_Galileo Galilei_—but few names have achieved equal fame. Men like _Alexander_ and _Cæsar_, like _Homer_ and _Dante_, have scarcely succeeded in writing their names with a sharper pencil on the tablet of history than the astronomer of Pisa. His grand discoveries in natural science have done little to crown his temples with the wreath of immortality—it was the fate of his life that did it. And one may add: if this fate had been caused by the French government, or by a Protestant General Assembly, he would never have obtained his position in history; but since this lot came to him by the human limitation of a Roman Church authority, his name is not only entered on the calendar of the anti-Roman journalist, it also stands surrounded with the halo of a Martyr in the esteem of serious scientists, who see in _Galileo_ and in the consequent condemnation of the Copernican system the proof that dogma and science cannot agree, that the Catholic Church assumes a hostile attitude toward science. Whenever this theme is mentioned, _Galileo’s_ ghost is paraded. For this reason we cannot pass by this fact of history. To a son of the Church they are unpleasant recollections, but this shall not keep us from looking history firmly in the eye. There are some other charges brought forth from history, but the _Galileo_ case overshadows them all. We shall touch upon them but briefly, and then return to _Galileo_. Attention is called to the Church’s condemnation of the _doctrine of Antipodes_. The Priest _Vigilius_ was accused in Rome, in 747, of having taught that there exists another world under the earth, and other people also, or another sun and moon (_quod alius mundus et alii homines sub terra sint seu sol et luna_). Such was his doctrine as stated by Pope _Zacharias_ in his reply to _Boniface_, the Apostle of Germany, in which he said that he had cited _Vigilius_ to Rome in order that his doctrine be thoroughly investigated: if it should turn out that this had really been taught by him, he would be condemned. Further particulars of his teaching are unknown, because it is mentioned only in the above passage. The assertion ascribed to him is that there is another world besides this one, with other inhabitants and with another sun and moon—an assertion scientifically absurd and dogmatically inadmissible, as this might call in question the common descent of mankind from one pair of parents. The anxiety and rebuke of the Pope is directed solely against the latter point. The condemnation of _Vigilius_ has never taken place, for he remained in his office, won great respect, was elevated to the bishopric of Salzburg, and later canonized by _Gregory IX._ Had a condemnation of his particular doctrine taken place, this would not have involved the condemnation of the antipodean theory, in the sense that the side of the globe opposite to us is also inhabited by human beings, a proposition which does not conflict with any doctrine of faith. The doctrine described