Letters of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible Society

Name: Letters of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible Society
Author: Borrow, George

Borrow, George

Authors, English -- 19th century -- Correspondence; British and Foreign Bible Society; English letters

GENTLEMEN,--My attention has this moment been directed by a friend to a
letter which appeared in your journal of the 5th instant, signed Jose
Francisco Garcia and prefixed to a circular of the Governor of the See of
Valencia, the object of which is to forbid the purchasing or reading of
the Castilian version of the Bible by Father Felipe Scio, as edited in
London by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and which the Agent of
the Society at Valencia has announced for sale.

Did the principles of the Bible Society permit them to rejoice at the
misfortunes of their fellow-creatures, even of their enemies, the style
and tone which the writer of this epistle has, unfortunately for himself
and his cause, adopted, would afford them plenteous matter for
congratulation.  He calls himself an ecclesiastic and talks about 'the
sacred duty of his august ministry,' and for the purpose, I suppose, of
showing how strictly he fulfils the precepts of his mild Master and
Redeemer, he styles the Society in question 'an infernal Society,' and
speaks of 'its accursed fecundity.'  Goodly words!  Charitable words!
May I be permitted to enquire in what part of the sacred writings he
found them recommended?  Perhaps in the following text of the Vulgate:--

    'Vae vobis Scribae et Pharisaei hypocritae, qui decimatis mentham, et
    anethum, et cyminum, et reliquistis quae graviora sunt legis,
    _judicium_, _et misericordiam_, et fidem.  Haec oportuit facere, et
    illa non omittere.'

    Matt. cap. xxiii. vers. 23.

    Ay de vosotros, Escribas y Phariseos hipocritas, que diezmais la
    yerba buena, y el eneldo, y el comino, y habeis dexado las cosas, que
    son mas importantes de la Ley, _la justicia_, _y la misericordia_, y
    la fe!  Esto era menester hacer, y no dexar lo otro.

The British and Foreign Bible Society is an infernal society and
consequently its members, one and all, are children of the devil.  Now,
what is required to constitute a child of the devil, according to the
opinion of the Founder of Christianity--of Jesus--the Living Word--the
Eternal God?  Let me quote _His_ own words, according to the Vulgate, the
book of the Church of Rome:

    'Vos ex patre diabolo estis: et desideria patris vestri vultis
    facere.  Ille homicida erat ab initio, et in veritate non stetit,
    quia non est veritas in eo: cum loquitur mendacium, ex propriis
    loquitur, quia mendax est et pater ejus.'

    Joan. cap. viii. vers. 44.

    'Vosotros sois hijos del diablo, y quereis cumplir los deseos de
    vuestro padre: el fue homicida desde el principio, y no permanecio en
    la verdad; porque no hay verdad en el: quando habla mentira, de suyo
    habla; porque es mentiroso, y padre de la mentira.'

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

Letters of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible SocietyBorrow, George

Religion

Letters of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible Society

Borrow, George

Authors, English -- 19th century -- Correspondence; British and Foreign Bible Society; English letters

GENTLEMEN,--My attention has this moment been directed by a friend to a
letter which appeared in your journal of the 5th instant, signed Jose
Francisco Garcia and prefixed to a circular of the Governor of the See of
Valencia, the object of which is to forbid the purchasing or reading of
the Castilian version of the Bible by Father Felipe Scio, as edited in
London by the British and Foreign Bible Society, and which the Agent of
the Society at Valencia has announced for sale.

Did the principles of the Bible Society permit them to rejoice at the
misfortunes of their fellow-creatures, even of their enemies, the style
and tone which the writer of this epistle has, unfortunately for himself
and his cause, adopted, would afford them plenteous matter for
congratulation.  He calls himself an ecclesiastic and talks about 'the
sacred duty of his august ministry,' and for the purpose, I suppose, of
showing how strictly he fulfils the precepts of his mild Master and
Redeemer, he styles the Society in question 'an infernal Society,' and
speaks of 'its accursed fecundity.'  Goodly words!  Charitable words!
May I be permitted to enquire in what part of the sacred writings he
found them recommended?  Perhaps in the following text of the Vulgate:--

    'Vae vobis Scribae et Pharisaei hypocritae, qui decimatis mentham, et
    anethum, et cyminum, et reliquistis quae graviora sunt legis,
    _judicium_, _et misericordiam_, et fidem.  Haec oportuit facere, et
    illa non omittere.'

    Matt. cap. xxiii. vers. 23.

    Ay de vosotros, Escribas y Phariseos hipocritas, que diezmais la
    yerba buena, y el eneldo, y el comino, y habeis dexado las cosas, que
    son mas importantes de la Ley, _la justicia_, _y la misericordia_, y
    la fe!  Esto era menester hacer, y no dexar lo otro.

The British and Foreign Bible Society is an infernal society and
consequently its members, one and all, are children of the devil.  Now,
what is required to constitute a child of the devil, according to the
opinion of the Founder of Christianity--of Jesus--the Living Word--the
Eternal God?  Let me quote _His_ own words, according to the Vulgate, the
book of the Church of Rome:

    'Vos ex patre diabolo estis: et desideria patris vestri vultis
    facere.  Ille homicida erat ab initio, et in veritate non stetit,
    quia non est veritas in eo: cum loquitur mendacium, ex propriis
    loquitur, quia mendax est et pater ejus.'

    Joan. cap. viii. vers. 44.

    'Vosotros sois hijos del diablo, y quereis cumplir los deseos de
    vuestro padre: el fue homicida desde el principio, y no permanecio en
    la verdad; porque no hay verdad en el: quando habla mentira, de suyo
    habla; porque es mentiroso, y padre de la mentira.'

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Letters of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible Society

Letters of George Borrow to the British and Foreign Bible Society

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