The Wonders of the Lodestone, Chapter 34 – Chapter 39
Chap. 34. The contrary points of the Loadstone st…ive among themselves, and mutually …xpelone another from their subjects; So it is likewise betweene the flesh and the Spirit.
IF one whet a Knife on the Northerne point of a Loadstone, it receives hereupon the vertue of the Loadstone, whereby it both drawes and lifts up Iron: But if he shall apply the same to the contrary and Southerne point, the Knife wilbe deprived of the vertue which it had before, it will be subject to a whirling or turning round, that it can neither draw nor lift up Iron. The like happens to them who doe imitate the vices of those whose manners they doe admire; and to those who have attentively heard a Sermon, and fervently poured forth their prayers at Church, they conceiving good motions and intentions upon this occasion, do intend to change their former course of life, and turne to a better; yet falling into the fellowship of ungodly persons by going into some Stewes or Taverne, they returne by and by, as dogs to their vomit, or as Swine to their wallowing in the mire; as if one after the taking of wholsome meat, should immediatly drinke poyson, or eat Hemlock, or some other poysonous herbe; or having washt himselfe in a Bath, should tumble himselfe into the dirt, the end of such people, is worse than their beginning, having begun in the spirit, and ended in the flesh; for the devill, that envious one, takes from them the wholsome seed of the Word, which had never taken deep root in them, and so poures into them his deadly poyson, whereby he makes them unapt, and reprobate to every good worke.
Chap. 35. As the Needle is betweene two Loadstones, So is one that wavers between two opinions.
AS it is a thing familiarly used among those goers about which do use the art of J…gling, and present merry plays and sights to the people for money, to place in a Cauldron an Iron Needle, betweene two Loadstones which they carry hid in their hands, that it runs here and there uncertainly waving betweene both, one while following the stone which drawes it unto it at first, another while that stone which drawes it backe, but comes at neither of them, and cleaves to neither: So doth the devill shew the like sports, the like spectacles unto the world, when he turnes those men like a Windmill, with every winde of Doctrine, whom the Apostle calls foreign, double minded unstable men, tearmed by S'. Cyprian, a…cipites palpato…es, hypocriticall dangerous Flatterers and Cheaters of the times, constant only in their inconstancy; such as Ecibolius was in times past, and of late, the Archbishop of Spalato, with others, whose names I spare: Such men as hang betweene heaven and earth, halting betweene God and Baal one while serving God, another while Mammon; one while imbracing this present world, another while, that which is to come, neither acceptable to God nor good men; whom Carpenter likens to a hungry dog betweene two hares, or to one that runs up and downe betweene two Feasts, one while this way, another while that way, and so comes at neither of them, but misseth them both.
Chap. 36. Effects of the same love in Christ and the Loadstone, contrary to their fir… actions and demeaners.
THe Loadstone is wholly composed of humblenesse & love, breathes out meere love, void of all gall and bitternesse; It was created for the use and benefit of mankinde, and brings no damage or detriment to any; If at any time it seemes to drive away Iron, and expell it, it doth it not out of any pride, nor induced by any hatred; but to this end only drives it away, that being better affected and disposed in convenient tearmes or points, it may then recall it, and reduce it to itselfe, by certaine windings and turnings. So our Lord who is wholly and only good, as transcendent in love and goodnesse, as he is in greatnesse, who was borne for the salvation of mankind, drew all unto him, he cast not any away that came unto him; Hee gave a Repulse indeed to the woman of Canaan, he chid her, as if she had beene but a dog, yet to no other end, but that shee might make supplication unto him mo…e earnestly, hasten to him more vehemently, and cleave to him more closely; and with that minde doth he rebuke those that are his, that he may not punish them: he threatens that he may not smite them; he judgeth them in this world, that he may not condemne them in the wor…d to come.
Chap. 37. A regenerate soule, and a needle toucht with the Loadstone, are of the same condition; so likewise an unreg…nerate soule, and a needle of iron untoucht.
A Needle which is altogether of …ron, and not toucht with the Loadstone, hath an equall aspect to all the parts of the world and resteth equally in all, as it fals out. If at any time it hath an aspect toward the Poles, and doth rest towards them, it is only by casualtie, or meere chance, without any instinct of nature, without any proper vertue. But being toucht, and having once received vertue from the Loadstone, then doth it alwaies only tend towards the Poles, and turnes not aside to any other place, unlesse it be overcome with love of the earth, or constrained by externall force of another: So likewise the meerely naturall, and unregenerate soule, is alwayes prone and e…clined to wicked and sinfull Arts. If peradventure at any time it performes any work materially good, it doth it not out of any set purpose, much lesse by habit, but by haphazard, as they are wont to say, with a blind endevour, as one that wants both sight and skill, yet with his dart or javelin hits a Crow or a mark. Now the same soule inspired, instructed, and wrought upon by God, doth constantly direct all its actions to the glory of God; according to the precepts of vertue, and according to the Canon▪ or rule of Gods word; from which scope or mark, if the regenerate man at any time erre by infirmitie, or by force of some strong tentation, that comes to passe altogether besides his intention, and against the designe of his will. Hence it is, that the works of carnall, and meerly civill men, although outwardly glorious, and goodly to see to, are little acceptable to God: But the works of holy men, though imperfect, and besprinkled with spots, doe not only find pardon, but also favor in Gods sight, and that for Christ his sake, not for any merit of theirs; for God is wont to weigh their workes, not so much by their acts, as by their ends.
Chap. 38. Of the small estimation and scarcenesse of Loadstones & Christians, and of their native places.
THere are now abundance of Loadstones in severall places so that their too much familiaritie, or frequencie, hath brought them into contempt among the vulgar, with whom nothing is counted pretious, but that which is scarce. There is no Region almost, no Iron-mine, wherin Loadstones may not be found; that is to say, common Loadstones of no note, of no vertue; there are few very excellent, notable, and strong. In like sort there are abundance of men in every place; but few noble, learned, and wise: Of Christians, in name and title, there is no small store, and they are very cheap: But of such as are truly faithfull, and behave themselves as worthy of so great a title; there is a great deale of scarsitie and dearth in all places. If any enquire of the place & Region, where the best kind of Load-stones are bred? In times past Magnesia did yeeld the most famous, from whence it is acknowledged their name is derived: But now in that place, there are either none at all, or such as are very barren in vertue; the ordinarie sort are brought from E…be and Norway; but the best and such as are of the strongest sort, are broght hither from Bengala and China, and from those places that are more than usually hot: It is most certaine, that there is not any particular Nation or Land, that doth perpetually enjoy this priviledge; but as it pleaseth the God of nature, he doth sometimes blesse one Countrey, sometimes another with this condition. In like manner at Antioch, in those ancient times, the first Christians obtained both their name and Seat; but in Beraea were the most Noble: England is reputed of late, a most plentifull Island, and most happy Mother of holy and learned men, yet notwithstanding God hath his freedome, to honour at his pleasure any other Church with this renowned Praerogative.
Chap. 39. Wee doe not search out the causes of hidden things to no purpose; though we doe it subtilly, yet it is but unprofitably: Divines and Philosophers may more easily, & more successefully find out the effects and use of the same.
IF any one enquire a reason, why I have not as yet produced any opinion of mine owne, concerning the causes and reasons of the wonderfull & secret effects of the Loadstone; Let him know that this is the cause, For that it seemes to Boetius and others, not onelyonly very hard, but also …ltogether unpossible to assigne a certain and determinate reason thereof; Nature would have many things to be hid in the bosome and lap of her Majesty, which it would not have the un…erstanding of man to attaine to the knowledge thereof, and which it hath left rather to be admired, than to be searched out: Yet there want not some who imagine,Clement: that the affinity which it hath with the Iron, is an evident and sufficient reason of the Loadstones drawing of it;Plutarch: Others affirme that certaine incorporall and Spirituall evaporations and issues that proceed out of the Loadstone, are the causes thereof; most do fly to that common Sanctuary of Philosophe…s,Gallen: holding th…t a secret quality, engendred naturally in the Loadstone, by the spirit that wrought in the composing of stones, is the cause of it. We poore mortals are not only pur blinde as Owles, but as Moles, we are almost quite blind in searching out the causes of things, we labour in vaine in these subtill disquisitions, and spend the strength of our wits to no end: How much more uprofitably, and unprosperously▪ have the Schoole men employed their houres and endevours▪ in searching out, and declaring the causes of Go…s election, and mans vocation, whilst they excogitated that the reason hereof was Gods fore-seeing of mens saith, or their works▪ or affirmed that any thing else, out of G…d was the cause of thi… divine decre…, and distinct…n or difference made betweene men. T…e mysteries of his Empire must bee reserved and left unto God, who will not suffer his servants, without punishment, to look so curiously into the Ark of his secrets; the Bethshemites in times past suffered for this pride and folly: Predestination is an incomprehensible impenetrable depth, and bottomlesse pit: Some divine mysteries are unsearchable, and cannot be found out, which if God had revealed unto us, peradventure hee would have forbidden them to bee published and discovered: and surely, men might with greater commendation and profit, employ the strength of their wits more earnestly and intentively about those things which pertaine to the practice and use of humane life, and such as tend to the confirmation, and making sure of our election and calling, than about these things: If a man happens to meet with a fruitfull tree, he neither digs up the earth that is about it, nor uncovers the root; but lookes upon the fruit with longing eyes, and plucks them with greedy hands. And indeed it had turned lesse to the destruction of Adam and his off-spring, and more to their salvation, if hee had eaten the fruit of the Tree of life, and had not tasted at all of the fruit of the Tree of knowledge.