How to keep people from reading

[ArMaP]

I have actually downloaded a few of them, to read later.
Am I wrong in doing so?  I don't feel like I am.

I don't think it's wrong, and in Portugal it's legal, even if they are copyrighted works, as what is forbidden is the distribution. Taking what is made available by others is not illegal.

These books are 60 to over 100 years old.  I feel they are very important and have lost knowledge that we need.

So, yeah, I will continue to support them.
It's not like actually libraries have these books!

That's the problem with the books that were the reason for the lawsuit, they were complaining that the Internet Archive was lending books that are available to be purchased and gaining money from it, directly or indirectly. As the books were direct copies scanned from the original physical books, the publishers could, besides the authors, claim copyright infringement.

I wonder if they will go after the "sacred text" website next?

I don't think the situation is the same.

PS: have you tried Project Gutenberg? Those are really free.