The vvonders of the load-stone. Or, The load-stone newly reduc't into a divine and morall vse. By Samuel Ward, of Ipswich. B.D.

Chap. 16. Concerning the thicknesse of a Medium interpo∣sed, or a substance pla∣ced in the midst be∣tweene the Object and the Loadstone; not hin∣dring the drawing of it.

OF all the Load∣stones miraculous operations, there is none that makes the eyes of the beholders more a∣stonisht, than that the vertue thereof pene∣trates and passeth tho∣row thick boords, ves¦sels of clay, marble, and

other metals; so that there is nothing so thick or solid, no not gold, which goeth beyond other metals in thick∣nesse; nor wals, nor Brick-chimneyes (be∣leeve mee that have ex∣perience of it) nor the body of the fattest man: There is nothing, I say, the interposition wher∣of may so fence the way, and stop the effica∣cie, and hinder the ver∣tue of this stone, that it shall not move a peece of Iron, or the Needle of the Compasle, and drive it where it plea∣seth, and draw it from whence it listeth: nei∣ther can plates of brasse,

silver, or tin, though ve∣rie thick, hinder and re∣tard, or make slow the attraction of it; That is beyond beleefe,* 1.1 saith St. Austine, which I have learnt of my br••ther and fellow Bishop, Se∣verus Milevita••us, con∣cerning this stone; for he related, that he him∣selfe saw Bathanarius, a Count of Africk, when this Bishop feasted with him, bringing forth the same stone, placing it under silver, and putting Iron upon the Silver; then as hee moved his hand, wherein hee held the stone, under these presently the Iron was moved from above, the

Silver being in the midst, and suffering no∣thing; beneath, the stone was speedily drawne by the man; a∣bove, the Iron was drawne by the Stone; I have declared, saith he, that which I heard from him, whom I be∣leeved, as if I had seene it my selfe. Doe thou also, O Reader, if thou pleasest, beleeve mee without taking an oath, who have seene of∣ten before sufficient witnesses; yea, now as I write these things, do see a Loadstone with these eyes of mine; which, under a table six inches thick, on the

other side of a Brick∣wall, doth speedily turne here and there the Needle of a Compasse upon a table, as also in a little vessell of water, which when I see with mine eyes, and consider with my mind, I doe al∣together cease to won∣der, that no perils were so terrible, no kind of torment so cruell; no, not prisons, fire, or wracks, which could se∣parate the Saints and the faithfull from the love of Christ, or hin∣der them any way, that they should not follow the Lamb whithersoe∣ver hee went, nor cause that they should forsake

the profession of his Name, or defence of his faith; neither doe these things a little increase and corroborate, or strengthen our faith a∣bout the Article of the resurrection, nor do they suffer us so much as to doubt a little, whether the Monuments and Se∣pulchers, whether the depth of sea and land may be an impediment to them that are dead in the faith of Christ, that they may not heare the voice of Christ, and the noise of the Angelicall Trumpet, that they may not rise againe to life, and be speedily gathe∣red together as Eagles

are to the Carkase: And this is the end and scope which that holy Father p••opounded to himselfe in relating these won∣drous t••ings, that by sense he might informe the understanding, and so by a visible mir••cle, make the Article of the resurrection to be cre∣dible.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Aug. de Ci••••t. Dei, lib. 21. c. 4.