612 Galileo, and the Cojjernican Sijstem. [June, 



bring them over to his views." And shortly afterwards (p. 54) he adds: " He 

 maintains his sentiments with tlie greatest vehemence, and his violent passions 

 he has neither sufficient strength of mind nor prudence to control." Hence it 

 appears probable that, if Galileo had in some degree moderated his expressions, 

 he would not have been exposed to what he afterwards suffered, and that the 

 cardinals to whom Guicciardini alludes would not have given him any molesta- 

 tion, if he would only have maintained his opinions in private. But before we 

 advance further we nuist lay down some principles, which are necessary to ex- 

 plain, and in some degree justify the conduct pursued towards Galileo. All 

 Catholics believe that the original text of the sacred Scriptures is to be literally 

 received as true, even in things which do not belong to the faith. It is also cer- 

 tain that they may not depart from the literal meaning of the text, except where 

 there is some unequivocal proof that the literal sense involves what is false, or 

 some manifest error. This being premised, it cannot be denied that various 

 passages of the holy writings seem to intimate that the earth is immovable, and 

 that the sun revolves round it. These were the passages opposed to Galileo, 

 and if he had contented hmiself with the rejjly that he spoke only as a philoso- 

 pher, and that, where the passages of Scripture admitted no other explanation, 

 it was not his intention to oppose such venerable authority, the question would 

 most probably have gone no farther. But with this, it appears, that Galileo was 

 not contented. A letter which he wrote about that period to his scholar Bene- 

 detto Castelli, of Brescia, which, it is most likely, is the same that was pointed 

 out in the decree of condemnation which we shall mention presently, and which 

 has been, though not entirely, made public by Targioni (lib. c, p. 22.) and another 

 which he wrote to the Grand Duchess of Tuscany — show that Galileo wished to 

 maintain that no regard was to be evinced for the literal sense of Scripture, ex- 

 cept on doctrinal points. Now this proposition, although in some degree it may 

 be received as true, was then considered, and was in fact, dangerous for the 

 Church of Rome; particularly at that period, when the loss it had sustained, in 

 consequence of the interpretation of the Scriptures at the Reformation, was an 

 unceasing source of its regret and anxiety. The Roman theologians were cer- 

 tainly not ignorant that, in things indifferent to the faith, and besides, if no 

 evident reason determine our adhering to it, it is permitted and sometimes even 

 necessary to depart from the literal sense of the holy writings; but. they also 

 knew that the whole body of former theologians and philosopher."! had believed, 

 up to that time, that the sacred Scriptures clearly establish the immobility of the 

 earth ; that those who, prior to Galileo, had advocated the Copernican system, 

 h;jd spoken only as philosophers, and had not endeavoured to reconcile their 

 opinion with the sacred text; that Copernicus alone had made some slight men- 

 tion of it, but this work was known only to a few of the learned. They saw that 

 Galileo strove with ingenious demonstrations to support the Copernican system, 

 but they also saw the greatest number of the philosophers of that period did not 

 acknowledge that they were convinced of its truth; so that the opinion of 

 Galileo did not appear certain and evident to a degree which would authorize 

 their allowing, at least publicly, any other meaning to the sacred text than that 

 which clearly belonged to it. Galileo, on the other hand, gave such notoriety 

 to his opinion, that it was in every person's mouth, nor could it be concealed 

 that many of the most learned philosophers and theologians were scandalized 

 by it, and looked upon Galileo as a dangerous innovator, since he had dared 

 first, and almost alone, to set himself in so solemn a manner in opposition to 

 the literal sense of the holy writings. Wherefore they considered that a single 

 man could never bepjrmitted, of his own authority, to give any other explana- 

 tion of the sacred text than what, up to that period, had been received as cor- 

 rect. There was besides another reason which carried great weight, as appears 

 from another passage of the letter of Guicciardini, to which we have already 

 alluded. " In questo secolo...il Principe, (the Pope),...aborrisce belle lettere 

 e questi ingegni, non puo sentire queste novita, ne queste sottigliezze e ognuno 

 cerca d'accommodareil cervello e la natura a quella del Signore." (p. 55.) 

 These were the reasons which determined the Roman council to their first 



