Depends on when and where and twas religious pricks taking issue with everything mostly. Voltaire and the philosophes penned stuff in other names all the time even as it was known to be them, they’re arrested quite often and thrown in prison but would get bailed out by there aristocratic Buddies sooner than later.

England had more freedom in this regard but by the 19th century the church had lost it’s monopoly on truth and speach even on the continent.