22 OF THE FIGURE AUD MOTION

the more particularly, because, notwithstanding'the clearest arguments and most decisive demon-strations, there have been some who haveviolently opposed this doctrine, and even repre-sented it as dangerous to religion and morals.Thus, several of the ancient fathers went so farrtut of their province, as to pronounce it here-tical for any person to declare there was such athing as the Antipodes, or people who liveopposite to us upon the globe.

They took their objection from some passagesof scripture, which they either ill understood, orstrangely perverted from their true meaning.For it is evident, that the sacred writers speakevery where according to the common appear-ance of things; and were not so solicitous toinstruct us in Philosophy and Astronomy, as tomake us good men, by laying before us a plainrule of faith and conduct. Thus: When Joshuaspeaks of the fun and moon standing still whilethe Jews avenged themselves of their enemies;and Job describes the earth as being supportedby pillars, they used the popular language of thetimes, without concerning themselves with thestrict philosophical propriety of the terms theyemployed: the one being an historical re-lation ; and the other a dramatical composition,in which such figures of speech have beenalways allowable.

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