Iron is taken out of the earth, and copper is smelted out of the ore.
Read Chapter 28
George Leo Haydock
AD 1849
Stone. Protestants, "and brass is molten out of the stone. "(Haydock)
"When brass comes out of the mine it resembles stone, and being mixed with earth is refined in the fire. "(Pliny, xxxvi. 27.) (Menochius)
All this process would require much ingenuity and time. Tubal Cain was a great artist before the deluge; (Genesis iv. 22.) but we cannot tell who were the inventors of these things, though (Calmet) the Greeks have specified the names of some who introduced these metals into their respective countries. (Pliny vii. 56.) (Haydock)
44. Heretics are used to pride themselves against us by the self-priding of their righteousness, and to boast high their practices with the swelling of ostentation, and ourselves, as we have said, they impeach either for being or having been bad persons. Accordingly in a most humble confession, and in a truthful defence against those, the holy man speaks, saying, Iron is taken out of the earth. As if he said in plain speech; ‘men of strength, who by the sharpest swords of their tongues are become iron in this pitched battle of the defending of the faith, were one time but’ earth ‘in the lowest sphere of actions.’ For to man on his sinning it was spoken; Earth thou art, and unto earth shalt thou return. But ‘iron is taken out of the earth,’ when the hardy champion of the Church is separated from an earthly course of conduct, which he before maintained. Accordingly he ought not to be contemned in any thing whatever, that he was, who has already begun to be that which he was not. W...
