Copernicus, a Prussian, about the year 1507, had completed a book “On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Bodies.”  He had journeyed to Italy in his youth, had devoted his attention to astronomy, and had taught mathematics at Rome.  From a profound study of the Ptolemaic and Pythagorean systems, he had come to a conclusion in favor of the latter, the object of his book being to sustain it.  Aware that his doctrines were totally opposed to revealed truth, and foreseeing that they would bring upon him the punishments of the Church, be expressed himself in a cautious and apologetic manner, saying that he had only taken the liberty of trying whether, on the supposition of the earth’s motion, it was possible to find better explanations than the ancient ones of the revolutions of the celestial orbs; that in doing this he had only taken the privilege that had been allowed to others, of feigning what hypothesis they chose.  The preface was addressed to Pope Paul iii.

Full of misgivings as to what might be the result, he refrained from publishing his book for thirty-six years, thinking that “perhaps it might be better to follow the examples of the Pythagoreans and others, who delivered their doctrine only by tradition and to friends.”  At the entreaty of Cardinal Schomberg he at length published it in 1543.  A copy of it was brought to him on his death-bed.  Its fate was such as he had anticipated.  The Inquisition condemned it as heretical.  In their decree, prohibiting it, the Congregation of the Index denounced his system as “that false Pythagorean doctrine utterly contrary to the Holy Scriptures.”

Astronomers justly affirm that the book of Copernicus, “De Revolutionibus,” changed the face of their science.  It incontestably established the heliocentric theory.  It showed that the distance of the fixed stars is infinitely great, and that the earth is a mere point in the heavens.  Anticipating Newton, Copernicus imputed gravity to the sun, the moon, and heavenly bodies, but he was led astray by assuming that the celestial motions must be circular.  Observations on the orbit of Mars, and his different diameters at different times, had led Copernicus to his theory.

In thus denouncing the Copernican system as being in contradiction to revelation, the ecclesiastical authorities were doubtless deeply moved by inferential considerations.  To dethrone the earth from her central dominating position, to give her many equals and not a few superiors, seemed to diminish her claims upon the Divine regard.  If each of the countless myriads of stars was a sun, surrounded by revolving globes, peopled with responsible beings like ourselves, if we had fallen so easily and had been redeemed at so stupendous a price as the death of the Son of God, how was it with them?  Of them were there none who had fallen or might fall like us?  Where, then, for them could a Savior be found?