CENSORS of Books, are a body of doctors or others established in divers countries to examine all books before they go to the press, and to see they contain nothing contrary to faith and good manners.
At Paris, before the late revolution, the faculty of theology claimed this privilege as granted to them by the pope; but, in 1624, new commissions of four doctors were created, by letters patent, the sole censors of all books, and answerable for every thing contained therein.
In England, we had formerly an officer of this kind, under the title of licenser of the press: but, since the Revolution, our press has been laid under no such restraint.