rites: "We ought to believe nothing unadvisedly in a doubtful
point, lest in favour of our error we conceive a prejudice against that
which truth hereafter may discover to be nowise contrary to the sacred
books."

Time has proved every one of my statements, and proving them has also
proved that my opponents were of two kinds. Those who had doubted simply
because the discoveries were new and strange have been gradually
converted, while those whose incredulity was based on personal ill-will
to me have shut their eyes to the facts and have endeavoured to asperse
my moral character and to ruin me.

Knowing that I have confuted the Ptolemaic and Aristotelian arguments,
and distrusting their defence in the field of philosophy, they have
tried to shield their fallacies under the mantle of a feigned religion
and of scriptural authority, and have endeavoured to spread the opinion
that my propositions are contrary to the Scriptures, and therefore
heretical. To this end they have found accomplices in the pulpits, and
have scattered rumours that my theory of the world-system would ere long
be condemned by supreme authority.

Further, they have endeavoured to make the theory peculiar to myself,
ignoring the fact that the author, or rather restorer, of the doctrine
was Nicholas Copernicus, a Catholic, and a much-esteemed priest, who was
summoned to Rome to correct the ecclesiastic calendar, and in the course
of his inquiries reached this view of the universe.

The calendar has since been regulated by his doctrine, and on his
principles the motions of the planets have been calculated. Having
reduced his doctrine to six books, he published them under the title of
"De Revolutionibus Coelestibus," at the instance of the Cardinal of
Capua, and of the Bishop of Culma; and, since he undertook the task at
the order of Pope Leo X., he dedicated the work to his successor Paul
III., and it was received by the Holy Church and studied by all the
world.

In the end of his dedicatory epistle Copernicus writes: "If there should
chance to be any mateologists who, ignorant in mathematics yet
pretending to skill in that science, should dare, upon the authority of
some passage of Scripture wrested to their purpose, to condemn and
censure my hypothesis, I value them not, and scorn their inconsiderate
judgment. For it is not unknown that Lactantius (a famous author though
poor mathematician) writes very childishly concerning the form of the
earth wh