What sayest thou? The water is not able to support a small pebble on its surface, and yet bears up the earth, great as it is; and mountains, and hills, and cities, and plants, and men, and brutes; and it is not submerged! What do I say? Is not submerged? How comes it to pass, that since the water has been in close contact with it below, during so long a period, it has not been dissolved, and the whole of it become mud? For the substance of wood, when soaked in water but a little time, is rotted and dissolved; and why do I say of wood? What can be firmer than iron? yet often this is softened, when it remains a long time in water; and well it may. For it derives its substance from the earth. Therefore many run-away servants, when they make their escape, dragging their shackles and chains along with them, go to brooks of water, and thrust their shackled feet therein, and after making the iron softer by this means, they easily break it by striking it with a stone. Iron, forsooth, is softened, and wood is rotted, and stones are worn away by the nature of water; yet so great a mass as the earth hath remained such a length of time lying upon the waters, without being either sub- merged, or dissolved, and destroyed!1418 8. And who is there that must not feel astonished and amazed at these things; and con- fidently pronounce that they are not the works of nature, but of that Providence which is above nature? Therefore one speaks thus: “Who hangeth the earth upon nothing.”1419 And another observes, “In His hands are the corners of the earth.”1420 And again: “He hath laid the foundation of it upon the seas.”1421 And these declarations, though they seem contrary to one another, have yet an entire agreement. For he that said, “He hath laid the foundation of it upon the seas,” meant the same thing as he did who declared, “He hath hung it upon nothing.” For its standing upon the waters is just the same thing as hanging upon nothing. Where then is it suspended and placed? Hear the same one saying, “In His hands are the corners of the earth.” Not that God hath hands, but that thou mayest know that His power it is, providing for all things which holds together1422 and supports the body of the earth! But if thou believest not what I now say, believe what thou beholdest! for even in another the earth’s conical shadow. See Plin. ii. 11. St. Bas. in Hex. i. c. 9, explains the “founding on the waters,” of their being spread all round: ix. c. 1, he speaks of various opinions as to its shape, and some who thought it to be 180,000 stadia round. See St. Greg. Naz. Or. xxviii. al. xxxiv. c. 28, and Philoponus de Mund. Cr. iii. 6–13; Galland, xii. p. 525. 1418 This line of argument, from arrangements above the course of nature, is a dangerous one; and it would be less difficult than invidious, to search out instances of fallacy in modern writers. It always brings men’s ignor- ance into play. 1419 Job xxvi. 7. 1420 Ps. xcv. 4. 1421 Ps. xxiv. 2. 1422 συγκρατοῦσα, but Sav. συγκροτοῦσα. There is constant variation of reading wherever these words occur. 580 Homily IX