Magnetismus magnus, or, Metaphysical and divine contemplations on the magnet, or loadstone written by Sir Matthew Hale.

CHAP. IV. (Book 4)

The Evidence of the Existence of a Deity from the Excellent Ordination of these Powers to their several Ends and Uses.

HE that attentively considers all the Works of Nature, will find Four Kinds of Adaptations in them.

I. An Adaptation of their Organs to their several and respective Essential Powers, or Faculties, or Inclinations and Motions.

II. An Adaptation both of their Organs and Faculties to their own Good, and use∣fulness of their Being.

III. In many of them an Adaptation not only to the Convenience of their Indi∣viduals, but to the Preservation of their Kinds or Species.

IV. An Adaptation and Accommodation of their Organs, Powers, and Motions to

other parts of the Universe, and the com∣mon Good of other parts of Nature; and the Order, Beauty, and Use of all the rest.

This a Man might easily see in the whole Compages and several Parts of the Universe, that occurs to our Sense or Ob∣servation; in the Heavenly Bodies, in the Elementary World, in the several Pro∣vinces of the Mineral, the Vegetable, the Animal, and the Rational Nature: The Induction of Particulars in each of these would make an Immense Volume: I will therefore confine my self to the Subject in hand, namely, Magnetical Bodies.

The Earth hath a double Magnetism, 1. One that is only such Analogically, as it is the Center of heavy Bodies. 2. The other is really such, whereby it composeth it self to a Polar Direction.

The former or Analogical Magnetism; it is marvelous to see that their should be such an habitude and adaptation between heavy Bodies and the Earthly Globe. 1st. That all heavy Bodies of what Kind or Nature soever within this Verge of the Elementary World, should move to the Earth. 2dly, That this Motion should not be at random or obliquely, but regularly, uniformly, and perpendicularly to the Center of the Earth,

and this from all Parts of this Inferiour World circumjacent to the Earth. 3dly, That this Motion of heavy Bodies to the Center of the Earth, should not be indif∣ferently and equally from all Parts of the same heavy Body, but precisely the Center of Gravity of every heavy Body should be the Point, and make up that Line of its Motion; so that if the Line of its Motion could be exactly observed, it would be a streight Line terminated at the one extream with the Center of the Earth, and at the other extream with the Center of Gravity of the descending Body. And consequently, 4thly. That the heavy Body hath not only a Motion to the Center, but its Motion is directed in the shortest way towards its Journey's end, viz. by a streight Perpen∣dicular Line, which it always observes in its Natural Course without any Variation, unless accidentally impeded. And this Course they constantly hold. And this mu∣tual habitude between the Center of the Earth and the Center of heavy Bodies is fixed and settled in them with an unerring Appetite and Tendency, without any pre∣vious Knowledge of the one or the other: The Center of the heavy Bodies knows not the Center of the Earth, yet thither it moves with a connatural Inclination, and

never errs in its Journey. And certainly he that will but take the pains to think, shall find that this unobserved habitude ad∣mirably conduceth; 1st. To the good of the heavy Bodies themselves; 2dly. To the maintaining of the due Consistency of the Parts of this Lower World; 3dly. To the Conservation of its Figure, which is most suitable to its firmness and stability, and the use of the Creatures in it; 4thly. To the inriching and fortifying of it by Rain and other Meteors; 5thly. To an in∣finite number of Mechanical Services for the necessary Use of Mankind, as building Houses, Navigation of Ships, mutual Com∣merce. And all this, and much more, re∣sults from this habitude and correspondence between the Center of the Earth and the Center of heavy Bodies in their Motions, whether we entertain the Common or the Copernican Hypothesis.

2. The real Magnetism of the Earth: By this it is always kept in the same Polar Po∣sition, which it can never vary from by any Created Force whatsoever.

And by the advantage thereof, it be∣comes a fit and settled Habitation for Man∣kind; it receives a constant and regular Influx from the Heavenly Bodies; the Measures and Discriminations of Time are

thereby settled, the Seasons of the Year fixed and orderly disposed, a sufficient part of habitable Ground set out and accommo∣dated for Men and Animals; all which would be put into a confusion and disorder, if the Earth should Fluctuate from its Po∣lar Position.

Come we again to consider this lesser Earth, the terreaea, or filius terrae. It is ad∣mirable to observe how all his Inclinati∣ons and Motions are fitted for its own pre∣servation, and for the common good of Mankind: As for Instance, 1st. That it should so strongly incline to the Earth, from which it had its Magnetism, never resting till its Axis is conformable to the Axis of the Earth, and joyning to it. 2dly. That it should affect such a Position to the Earth, and other Magnets, which though seemingly contradictory, yet most natu∣rally maintains and preserves its Magne∣tical Virtue, viz. by obverting its dissimi∣lar Pole to the dissimilar Pole of another Magnet or Magnetical Body. 3dly. That it should with all imaginable Industry flye and avoid that Position with another Mag∣net, that would hurt and injure its Mag∣netical Virtue, namely, the Similar Face flyes the Similar. 4thly. That it should with an Appetite little less than Sensient

reach after these Magnetical Effluxes from the Earth or other Bodies, that may feed and preserve its Magnetical Virtue, as in its attraction upon Iron, and Motions of Declination. 5thly. That, whereas the habitude of other heavy Bodies is by a di∣rect Line from the Center of its Gravity to the Center of the Earth, this hath a habitude to the Axis and Poles of the Earth, from whence it hath the most con∣venient access and supply of Magnetical Virtue. 6thly. That it should have an Orbe of its Virtue both Directive and At∣tractive, thereby the more effectually to supply its Magnetism and Magnetical Vir∣tue at a distance, and without any imme∣diate Contact. And all this, and many more Accommodations to its self and its own Preservation it hath by a connatural implanted Inclination and Vertue. And, which adds to the Wonder;

1st. That though these admirable In∣stincts and Inclinations have as great an Analogy almost as is possible to an animate Nature, yet we cannot find any other Footsteeps of Sensation or sensible Percep∣tion in it more than what the bare Inclina∣tions themselves exhibit.

2dly. And, which is yet more Wonder∣ful, that whereas Animals and Vegetables

have Organs accommodated to their Pow∣ers, this exerts all these Motions meerly by the strength and vigour of its Innate Virtue, without any Organs, that we can perceive, fitted to these Motions: It sucks and attracts without any Mouth; moves without Feet or Hand; knows its Friend and Enemy without Eyes to see, or No∣strils to smell it.

The Habitudes and Respects, that weighty Bodies bear to the common Cen∣ter of the Earth, and that Magnetical Bo∣dies bear to the Axis of the Earth, can∣not possibly arise from any Natural or Phy∣sical Virtue, that is either in the Center of the Earth simply as such, to attract heavy Bodies, or in the Axis of the Earth simply as such, to conform the Motions of Mag∣netical Bodies to it. For the Center of the Earth is but a Mathematical Point, and the Axis of the Earth but a Mathema∣tical Line, and therefore simply as such, are wholly void of any Activity, Power or Agency. But it is that most Intelligent, Infinitely Wise, Powerful and Beneficent Being, that hath institued and settled those admirable Powers, Habitudes and Respects in those Integrals of the Universe, where∣by that admirable Order is kept between the several parts thereof, for the Beauty

of the World, the Mutual Good of all its parts, the due Compagination of them each to other, and for the Glory of the Great Architect and Lord of the Universe.