The following April, hopes of compromise were dispelled by Paul's excommunication of the Venetians and his attempt to lay their dominions under an interdict. Sarpi entered energetically into the controversy. It was unprecedented for an ecclesiastic of his eminence to argue the subjection of the clergy to the state. He began by republishing the anti-papal opinions of the canonist Jean Gerson (1363–1429). In an anonymous tract published shortly afterwards ("Risposta di un Dottore in Teologia"), he laid down principles which struck radically at papal authority in secular matters. This book was promptly included in the "Index Librorum Prohibitorum", and Cardinal Bellarmine attacked Gerson's work with severity. Sarpi then replied in an "Apologia". The "Considerazioni sulle censure" and the "Trattato dell' interdetto", the latter partly prepared under his direction by other theologians, soon followed. Numerous other pamphlets appeared, inspired or controlled by Sarpi, who had received the further appointment of censor of everything written at Venice in defence of the republic.