In the year 1553 Pope Julius III. requested three Bishops to give their counsel as to the best means of strengthening the Roman Catholic Church. Their reply dated Oct. 20, 1553, has been preserved, and the document is in the British Museum (7, C, 10, 11, Fasciculum Rerum, 1690, Folio). It is also preserved at the Imperial (National) Library in Paris. The conclusion is as follows:

"Lastly of all the advice we can give your Beatitude, we have reserved to the end the most important, viz.:that as little as possible of the gospel-especially in the mother-tongue-be used in countries subject to your jurisdiction. The little which is really read at Mass is sufficient, and beyond that no one whatever must be permitted to read. When men were content with that little, your interests prospered, but when more was read, your interests began to decay. To sum up all, that book (the Bible) is the one which, more than any other, has raised up against us those whirlwinds and tempests whereby we were almost swept away, and, in fact, if any one examines it diligently, and then confronts therewith the practices of your Church, he will perceive great discordance, and that our doctrine is utterly different from, and often contrary to it; which thing, if the people understand, they will not cease their clamor against us, till all be divulged, and then we shall become the objects of scorn and hatred. Wherefore, then, these few lines must be put away, but with considerable wariness and caution, lest so doing should raise great uproars and tumults."

"What fellowship hath light with darkness?" So the darkness of Rome and the light of God's word cannot accord. As late as 1887, three hundred years later than the Bishops' letter, a "Decree" was issued by Pope Leo XIII., as follows:

"The Sacred Congregation of the Most Eminent _ Reverend Cardinals of the Holy Catholic- Church-b Our Most Holy Lord Pope Leo XIII., and the Holy Apostolic See, appointed and delegated for the index of books of degraded doctrine, and for proscribing, expurgating, and sanctioning the same throughout the whole Christian States-held in Apostolic Palace of the Vatican on Dec. 19, 1887, hath condemned, and doth condemn hath proscribed and doth proscribe, or if otherwise condemned and proscribed, hath commanded and doth command, the following works to be put on the index of forbidden books:

"Les Saintes Evangiles, traduction nouvelle, par Henri Lasserre, Paris, 1887.

"And let no one of whatever rank or condition, dare in any place or in any tongue, either publish in the future, or if published, to read or retain the fore-mentioned condemned and proscribed works, but let him be held bound to deliver them to the Ordinaries of the place, or to the Inquisitors of heretical iniquity, under penalties proclaimed in the Index of forbidden books. These having been referred to Our Most Holy Lord Pope Leo XIII. by me the undersigned Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of the Index, His Holiness approved the decree and ordered it to be issued. In token whereof, etc.

Granted at Rome on 20th December, 1887.

Fr. Thomas Maria Card:Martinelli."

The books referred to in this edict were the four Gospels translated into French by a devout Romanist named Henri Lasserre. One day he came across an old copy of the Gospels, and being struck with their beauty he longed that his people should read them too. It seemed so strange to him that his countrymen should not have such a blessed history of Christ, for he knew that hundreds who were devout church-goers had never read a page of them. These regrets he communicated to some of the Church dignitaries. They agreed with him, and so he commenced the work of translation which he completed in the most beautiful French. This he submitted to the Archbishop of Paris and the Pope himself. It was published in 1886, and bore on its first page a letter from the Archbishop, containing the sanction and approval of the Pope. Twenty-five editions were published, so great was the demand, and when these were exhausted the people clamored for more.

The Church authorities grew alarmed, made representation to the Pope, with the result that Lasserre and his translations fell into disrepute and the Gospels became forbidden books. "The entrance of the Word giveth light." Why then should its freest distribution be hindered? Surely, the words of the three bishops tell their own story! Rome never changes.

May those to whom the Word is precious cling with greater tenacity to it, finding in its blessed unfoldings, comfort, direction, and help for the way, that we may be able to say, "How sweet are Thy words unto my taste; yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth" (Ps. 119:103). J. W. H. Nichols