Section II, Book 2, member 2, chapter 2: The magneticall nature and the loadstone (part 2 of 3)

I told you before, that the eternall Unity, everlastingly One in essence, dividing or transforming it self by property into Trinity, did shape out or describe ideally, the archetypicall or internall world, according unto whose example he did afterwards delineate or frame out the typicall or externall. Wherefore it must follow, that if the typicall or naturall world was framed after the idea in the intellectuall or mentall world, then what parts or properties are made evident unto our capacity in this world, were also the same in the archetype; for, Quod facit tale est magis tale. There was no house that the Carpenter or Brick-layer builded, but it was first delineated in the idea of his intellect, and then drawn forth superficially in paper, and so afterward put into a solid execution; so also David confessed, that he had the Temple, which Solomon erected, first drawn forth ideally by Gods finger. Now when that God had in his divine counsell, thus ordered and shaped out an ideal world in himself, to put it in execution, and, as it were, to make it to appear unto mans sense, he emitted himself out of himself in the form of an eternall emanation, called his Image, which was his wisdom, by which the generall world, and every particular thereof, was produced according unto the ideall pattern, which was in it self. This therefore being so, and being that the divine essence can no way be divided, howsoever it varieth in property, it followeth, that every particular beam which shineth out diversly from that catholick emanation, to create differing things, is one indivisible essence with the whole emanation; and therefore he is said to fill all, and to be all in all. And that the incorruptible spirit is in all things, and that he filleth the whole earth. I proceed therefore thus: If the created world have his shape, his members, and every particular property assigned unto it, by that formall and vivifying world, which is described and imprinted in this divine and all-sufficient and creating emanation; then consequently, all the members, properties, and natures in this world, are graphically or curiously painted out in the supernaturall one, it remaining nevertheless one and the same in essence. And therefore as in him, the catholick image of the outward world is contained, so every beam or emanation that issueth from him, but is not divided from him, containeth the shape of the world. And for this reason, the wise Philosophers have said, That each creature enjoyeth a proportion of the great world, by which it is shaped and made in it self a little world, as shall be demonstrated by the Load-stone more plainly hereafter. And again, man is called, Omnis creatura, as he doth participate of all; so that his soul is said to be, Ad imaginemtotius sapientiae facta, omnium in se gerens similitudinem: Made after the similitude of all wisdom, bearing in it self the likeness of all things. And therefore it is tearmed of another, Omnium similitudo, The likeness of all things. And the reason is, because it is one Unity. Hereupon also it is reported, to be a certain divine and individuall substance; Alkindus in his Book, de Radiis, speaking after an Astrologicall manner, seemeth to aver so much in these words, Si al[…]cu, datum esset totam conditionem coelestis harmoniae comprehendere, mundum elementorum cum suis singulis contentis in quocunque loco & quocunque tempore plene cognosceret tanquam causatum per causas; si et[…]am aliquam rem hujus mundi in tota sua conditione cognosceret, coelestis harmoniae conditio ipsum non lateret, sed etiam causam tanquam per effectum suum comprehenderet: omnis en[…]m[…]res, quan[…]umcunque modica, in mundo elementorum agens, totius coelestis harmoniae est effectus. Whosoever doth comprehend the whole condition of the celestiall harmony, he may fully know the whole elementary world, with every content of the same, in every place, and at all times, as the effect by the cause. Also if he understand any thing of this world in his totall nature and condition, the celestiall disposition and condition will not be hidden from him, but will be discovered unto him, as the cause is by the effect. For every thing in this world, how little soever it be, that acteth, is the effect of the whole harmony of the heaven. By which words, Alkindus being deeply seen in the mystery of nature, seemeth to aver, that as there is a descent from unity unto multitude, so all that multitude is in that unity as also that unity filleth all the multitude; so is 1 in 2, and 2 in 3, and 3 in 4, and 4 in 5, &c. and yet that unity which is the beginning, is the end, and all in all. So light enforms the angelicall creature, the angelicall the starry creature, the starry creature the elements, and the elements the compound creature: Wherefore open the compound creature, and look upon the elements, divide the Elements, and you shall find the starry and quintessentiall nature; open these and you shall conceive the subtill alterity of the Angelicall spirit, in which is the Divine act or immediate beam from God. In this work therefore there concurreth in the separation of the first a sensible aspect; in the other, we must behold with intellectuall eies; So that you may observe, how all is in every thing, and every thing in all. Hereupon it was also that Hermes said, (speaking mystically and not after the common sense) Qui fornacem cum vase nostro construit, novum mundum conflat: He which maketh our furnace with the glass to it, he maketh a new world. But what needs more words, when we find all this confirmed by demonstration? For we know that the Load-stone is but a part of the Earth, and yet it hath all his Circles, and both his Poles, yea, and that very nature in all respects, between each Pole, and Circle, that the whole Earth hath, and thereupon it is termed Terrella, or a little Earth; and so may the whole earth be tearmed parvus mundus, being it containeth the Poles, circles, and astrall, yea, and Elementall natures of the great world; no otherwise then the great world doth in all those respects, represent the Archetype, which is carved out intellectually in the all-working Spirit of Wisdom, or sacred Emanation; yea, and we go yet deeper into our diminutives: For if a piece of Iron rod, which naturally aspecteth the North and South, be brok off, that small piece will have also as exactly his North and South Pole, and consequently his circles as the whole rod, and nevertheless the rod keepeth still his North and South point as before. The like in the Load-stone will happen, as experience shall hereafter make it appeare more plainly.

That we may come a little nearer to the explication of this Mystery, ye must understand that this eternall catholick Emanation, is the essentiall and spirituall rock, out of which, first the great world in generall, and then all particular things therein, were carved or framed by generalities: first, according unto the Ten generall Emanations and their properties, which the Ethnicks in some sort referred unto their Ten generall Predicaments; and this again had their specialities or subalternate degrees of many ranks and orders of dignities, all which were at last made apparent by the infinity of individualls, which they did in their kinds produce according unto those divers beams of the multiplicite Will or Volunty of God, which this eternall Emanation poured out into them. All which particular beams, more or lesse, being not divided in essence from the universall Emanation, or the Spirit of Wisdome, which made all things, are the spirituall Corner-stone, on which every creature as well particular as universall, doth formally or essentially consist; and this Corner-stone, is that internall essence in every thing, which as it giveth life; so also it is all and over all the things that it inacteth with life, and therefore also the soul, whose Center this Corner-stone is, is said to be in all and every part. I will leave to speak of its action in other creatures, and will onely insist on our main Subject in hand, which is the earth and her off-spring or progenie, amongst the which the feminine Load-stone, and his ferruginous mass, are chiefly reckoned. Divine Philosophy teacheth us, that the Globe of the Earth is sustained by this Corner-stone, and consequently hath her manifold Virtues from it, Ubinam eras, (saith JEHOVAH) quando fundebam terram? quis disposuit mensuras ejus, aut quis extendit super eam lineam? Super quo bases ejus defixae sunt? Aut quis jecit lapidem ejus Angularem? Where wast thou when I laid the foundation of the earth? Who disposed of the measures thereof? and who did extend over it a line? upon what basis or foundation was it sustained? or who laid the corner-stone thereof?

Lo here an axiom of Divine Philosophy, proposed by the Creator himself, how unworthy are the Aristotelicall rules concerning the structure of the earth, in respect of this Divine Oracle's rudiments and doctrine, which is founded on the true Corner-stone Jesus Christ: For this cause the Apostle justly biddeth us not to be deceived by Philosophy, and vain fallacies, according unto the tradition of man, and after the Elements of this world, and not according unto Christ, in whom dwelleth all the plenitude of Divinity corporally; who is the head of all Principalities and Powers. And elsewhere he giveth a reason, namely quia ipse omnia est in omnibus, port atque omnia verbo virtutis suae, ipse fundavit terram, & opera manuum ejus sunt coeli: Because he is all in all, and beareth up all things by the word of his Virtue; he did lay the earth on his foundations, and the heavens were the work of his hands. It was therefore this Spirit of Wisdome, which was that spirituall Corner-stone, on which the earth, and every particle thereof hath his assigned place or station, residing on it, as upon the surest Foundation, and which indueth every particle thereof more or less, with a severall distinct Virtue, as a gift bestowed on it for its self: For the Wiseman doth testifie, that this essentiall spirit fi[…]leth the whole earth. Wherefore as no essential virtue, which issueth from it, can be divided from it; So each particle of the earth must be indued more or less, with the property of the whole, being that it moveth all upon one spirituall line or axil-tree, (as Job seemeth to averre,) which by a twofold property, differeth according unto the two principles proceeding from the Divine Unity, namely his Nolunty or privative and contracting nature (for it operateth by a privative, contractive, cold, congealing disposition, which is effected less or more, according as it approacheth unto each Pole; that is to say, unto the North or South): and his Volunty or positive, dilative, and dissolving nature; forasmuch as this spirituall centrall Sun, doth in the middle point of the axis, emit his beams from it to the circumference, no otherwise than the celestial Sun, and his eternall Agent doth dart forth his beams from the Aequinoctial, which is the circumference of the middle point in the axil-tree towards the Poles thereof; but approacheth no nearer the Poles, then the limited Tropick of each Hemisphere. And this is the reason of that Antipathy, which is noted to be as well in the Iron as the Load-stone: For if you devide the Load-stone in the middle betwixt both his Poles, namely in his Aequinoctiall; and then afterwards, if you put the part of the middle of one Hemisphere, namely of the Northern C, unto the South Pole

[Figure]

B thus, it will abhorre and fly from it, as being clean contrary in condition unto it. For the one is the seat of the dilative property, and the other is the naturall place of the contractive; the one hot, the other cold; the one attractive, by sucking from the Circumference unto the Center; the other expulsive by dilating of its beams from the Center to the Circumference: contrariwise the Sympathy in the Load-stone is there, where like is fitly applyed unto its like, as well in order as condition: For if you offer to joyn the Aequinoctiall of the one Hemisphere, unto that of the other, they will forthwith close and unite one with another: For, by the continuation of the spirituall Axil-tree, one Pole sucketh the Hemisphere which is next unto it, namely B draws the North Hemisphere C, A; and the North Pole C, sucketh reciprocally unto it the South Hemisphere B, A; and they both joyn in A. Also the two Poles do agree together in harmony: For the reasons above mentioned; So that if you put the North Pole unto the South, they suck and draw also one another, and make a Union: Whereby each wise Speculator

[Figure]

may discern the reason of Sympathy and Antipathy, in all things; as also the manner of attraction and dilatation in every creature; and how each nature enclineth properly unto its nature, but flyeth or inclineth naturally from its contrary; and all proceedeth from the opposit properties in one radicall essence, as I will prove here immediatly, by a more familiar experience.

In the Weather-glass, which I have described in my precedent Philosophicall discourse, you may discerne two points, corresponding unto the two Poles, namely the mattras head above, resembling the Northern Pole; and the water below, compared to the Southern Pole; the aire interposed betwixt them, unto the spatious heaven, or sublunary spirit, which is betwixt these two Poles, the middle of which in the figure 1. the Aequinoctiall doth […]ut, as being in the mid-way betwixt the two Poles. We find evermore, that when the aire, included in the top of the Mattras, or bolts-head, is cold, namely, when the northern blasts are sent forth, it will be contracted, and consequently will suck or draw up the water, and thereupon we are taught the reason of the attractive nature, not onely in the northern or septentrionall winds, but also in the Load-stone, and all other things, which by contraction of the aire do draw and suck unto them, namely, that they have that property from the power of Gods Spirit, which, by his angelicall organs doth blow from the north. By this also it is made evident, why one Pole doth suck and attract from the other, in the Load stone, namely, by the continuity of the spirituall axle-tree, which is made and animated by one corner-stone, or essentiall and centrall spirit, as is said, though of two opposite conditions, in which also it worketh after many diversities of degrees: and therefore Solomon tearmeth it simplex or unicus, simple, or one, in regard of his divine nature; and multiplex, in respect that it worketh and operateth after a manifold manner: for as it worketh about the poles of the axle-tree, by attracting and sucking unto it by cold and drought; so about the Aequinoctiall, and that more and more approching from the poles towards the Aequinoctiall, it varieth in ten thousand proportions more or less in dilatation, by reason of the manifold degrees of heat, which this centrall Sun of life imparteth unto the aire: And this is not onely manifested in the foresaid Weather-glass, forasmuch as we find, that by how much the more the heavenly Sun, with his divine centrall agent, approacheth unto us, by so much the more the externall aire, being dilated by his heat, doth also dilate the aire, contained in the neck of the mattras, or bolts-head, and driveth down the water, that is, it repelleth back the cold of winter, which came in by showers of rain, sent from the south unto his proper pole. So that we see, as the nature of the cold pole is to draw or suck unto it by condensation, which is effected by contraction, or made by a Saturnine faculty, so the nature of the hot Aequinoctiall, and his adjacent parts, is to expell his opposite by dilatation, which is effected by a subtiliating heat. And this is the reason, as is already demonstrated, that the Aequinoctiall of the Load-stone detesteth to be joyned unto the pole; as on the contrary side, the pole abhorreth reciprocally the Aequinoctiall. Also this is the reason, that in the pole of the said stone, there is so great power of attraction, and that it sucketh the iron unto it, ad angulos rectos, that is, after a perpendicular manner; and then the nearer the needle, or piece of steel, or iron-wier, approacheth unto the Aequinoctiall of the stone, the more will his obliquity in coition or conjunction be with the stone. So that when it commeth directly unto the Aequinoctiall, it will lose all angular contact, and lie flat, as it were, on its belly, as you may see by this true observation following.

[Figure]