10 THE EAETH RESTS UPON NOTHING. 



LIB. i. mon Judgement and imagination,, that which is on the other 

 part of the earth which we inhabite seemes to be vnder the 

 earth, and so by the same reason, the waters and sea which 

 doe compasse in the earth on the other part should be 

 vnderneath and the earth above ; yet the very truth is, that 

 what is properly beneath that is alwaies in the midst of the 

 vniversall; but the holy scripture frames it selfe to our 

 manner of conceiving and speaking. Some may demaund 

 (seeing the earth is set vpon the waters, as the scripture 

 sayeth) whereon the waters are placed and what support 

 haue they ? And if the earth and the water make one round 

 globe, how can all this monstrous masse be sustayned? To this 

 the holy scripture answereth them in another place, giving 

 vs greatest cause to admire the power of the Creator, and 

 job xxvi. saith in these wordes, &quot; The earth extends towards the 

 North vpon the Vast, and staves hanging vpon nothing.&quot; 

 The which in trueth is very well spoken, for that really it 

 seemes this heape of earth and water is set vpon nothing, 

 when we describe it in the middest of the ayre, as in trueth 

 it is. But this wonder, which men so much admire, God 

 himselfe hath not layd open, demanding of the same lob in 

 these termes &quot; Tell mee if thou canst, who hath layd the 

 lyne or cast the lead for the building of the world, and 

 with what morter the foundations have beene layed and 

 ioyned.&quot; Finally, to make vs vnderstand the fashion and 

 modell of this admirable frame of the world, the Prophet 

 Dauid, accustomed to sing and praise his divine works, saies 

 very well in a Psalrae made of this subiect in these wordes, 

 (( ^hou which hast built the earth vpon firmenes it selfe, 

 that it cannot stagger nor move for ever and ever.&quot; 

 Meaning to shew the cause why the earth set in the midst 

 of the ayre falleth not, nor staggereth from place to place, 

 for that by nature it hath sure foundations, layed by the 

 most wise Creator, to the end it might sustaine it selfe 

 without any other support. Mans imagination is therefore 



