si ad ferrum et magnetem
attendas. Habet enim ferrum in magnete quoddam sui effluxus
principium; et dum magnes per sui praesentiam excitat ferrum
grave et ponderosum, ferrum mirabili desiderio fertur etiam
supra motum naturae, quo secundum gravitatem deorsum tendere
debet, et sursum movetur se in suo principio uniendo. Nisi
enim in ferro esset quaedam praegustatio naturalis ipsius
magnetis, non moveretur plus ad magnetem quam ad alium
lapidem; et nisi in lapide esset major inclinatio ad ferrum
quam cuprum, non esset illa attractio. Habet igitur spiritus
noster intellectualis ab aeterna sapientia principium sic
intellectualiter essendi, quod esse est conformius sapientae
quam aliud non intellectuale. Hinc irraditio seu immissio in
sanctam animam est motus desideriosus in excitatione.

By virtue of the principle that flows from the magnet to the
iron--which principle is potentially in the iron, for the iron already
has a foretaste for it--the excited iron could transcend its gravid
nature and be preternaturally moved to unite with its principle.
Reciprocally, the loadstone has a greater attraction to the iron than
to other things. Just as the power of attraction comes from the
loadstone, so the Deity is the source of our life. Just as the
principle implanted in the magnet moves the iron against its heavy
nature, so the Deity raises us above our brutish nature so that we may
fulfill our life. As the iron moves to the loadstone, so we move to
the Deity as to the goal and end of our life.

In _De pace fidei_, Cusa[37] again used the iron and magnet as an
example of motion contrary to and transcending nature. He explained
this supernatural motion as being due to the similarity between the
nature of the iron and the magnet, and this in turn is analogous to
the similarity between human spiritual nature and divine spiritual
nature. As the iron can move upward to the loadstone because both have
similar natures, so man can transcend his own nature and move towards
God when his potential similitude to God is realized. Another image
used by Cusa was the comparison of Christ to the magnetic needle that
takes its power from the heavens and shows man his way.[38]

[36] Nicholas of Cusa (Nicolaus Cusaneus), _Nicolaus von
Cues, Texte seiner philosophischen Schriften_, ed. A.
Petzelt, Stuttgart, 1949, bk. 1, _Idiota de sapientia_, p.
306 (quoted in Gilbert, M:104). It