Yes, he was almost burned and a lot of other things we think as absurd were legal then. (though there seems to be some debate about the circumstances - not endorsing the link https://newsroom.ucla.edu/releases/the-truth-about-galileo-a... )

It's a good think the current "defenders of free-speech" don't align themselves to a klepto-theocracy otherwise we'd think they'd be up to something...