396 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. 



truth of the doctrine of Kopernik was estahlished by the telescope 

 of Galileo.' 



Herein was fuliilled one of the most touching of prophecies. 

 Years before, the enemies of Kopernik had said to him, "If your doc- 

 trines were true, Venus would show phases like the moon." Koper- 

 nik answered: "You are right. I know not what to say ; but God is 

 good, and will in time find an answer to this objection." ^ The God- 

 given answer came when the rude telescope of Galileo showed the 

 phases of Venus. 



On this new champion, Galileo, the attack was tremendous. Tlie 

 supporters of what was called "sound learning" declared his discov- 

 eries deceptions, and his announcements blasphemy. Semi-scientific 

 professors, endeavoring to curry favor with the Church, attacked him 

 with sham science ; earnest preachers attacked him with jjerverted 

 Sci*ipture ! ^ 



The principal weapons in the combat are worth examining. They 

 are very easily examined. You may pick them up on any of the bat- 

 tle-fields of science; but on that field they were used with more effect 

 than on almost any other. These weapons are two epithets : " Infi- 

 del " and " Atheist." 



The battle-fields of science are thickly strewn with these. They 

 have been used against almost every man who has ever done any- 

 thing new for his fellow-men. The list of those who have been de- 

 nounced as infidel and atheist includes almost all great men of science 

 general scholars, inventors, philanthropists. The deepest Christian 

 life, the most noble Christian character have not availed to shield com- 

 batants. Christians like Isaac Newton and Pascal and John Locke and 

 John Milton, and even Howard and Fenelon, have had these weapons 

 hurled against them. Of all proofs of the existence of a God, those 

 of Descartes have been wrought most thoroiighly into the minds of 

 modern men ; and yet the Protestant theologians of Holland sought 

 to bring him to torture and to death by the charge of atheism.* 



Whewell be right, the " Spaccio " would never have been written, but for Bruno's indig- 

 nation at ecclesiastical oppression. See Tiraboschi, vol. xi., p. 435. 



. ' Delambre, " flistoire de TAstronomie moderne," discours preliminaire, p. xiv. 

 Also Laplace, " Systeme du Monde," vol. i., p. 326, and, for more careful statement, 

 " Kepleri Opera Omnia," edit. Friscli, torn, ii., p, 464. 



* Cantu, "Histoire Universelle," vol. xv., p 473. 



^ A very curious example of this sham jrcience is seen in the argument, frequently 

 used at the time, that, if the earth really moved, a stone falling from a height would fall 

 back of the point immediately below its point of starting. This is used by Fromundus 

 with great efi'ect. It appears never to have occurred to him to test the matter by drop- 

 ping a stone from the topmast of a ship. But the most beautiful thing of all is that 

 Bcnzenburg has experimentally demonstrated just such an aberration in fiilling bodies as 

 is mathematically required by the diurnal motion of the earth. See Jevons, " Principles 

 of Science," vol. L, p. 453, and ii., pp. 310, 311. 



^For curious exemplification of the way in which these weapons have been hurled, 

 see lists of persons charged with " infidelity " and " atheism," in " Le Dictionnaire des 

 Ath6e8." Paris, An. viii. Also Lecky, " History of Rationalism," vol. ii., p. 50. 



