AA 
hecaile you had handled the fubject in the 
form of a dialogue, and becaufe of the 
natural complaifance, which every one 
hath in maintaining his own arguments, 
and in, fhewing himfelf more acuté than 
others, in defending even falfe propofi- 
tions by ingenious deductions: and of ap- 
parent probability. . 
And, when a time was affigned you for 
making your defence, you produced a cer- 
tificate under the hand-writing of the moft 
eminent Lord Cardinal Bellarmine, pro- 
eured, as you faid, in order to defend 
yourfclf againft the calumnies of your ene- 
mies, who every where gave it out, that 
you had abjured, and had been punifhed 
by the Holy Office ; in which certificate it 
is faid, that you had not abjured, nor had: 
been punifhed, but only that a declara- 
tion had been filed againft you, drawn 
up by the faid Lord, and formally iffued 
by the Holy Congregation Indicis, im 
“ which it is declared, that the doétrine 
concerning the motion of the earth and 
the immobility of the fun is contrary to 
the Holy Scriptures, and therefore can 
neither bedefended nor maintained. W here- 
fore, feeing no mention was then made of 
two particulars of the mandate, namely, 
(docere G quovis modo), ** teaching, and by 
any means,” we judge, that in the courfe 
of fourteen or fixteen years, they had 
flipt out of your memory, and for the 
fame reafon you were filent refpecting the 
mandate, when you petitioned for a li- 
cence to print your book; and yet this 
was faid by you not to maintain, or ob- 
ftinately perfift in, your error, but as pro- 
eceding from vain ambition, and not per- 
verfenefs. But this very certificate, pro- 
duced in your defence, rather tends to 
make your excufe look worfe, becaufe in 
it is declared, that the aforefaid opinion 
%s contrary to the Holy Scripture, and yet 
you have dared to treat of it as a matter 
of difpute, and defend and teach it as 
probable: nor does the licence itfelf fa- 
vour you, feeing it was deceitfully and 
artfully obtained by you, as you did not, 
produce the mandate impofed upon you. 
And whereas it appeared to us, that 
the whole truth was not exprefied by you 
relpecting your intention, we have judg- 
ed if neceflary to come to a more accurate 
exainmnation of the bafinefs, in which 
(without prejudice to thofe things which 
you have confefled, and which have been 
brought againft you as above, reipeciing 
your faid intention) you have an{wercd as 
a penitent, and good Catholic. Where- 
fore we, having maturely confidered the 
merits of your. caufe, together with your 
From the Port Felio of a Man of Letters. 
: [ Feb. f, x 
above-faid confeffions and defence, are 
come to the under-written definitive fen- 
tence again you: 
Having invoked the moft holy name of 
our Lord Jefus Chrift, and of his moft 
gloxious mother, the ever blefled Virgin 
Mary, we, by this our definitive fentences 
by the advice and judgment of — the 
moft Reverend Mafters of Holy The- 
ology, and the Doétors of both Laws, 
our Counfellors refpefling the caufe and 
caufes controverted before us, between 
the magnificent Charles’ Sincerus,’ Dr. of 
both. Laws, Fifcal Procurator of this 
Holy Office, on the one part, and you Ga- 
lileo Galilei, defendant,queftioned,examin- 
ed, and having confefled, as above, on 
the other part, we fay, judge, and declare, 
by the prefent proceffional writing, you, 
the abovefaid Galileo, on account of thofe 
things which have been adduced in the 
written procefs, and which you have con- 
feffed, as above, that you have rendered 
yourlelf liable to the fufpicion of Herely 
by this Office, that is, you have believed 
and maintained a falfe do&trine, and con- 
trary to the Holy and Divine Scriptures, 
namely, that the fun is the centre of the 
orb of the earth, and that it does not 
mowe from the eaft to the weft, and that 
the earth moves, and is not the centre of the 
world ; and that this pofition may be 
held and defended as a probable opinion, 
after it had been declared and defined to 
be contrary to Holy Scripture; and con- 
fequently that you have incurred all the, 
cenfures and penalties of the Holy Canons, 
and other Conftitutions general and parti- 
cular, enacted and promulgated againg 
fuch delinquents, from which it isour plea- 
fure to abfolve you, on condition that 
firft, with fincere heart and faith unfeign- 
ed, you abjure, execrate, and detett,. the 
above errors and herefies, and every other 
error and herefy contrary to the Catholic © 
and Apoftolical Roman Church, in our 
prefence, in that formula which is hereby 
exhibited to you. 
But that your grievous and pernicious 
error and tran{greffion may not remain al- 
together unpumfhed, and that you may 
hereafter be more cautious, ferving as an 
example to others, that they may ahftain 
from the like offences, we decree, that the 
book of the Dialogue of Galileo be pro- 
hibited by public ediét, and we condemn 
yourlelf to the prifon of this Holy Office, 
to a time to be limited by our difcretion ; 
and we enjoin, under the title of falutary 
penance, that, during three years to 
come, you recite, once a week, the feven 
Penitential Pfalms, referving to oui 
Br Be TE Mi ety © the 
