The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-04-07
JOHN JASPER AND GALILEO.

trenJ mcrrlmcnt mas DCcn provoked
among educated people by the efforts Of the
colored preacher John Jasper. in Richmond.
Virginia TO prove from the Bible that the earth
stands still and that the sun moves around 1t.
| The Copcrnican discovery that the apparent
] motion Of the sun is duo only TO an illusion of
the senses. caused by the real motion OF tho
EARTH has been so widely disseminated by
means Of our common schools and other nst-
tutons Of learning. that tho bare assertion OF
contrary doctrine strikes most Of us as some
thing absurd. which We do not think ii worth
while to combat That John jasper should find
followers among the ignorant negroes is fact
to be deplored. we think but we accept it only
rs a proof Of thor Ignorance and not as afford
ing the slightest ground for respecting his
opinion. And yet two hundred and fifty years
ago. the position now hold by him was held by
| the highest digntaries in the church. and by
many men eminent for their learning, while
those who took tho present prevailing Wow
| were Regarded us foes to religion and unsound
| In science.
| The treatise Of Nicholas Kopernik on the Revo-
luton of the Heavenly Bodies. in which. for the
| first time. appeared what Is now known us the
| Copernican system of astronomy. was given
| to the world in 1913. The author was old and
feeble and dared not undertake the publication
of his work himself. Tho friend to whom he
intrusted the task. in order TO break the force
OF the hostility which ho saw was suro to be
| aroused 10y the book, prefaced II with deca-
ration that Its doctrines wore put forth merely
| ms plausible theories. assumed alphabetically,
and not "a absolutely true. Thus modified. the
book was printed and n COPY OF ii was put into
the hands Of its author as he lay upon his death
bed. For many years II attracted no particular
attention. The telescope had not yet been in
vented. 50 that there were no means Of verifying
| ORD tan no. ,I.an
illusions to which Kopernik had arrived. and
somt eminent astronomers. among them Tycho
| Brahe. refused altogether to accept them.
| TheolOgians dismissed them with contemptu-
Gus disdain. Luther called Kopcrnik "an up
start astrologer" and a fool who wishes to re-
| verse the entire science of astronomy" Me-
lancthon declared II to be n want OF honesty
an docency to assert such notions publicly" and
when Giordano Bruno visited England. In 1858.
he found himself quite alone in his recognition
of tho new theory OF the solar system. At
| length. however. the telescope confirmed 10
| pernik and mon OF science accordingly began TO
adopt his views. Then tho Church reused it.
self. The treatise Of the deceased astronomer
was. in 1916. put upon the Inde1 ErpurgatOrius.
and the famous proceedings against Calico.
who had distinguished himself IA koperniks
advocate. were set ON foot. Without repeating
the familiar story Of Galileo's trial. condemna-
ton and abJuraton. II may be- interesting TO
reproduce some OF the formal contradictions Of
thctruth Of the Copernican system. which were
made in the course OF the proceedings against
him.
In 1912 Cardinal Cont writes in reply TO n
letter from Calico making inquiry of him on
the subject that the opinions OF kopernik APP
! pear to him to he altogether inconsistent with
| the holy Scriptures.
In 1914 the Dominican monk Father Caccni.
preached Mt Florence his famous sermon
against Calico from the text. "Yc men Of Galiee.
why stand ye gazing up into heaven2'
For the year 1915 the records of the Inqui-
sition at Rome show the following entry:
PROPORTIONS = ~ cTNsraKp
Cca-are made In the Holy Once u the city wednes-
gay, FEB "a 1915, before the undersigned Theological
trstrhe sun Is the centre Of the world, and altogether
| iinmoyahle Win l"a, molten
sbsari ~ philosophy and formally hereucsl, ina.much
many PLACES according 70 the proper meaning Of ~ors
common pIeIeIsisi,o9, and the opinion Of the holy
s. Earn - no; ,Gs centre Of the yO
motion .,..,,.,.--
A IN 'G @ s r ssSA rsSss G
truth to be at least erroneous IN faith.
Then follow the names Of eleven members OF
the Holy ONCE one u them being an Arch
bishop. The following day. Thursday Feb. 25.
1916, the following entry was made:
~ =. n otn .srihsI MINUS nouncd me
he ioiy anr ,nst crn.,rs Il Ie W. G ~, o.,
thcoiy,Sai as,iess mo, H. ~, H., 3 ~, ne
nm S,a VA tns iI@ Tue esni5e o. the World
moved win daily motion HIS Holiness ordered the II.
he sS iaeo AMI sdmonsh him 20 1ebSa.S ,h e n,
demned opinon amt z he refused 70 appcar mat the
ana witncses 10 atoscther abstain from trachns any
Y @ OF 9ii' % n,a ,or, or to deicnd ~ OF to treat
Immediately following this entry is one pur-
! porting to relate the giving to Calico in the
puphc manner pro'iueu. Oh tne precept not 10
promising to obey. According to other authori-
ties tho monitor was made privately by Car