Accepting Quote by Philipp Melanchthon
“The eyes are witnesses that the heavens revolve in the space of twenty- four hours. But certain men, either from the love of novelty, or to make a display of ingenuity, have concluded that the earth moves; and they maintain that neither the eighth sphere nor the sun revolves…Now, it is a want of honesty and decency to assert such notions publicly, and the example is pernicious. It is the part of a good mind to accept the truth as revealed by God and to acquiesce in it.”
About This Quote
The passage argues that acknowledging scientific truths, like Earth's motion, is an honest, decent act, and that a good mind should accept divine‑revealed truth.
In simple terms: Accept scientific truth as honest.
Key Takeaway
Embrace truth revealed by evidence.
Themes
honesty
science
faith
truth
humility
Mood
serious
reflective
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- education
- public discourse
- religious debate
Key Concepts
epistemology
theology
critical thinking
Questions to Reflect On
- How can faith and science coexist?
- What responsibilities do scholars have in public truth‑telling?
A Different Perspective
Insisting on divine revelation may conflict with empirical inquiry.
![“The struggle, so violent in the early days of science, between the views of Ptolemy and Copernicus would then be quite meaningless. Either CS [coordinate system] could be used with equal justification. The two sentences, “the Sun is at rest and the Earth moves,” or “the Sun moves and the Earth is…” quote by Albert Einstein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/153/albert-einstein-33_science_the-struggle-so-violent-in-the-early-day_1050746.jpg)
![“There is talk of a new astrologer [Nicolaus Copernicus] who wants to prove that the earth moves and goes around instead of the sky, the sun, the moon, just as if somebody were moving in a carriage or ship might hold that he was sitting still and at rest while the earth and the trees walked and…” quote by Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/a0c/martin-luther-106_astronomy_there-is-talk-of-a-new-astrologer-nicola_561153.jpg)
