world has contributed to the formation of that system; it is a truism to say that it is plausible. Enduring almost unchanged through ten centuries, and eliciting the veneration of almost the entire intellectual world, it presents a majestic contrast to the theologies of more recent growth. Moreover, even in recent times it has been accepted by many great writers who have left the impress of their genius upon it, and accommodated it to minds of every cast.
And side by side with the elaboration of its own system must be classed an instrument which it uses very adroitly for the same purpose, the Index Expurgatorius, or list of condemned books. In England there is little explicit mention of the Index, for economical reasons, but every Catholic is given very clearly to understand the depravity of reading books ‘against faith or morals’; the restriction is cleverly represented to be a moral, not a disciplinary prescription, and thus the end of the Index is practically achieved without mentioning the odious word. Non-Catholics are gravely reminded that it is ethically imperative to study both sides of every religious question. Catholics are told in the same breath that it is sinful for them to read the works of opponents, because, naturally, they are already in possession of the truth and must not endanger its possession.
At the same time Catholics are indulged to some extent in their wayward anxiety to know what opponents are saying by having the objections formulated
