Errors 4–5: forbidding Bible reading to the laity; hanging Scriptures as amulets

4. That those err most gravely of all who forbid biblical reading to those they call laity. For this tyranny is exercised in the papacy. For the Jesuit Juan Azor, Moral Institutions volume 1 book 8 chapter 26: "You ask," he says, "whether the books and chapters of the Bible translated into the vulgar tongue are permitted? Answer: at first glance they are forbidden in the fourth rule, namely that Bibles in the vulgar tongue not be permitted to be read everywhere without distinction. Yet in Spain, in the index of prohibited books published there by the General Inquisitor's authority, the sixth rule runs thus: 'Bibles in the vulgar tongue with all their parts are prohibited.' And in the recent index published by order of Pope Clement VIII, the faculty of granting license to read or keep vulgar Bibles or other parts of Sacred Scripture of both New and Old Testament, even when published in the vulgar tongue, has been taken away." Thomas Harding against Jewel, Article 15 section 2 (in John Jewel volume 1 p. 120) holds the same with others; René Benoist of Angers, Biblical Miscellanies book 3 p. 177; Johannes Bunderius in his Compendium of theological matters title 3 article 3; Johannes Molanus of Louvain in his Compendium of practical theology treatise 3 chapter 23 conclusion 2 p. 221.

5. That those err who believe Sacred Scriptures hung from the neck are endowed with various virtues against the world's dangers, diseases, and demons. Alfonso Salmerón does not dare simply to disapprove this custom of the Roman church (Commentary on Gospel history volume 4 part 3 treatise 42), nor Martin Del Rio (Disquisitions on magic book 1 chapter 4 question 4), Juan Maldonado on John 6, Vitus Miletus in Discussion of 600 errors pp. 51–52, or Landulf the Carthusian in Meditations on the life of Christ part 2 chapter 63: "The word CONSUMMATUM," he says, "is reported by the experienced to be of great efficacy in dangers. And it is said to avail specially against an immoderate flow of blood from the nostrils, if with the same blood the same word is written on the patient's forehead." Other examples of pontifical superstition Johannes Weyer noted in On the illusions of demons book 5 chapter 4, and Martin Del Rio in Disquisitions on magic book 3 part 2 question 4 section 9. Refer here also the Enchiridion or Manual in which are found a devout prayer of Pope Leo, likewise some prayers against all the world's dangers, and a prayer of blessed Augustine and Cyprian, published at Venice by Thomas Membruni — from which it will be clearly seen how maliciously the pontifical Roman church abuses Scripture's words unto superstition and magic.