AnyhistoryofthevictoryofastronomicalscienceoverdogmatictheologywouldbeincompletewithoutsomeaccountoftheretreatmadebytheChurchfromallitsformerpositionsintheGalileocase。
TheretreatoftheProtestanttheologianswasnotdifficult。A
littleskilfulwarpingofScripture，alittleskilfuluseofthattime-honouredphrase，attributedtoCardinalBaronius，thattheBibleisgiventoteachus，nothowtheheavensgo，buthowmengotoheaven，andafreeuseofexplosiverhetoricagainstthepursuingarmyofscientists，sufficed。
ButintheolderChurchitwasfarlesseasy。Theretreatofthesacro-scientificarmyofChurchapologistslastedthroughtwocenturies。
Inspiteofallthathasbeensaidbytheseapologists，therenolongerremainstheshadowofadoubtthatthepapalinfallibilitywascommittedfullyandirrevocablyagainstthedoublerevolutionoftheearth。AsthedocumentsofGalileo’strialnowpublishedshow，PaulV，in1616，pushedonwithallhismightthecondemnationofGalileoandoftheworksofCopernicusandofallothersteachingthemotionoftheeartharounditsownaxisandaroundthesun。So，too，inthecondemnationofGalileoin1633，andinalltheproceedingswhichleduptoitandwhichfollowedit，UrbanVIIIwasthecentralfigure。Withouthissanctionnoactioncouldhavebeentaken。