NEW CHAPTERS IN THE WARFARE OF SCIENCE. 595 



leaders of the Cliurch, no more evidence of the guidance or pres- 

 ence of the Holy Spirit than in a caucus of New York politicians 

 at Tammany Hall. 



But the opposing powers were too strong : in 1615 Galileo was 

 summoned before the Inquisition at Rome, and the mine which 

 had been so long preparing was sprung. Sundry theologians of 

 the Inquisition having been ordered to examine two propositions 

 which had been extracted from Galileo's letters on the solar spots, 

 solemnly considered these points during about a month and ren- 

 dered their unanimous decision as follows : " The first proposition, 

 that the sun is the center and does not revolve about the earth, is 

 foolish, absurd, false in theology, and heretical, because expressly 

 contrary to Holy Scriptures " j and " the second j^roposition, that 

 the earth is not the ceriter but revolves about the sun, is absurd, 

 false in philosophy, and, from a theological point of vieiv at least, 

 opposed to the true faith." 



The Pope himself, Paul V, now intervened again : he ordered 

 that Galileo be brought before the Inquisition. Then the greatest 

 man of science in that age was brought face to face with the great- 

 est theologian — Galileo was confronted by Bellarmin. Bellarmin 

 shows Galileo the error of his opinion and orders him to renounce 

 it. De Lauda, fortified by a letter from the Pope, gives orders 

 that the astronomer be placed in the dungeons of the Inquisition 

 should he refuse to yield. Bellarmin now commands Galileo, " in 

 the name of his Holiness the Pope and the whole Congregation of 

 the Holy Ofiice, to relinquish altogether the opinion that the sun 

 is the center of the world and immovable, and that the earth 

 moves, nor henceforth to hold, teach, or defend it in any way 

 whatsoever, verbally or in writing." This injunction Galileo ac- 

 quiesces in and promises to obey.* 



This was on the 26th of February, 1G16, About a fortnight 

 later the Congregation of the Index, moved thereto, as the letters 

 and documents now brought to light show, by Pope Paul V, sol- 

 emnly rendered a decree that "the doctrine of the double motion 

 of the earth about its axis and aboid the sun is false and entirely 

 contrary to Holy Scripture " ; and that this opinion must neither 

 be taught nor advocated. The same decree condemned all writings 

 of Copernicus and "all ivritings which affirm the motion of the 

 earth." The great work of Copernicus was interdicted until cor- 

 rected in accordance with the views of the Inquisition ; and the 

 works of Galileo and Kepler, though not mentioned by name at 



* I am aware that the theory proposed by Wohlwill and deyeloped by Gebler denies 

 that this injunction and promise were ever made by Galileo, and holds that the passage 

 was a forgery devised later by the Church rulers to justify the proceedings of 1632 and 1633. 

 This would make the conduct of the Church worse, but the better authorities consider the 

 charge not proved. A careful examination of the documents seems to disprove it. 



