Page:An Index of Prohibited Books (1840).djvu/194

 I will add a more modern instance of the literary influence which Rome has and exercises over her subjects. The person concerned is the celebrated, and in some sense meritorious, Dodd, author of the Romish Church History of England, now being reedited by the Rev. M. A. Tierney. — The papal historian, who must be acknowledged to be a very competent judge, being, of course, in the secrets of his own communion, has described the méthode of the Jesuits (and Jesuitism is no more than Popery highly rectified) in disposing of works which they disapprove in the following manner. Those who are influenced by them, and under their direction, he observes, "are commonly forbidden either to read or purchase such books, as might contribute towards setting them right in several matters where false notions had taken possession of them to the prejudice of truth. To carry on this contrivance, their way is to buy up, commit to the flames, and use several other uncommendable methods, to hinder the spreading of such books as would give proper intelligence, in order to establish the reputation of their own writers. This, I apprehend, may be the fate of my Reply: there being no other way left to support