# An Index of Prohibited Books (1840)/Part 7 - Observations II

II. My next instance is that of an Englishman and priest, Thomas Fitz-herbert, who, in a treatise published at Rome, Superiorum Permissu, 1610, An sit Utilitas in Scelere, and evidently, though covertly, a studied and ​bitter, I might say, blood-thirsty, attack upon James I., to whom he attributes Machiavellian principles of government, professes, in the Dedicatory Epistle, that he obtained a license to read Machiavelli from the Inquisition — impetratâ prius ab Illustrissimis Sanctæ Inquisitionis Cardinalibus legendi Machiavelli facultate, ut ex eorum diplomate, quod penès me est, satis liquet. This work is bound up with a vile Jesuitic lampoon against James I. by Bartholus Pacenius, I. C., Εξεταόις Epistolæ nomine Regis, M. B. &c. I. C. Montibus, Impressore Adamo Gallo. Anno 1610; forty unpaged leaves, remarkable for fligate profession of contempt for the obligation of an oath, and noticed by Richard Thompson, Ussher, Henry Mason, and others. ​I was confirmed in my interpretation of Fitzherbert's book, which in language is confined to generals, from this association.
III. The Rev. John Hawkins, a Romish priest in Worcester, renounced Popery, and in ​his defence wrote An Appeal to Scripture, Reason, and Tradition, &c. Worcester (1786). He likewise published A General Defence of the Principles of the Reformation in a Letter to the Rev. Joseph Berington. Worcester,
​1788. In the last, page 23, answering an opponent, the unconverted Dr. Carroll, he introduces him as asserting, "that Roman Catholics read, without censure or hesitation, whatever controversial books they please. This," he adds, "is notoriously untrue, as Mr. Pilling has confessed." And he refers immediately to a full and decisive passage in the Conferences d'Angers, a work of great repute, published about the time of the author. We shall hear more of this from another convert. But before we come to that, we observe, that Mr. Hawkins in his first work, the Appeal, and in connexion with the Bull Cænæ Domini, mentioned in the text, writes in a note, page 29, "The reading or keeping of books written by Protestants, or even published by them, is prohibited under pain of excommunication incurred by the very fact. The severity of discipline which prevails in this regard, if we give any credit to your best modern divines, is scarce to be conceived by any who are unacquainted with their writings." At page 130 and onwards, he expresses his indignation at the Index of prohibited books, especially the Spanish, which was new to him. And at 300 and the two following, he again dwells upon ​the barbarous exploits of this restrictive engine. He mistakes, however, in supposing the infamous bull, which is at the bottom of it, to have been repealed. The confessional would be terribly crippled by its withdrawal.
IV. We proceed to another valuable desertion of Popery from the same city, the Rev. Charles Henry Wharton, D.D., who settled in America. In A Reply to an Address to the Roman Catholics of the United States of America [by Dr. Carroll], and published at New York, 1817, pp. 8–10: after observing that the notorious bull is received and observed in some countries and not in others, which makes that which is a grievous crime in one country to be not even a venial offence in another, he adds, — "This must be the sentiment of every Roman Catholic; and yet its consistency can hardly be admitted. For, if the Pope be a Doctor of the Church, by way of eminence, as he is frequently styled, if he be entitled to the pompous appellations of Master of the world, of Universal Father, which were frequently bestowed on him in the eleventh century; if he be a Divine Majesty, the husband of the Church, the Prince of the Apostles, ​the Prince and King of all the Universe; if he be the Pastor, the Physician, and a God, to use the language of the Council of Lateran speaking to Leo X., who will dare question his right to proscribe such sources of information, as in his wisdom he shall deem pernicious to his subjects? Inconsistency apart, he must have a daring soul who shall venture upon a pasture, which the Universal Shepherd pronounces to be poisonous, and forbids his flock to taste at the hazard of their salvation. The rev. gentleman will not deny that these lofty pretensions have their effect to this day. Else why are Roman Catholics constantly advised to obtain permission to read heretical books for the security of their consciences? Among the faculties, as they are called, or parochial powers conferred on R. C. missionaries even in England, is not a special license granted for keeping and reading heretical books? The Chaplain's warrant on this head is expressed in these words: Conceditur facultas tenendi et legendi libros hæreticorum de eorum religione tractantes ad effectum eos expugnandi. Leave is granted to keep and read the books of heretics, which ​treat of their religion, in order to refute them.' These lines place this whole matter in its proper point of view. They evidently evince to what purpose Roman Catholics are indulged in the reading of Protestant authors. Not, it is presumed, for the sake of impartial investigation, but solely to combat and refute them. The rev. gentleman may say, then, with as much confidence as he pleases, that rational investigation is as open to Catholics as to any other set of men on the face of the earth. But persons of real candour will still give the chaplain credit for the same valuable quality, until it be proved that religious information also is equally open to Roman Catholics as to others; or, that the Protestant churches forbid the reading of Roman Catholic writers, unless it be with a view to confute them."
V. Another testimony to the same effect is extant in a pamphlet written in defence of the Rev. Andrew Meagher, a well-known and learned convert from Popery to Protestanism. He published, in vindication of the step which he had taken, a volume entitled, "The Popish Mass," &c. or a Sermon, &c. It is intended ​to shew the conformity of Popery with Paganism. Limerick: printed by T. Welsh, 1771. Every one is acquainted with the eminent merit of the work, which roused an antagonist, to whom a Reply was given in a well-written pamphlet in 1772, without name of place or printer, Truth Triumphant, a refutation of the Word to the Wise, and other pretended Answers to Dr. Meagher's Popish Mass. By Eusebes Misopseudes. It appears from page 11, that the author of The Word to the Wise was W——lsh, so written, but hardly, I should suppose, though so near the mark, the printer of Meagher's work. This, indeed, is immaterial. The defender of the convert, however, at the page cited, speaks of a remonstrance made to the assailant by some well-bred sensible men of his [the assailant's] own religion," the purport of which he gives in four succeeding pages; and in page 14 they say, — "We can look into Dr Meagher's book only by stealth, for you have forbidden the reading of it under pain of excommunication. Nay, some of yourselves say, you would not for a thousand pounds look into it." Eusebes adds in a note, "This is a fact; for a priest in my neighbourhood made this declaration not long ago in public company ​ — Thus have they closed their eyes, lest at any time," &c. There is a passage of so much point and accuracy in Meagher's own work, that although I have seen it quoted in some place before, I am tempted to repeat it. It refers to Purgatory. "Upon the whole, then, it is evident, that the doctrine of Purgatory is of heathen original; that the fire of it is, like the thunder of the Vatican, a harmless thing which no wise man would be afraid of, were it not too often attended with Church — thunderbolts, persecutions, and massacres; and that it only serves to cheat the simple and ignorant out of their money, by giving them bills of exchange upon the other world, for cash paid in this, without any danger of the bills returning protested." — P. 90.
VI. The honest and acute O'Conor, D.D. (we might perhaps call him another convert), in his Historical Address, &c. Part I., 1810, p. 128, has strikingly corroborated the fact of the submission to Papal literary proscriptions in Ireland. "Can we wonder at it," (the disappearance of fugitive pamphlets at a particular period), "when we find the learned Lynch expressing scruples, whether he can read Sir Richard Belling's excellent defence of the ​supreme Catholic Council against the censures of the Roman Court, because that work was condemned at Rome!!"
VII. Another proof how little credit is due to the pretended disregard of pontifical bookcensures by Romanists is furnished by the Rev. Blanco White, in his Evidence against [Roman] Catholicism, in a note, p. 157, second edition — "The inveterate enmity of the sincere Roman Catholic against books, which directly or indirectly dissent from his Church, is unconquerable. There is a family in England, who, having inherited a copious library under circumstances which made it a kind of heir-loom, have torn out every leaf of the Protestant works, leaving nothing in the shelves but the covers. This fact I know from the most unquestionable authority." Should it be said, that there is here no reference to the condemnations by the Roman censors, it will only prove that well-instructed subjects of the Papacy, in consequence of the second nature thus imparted to them, think and act spontaneously just as their mother does. ​And so much for the liberty which the members of the Roman Church derive from her to read what books they choose. The liberty which they enjoy in that respect, they owe, not to their Church which only allows it because she must, but to the true Christianity and liberality of a country, which protects them against the barbarous tyranny of the government to which ​they yield their principal allegiance. And let British Protestants well assure themselves, that if Popery should again spread its dark and pestilent wings over this country, no greater delay would take place than was expedient, before the Index of Rome and all its penalties would be established in full force in our land. ​That this is a consummation which Popery has always devoutly panted after and anticipated as not unattainable, is put past a doubt by the Memorial of the Reformation of the Church of England, &c. by Robert Parsons, written in 1596, and first published by the Rev. E. Gee, in 1690. See particularly Part I. chap. ix. ​pp. 94, 95, where the reader will find directions given for searching after offensive books, wherever they existed, committing them to the flames, and appointing severe order and punishment for such as shall conceal writings of that description. This was part of the scheme to restore in full authority all the old laws of Papal England. I consider myself happy in having an early MS. copy of Parsons's work, of the genuineness of which I believe no doubt can be entertained. The preceding statement may be seen more at length in the Preface to the Literary Policy, pp. xviii.-xxii.
Drs. Douglass, Milner, and others, shewed some good inclination to apply the wholesome severities of the Index to the Reverends, Geddes, Berington, O'Conor, and more, if they had felt less of Protestant awe. See the caustic Letter to the Bishop of Centuriæ; the Preface to Berington's Memoirs of Panzani; the Letters of Columbanus, Morissy, O'croly, &c. We may here subjoin an earlier proof than has already been given of the deference which true subjects of the Church of Rome are expected to pay to her authorised biblical proscriptions. Roger Widdrington, whose. real name was Thomas Preston, was fairly persecuted by his ​Church for his loyalty to his sovereign, James I. He defended the Oath of Allegiance to that prince against the pontiff and his party, who justly feared, that if England were peaceable and happy, even the sons of Roman darkness would gradually and imperceptibly enter the light of reformed Christianity. A considerable portion of the works of Widdrington was upon this important subject. That which has the last date of any is, his Last Rejoynder to Fitz-herbert, Permissu Superiorum, 1633, without place or printer, in 4to. Most of his works were condemned by a decree (indeed, by several decrees) of the Congregation of the Index; and in the Preface to the work just mentioned, he writes of his adversaries — They have caused his holiness to condemn our books, which, in our judgment, do plainly discover their forgeries, and to forbid all Catholics, as well learned as unlearned, to read them, without signifying unto us any one thing in particular which we have written amiss," &c. The particular Decree and the Purgation of the author by himself are to be found pp. 625 to the conclusion. The enemies of this honest man — at least so far — knew they had an engine in their hand not perfectly powerless.