That some idle fancy faigned these for fooles to believe. Of this opinion was _Procopius Gazæus_,[1] but he was perswaded to it by another kinde of reason; for he thought that all the earth under us was sunke in the water, according to the saying of the Psalmist,[2] Hee hath founded the Earth upon the Seas, and therefore hee accounted it not inhabited by any. Nay _Tostatus_ a man of later yeeres and generall learning doth also confidently deny that there are any such Antipodes, though the reason which hee urges for it bee not so absurde as the former, for the Apostles, saith hee,[3] travelled through the whole habitable world, but they never passed the Equinoctiall; and if you answer that they are said to goe through all the earth, because they went through all the knowne world, hee replies, that this is not sufficient, since Christ would have all men to be saved, and come to the knowledge of his truth,[4] and therefore ’tis requisite that they should have travelled thither also, if there had been any inhabitants, especially since he did expressely command them to goe and teach all nations, and preach the Gospell through the whole world,[5] and therefore he thinkes that as there are no men, so neither are there seas, or rivers, or any other conveniency for habitation: ’tis commonly related of one _Virgilius_, that he was excommunicated and condemned for a Heretique by _Zachary_ Bishop of _Rome_, because hee was not of the same opinion. But _Baronius_ saies,[6] it was because hee thought there was another habitable world within ours. How ever, you may well enough discerne in these examples how confident many of these great Schollars were in so grosse an errour, how unlikely, what an incredible thing it seemed to them, that there should be any Antipodes, and yet now this truth is as certaine and plaine, as sense or demonstration can make it. This then which I now deliver is not to be rejected; though it may seeme to contradict the common opinion. [Sidenote 1: _Comment. in 1. Cap. Gen._] [Sidenote 2: _Psal. 24. 2._] [Sidenote 3: _Comment. in_ 1. Genes.] [Sidenote 4: 1 Tim. 2. 4.] [Sidenote 5: Mat. 28. 19] [Sidenote 6: _Annal. Eccles. A.D. 748._]