The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-04-12

the highest d~ignitaries In the church,
and by many men eminent for their
learning, while those who took the pres
emit prevailing view were regarded as ioes
10 religion and unsound in science.
The treatise OF Nicholas Kopernik, on
the Revolution Of the Heavenly Bodies,
In which, for the first time. appeared
what Is now known rs the Copernican
system OF astronomy, was given TO the
world 10 1913. The author was old ana
feeble, and dared not undertake the pub.
LEGATION Of his work himIelf. The friend
10 whom he intrusted the task, in order
to break the force Of the hostility which
he saw was sure to be aroused by the
book, preiaced it with declaration that
lis doctrines were put forth merely as
plausible therories, assumed h%ypotheti-
cally, and not as absolutely true. Thus
modified, the book was printed, and 4
copy Of Il was put into the hands OF lie,
author a. he lay upon his death.bed. For
years it attracted no particular at.
t%ention. The telescope had not yet been
invented, so that there were 10 means Of
verifying or dlsproving, by actual obser-
walton, the conclusion 10 which Roper
mix had arrived, ard some eminent
astronomers, among them Tyeho Bra.
he, refused altogether to accept them.
Theologians dismissed them with con-
temptuous disdain. Luther called Roper
mix ian upstart astrologer" and "a fool,
who wishes to reverse the entire science
OF astronomy" Melanc,hon declared 1t
to be "a want Of honesty and decency to
assert such notions publicly" and when
Giordano Bruno visited England, in 1888,
he found himself quite alone in his recog.
milton OF the new theory Of the solar
system. At length, however, the tele-
scope confirmed Kopernik, and men OF
science accordingly began to adopt his
views. Then the Church reused itself.
The treatise Of the deceased astronomer
was, in 1915, put upon the Inda Expur-
oalorfus, and the famous proceedings
against Calico, who had distinguished
himself as Kopernik's advocate, were set
on foot. Without repeating the old ia.
miliar story OF Galileo's trial, condem.
nation and a6juration, it may be inter.
esting to reproduce some Of the formal
contradictions OF the truth OF the Copper
nican system, which were made in the
Of the proceedings against him.
In 1912 Cardinal Cont writes, in reply
to q letter from Calico making inquiry
Of him on the subject that the opinions Of
Kopernik appear to him TO be altogether
inconsistent with the holy Scriptures.
In 1914 the Dominican monk, Father
Caccini, preached at Florence bis famous
sermon agaiust Calico from the text, "Ye
men Of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up
into heaven 2"
For the year 1915 the records Of the
Iusuisltlon at Rome show the following
entry:
PROPOSITIONS TO BE cENsuRHD.
Censure made in the Holy Office OF the
city. Wednesday, Feb. "a, 1915, before the
undersigned Theological Fathers.
First-Ihe sun is the centre OF the world,
and altogether immoyable with local mo-.
ton.
Censure.-All said the said proposition
to be foolish and absurd in philosophy and
formally heretical, inasmuCh as it contra.
diets expressly the teachings Of Holy Writ
In many places, according to the proper
meaning OF words, common Interpretation.
aud the opinions Of the holy fathers and
doctors OF theology.
second-The earth Is not the centre OF
the world, nor immoyable, but In its total
ity Is moved With daily motion.
Censure.-All said this proposition
should receive the same censure in philos.
ophy, and In regard to theological truth to
be at least erroneous In faith.
Then follow the names OF eleven mem
bers OF the Holy Office, one Of them being
an Archbishop. The following day,
Thursday, February %, l6l6, the follow.
ing entry was made:
The most illustrious Lord Cardinal Nil.
linus notified the reverend fathers, Lords,
assessors, and the commisSary OF the Holy
Office that censure had been returned by
the theological fathers upon the PROPOSE.
tons Of the mathematician Calico, that
the sun is the centre Of the world aud i'm.
movable with local motion, and that the
earth Is moved with daily motion. His
Holiness ordered the illustrious Lord Car
dinal Bellarmine to call before him the
said Calico and admonish him to relin.
quish the condemned opinion, and, II he re.
fused to appear, that the Father Commits.
sary make him 4 precept before q notary
and witnesses to altogether abstain from
teaching any doctrine or opinion OF this
sort, or to defend II, or to treat Of II, and II
he do not acquiescs that he be imprisoned.
Immediately following this entry is
one purporting to relate the giving 10
Calico, In the public manner provided,
Of the precept not TO hold or teach the
Copernican doctrine, and his pronising
TO obey. According to other authorities
the monition was made privately by Car.
dinal Bellarmine. Whichever action was
had, Il was the last for many years. Not
before 1882 was the proceeding stirred up
again, but then matters went on with en-.
ergy TO their final result. 10 1888 judg.
ment waa pronounced againS. Calico In
these terms:
We say, pronounce, Judge, and declare
thee, the aforesaid Calico. 70 have render.
ed thyseli to this holy Office vehemently
suspected OF heresy on account OF those
things which were'deduced In the written
process and which thou hast confessed as
above; that Is that thou didst believe and
hold that false doctrine, and contrary to
the holy and divine Scriptures, that the sun
Is the centre OF the universe and does not
move from east to wesT, and that the earth
moves and Is not the centre Of the world;
aud that such an opinion may be held and
deteudeda as probable after Il was declared
and defined TO be contrary TO Holy Writ
and consequently that thou hast incurred
all the cenSureS and punishment decreed
and promulgated by the sacred canona and
other general and particular constitutions
against delinquents Of this sort. From the
which It pleaSes US to absolye thee, proyid.
ed only thou first with sincere heart and
u%nfelgned faith before US abjure, curse,and
detest the Aforesaid errors aud heresieG
and shy other error and hereSy contrary TO
the Catholic and Apostolic Church, in the
form which shall be shown BY US to thee.
The next day Calico publicly made
the required abjuration aud took a
solemn oath never thereafter. In anaach