90 GIORDANO BRUNO PART 



induced to retract his heresies, and his works were 

 placed along with those of Telesius, the apostle of 

 Naturalism, upon the index. 



February^ On the 4th of February the congregation again 

 considered Bruno's case, he having in the interval made 

 some protest against the eight propositions selected. 

 His Holiness decreed that it should be intimated to 

 him by the Reverend Fathers Bellarmino and Com- 

 missario, " that the propositions are heretical, and not 

 only now or lately declared heretical, but according to 

 the most ancient Fathers of the Church and the 

 Apostolic See. If he shall admit them as such, it is 

 well, but if not, a term of forty days shall be set him." 

 What were the eight propositions ? It is of course 

 almost impossible to say, but probably Tocco l is right 

 in suggesting that they were neither any of those already 

 withdrawn in Venice (as held " philosophically/' but 

 not theologically), nor any of the charges of Mocenigo 

 which Bruno had so vigorously denied, but actual 

 admissions common to his works and to the confessions 

 he had made at Venice for example, propositions as to 

 (i) the distinction of persons in God ; (2) the Incar- 

 nation of the Word ; (3) the nature of the Holy Spirit ; 

 (4) the Divinity of Christ ; (5, 6, and 7) the necessity, 

 eternity, and infinity of Nature ; (8) the Transmigra- 

 tion of Souls. It must have been in the last four of 

 these, or some similar propositions, that Bruno stood 

 fast by his new faith. 



1 Conferenza, p. 86. 



