No religious institution on earth has as much to fear about its members reading the scripture as the Catholic Church. When Catholics study the scripture they learn that in order to please God, they must discard the many false doctrines which their church has accumulated over the centuries. Following is an excerpt from an address given by the Cardinals to PopePius III in 1503 A.D., and is preserved in the National Library of Paris, Folio No. 1068, Vol. 2, pp. 650 651:
'Of all the advice that we can offer your holiness we must open your eyes well and use all possible force in the matter, namely to permit the reading of the gospel as little as possible in all the countries under your jurisdiction. Let the very little part of the gospel suffice which is usually read in mass, and let no one be permitted to read more. So long as people will be content with the small amount, your interest will prosper; but as soon as the people want to read more, your interest will fail. The scripture is a book, which more than any other, has raised against us the tumults and tempests by which we have almost perished. In fact, if one compares the teaching of the scripture with what takes place in our churches, he will soon find discord, and will realize that our teachings are often different from the scripture, and oftener still, contrary to it.'
The scriptures give us clear commandments concerning our handling of heresies in the church (Romans 16:17-18, Titus 3:10-11, 2 Thessalonians 3:6,14,15).