the earth is round like an orange and revolving in two ways, one causing
day and night and the other producing the seasons: spring, summer,
autumn, winter. The boy goes out into the country where he sees miles of
level land and mountains thousands of feet in height. Again he goes out
on the ocean where sailors tell him it is several miles in depth.

Now he may say: how can the earth be round if deep valleys, high
mountains, and level plains prove to my senses the very opposite, and
the countless things at rest upon its surface tell me it is motionless.
Yet he believes even against the testimony of his senses that the earth
is round and moving, because his teacher could have no motive in
deceiving him; knows better than he, having learned more, and besides
has been taught by others who after long years of careful study and
research have discovered these things and know them to be true. If
therefore we have to believe things that we do not understand on the
authority of men, why should we not believe other truths on the
authority of God? Yes, we must believe Him. If a boy knew all his
teacher knew there would be no need of his going to school; he would be
the equal in knowledge of his teacher, and if we knew all that God knows
we would be as great as He. As well might we try to empty the whole
ocean into the tiny holes that children dig in the sand by its shore, as
fully to comprehend the wisdom of God. This is the mistake unbelievers
make when they wish to understand with their limited intelligence the
boundless knowledge and mysterious ways of God, and when they cannot
understand refuse to believe. Are they not extremely foolish? Would you
not ridicule the boy who refuses to believe that the earth is round and
moving because he cannot understand it? As he grows older and learns
more he will comprehend it better; so we, when we leave this world and
come into the presence of God, shall see clearly many things that are
unintelligible now. For the present, we have only to believe them on the