THE 



POPULAR SCIEKOE 

 MOI^THLY. 



MAEGH, 1892. 



NEW CHAPTERS IN THE WARFARE OF SCIENCE. 



XV. ASTKONOMY. 



By ANDEEW DICKSON WHITE, LL. D., L. H. D., 



EX-PEESIDENT OF CORNELL UNIVEESITY. 



PART I. 



THE next great series of battles was fought regarding tlie 

 relations of the earth to the heavenly bodies. In the early 

 Church, astronomy^ like other branches of science, was very gen- 

 erally looked upon as futile, in view of the doctrine, so promi- 

 nent in the New Testament, that the earth was in its last days. 

 At best, the heavenly bodies were only objects of pious specula- 

 tion. Some theologians, remembering the beautiful poetic vision 

 of the morning stars singing together, revived an old theory that 

 the heavenly lights have immortal souls. Tertullian's view of 

 the solar system is seen in his theory that an eclipse of the 

 sun was simply a sign of the wrath of God against unbelief. St. 

 Augustine gave forth as final truth in sacred science a statement, 

 based upon the Psalms, that " the heavens are like a curtain " ; 

 but his view of any scientific study is shown by his ejaculation, 

 " What concern is it to me whether the heavens as a sphere in- 

 close the earth in the middle of the world, or overhang it on 

 either side ? " 



The prevailing view in the Church was based upon the declara- 

 tions in Genesis that a solid vault — a "firmament" — was extended 

 above the earth, and that the heavenly bodies were simply lights 

 hung within it. This view plays a great part in the sacred theory 

 established so firmly by the monk Cosmas in the sixth century. 

 Having based his plan of the universe upon various texts in the 

 Old and New Testaments, and having made it a vast oblong box, 

 covered by the solid "firmament," he brings in an additional 



TOL. XL. — 40 



