The Wonders of the Lodestone, Chapter 17 – Chapter 21
Chap. 17. Of the wonderfull concatenation or chaining together of Rings toucht by the Loadstone, as also of the spiritual & admirable concatenation or conjunction of Christians.
LIke to this, and no lesse wonderfull is that which S. Augustine in the same place confesseth, that when he saw it at first, he was afraid very much; I saw, saith he an Iron Ring drawne by the Loadstone, and hanged up, then as having given its owne vertue to the Iron which it had drawne and communicated force unto, the same Ring was put to another Ring, and so hanged that, and as the first Ring did sticke fast to the stone, so the second Ring did cleave to that former Ring; a third was added in the same manner, and so likewise a fourth, I doe testifie that I saw twelve of them chained together in this order; now the circles being mutually joyned together, there did hang as it were, a chaine of Rings, not inwardly inwrapt within one another, but fastened one to another outwardly: Who would not be abashed at such vertue, wch was not only inherent in the stone, but past through so many things that were hanged, and tyed them together with invisible bonds; Gregory Nazianzen, who in his life time deserved to be called among all, by the name of Divine, had a contemplation on the like Chaine, with the like admiration, but with a deeper m…dic…tion, for so he began that Oration, of his which he uttered before the men of Consta…inople, when he came first to his Archbishopricke; I cannot, saith he, but wonder what comes into your minde, as touching my Sermons, for what cause you are …o taken with our ill pronounc'd and small low voice, having nothing amiable in it, yet you seeme to be affected towards me, in that sort as the Iron is towards the Loadstone, for you do both depend upon me, and also adhere one to another by mutuall connexion, and all of you depend upon God, from whom & to whom are all things. O wonderfull chain! to be never sufficiently praised, which is fastened together with most firm bonds, which the spirit of God joynes, which is made not with hand of Art, but by Gods owne finger, more refined than golden chains, more firme than Adamantine, more precious than those of gems.Dion. foreign. An Oratour, both of an excellent spirit & speech, hath enumerated, or rather excogitated, three allegoricall chaines, wherewith all the common friendship that is in the world is joyned together: One of pleasure, which he made of roses, violets, and pleasant flowers, as if it were a garland provided for Bacchus his feasts: Another of profit, which hee composed of silver and gold-rings: A third of honor, which he framed of gems and pretious stones, all of them but vile chaines, and easily broken. The friendships that are joyned together with these, what are they but bricas glasse, or Potters ware, if they be compared to this spirituall, indivisible, undefiled, immortall chaine. Here is no filthy glue of lust, no sordid cement of avarice, no tempering together of ambition, nor of other ill humors and vices. Only this is that foreign, the bōd of perfection, which kep those first Apostles and Christians of that truly golden age in unitie among themselves, when all beleevers abiding in the same place, had all things common, they sold their possessions and substance, and imparted to everie one as hee had need, continuing daily in the Temple with one accord, breaking bread from house to house, eating their meat with gladnesse, and singlenesse of heart, praising God, and giving thanks before all the people. Doubtlesse, this Loadstone like chaine of charitie purchased them favour among the Gentiles, and daily drew brethren,Tertull. in Apoluget. and adjoyned new Converts unto them: which agreement of theirs, the verie Pagans beholding, cried out, See how the Christians love one another, see how they are ready to dye one for another. This is that celestiall and spirituall bond of charitie, which so straightly bound that Royall and Noble couple of friends, I meane David and Ionathan, whereof the one loved the▪ other to the death, with a love greater than that of Women, he lov'd him more than himselfe, nay, more than his …ereditary Kingdome: The life of those two, no age among the Ethnicks ever knew; no Philosophy ever bred the like, in comparison of whose friendship, that of Scipio and Laelius, of Pylades and Oresies, and other couples of the like condition; what doth it deserve to be tearmed but a shadowy carkasse, and counterfeit semblance of a true and vehement love.
Chap. 18. That the Loadstone and our Saviour Christ, effect more by an Instrument, than by their owne immediate vertue.
THe Loadstone, as it is an exceeding marvellous, so is it in a speciall manner, a mysticall Stone, no lesse famous for secret wayes of working, than for mighty workes; that though it bee the fountaine and principall seat of attractive and elevating vertue, yet doth it, as it were, on set purpose, transferre all the honour of it upon the Iron; for this very Stone being destitute of company, and by it selfe, drawes little or nothing; but armed with Iron, will lift up a huge weight of Iron. I my selfe have seene a Loadstone, which being unarmed, would scarce take up s…aven Ounces, but cover'd or capt with Iron (as the rud… of speech use to say) it lif…d up strongly and easily, two and twenty pounds, r…sembling God in this, who is natures principall workman, and the first mover of all things, who although he be the Father of light, yet he illuminates this visible world by the Sun, himselfe being invisible in the heavens, and (which is our blindnesse and madnesse) not worshipped and praised of many. He doth also redeeme, save and judge men, by the Son of man; he doth delegate or commit unto him a power to supply his roome, both in heaven and earth, whose God-head and Majesty lay hid in the vaile of his flesh, as a light in a darke Lanthorne; insomuch that he was not made manifest, but to his owne people, and but to few of them, and that by miracles; who now also hiding himselfe in the Heavens, using the Minist…ry of men, as the Loadstone the help of Iron, cals, drawes, and converts men unto him by a fit Instrument of the same kind, taking his Ministers into fellowship of honour with him; He that receiveth you, saith he, receiveth me; nay, he passe… hover, and commits a more ample power to th…m: He that believes in me, shall doe greater workes than I have done. We doe not reade of Christ, that he converted so many as a hundred at one Sermon; But it is expressed of Peter, Act. 2. That he converted three thousand; which love of his towards man, doth, in a manner, surpasse all his miracles. As it is the greatest Art of Arts, and Artists to conceale their Art and skill, so it is the principall praise and vertue of a good man, to derive praise unto others, himselfe being concealed; Neither is there any thing, wherein men may come neerer to God, than this. Let men admire and praise in Ioah, some one thing, some another, among all his honourable Arts: I never thought that heroicall or noble demonstration or proof of his vertue to be the principall, that he both would and could transfer upon the head of David the glory and Crowne of a Victory, purchast by his owne valour; for the rest of his deeds, he overcame others, in this, himselfe; which was farre more honourable, than if he had triumphed a hundred …imes over Rabba and the Ammonites.
Chap. 19. That the Loadstone drawes ten times more weight, by two points or Caps, than by so many severall points by themselves.
NOw will I put you in mind by the way, and that not unseasonably, that the Loadstone doth transfuse the force and vertue thereof into the Medium, or Instrument, that it imparts but a small portion of it, to one Cap or polar point by it selfe; but a large and ample vertue to two joyn'd together. Of which when I tooke experiment, and made triall in a strong stone, and applyed the iron to one of the points, it took up two or three pounds, and that very hardly. But when I had applyed the iron to both together, it lifted up two and twentie pounds without any difficultie: so that the saying of Salomon is not only true,Eccles. 4 9. Two are better than one; for it they lye together, they sooner have heat; if they fall, the one will lift up his fellow: But also that common saying understood of them that have least knowledge, That forces united will become the stronger. For who doth not see & acknowledge, that forces by such union are twice the stronger; but that they should be ten times stronger, this is both rare and singular, and to be seene only in these experiments of the Loadstone: That it is no wonder (as Origen observes on the first of Genesis) that God made most things double, and joyned them together by two and two; as when it is recorded in the sacred Histories, That God created together the Heaven and the Earth, the Sun and the Moone, the Man and the Woman; and that Christ sent his Disciples, not one by one, but two and two: That as one foot, or one hand helps another, so they should yeild to one another mutuall helpe, that their forces and purposes being joyned together, they might couragiously and prosperously draw living stones unto Christ, and build upon him.
Chap. 20. That those Instruments are more prevalent, and can doe more, which stick closely; than those which stick loosely, to Christ, or the Loadstone.
I Doe not thinke it fit to passe over in silence the great difference, that is betweene that armour and furniture, which is tied negligently to the Magnetick poles or points of the Loadstone, and that which is tied to the same more fitly and closely. For if there be but the least gap or space betweene them, it is endued with much lesse vertue, and drawes the burden more unsuccessively, weakly, and sluggishly; neither will it lift up half that weight, which it would most easily lift up, if it were united and joyned together exactly, without the least cleft betweene it, and that which is tied to it. Now this reason is wont to be assigned by Divines, why the manhood of Christ is so anoynted and replenisht with the oyle of the Spirit, above all meane and measure, because it is hypostatically and corporally united with the Deitie, in such sort, and with such a strict bond, that it cannot be conceived, or expressed by men. Againe, it is rendred for a reason, why those Saints did prevail more with God, who did walke uncessantly with him, as Enoch; who unseparably cleaved unto God, as Elisha did to Elias, from whose side hee would not depart, no, not for the least distance: As also why amson wrought so many miracles, while hee kept unbroaken the Seale of the Covenant, & his union with G…d, which being once violated, and lost by shaving of his haire, he became weake, as other mortall men, and was made a prey to his enemies. Lastly, it is assign'd for a reason, why the chiefest good of a Christian is affirmed to consist in this, namely, with David to cleave to his God, foreign, that is, To be inseparably joyned to God, and to rest upon the Lord with a firme purpose of heart.
Chap. 21. That the Loadstone is better arm'd with polished Iron than with bright Gold, and so are Sermons of Divines better furnisht with testimonies of Scripture and solid strength of reasons than with Rhetoricall flowers.
MOreover it is not unworthy of our consideration, that as in the object, so likewise in the Medium or Instrument; the Load Stone doth not so much require resplendency as comelinesse, not so much gaudy brightnesse, as cleanlynesse, for it doth not love to bee armed with Gold or Silver, but only with Iron, yet not such as is drossy or rusty, but cleansed and polished; which kind of Armour, the Apostle, by his owne example, both prescribes and commends unto Preachers, Namely, such as doth not consist in excellency of words, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, for we are not the Sons or Schollers of Oratours, but of Fishermen, as that great Divine said to Libanius the Rhetorician; Neither must we fight with Carnall reasons against Hereticke, but with strong Arguments to the subversion of Towers and strong holds, and to the throwing down of every height that lifts it selfe up against the knowledge of God. Wherefore we doe not so much arme or furnish our Sermons and writings with Poeticall or Philosophicall subtilties, as with the Oracles of Scripture, and unresistable strength of reasons, being mindfull, that the Wals of Jericho were blown down and demolisht, Not with Golden or Silver Trumpets, but with Trumpets of Horne and Rammes Hornes; which things are not spoken by me, as if the Gospel did affect sluttishnesse and stammering, much lesse Barbarismes and Solaecismes, But that comelinesse and clearnesse of speech, which Lactantius both commanded to be used, and followed himself: that the Silverlike or pure Candour of words should include the Golden Apples of Scripture: that sweetnesse of speaking should accompany soundnesse and wholesomenesse of matter: that the clothing and trimming of a Theologicall speech, should not be youthfull, but elderly; Not gaudy, but grave and Matron-like; Not painted and effeminate, or wanton and foolish; but naturall, Masculine, perfect and wise; Our Lord drew more to him, being armed with his Crosse, than it may be, he should have done with his Scepter; More with his Crowne of Thornes, than if he had beene adorned with a Crowne of Gold.