...But some say, the great and rich may be permitted to have the Bible, and read it, because they have had an education of a superior kind, and are, therefore, not so likely to adopt erroneous notions respecting it. But here we again refer to Moses.
No man could be more jealous than he of the glory of his God—none more indignant at any attempt to foist heresy or schism into the commonwealth over which he presided—yet it never entered into his mind, for a moment, that there would be any danger in committing the Bible to the common people.
So far from this, the injunction applicable to all, was—"These words thou shalt teach diligently unto thy children—and thou shalt bind them for a sign upon thine hand, and they shall be as frontlets between thine eyes—and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates" (Deuteronomy 6:7,9).
Where does Moses speak the language of the Council of Trent? Where does he hint that the church, meaning by that the tribe of Levi, alone is to be the depository of the oracles of God? No where.
All were not only at liberty to possess the Scriptures, in the Hebrew language, without note of comment—but all who did not possess them, peruse them, and live according to them, were criminal in the sight of God.
As the sunshine irradiates the cot of the humblest, as much as the mansions of the highest of the sons and daughters of earth, so the light of God's word was to cheer the occupant of the cabin, as well as of the castle. The sun of heaven might direct the hand of the assassin as well as that of charity, but this did not cause his rays to be withdrawn.
The Word of God might be abused by Satan and his servants, but still was it "a lamp unto the feet" (Psalm 119:105) of every heavenward pilgrim—a spark of celestial fire, which the storms of earth might fiercely blow upon, but never have been able to extinguish.
