22 OPINIONS OP ST. AUGUSTINE. 



LlB - r - midst and beneath, and the more a thing is in the middest, 

 the more it is vnderneath&quot;. The which answer being pro 

 duced by Lactantius Firrnian, yet hee doth passe it over 

 without confutation, by reason, saying that he cannot stay 

 theron, and omitte the handling of other matters. 



CHAP. vni. The reason why S. Augustine denied the 

 Antipodes. 



The reason which moved S. Augustine to deny the Anti 

 podes was other then that formerly alleadged, being of a 

 higher iudgement, for the reson before mentioned, that the 

 Antipodes should go vpwards, is confuted by the same 

 Aug., lib. Doctor in his booke of sermons in these words, &quot;The 



I asegoria- 



tatomei! Ancients hold that the earth of all parts is beneath, and the 

 heaven above, by reason whereof the Antipodes, which they 

 say go opposite vnto vs, have like vnto vs the heaven above 

 their heads.&quot; Seeing then S. Augustine hath confessed 

 this to bee conformable to good Philosophic, what reason 

 shall we say did move so learned and excellent a man to 

 follow the contrary opinion. Doubtlesse he drew the 

 motive and cause from the bowels of divinitie, whereby the 

 holie Writ doth teach vs that all rnankinde doth come from 

 the first man Adam ; and to say that men could passe to 

 that new world, crossing the great Ocean, were vncredible, 

 and a rneere lye. And in truth if the successe an expe 

 rience of what we have seene in these ages had not satisfied 

 vs in this point, wee had yet held this reason to bee good. 

 And although we know this reason neither to be pertinent 

 nor true, yet will we make answere therevnto, shewing in 

 what sort, and by what meanes, the first linage of men 

 might passe thither ; and ho we and by what meanes they 

 came to people and inhabite the Indies. And for that wee 

 meane heereafter to intreat briefly of this subiect, it shall 



