ce certain sciences are neglected in
the Holy Writ.

Astronomy, for instance, is hardly mentioned, and only the sun, and the
moon, and Lucifer are named. Surely, if the holy writers had intended us
to derive our astronomical knowledge from the Sacred Books, they would
not have left us so uninformed. That they intentionally forbore to speak
of the movements and constitution of the stars is the opinion of the
most holy and most learned fathers. And if the Holy Spirit has omitted
to teach us those matters as not pertinent to our salvation, how can it
be said that one view is _de Fide_ and the other heretical? I might here
insert the opinion of an ecclesiastic raised to the degree of
Eminentissimo: That the intention of the Holy Ghost is to teach us how
we shall go to Heaven, and not how the heavens go.

_II.--SCRIPTURAL AND EXPERIMENTAL TRUTH_

Since the Holy Writ is true, and all truth agrees with truth, the truth
of Holy Writ cannot be contrary to the truth obtained by reason and
experiment. This being true, it is the business of the judicious
expositor to find the true meaning of scriptural passages which must
accord with the conclusions of observation and experiment, and care must
be taken that the work of exposition do not fall into foolish and
ignorant hands. It must be remembered that there are very few men
capable of understanding both the sacred Scriptures and science, and
that there are many with a superficial knowledge of the Scriptures and
with no knowledge of science who would fain arrogate to themselves the
power of decreeing upon all questions of nature. As St. Jerome writes:
"The talking old woman, the dotard, the garrulous sophist, all venture
upon, lacerate, teach, before they have learnt. Others, induced by
pride, dive into hard words, and philosophate among women touching the
Holy Scriptures. Others (oh, shameful!) learn of women what they teach
to men."

I will not rank among these same secular writers any theologists whom I
repute to be men of profound learning and sober manners, and therefore
hold in great esteem and veneration; yet it vexes me when they would
constrain science by the authority of the Scriptures, and yet do not
consider themselves bound to answer reason and experiment. It is true
that theology is the queen of all the sciences, but queen only in the
sense that she deals with high matters revealed in noble ways, and if
she condescends not to study the more humble matters of the