APOLOGY FOR THE BELFAST ADDRESS. 215 



of her scientific competence. When Halley's comet ap- 

 peared in 1456 it was regarded as the harbinger of 

 God's vengeance, the dispenser of war, pestilence, and 

 famine, and by order of the Pope the church bells of 

 Europe were rung to scare the monster away. An ad- 

 ditional daily prayer was added to the supplications of 

 the faithful. The comet in due time disappeared, and 

 the faithful were comforted by the assurance that, as 

 in previous instances relating to eclipses, droughts, and 

 rains, so also as regards this ' nefarious ' comet, victory 

 had been vouchsafed to the Church. 



Both Pythagoras and Copernicus had taught the 

 heliocentric doctrine that the earth revolves round 

 the sun. In the exercise of her right to determine 

 what true science is, the Church, in the Pontificate of 

 Paul V., stepped in, and by the mouth of the holy 

 Congregation of the Index, delivered, on March 5, 

 1616, the following decree: 



And whereas it hath also come to the knowledge of the 

 said holy congregation that the false Pythagorean doc- 

 trine of the mobility of the earth and the immobility of the 

 sun, entirely opposed to Holy writ, which is taught by 

 Nicolas Copernicus, is now published abroad and re- 

 ceived by many. In order that this opinion may not 

 further spread, to the damage of Catholic truth, it is 

 ordered that this and all other books teaching the like 

 doctrine be suspended, and by this decree they are all re- 

 spectively suspended, forbidden, and condemned. 



But why go back to 1456 and 1616? Far be it 

 from me to charge bygone sins upon Monsignor Capel, 

 were it not for the practices he upholds to-day. The 

 most applauded dogmatist and champion of the Jesuits 

 is, I am informed, Perrone. No less than thirty edi- 

 tions of a work of his have been scattered abroad for 

 the healing of the nations. His notions of physical 



