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him, who established the earth and the things in it and gives breath to the people upon it and spirit to those who walk on it." And again: "I am the Lord who accomplishes all things; I stretched out the heaven alone and established the earth." And again: "I made the earth and man upon it. I, with my hand, established the heaven." And again: "Thus says the Lord who made the heaven, this is the God who showed the earth and made it, he marked it out, not in vain did he make it, but to be inhabited." And again: "I am the first and I am for ever, and my hand laid the foundation of the earth and my right hand laid the foundation of the heaven." And again: "You have forgotten God who made you, who made the heaven and founded the earth." And again: "Thus says the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is the footstool of my feet. What kind of house will you build for me, says the Lord, or what is the place of my rest? Has not my hand made all these things?" And again: "I will put my words into your mouth and under the shadow of my hand I will cover you, in which I established the heaven and founded the earth." And again: "He who holds the circle of the earth, and those who dwell in it are like locusts, who set up the heaven like a vault and stretched it out like a tent to dwell in, who brings rulers to rule for nothing, and made the earth as nothing." 2.10 Likewise Jeremiah also says thus: "Those who did not make the heaven and the earth, let them perish from the earth and from under this heaven. The Lord who made the earth by his strength, who set up the inhabited world by his wisdom, and in his understanding stretched out the heaven and the abundance of water in heaven, and bringing up clouds from the end of the earth he made lightnings for rain and brought out winds from their storehouses. Every man was made foolish by knowledge." Likewise Daniel also speaks thus from the person of the three young men: "Bless the Lord, you heavens; let the earth bless the Lord." 2.11 But the Apostle, teaching the superstitious Areopagites in Athens, cried out thus: "The God who made the world and all things in it, this one, being Lord of heaven and earth." And again in Lycaonia he cried out to those who were in error and wished to sacrifice to them: "We also are men of like passions with you, preaching the gospel to you to turn from these vanities to the living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all things in them." But also the Lord in the Gospels says: "I confess to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth." Since all of divine Scripture, therefore, both Old and New Testament, signifies—and is thus customarily used—that all things exist within heaven and earth, how is it possible to be a Christian for one who disbelieves all these things and says that all things are within heaven alone? 2.12 Since, therefore, the heaven and the earth exist as containing all things, we say that the earth is founded upon its own stability by the Creator, again according to divine Scripture, upon no body. For it says in Job: "He who hangs the earth upon nothing." And again: "Where were you when I founded the earth? Tell me, if you have understanding. Who set its measures, if you know? Or who stretched a line upon it? Upon what are its rings fastened? Or who is it who laid its cornerstone?" Likewise David also says: "He founded the earth upon its own stability." 2.13 Therefore we say that it is founded and held together by the power of the God who created all things. "Upholding all things," says the Apostle, "by the word of his power." For if there were any body whatever beneath it or outside of it, it would not stand, but would fall, this being observed as more natural in all cases. For if one were to suppose air or water or fire, it would certainly fall in these, being heavier than them. Therefore, as it is heavier than all bodies, God made it the foundation of the universe, having established it on its own stability. 2.14 For just as if someone were to suppose a single space having a depth of a hundred cubits, and that space is full of a denser body, such as water,

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αὐτόν, ὁ στερεώσας τὴν γῆν καὶ τὰ ἐν αὐτῇ καὶ διδοὺς πνοὴν τῷ λαῷ τῷ ἐπ' αὐτῆς καὶ πνεῦμα τοῖς πατοῦσιν αὐτήν." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἐγὼ Κύριος συντελῶν πάντα, ἐξέτεινα τὸν οὐρανὸν μόνος καὶ ἐστερέωσα τὴν γῆν." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἐγὼ ἐποίησα γῆν καὶ ἄνθρωπον ἐπ' αὐτῆς. Ἐγὼ τῇ χειρί μου ἐστερέωσα τὸν οὐρανόν." Καὶ πάλιν· "Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος ὁ ποιήσας τὸν οὐρανόν, οὗτος ὁ Θεὸς ὁ καταδείξας τὴν γῆν καὶ ποιήσας αὐτήν, οὖτος διώρισεν αὐτήν, οὐκ εἰς κενὸν ἐποίησεν αὐτήν, ἀλλὰ κατοικεῖσθαι." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἐγώ εἰμι πρῶτος καὶ ἐγώ εἰμι εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, καὶ ἡ χείρ μου ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν γῆν καὶ ἡ δεξιά μου ἐθεμελίωσε τὸν οὐρανόν." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ἐπελάθου Θεὸν τὸν ποιήσαντά σε τὸν ποιήσαντα τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ θεμελιώσαντα τὴν γῆν." Καὶ πάλιν· "Οὕτως λέγει Κύριος, ὁ οὐρανός μοι θρόνος, ἡ δὲ γῆ ὑποπόδιον τῶν ποδῶν μου. Ποῖον οἶκον οἰκοδομήσετέ μοι, λέγει Κύριος, ἢ τίς τόπος τῆς καταπαύσεώς μου; Οὐχὶ ἡ χείρ μου ἐποίησε ταῦτα πάντα;" Καὶ πάλιν· "Θήσω τοὺς λόγους μου εἰς τὸ στόμα σου καὶ ὑπὸ τὴν σκιὰν τῆς χειρός μου σκεπάσω σε, ἐν ᾗ ἔστησα τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν ἐθεμελίωσα." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ὁ κατέχων τὸν γύρον τῆς γῆς, καὶ οἱ ἐνοικοῦντες ἐν αὐτῇ ὡσεὶ ἀκρίδες, ὁ στήσας ὡς καμάραν τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ διατείνας ὡς σκηνὴν κατοικεῖν, ὁ διδοὺς ἄρχοντας εἰς οὐδὲν ἄρχειν, τὴν δὲ γῆν ὡς οὐδὲν ἐποίησεν." 2.10 Ὁμοίως καὶ Ἱερεμίας λέγει οὕτως· "Οἳ τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν οὐκ ἐποίησαν, ἀπολέσθωσαν ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς καὶ ὑποκάτωθεν τοῦ οὐρανοῦ τούτου. Κύριος ὁ ποιήσας τὴν γῆν ἐν τῇ ἰσχύϊ αὐτοῦ, ὁ ἀνορθώσας τὴν οἰκουμένην ἐν τῇ σοφίᾳ αὐτοῦ, καὶ ἐν τῇ φρονήσει αὐτοῦ ἐξέτεινε τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ πλῆθος ὕδατος ἐν οὐρανῷ, καὶ ἀνάγων νεφέλας ἐξ ἐσχάτου τῆς γῆς ἀστραπὰς εἰς ὑετὸν ἐποίησε καὶ ἐξήγαγεν ἀνέμους ἐκ θησαυρῶν αὐτῶν. Ἐμωράνθη πᾶς ἄνθρωπος ἀπὸ γνώσεως." Ὁμοίως καὶ ∆ανιὴλ οὕτως λέγει ἐκ προσώπου τῶν τριῶν παίδων· "Εὐλογεῖτε, οὐρανοί, τὸν Κύριον· εὐλογείτω ἡ γῆ τὸν Κύριον." 2.11 Ὁ δὲ Ἀπόστολος διδάσκων τοὺς ἐν Ἀθήναις δεισιδαίμονας Ἀρεοπαγίτας οὕτως ἐβόα· "Ὁ Θεὸς ποιήσας τὸν κόσμον καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτῷ, οὗτος οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ὑπάρχων Κύριος." Καὶ πάλιν ἐν τῇ Λυκαονίᾳ ἐβόα τοῖς πλανωμένοις καὶ θύειν αὐτοῖς βουλομένοις· "Καὶ ἡμεῖς ὁμοιοπαθεῖς ἐσμεν ὑμῖν ἄνθρωποι, εὐαγγελιζόμενοι ὑμᾶς ἀπὸ τούτων τῶν ματαίων ἐπιστρέφειν ἐπὶ Θεὸν ζῶντα, ὃς ἐποίησε τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν καὶ τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς." Ἀλλὰ καὶ ὁ Κύριος ἐν Εὐαγγελίοις φησίν· "Ἐξομολογοῦμαί σοι, Πάτερ, Κύριε τοῦ οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς." Πάσης οὖν τῆς θείας Γραφῆς, Παλαιᾶς τε καὶ Καινῆς ∆ιαθήκης, σημαινούσηςκαὶ οὕτως συνήθως κατακεχρημένηςὡς οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς ἔνδον ὑπάρχουσι πάντα, πῶς οἷόν τε χριστιανὸν εἶναι τὸν τούτοις πᾶσιν ἀπιστοῦντα καὶ ἔνδον λέγοντα τοῦ οὐρανοῦ μόνου πάντα; 2.12 Περιεκτικῶν τοίνυν τοῦ παντὸς ὑπαρχόντων τοῦ τε οὐρανοῦ καὶ τῆς γῆς, θεμελιοῦσθαι λέγομεν τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ τὴν ἑαυτῆς ἀσφάλειαν παρὰ τοῦ δημιουργοῦ πάλιν κατὰ τὴν θείαν Γραφὴν ἐπ' οὐδενὶ σώματι. Λέγει γὰρ ἐν τῷ Ἰώβ· "Ὁ κρεμνῶν τὴν γῆν ἐπ' οὐδενός." Καὶ πάλιν· "Ποῦ ἦς ἐν τῷ θεμελιοῦν με τὴν γῆν; Ἀπάγγειλον δέ μοι, εἰ ἐπίστασαι σύνεσιν. Τίς ἔθετο τὰ μέτρα αὐτῆς, εἰ οἶδας; Ἢ τίς ὁ ἐπαγαγὼν σπαρτίον ἐπ' αὐτῆς; Ἐπὶ τίνος οἱ κρίκοι αὐτῆς πεπήγασι; Τίς δέ ἐστιν ὁ βαλὼν λίθον ἀκρογωνιαῖον ἐπ' αὐτήν;" Ὁμοίως καὶ ὁ ∆αυΐδ φησιν· "Ἐθεμελίωσε τὴν γῆν ἐπὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν αὐτῆς." 2.13 Τῇ οὖν δυνάμει τοῦ τὰ πάντα γενεσιουργήσαντος Θεοῦ λέγομεν αὐτὴν θεμελιοῦσθαι καὶ περικρατεῖσθαι. "Φέρων τε τὰ πάντα", φησὶν ὁ Ἀπόστο λος, "τῷ ῥήματι τῆς δυνάμεως αὐτοῦ." Εἰ γὰρ ἦν ὑποκάτω αὐτῆς ἢ ἔξωθεν αὐτῆς οἱονδήποτε σῶμα, οὐχ ἵστατο, ἀλλὰ κατέπιπτε, τοῦτο φυσικώτερον ἐν πᾶσι θεωρούμενον. Εἰ γὰρ ἀέρα τις ὑπόθοιτο ἢ ὕδωρ ἢ πῦρ, πάντως ἐν τούτοις κατέπιπτε βαρυτέρα τούτων ὑπάρχουσα. Ὡς βαρυτέραν τοίνυν τῶν ὅλων σωμάτων, ὁ Θεὸς αὐτὴν θεμέλιον τοῦ παντὸς ἔθηκεν, ἑδράσας τῇ ἰδίᾳ ἀσφαλείᾳ. 2.14 Ὥσπερ γὰρ εἴ τις ὑπόθοιτο χῶρον ἕνα ἔχοντα βάθος πηχῶν ἑκατόν, γέμει δὲ ὁ χῶρος ἐκεῖνος σώματος παχυτέρου οἷον ὕδατος,