Htftorie of the Indies lib . r. 



forbeareit. We cannot comprehend the heaven to be 

 round as it is , and the earth to bee in the middeft of it, 

 without imagination . But if this imagination were 

 not controulcd and reformed by feafbn 5 in the end 

 wefhould bee deceiued $ whereby we may certaincly 

 conclude, thatinourfoules there is a certainelight of 

 heaven , wnereby, wee fte and iudge otThe interior 

 formes which prefent themfelves vnto vs , and by the 

 fame we alow of,or reied that which imagination doth 

 offer vnto vs . Hereby we fee that the rationall foule 

 is above allcorporall powers : and as the force and 

 ctenall vigour of truth doth rule in the moft eminent 

 part of man : yea, weplainely fee that this pure light 

 is participant and proceedesfrom thatfirft great light, 

 thatwhoib knoweth not this, ordoubteth thereof, 

 we may well fay that he is igmorant , or doubtes whe 

 ther h? be a man or no . So, if we fliall demaund of our 

 imagination what it thinkes of the roundnes of hea 

 ven , without doubt (he will anfwerevs as Lactantiu* 

 doth, That if the heaven were round,the Sun & ftarres 

 fliould fall, when as they move and change their pla- 

 ces>rifing towards the South. Even fo , if the earth did 

 hangintheayre, thofe which inhabite the other part, 

 fliould go with their fectevpwards, and their heades 

 downward , and the rainc which falles from above, 

 fliould mount vpward, with many other ridiculous 

 deformities. But if weconfult with the force ofreafbn, 

 (bejvill make fmaTTliccduihpt of all theie vaine ima* 

 ginations, nor fuffer vs to beleeve them no more than 

 a foolifli dreame . But Reafbn will anfwer with this 

 her integritie and gravirie, that it were a very grofTe er- 

 ror,tojmagine the whole world to belike vnto a houfe^ 

 placing thccarth tor the foundation , ag^ the heaven 



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