True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-05-23
The First Index Expnreatorius.

That most uarrow-minded and bigotcd
monarch, Charles ", has the honor, orin-
famy rather, of being the author of the
first Index Expurgatorius. In the year
1916, being desirous of arresting the pro-
gress of the new opinions in Flanders, he
directed the theological faculty of the Uni
versity of Louvain to draw up catalogue
of such books as ought not to be read BY
the people. Ten years later, this cata-
logue was by an imperial decree much en-
largcd. The pope did something of the
same sort, but only with reference to his
own temporal dominions. But in 1853,
Paul ". resolved to frame q catalogue on
the most rigid principles, and make its OBJ
scrvance universal. This Index was ar,
ranged in three divisions. The first con-
tained the names of authors whose whole
works Were interdicted. The second en-
braced the names of those authors some of
whose works only were specified and for
hidden, The third pointed out certain
anonymous publications which were I'M
lawful to be read. TO which was added
list of more than sixty printers whose pub
lications were all forbidden, no matter in
what language they were printed, or what
subject they treated. This was the origin
and foundation of the famous Index Ex-
purgatorius, by which Rome has been
striving to reduce the world to the darkness
of the middle ages. The condemned books
were doomed to the flames; and severe
penalties we're decrced against those who
should neglect to give them up. The pro-
mitigation of this barbarous decree spread
CONSERVATION throughout Italy; but not
withstanding the reluctance and hesitation
manifested in certain quarters, the work
of destroying heretical books commenced
and went bravely on in all parts of that
country. All libraries, public and private,
felt the expurgating progress An i'm
mense number of books were consumed
The trade of the printers and booksellers
was ruined. The disastrous effects were
felt not only at Venice, where so many
books had for century been published,
but also at Lyons, at Geneva, at Zurick, at
Basle, at Paris, at LEIPZIG, and at Frank
fort-on-the- Maine. Not only were the
books which had been written by Protest
ants, and by those who were suspected of
favoring the new opinions, destroyed, but
even those which contained any notes or
scholia written by such persons. All the
works of Erasmus, and also the editions oe
Cyprian, Jerome, and Augustine, which
he published, were condemned, because
they were polluted with his critical anno-
tations. Upon the death of Paul w., a
new Index was published by the Council
of Trent, which was more select and dis
eliminating. 1t included great number
of Protestant authors, but it omitted some
Popish ones, whose sentiments were so
similar to those of the Protestants on GER
tain points, that they had been put into
the first Index. From this epoch COM
menced the barbarous practice of defacing
and mutilating those portions Of certain
works which were considered worthy of
condemnation. This was sometimes done
by besmearing the heretical page with
some black adhesive substance, which rem
de.ed it illegible. Sometimes the prohib-
tied portions of a work were covered with
prints taken from other works, so as to
present a most wonderful appearance.
Sometimes the condemned pages, or parts
of pages, were wholly or partially torn
out.-Dr. Baird's Sketches Of Protestapt-
ism in Itay.