Salusbury, Thomas, Mathematical collections and translations (Tome I), 1667

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            <p type="main">
              <s>
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              leave Senſe and Demonſtrative Reaſons, for ſome place of Scri­
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              pture which ſometimes under the apparent words may contain
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              a different ſenſe. </s>
              <s>Now I hope to ſhew with how much
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              greater Piety and Religious Zeal I proceed, than they do, in that
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              I propoſe not, that the Book of
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              Copernicus
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              is not to be condemn­
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              ed, but that it is not to be condemned, as they would have it;
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              without underſtanding it, hearing it, or ſo much as ſeeing it;
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              and eſpecially he being an Author that never treateth of matters
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              of Religion or Faith; nor by Reaſons any way depending on the
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              Authority of Sacred Scripoures whereupon he may have erroni­
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              ouſly interpreted them; but alwaies inſiſts upon Natural Conclu­
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              ſions belonging to the Celeſtial Motions, handled with Aſtrono­
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              mical and Geometrical Demonſtrations. </s>
              <s>Not that he had not a
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                <arrow.to.target n="marg820"/>
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              reſpect to the places of the Sacred Leaves, but becauſe he knew
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              very well that his ſaid Doctrine being demonſtrated, it could
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              not contradict the Scriptures, rightly, and according to their true
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              meaning underſtood. </s>
              <s>And therefore in the end of his Epiſtle
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              Dedicatory, ſpeaking to The Pope, he ſaith thus:
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              (b) If there
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              ſhould chance to be any Matæologiſts, who though ignorant in all
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              the Mathematicks, yet pretending a skill in thoſe Learnings,
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              ſhould dare, upon the authority of ſome place of Scripture wreſted
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              to their purpoſe, to condemn and cenſure this my Hypotheſis, I
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              value them not, but ſhall ſlight their inconſiderate Judgement. </s>
              <s>For
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              it is not unknown, that
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              Lactantius (
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              otherwiſe a Famous Author,
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              though mean Mathematician) writeth very childiſhly touching the
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              Form of the Earth, when he ſcoffs at thoſe who affirm the Earth to
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              be in Form of a Globe. </s>
              <s>So that it ought not to ſeem ſtrange to the
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              Ingenious, if any ſuch ſhould likewiſe now deride us. </s>
              <s>The Ma­
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              thematicks are written for Mathematitians, to whom (if I deceive
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              not my ſelf) theſe Labours of mine ſhall ſeem to add ſomething,
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              as alſo to the Common-weale of the Church, whoſe Government is
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              now in the hands of Your Holineſs.
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              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="margin">
              <s>
                <margin.target id="marg820"/>
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              (c) Si fort aſſeerunt
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              Matæologi, qui
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              cum omnium Ma­
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              thematicum igna­
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              ri ſint, tamen de tis
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              judicium aſſu­
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              munt, propter ali­
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              quem locum Scri­
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              ptur æ, malè ad ſu­
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              um propoſitum, de­
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              tortum, auſi fue­
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              rint hoc meum in­
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              ſtitutum reprehen­
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              dere ac inſectari,
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              illos nihil moror,
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              adeò ut etiam illo­
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              rum judicium, tan­
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              guam temera ium
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              contemnam. </s>
              <s>Non
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              enim obſcurum eſt,
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              Lact antium, cele­
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              lebrem alioqui
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              Scriptorem, ſed
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              Mathematicum
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              parvum, admodum
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              pueriliter de forma
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              Terræ loqui, cùm
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              deridet eos, qui
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              Terram, Globi for­
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              mam habere prodi­
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              derunt. </s>
              <s>Itaque non
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              debet mirum vide­
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              ri ſtudioſis, ſi qui
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              tales, nos ettam ri­
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              debunt. </s>
              <s>Mathema­
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              ta Mathematicis
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              ſcribuntur; quibus
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              & hi noſtri labo­
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              res, (ſi me non fal­
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              lit opinio) vide­
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              buntur etiam Rei­
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              publicæ Eccleſia­
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              ſticæ conducere a­
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              liquid, cujus Prin­
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              cipatum Tua San­
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              ctitas nunc teness.
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              </s>
            </p>
            <p type="main">
              <s>And of this kinde do theſe appear to be who indeavour to
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              perſwade that
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              Copernicus
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              may be condemned before his Book is
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              read; and to make the World believe that it is not onely lawfull
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              but commendable ſo to do, produce certain Authorities of the
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              Scripture, of Divines, and of Councils; which as they are by me
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              had in reverence, and held of Supream Authority, inſomuch that
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              I ſhould eſteem it high temerity for any one to contradict them
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              whilſt they are uſed according to the In ſtitutes of Holy Church,
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              ſo I believe that it is no errour to ſpeak, ſo long as one hath rea­
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              ſon to ſuſpect that a perſon hath a deſire, for ſome concern of
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              his own, to produce and alledge them, to purpoſes different from
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              thoſe that are in the moſt Sacred intention of The Holy Church.
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              </s>
              <s>Therefore I not onely proteſt (and my ſincerity ſhall manifeſt it </s>
            </p>
          </chap>
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