed we most anxiously expect it, that the deep sorrow we feel on account of THE NEW SPECIES OF TARES WHICH AN ENEMY IS SOWING SO ABUNDANTLY, may, by this, cheering hope, be somewhat alleviated: and, we heartily invoke upon you and your fellow Bishops, for the good of the Lord's flock, ever increasing spiritual gifts, through our Apostolic Benediction, which we impart to yourself and to them. "Given at Rome, at St. Mary the Greater, June 29, 1816, the 17th year of our Pontificate. "POPE PIUS VII." Sir, I shall next present you with a translation of another similar Rescript, addressed to the Archbishop of Mohileff (or Mohilow), in Russia. "POPE PIUS VII. "To our Venerable Brother Stanislaus, Archbishop of "VENERABLE BROTHER, Mohileff. "Health and Apostolic Benediction. "We are worn down with poignant and bitter grief at hearing of the pernicious design, not very long ago entered upon, by which the most Holy books of the Bible are every where dispersed in the several vernacular tongues; and published, contrary to the most wholesome Rules of the Church, with new translations, and these craftily perverted into bad meanings. For we have perceived, from one of those versions which has been brought to us, that it tends to destroy the sanctity of purer doctrine; so that the faithful may, easily drink deadly poison, from those fountains whence they ought to draw the waters of salutary wisdom. "But we were still more deeply grieved, when we read certain letters signed with the name of You our Brother; wherein You authorized and exhorted the people committed to your care, to procure for themselves modern versions of the Bible, or willingly to accept them when offered, and carefully and attentively to peruse them! Nothing certainly could more aggravate our grief than to behold You, who were placed to point out the ways of righteousness, become a stone of stumbling. For You ought carefully to have kept in view, what our Predecessors have always prescribed; namely, That, if the Holy Bible in the vulgar tongue were permitted every where, without discrimination, more injury than benefit would thence arise. "Further, the Roman Church receiving only the Vulgate Edition, by the well-known Decree of the Council of Trent, rejects the version in other languages, and allows only those which are published with notes, properly selected from the writings of the Fathers and Catholic Doctors; lest so great a treasure should be subject to the corruptions of novelties, and in order that the Church, scattered over the whole world, might be of one lip and of the same speech:-Truly, when we perceive in a vernacular tongue very frequent changes, variations, and alterations, proceeding from the immoderate licentiousness of biblical versions, that immutability would be destroyed; nay, the divine testimonies and even the faith itself would be shaken, especially since, from the signification of one syllable, the truth of a dogma may sometimes be ascertained. "Wherefore, by this means, Heretics have been accustomed to bring forward their corrupt and most destructive machinations; in order that they might insidiously obtrude each their own errors, dressed up in the more holy garb of the Divine word, by publishing the Bible in the vulgar |