Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1844-02-24
CalKileO or the InqusitiOm.
B fhs Editor 81 ne Gazette.

40 tNs EGHoT oJ the UdxeAes E 3
With your kind permission, | win no
tice .asi article in Jour paper ofihe 9Th
INST VII "Nicsmerism," over the signature
of"An Enquirer" II is not however my
intention 10 discuss that question, but
simply 10 CORRECTIVE measurements ofthe
writer. in reference to The Copernican
sy stem OF Astronomy, aud the persecn.
ton. or rather the prosecution Of GALL
LEO. !, is not true, as he alleges that
Gallileo, died in prison, nor is il ,ras thai
he was condemned 10 renounce "the great
truths" he main,nined, as Fshall present
ly show 10 The satisfaction, [ think, of
every sincere enquirer after TRUTH And
here, allow the in few words, 10 speak
OF the. defenders of that system. which
many, your correspondent ofthe number,
seem 10 think, Calico was The frs, TO
| 'advocate opehly." Such Is NOT the fact.
The first who maintained its truth even
before CopERNIcUs himself, whose name
| il has taken, because he especially devo
ted his life to its establishment, was Car
dinal in the church. Yes! NICHOLAS THE
CuSAN stood foremost in modern times, to
proclaim the startling principle, that sasthe
Earth moves, the Sun stands still" Nor
was he the pioneer Of science, con,en,
with keeping his opinions secret; he
proclaimed them. to the world; he pushed
them 10 the very steps Of the Papal
throne. And one Of the frs, works issu
ed from the Italian press were those Of
Nicholas the Cusan. and that too. under
the patronage of one Of the highest dig
nitaries Of he church,-ths CARDINAL
AMBoIsE. In 1910 LEONARDO DA VINcI
speaks of the Earths' motion rs the re
ceived opinion of many Of the greatest
philosophers ofthe age. And HALLAM, who
by his writings has thrown flood or
light. on the character of the middle ages,
says; "The discoveries which made Gal
lileo and kepler and Moestlen. and Maui
rolycus and CaStelIi. and other names
ilustrious, the system Of Copernicus, the
very theories of ancient geologers are
anticipated by da Vinci"
As to Copernicus, he was priest Of
the Catholic Church, and studied astron.
omy in the Pope's University at Bologna
In the year 1900, he was elected to fill
the chair of the professor Of that science
in Rome. and continued to teach the new
| theory to crowds Of students, who, it i,
SAID, frequently numbered two thousand
When he resigned his professorship, the
dIgnIiaries Of Tho Church rivaled each
other. in rewarding him; and in addition
to this. two successive Pon,itfs loaded him
with iavors and honored him with their
fast and warmest friendship. He pub,
llshed his book on the subject ia 1856, the
money being generously furnished for
that purpose, by CARDINAL ScoMBgRG
Ii was dedicated 10 the head Of the Church
PAUL Ill. and under the sanction Of his
great name, it wen: forth to The world
Such is the history Of the Copernican
theory; and thus far, we see no effort
made by The Church to suppress il, no
attempt % impede its progress. On the
contrary we behold her, extending to il a
liberal encourage ment, and by her pow
eriul and etfec,ual patronage opening the
way for lis triumph.
| come now to Gal.ileo He was born
at Pisa in 1864. and early in life his
reputation was high, deservedIy so, as a
philosopher and man of science. But
il was not till 1911, when he visited Rome
for the first time, that his character was
established and his fame complete. 1t
was there, he won his proudest trumphs,
and stood up the most successful discov.
erer in the world Of science He there
attained everything, Princes. Pre'ates,
and Philosophers were his friends, and
and correspondents, and rank and power,
civil and religious, were welded TO him
and his interests. Ills pupils filled the
chairs Of the principal Universities in
Italy; and wealth and honors were show
cred around hun.
The Roman Inquisiton was thrice oc
cupied with the matter Of Galiileo; in
1918 when his opinions alone were under
consideration; and again in 1916 aud
1888, when he was personally before
that court. But i, was not his maine-
nance Of the Earths' motion, that brought
upon him the censures Of the lnqusillon,
it was his excessive imprudence, his i'm
petlositv and rashness. Convinced O.!
the truth of his theory, he wished to re-
move the then scriptural difficulties in
the way Of its universal adoption. To
this end, he commenced series Of theo.
logical essays on the subject. lie was
ambitious TO become both theologian and
philosopher, and for this he was prosecu
ted ,-"not for having been good As,ron
cmcr, but a bad Theologiann These
theological ESSAYS furnished the basis OF
impeachment in 1915 He was censured.
but the censure worked no hardship, it
prescribed no punishment. 1t went no
further, than to confine Galiileo "io the
system AND ITS DEMONSTRATION. without
interfering with the Scriptures" the
Interpretation Of which the Inquisiton
declared to belong to theological profes
sors, approved and authorized for the
purpose" As yet there was no inter
ference by Rome with science, the only
difficulty being Of GalIIco's own crea
ton, an interference on his part, with
the theological views Of his countrymen
On this ground the lnquisltion acted; that
'men must not run on bIindly, and con-
denim either Of these opinions" the truth
o. falsity Of the new proposition. They
permitted it 10 take its place among its
rivals, receiving il for all il was worth
plausible, bu, unproven opinon,-
a II