20 REASON COKKECTS IMAGINATION. 



posing the lieaven to be round, hath bcue the cause to 

 invent these Antipodes hanging in the aire. So as I knowe 

 not what to say of such Philosophers, whoe having once 

 erred, continue still obstinately in their opinions defending 

 one another.&quot; But whatsoever he saieth, wee that live now 

 at Peru, and inhabite that part of the world which is 

 opposite to Asia and their Antipodes (as the Cosmographers 

 do teach vs) finde not our selves to bee hanging in the aire, 

 our heades downward, and our feete on high. Truly it is 

 strange to consider that the spirit and vriderstanding of 

 man cannot attaine vnto the trueth, without the vse of 

 imagination ; and on the other part, it were impossible but 

 he should erre and be deceived, if hee should wholy forbeare 

 it. We cannot comprehend the heaven to be round as it is, 

 and the earth to bee in the middest of it, without imagina 

 tion. But if this imagination were not controuled and 

 reformed by reason, in the end wee should be deceiued ; 

 whereby we may certainely conclude, that in our soules there 

 is a certaine light of heaven, whereby wee see and iudge of the 

 interior formes which present themselves vnto vs, and by the 

 same we alow of, or reiect that which imagination doth offer 

 vnto vs. Hereby we see that the rationall soule is above all 

 corporall powers : and as the force and eternall vigour of 

 truth doth rule in the most eminent part of man : yea, we 

 plainely see that this pure light is participant and proceedes 

 from that first great light, that whoso knoweth not this, or 

 doubteth thereof, we may well say that he is ignorant, or 

 doubtes whether he be a man or no. So, if we shall de- 

 maund of our imagination what it thinkes of the roundnes 

 of heaven, without doubt she will answere vs as Lactantius 

 doth, That if the heaven were round, the Sun and starres 

 should fall, when as they move and change their places, 

 rising towards the South. Even so, if the earth did hang- 

 in the ayre, those which inhabite the other part, should go 

 with their feete vpwards^ and their heades downward, and 



