PHYSICAL AND MATHEMATICAL SCIENCES. 185

Thus it was a comparatively light offence to proposeany philosophical hypothesis in the way of abstract dis-cussion, especially if done cautiously, and with unlimitedprofessions of deference. But the unpardonable crimewas, to display an open disregard of authority, and toadvance opinions with a boldness and confidence whichboth evinced and called forth the exercise of unfetteredjudgment and free enquiry. It was not the Aristoteliandogmas which they cared so much to uphold, as theprinciple of unenquiring submission to authority. Itwas not the theory of the earth’s motion which theysought to suppress, so much as the spirit of free dis-cussion. In a word, it signified but little what a man’sreal views might be: if he only bowed down to authority,he was orthodox; if he dared to think for himself andavow it, he was a heretic.

On these grounds we may most satisfactorily explainthe favourable treatment experienced by those whoyielded to the ruling hierarchy, in their submissive andconciliatory manner of introducing the obnoxious tenets,as contrasted with the bitter unrelenting cruelty withwhich such men as Galileo were persecuted. In theeyes of the ministers of an intellectual and moral des-potism, they were necessarily objects of perpetual sus-picion and hatred. In an establishment grounding itsascendency, not on reasonable convictions, but on ar-bitrary authority, and the prostration of reason, thedoctrines of the school of Galileo must ever be regardedwith aversion and dread.

But persecution, instead of supporting the cause ofthe papal tyranny, no doubt tended to exasperate thehostility already excited against it, and to hasten itsdownfall. It in no degree tended to check the pro-gress of knowledge, but rather promoted its extension :and the unshackled discussion of physical truth hassince progressed with accelerated rapidity. Men’s eyeshave been more and more opened to the real laws andorder of nature ; and in proportion they have beenbrought to recognise fresh proofs of design in every