RULES OF THE INDEX

ISSUED BY THE COMMAND OF THE

MOST HOLY TRIDENTINE SYNOD.

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RULE I.

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All books which, before the year 1515, were condemned either by the Supreme Pontiffs or by ecumenical councils, and which are not in this Index, are to be considered condemned in the same manner as they were formerly condemned.

RULE II.

The books of heresiarchs, both those who after the aforesaid year invented or stirred up heresies, and those who are or were the heads or leaders of heretics, such as Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Balthasar Pacimontanus original: Balthasar Hubmaier of Friedberg, Schwenkfeld, and those similar to them, of whatever name, title, or argument they may be, are entirely prohibited.
However, the books of other heretics which treat of religion by profession are entirely condemned.
But those which do not treat of religion are permitted, provided they have been examined and approved by Catholic theologians by order of the Bishops and Inquisitors.
Books written in a Catholic manner, whether by those who subsequently fell into heresy or by those who returned to the bosom of the Church after their fall, may be permitted if approved by the theological faculty of some Catholic University or by the General Inquisition.

RULE III.

Translations of writers, even ecclesiastical ones, which have been published hitherto by condemned authors, are permitted provided they contain nothing against sound doctrine.
However, translations of books of the Old Testament may be granted only to learned and pious men by the judgment of the Bishop, provided that such translations are used as elucidations of the Vulgate edition for understanding the Holy Scripture, and not as the sacred text itself.
But translations of the New Testament made by authors of the first class of this Index shall be granted to no one, because little utility, but very much danger, is accustomed to remain for readers from their reading.
If, however, any annotations are circulated with such versions as are permitted, or with the Vulgate edition, they may be permitted to the same people as the versions, once the suspect passages have been expunged by the theological faculty of some Catholic University or by the General Inquisition.
Under these conditions, the entire volume of the Bibles which is commonly called the Bible of Vatablus, or parts of it, may be granted to pious and learned men.
From the Bibles of Isidorus Clarius of Brescia, the prologue and prolegomena are to be cut out; let no one think his text is the text of the Vulgate edition.

RULE IV.

Since it is manifest by experience that if the Holy Bibles are permitted everywhere in the common tongue without discrimination, more detriment than utility arises from it on account of the rashness of men, this matter shall be left to the judgment of the Bishop or Inquisitor, so that with the counsel of the Parish Priest or Confessor, they may grant the reading of Bibles translated by Catholic authors in the common tongue to those whom they understand are able to derive not harm, but an increase of faith and piety from such reading; which faculty they shall have in writing.
But whoever presumes to read or have them without such faculty, unless the Bibles have first been returned to the Ordinary, cannot receive absolution of sins.
Booksellers, however, who sell or in any other way grant Bibles written in the common tongue to one not having the aforesaid faculty, shall lose the price of the books, to be converted by the Bishop to pious uses, and shall be subject to other punishments at the discretion of the same Bishop according to the quality of the offense.
Regulars, however, may not read or buy them unless they have obtained faculty from their Prelates.

RULE V.

Those books which sometimes appear containing the works of heretical authors, in which they add nothing or little of their own, but collect the sayings of others, such as Lexicons, Concordances, Apophthegms, Similitudes, Indexes, and the like, if they have anything mixed in them which stands in need of expurgation, may be permitted once these have been removed and corrected by Bishops and Inquisitors, together with the counsel of Catholic theologians.

RULE VI.

Books written in the common tongue discussing the controversies between Catholics and heretics of our time are not to be permitted everywhere, but the same rule shall be observed for them as was established for Bibles written in the common tongue.
But those which are written in the common tongue regarding the method of living well, contemplating, confessing, and similar arguments, if they contain sound doctrine, there is no reason why they should be prohibited, just as popular sermons delivered in the common tongue are not.
And if hitherto, in any Kingdom or Province, some books have been prohibited because they contain certain things which it is not expedient for all to read without selection, if their authors are Catholic, once they have been corrected, they may be permitted by the Bishop and Inquisitor.