By "scholar" one presumes, we are referring to the prelates of the inquisition, and their priestly fellow travelers. Galileo's book was immensely popular with intelligent laypeople of the rennaissance, and practicing scientists, such as there were of them. It is a little hard to understand how a book with previously almost unheard of circulation numbers should have been bought up by people repulsed by it.
His work was received by people both inside and outside of the church. "Immensely popular" is an overstatement.