[105]ForVossius，seetheDeIdololatriainhisOpera，vol。v，pp。283-285。ForTorreblanc，seehisDeMagia，Seville，1618，andoftenreprinted。ForFromundus，seehisMeteorologica。
　　ButastillmorestrikingcaseisseeninItaly。ThereverendFatherAugustindeAngelis，rectoroftheClementineCollegeatRome，aslateas1673，afterthenewcometarytheoryhadbeenplacedbeyondreasonabledoubt，andevenwhileNewtonwasworkingoutitsfinaldemonstration，publishedathirdeditionofhisLecturesonMeteorology。ItwasdedicatedtotheCardinalofHesse，andboretheexpresssanctionoftheMasteroftheSacredPalaceatRomeandoftheheadofthereligiousordertowhichDeAngelisbelonged。Thisworkdeservescarefulanalysis，notonlyasrepresentingthehighestandmostapproveduniversityteachingofthetimeatthecentreofRomanCatholicChristendom，butstillmorebecauseitrepresentsthatattempttomakeacompromisebetweentheologyandscience，orrathertheattempttoconfiscatesciencetotheusesoftheology，whichwesoconstantlyfindwheneverthetriumphofscienceinanyfieldhasbecomeinevitable。
　　Astothescientificelementinthiscompromise，DeAngelisholds，inhisgeneralintroductionregardingmeteorology，thatthemainmaterialcauseofcometsis“exhalation。”andsays，“Ifthisexhalationisthickandsticky，itblazesintoacomet。”
　　Andagainhereturnstothesameview，sayingthat“oneformofexhalationisdense，henceeasilyinflammableandlongretentiveoffire，fromwhichsortareespeciallygeneratedcomets。”Butitisinhisthirdlecturethathetakesupcometsspecially，andhisdiscussionofthemisextendedthroughthefourth，fifth，andsixthlectures。Havinggivenindetailtheopinionsofvarioustheologiansandphilosophers，hedeclareshisownintheformoftwoconclusions。Thefirstoftheseisthat“cometsarenotheavenlybodies，butoriginateintheearth’satmospherebelowthemoon；foreverythingheavenlyiseternalandincorruptible，butcometshaveabeginningandending——ergo，cometscannotbeheavenlybodies。”This，wemayobserve，islevelledattheobservationsandreasoningsofTychoBraheandKepler，andisaverygoodillustrationofthescholasticandmediaevalmethod——themethodwhichblotsoutanascertainedfactbymeansofametaphysicalformula。Hissecondconclusionisthat“cometsareofelementalandsublunarynature；fortheyareanexhalationhotanddry，fattyandwellcondensed，inflammableandkindledintheuppermostregionsoftheair。”Hethengoesontoanswersundryobjectionstothismixtureofmetaphysicsandscience，andamongotherthingsdeclaresthat“thefatty，stickymaterialofacometmaybekindledfromsparksfallingfromfieryheavenlybodiesorfromathunderbolt“；and，again，thatthethick，fatty，stickyqualityofthecometholdsitstailinshape，andthat，sofararecometsfromhavingtheirpathsbeyondthe，moon’sorbit，asTychoBraheandKeplerthought，hehimselfin1618saw“abeardedcometsonearthesummitofVesuviusthatitalmostseemedtotouchit。”Astosortsandqualitiesofcomets，heacceptsAristotle’sview，anddividesthemintobeardedandtailed。[106]Hegoesonintolongdisquisitionsupontheircolours，forms，andmotions。Underthislatterheadheagainplungesdeepintoaseaofmetaphysicalconsiderations，anddoesnotreappearuntilhebringsuphiscompromiseintheopinionthattheirmovementisasyetuncertainandnotunderstood，butthat，ifwemustaccountdefinitelyforit，wemustsaythatitiseffectedbyangelsespeciallyassignedtothisservicebyDivineProvidence。But，whileproposingthiscompromisebetweenscienceandtheologyastotheoriginandmovementofcomets，hewillheartononeasregardstheirmissionas“signsandwonders“andpresagesofevil。Hedrawsupacarefultableoftheseevils，arrangingtheminthefollowingorder：Drought，wind，earthquake，tempest，famine，pestilence，war，and，toclinchthematter，declaresthatthecometobservedbyhimin1618broughtnotonlywar，famine，pestilence，andearthquake，butalsoageneralvolcaniceruption。”whichwouldhavedestroyedNaples，hadnotthebloodoftheinvinciblemartyrJanuariuswithstoodit。”
　　[106]Barbataetcaudata。
　　Itwillbeobserved，evenfromthissketch，that，whilethelearnedFatherAugustinthuscomesinfalliblytothemediaevalconclusion，hedoessoverylargelybyscientificandessentiallymodernprocesses，givingunwontedprominencetoobservation，andattimestwistingscientificobservationintothestrandwithhismetaphysics。Theobservationsandmethodsofhissciencearesometimesshrewd，sometimescomical。GoodexamplesofthelattersortaresuchashisobservingthatthecometstoodverynearthesummitofVesuvius，andhisreasoningthatitstailwaskeptinplacebyitsstickiness。Butobservationsandreasoningsofthissortarealwaysthefirsthomagepaidbytheologytoscienceastheendoftheirstruggleapproaches。[107]
　　[107]SeeDeAngelis，LectionesMeteorologicae，Rome，1669。
　　EquallystrikingisanexampleseenalittlelaterinanotherpartofEurope；anditisthemorenoteworthybecauseHalleyandNewtonhadalreadyfullyestablishedthemodernscientifictheory。JustatthecloseoftheseventeenthcenturytheJesuitReinzer，professoratLinz，putforthhisMeteorologiaPhilosophico-Politica，inwhichallnaturalphenomenareceivedbothaphysicalandamoralinterpretation。Itwasprofuselyandelaboratelyillustrated，andonaccountofitsinstructivecontentswasin1712translatedintoGermanfortheunlearnedreader。Thecometreceives，ofcourse，greatattention。”Itappears。”saysReinzer，“onlythenintheheavenswhenthelatterpunishtheearth，andthroughit[thecomet]notonlypredictbutbringtopassallsortsofcalamity……And，tothatend，itstailservesforarod，itshairforweaponsandarrows，itslightforathreat，anditsheatforasignofangerandvengeance。”
　　Itswarningsarethreefold：1“Comets，generatedintheair，betokenNATURALLYdrought，wind，earthquake，famine，andpestilence。”2“Cometscanindirectly，inviewoftheirmaterial，betokenwars，tumults，andthedeathofprinces；for，beinghotanddry，theybringthemoistnesses[Feuchtigkeiten]
　　inthehumanbodytoanextraordinaryheatanddryness，increasingthegall；and，sincetheemotionsdependonthetemperamentandconditionofthebody，menarethroughthischangedriventoviolentdeeds，quarrels，disputes，andfinallytoarms：especiallyisthistheresultwithprinces，whoaremoredelicateandalsomorearrogantthanothermen，andwhosemoistnessesaremoreliabletoinflammationofthissort，inasmuchastheyliveinluxuryandseldomrestrainthemselvesfromthosethingswhichinsuchadrystateoftheheavensareespeciallyinjurious。”3“Allcomets，whateverpropheticsignificancetheymayhavenaturallyinandofthemselves，areyetprincipally，accordingtotheDivinepleasure，heraldsofthedeathofgreatprinces，ofwar，andofothersuchgreatcalamities；andthisisknownandproved，firstofall，fromthewordsofChristhimself：`Nationshallriseagainstnation，andkingdomagainstkingdom；andgreatearthquakesshallbeindiversplaces，andfamines，andpestilences；andfearfulsightsandgreatsignsshalltherebefromheaven。’“[108]
　　[108]SeeReinzer，MeteorologicaPhilosophico-PoliticaeditionofAugsburg，1712，pp。101-103。
　　Whilesuchpainswastakentokeepthemorehighlyeducatedclassesinthe“pathsofscripturalscienceandsoundlearning；
　　attheuniversities，equaleffortsweremadetopreservethecometaryorthodoxyofthepeopleatlargebymeansofthepulpits。OutofthemassofsermonsforthispurposewhichwerewidelycirculatedIwillselectjusttwoastypical，andtheyareworthyofcarefulstudyasshowingsomespecialdangersofapplyingtheologicalmethodstoscientificfacts。InthesecondhalfofthesixteenthcenturytherecognisedcapitaloforthodoxLutheranismwasMagdeburg，andintheregiontributarytothismetropolisnoChurchofficialheldamoreprominentstationthanthe“Superintendent。”orLutheranbishop，oftheneighbouringAltmark。Itwasthisdignitary，AndreasCelichiusbyname，whoatMagdeburg，in1578，gavetothepresshisTheologicalReminderoftheNewComet。AfterdeprecatingasblasphemoustheattemptofAristotletoexplainthephenomenonotherwisethanasasupernaturalwarningfromGodtosinfulman，heassureshishearersthat“whoeverwouldknowthecomet’srealsourceandnaturemustnotmerelygapeandstareatthescientifictheorythatitisanearthy，greasy，tough，andstickyvapourandmist，risingintotheupperairandsetablazebythecelestialheat。”
　　Farmoreimportantforthemisittoknowwhatthisvapouris。
　　Itisreally，intheopinionofCelichius，nothingmoreorlessthan“thethicksmokeofhumansins，risingeveryday，everyhour，everymoment，fullofstenchandhorror，beforethefaceofGod，andbecominggraduallysothickastoformacomet，withcurledandplaitedtresses，whichatlastiskindledbythehotandfieryangeroftheSupremeHeavenlyJudge。”HeaddsthatitisprobablyonlythroughtheprayersandtearsofChristthatthisblazingmonumentofhumandepravitybecomesvisibletomortals。Insupportofthistheory，heurgesthe“comingupbeforeGod“ofthewickednessofSodomandGomorrahandofNineveh，andespeciallythewordsoftheprophetregardingBabylon，“Herstenchandrottennessiscomeupbeforeme。”ThattheangerofGodcanproducetheconflagrationwithoutanyinterventionofNatureisprovedfromthePsalms，“Hesendethouthiswordandmelteththem。”Fromthepositionofthecomet，itscourse，andthedirectionofitstailheaugursespeciallythenearapproachofthejudgmentday，thoughitmayalsobetoken，asusual，famine，pestilence，andwar。”Yeteveninthesedays。”hemourns，“therearepeoplerecklessandgiddyenoughtopaynoheedtosuchcelestialwarnings，andtheseevenciteintheirowndefencetheinjunctionofJeremiahnottofearsignsintheheavens。”Thisideaheexplodes，andshowsthatgoodandorthodoxChristians，whilenotsuperstitiousliketheheathen，knowwell“thatGodisnotboundtohiscreationandtheordinarycourseofNature，butmustoften，especiallyintheselastdregsoftheworld，resorttoirregularmeanstodisplayhisangerathumanguilt。”[109]
　　[109]ForCelichius，orCelich，seehisowntreatise，asabove。
　　TheothertypicalcaseoccurredinthefollowingcenturyandinanotherpartofGermany。ConradDieterichwas，duringthefirsthalfoftheseventeenthcentury，aLutheranecclesiasticofthehighestauthority。HisabilityasatheologianhadmadehimArchdeaconofMarburg，ProfessorofPhilosophyandDirectorofStudiesattheUniversityofGiessen，and“Superintendent。”orLutheranbishop，insouthwesternGermany。Intheyear162O，onthesecondSundayinAdvent，inthegreatCathedralofUlm，hedevelopedtheorthodoxdoctrineofcometsinasermon，takingupthequestions：1。Whatarecomets？2。Whatdotheyindicate？
　　3。Whathavewetodowiththeirsignificance？Thissermonmarksanepoch。DeliveredinthatstrongholdofGermanProtestantismandbyaprelateofthehigheststanding，itwasimmediatelyprinted，prefacedbythreelaudatorypoemsfromdifferentmenofnote，andsentforthtodrivebackthescientific，or，asitwascalled，the“godless。”viewofcomets。TheprefaceshowsthatDieterichwassincerelyalarmedbythetendencytoregardcometsasnaturalappearances。Histextwastakenfromthetwenty-fifthverseofthetwenty-firstchapterofSt。Luke：“Andthereshallbesignsinthesun，andinthemoon，andinthestars；andupontheearthdistressofnations，withperplexity；theseaandthewavesroaring。”Astowhatcometsare，hecitesamultitudeofphilosophers，and，findingthattheydifferamongthemselves，heusesaformofargumentnotuncommonfromthatdaytothis，declaringthatthisdifferenceofopinionprovesthatthereisnosolutionoftheproblemsaveinrevelation，andinsistingthatcometsare“signsespeciallysentbytheAlmightytowarntheearth。”Anadditionalproofofthishefindsintheformsofcomets。One，hesays，tooktheformofatrumpet；another，ofaspear；anotherofagoat；another，ofatorch；another，ofasword；another，ofanarrow；another，ofasabre；stillanother，ofabarearm。Fromtheseformsofcometsheinfersthatwemaydivinetheirpurpose。Astotheircreation，hequotesJohnofDamascusandotherearlyChurchauthoritiesinbehalfoftheideathateachcometisastarnewlycreatedattheDivinecommand，outofnothing，andthatitindicatesthewrathofGod。Astotheirpurpose，havingquotedlargelyfromtheBibleandfromLuther，hewindsupbyinsistingthat，asGodcanmakenothinginvain，cometsmusthavesomedistinctobject；then，fromIsaiahandJoelamongtheprophets，fromMatthew，Mark，andLukeamongtheevangelists，fromOrigenandJohnChrysostomamongthefathers，fromLutherandMelanchthonamongtheReformers，hedrawsvarioustextsmoreorlessconclusivetoprovethat