About the year 300 AD Christian apologist Lucius Lactantius preached against Aristotle and in favour of a flat Earth:
"Those who defend these marvellous fictions, why all things do not fall into that lower part of the heaven ... they have once erred, consistently persevere in their folly, and defend one vain thing by another ... they either discuss philosophy for the sake of a jest, or purposely and knowingly undertake to defend falsehoods ... "
("Divinae institutiones, Book III - Of the False Wisdom of Philosophers " ).
Certain biblical passages implied support for this view:
"And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth." (Isaiah 11:12)
"Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them." (Matthew 4:8)
2007-10-12
06:00:09
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