10 The ^aturall andMoratl 



the earth were not invironed with the heaven . And (b 

 . Jerome doth vnderftandit , writing vpon the Epiftle 

 to the Ephefians, in this fort , The mott common opinion 

 affirmes (agreeing mth Ecclefuftes: ) That the heaven is 

 round, mooving circularly like vntoa bowle. And it is 

 moftcertaine, that no round figure conteyneth in it, 

 eyther longitude,latitude, heigth or depth, for that all 

 parts are equall . Whereby it appeares^according to S. 

 Jerome , That thofe which hold the heaven to be round, are 

 not repugnant to the holy Scripture, but conformable to the 

 . /i. i.fime. And although that S . Bafile efpecially,and S. Am. 

 prop fc fe ( V vho doth vfually imitate him in his bookes cak 

 led Hexameron ) fceme fomevvhat doubtfull of this 

 point: yet in the end they grant that the world is round. 

 It is true that S. Ambrose doth not yeelde to this quint- 

 xo. eflcnce 5 which Ariflotle attributes to the heavens : with- 

 out doubt it is a goodly thing to fee with what a grace 

 and excellent ftilq the holy Scripture treatesof the fci- 

 tua tion and firmenes of the earth,to breed in vs a won- 

 derfull admiration, and no lefle content to behold the 

 vnfpeakable power and wifedome of the Creator. For 

 that in oneplace, Godhimfelfe fiies, thatitwas hee 

 which planted the pillers which fapport the earth : gi- 

 vingvs to vnderftand fas S. Ambrofe doth well ex 

 pound it) that the vnmeafurable weight of the whole 

 earth is held vp by the hands of the divine power. The 

 holy Scripture doth commonly fo call them , and 

 vfeth this phrafe , naming them thepillers of heaven 

 and earth : not thofe of Atlases the Poets faine: butof 

 theeternallwordofGod, who byhisvcrtuefupports 

 both heaven and earth . Moreover,the holy Scripture 

 . . in an other place teacheth , that the earth, or a great 

 part thereof, is ioyned to, and compaffed in by the Ele 

 ment 



