THE NEW SCHAFF-HERZOG
such other portions as are contained in the Breviary or the Hours of the Blessed Mary. " We most strictly forbid these works in the vulgar tongue " (Harduin, Concilia, xii, ITS; Mansi, Concilia, xxiii, 194). The Synod of Tarragona (1234) ordered all vernacular versions to be brought to the bishop to be burned. James I renewed this decision of the Tarragona synod in 1276. The synod held there in 1317 under Archbishop Ximenes prohibited to Beghards, Beguines, and tertiaries of the Franciscans the possession of theological books in the vernacular (Mansi, Concilia, xxv, 627). The order of James I was renewed by later kings and confirmed by Paul II (1464-71). Ferdinand and Isabella (1474—1516) prohibited the translation of the Bible into the vernacular or the possession of 6uch translations (F. H. Reusch, Index der ver- 'botenen Biicher, i, Bonn, 1883, 44).
In England Wyclif's Bible-translation caused the resolution passed by the third Synod of Oxford (1408): " Xo one shall henceforth of his own authority translate any text of Scripture into English; and no part of any such book or treatise composed in the time of John Wycliffe or later shall be read in public or private, under pain of excommunication " (Hefele, Conciliengeschichte, vi, 984). But Sir Thomas More states that he had himself sjen old Bibles which were examined by the bishop and left in the hands of good Catholic laymen (Blunt, Reformation of the Church of England, 4th ed., London, 1878, i, 505). In Germany, Charles IV issued in 1369 an edict to four inquisitors against the translating and the reading of Scripture in the German language. This edict was caused by the operations of Beghards and Beguines. In 1485 and 1486, Berthold, archbishop of Mainz, issued an edict against the printing of religious books in German, giving among other reasons the singular one that the German language was unadapted to convey correctly religious ideas, and therefore they would be profaned. Berthold's edict had some influence, but could not prevent the dissemination and publication of new editions of the Bible. Leaders in the Church sometimes recommended to the laity the reading of the Bible, and the Church kept silence officially as long as these efforts were not abused.
III. The Roman Catholic Church since the Reformation: Luther's translation of the Bible and its propagation could not but influence the Roman Catholic Church. Humanism, through such men as Erasmus, advocated the reading of the Bible and the necessity of making it accessible by translations; but it was felt that Luther's translation must be offset by one prepared in the interest of the Church. Such editions were Emser's of 1527, and the Dietenberg Bible of 1534. The Church of Rome silently tolerated these translations.
At last the Council of Trent took the matter in hand, and in its fourth session (Apr. 18, 1546) adopted the Decreturh de edit lone et usu librorum sacrorum, which enacted the following: " This synod ordains and decrees that henceforth sacred Scripture, and especially the aforesaid old and vulgate edition, be printed in the most correct manner possible; and that it shall not be lawful for any one
to print, or cause to be printed, any books whatever on sacred matters without the name of the
author; or in future to sell them,
i. Action or even to possess them, unless they
by the Coun- shall have been first examined and ap-
cil of Trent, proved of by the ordinary." When
the question of the translation of the Bible into the vernacular came up, Bishop Acqui of Piedmont and Cardinal Pacheco advocated its prohibition. This was strongly opposed by Cardinal Madruzzi, who claimed that " not the translations but the professors of Hebrew and Greek are the cause of the confusion in Germany; a prohibition would produce the worst impression in Germany." As no agreement could be had, the council appointed an index-commission to report to the pope, who was to give an authoritative elecision.
The first index published by a pope (Paul IV), in 1559, prohibited under the title of Biblia prohibita a number of Latin editions as well as the publication and possession of translations of the Bible in German, French, Spanish, Italian, English, or Dutch, without the permission of the sacred office of the Roman Inquisition (Reusch, ut sup., i, 264). In 1564 Pius IV published the index prepared by the commission mentioned above. Herein ten rules are laid down, of which the fourth reads thus: "Inasmuch as it is manifest from experience that if the Holy Bible,
translated into the vulgar tongue,
2. Rules of be indiscriminately allowed to every
Various one, the rashness of men will cause
Popes. more evil than good to arise from
it, it is, on this point, referred to the judgment of the bishops or inquisitors, who ma}', by the advice of the priest or confessor, permit the reading of the Bible translated into the vulgar tongue by Catholic authors, to those persons whose faith and piety they apprehend will be augmented and not injured by it; and this permission must be had in writing. But if any shall have the presumption to read or possess it without such permission, he shall not receive absolution until he have first delivered up such Bible to the ordinary." Regulations for booksellers follow, and then: " Regulars shall neither read nor purchase such Bibles without special license from their superiors." Sixtus V substituted in 1590 twenty-two new rules for the ten of Pius IV Clement VIII abolished in 1596 the rules of Sixtus, but added a " remark " to the fourth rule given above, which particularly restores the enactment of Paul IV The right of the bishops, which the fourth rule implies, is abolished by the " remark," and the bishop may grant a dispensation only when especially authorized by the pope and the Inquisition (Reusch, ut sup., i. 333). Benedict XIV enlarged, in 1757, the fourth rule thus: " If such Bible- versions in the vernacular are approved by the apostolic see or are edited with annotations derived from the holy fathers of the Church or from learned and Catholic men, they are permitted." This modification of the fourth rule was abolished by Gregory XVI in pursuance of an admonition of the index-congregation, Jan. 7, 1S3(>, " which calls attention to the fact that according to the decree of 1757 only such versions in the ver-