A14095:1024
A discovery of D. Jacksons vanity. Or A perspective glass, whereby the admirers of…A discovery of D. Iacksons vanitie. Or A perspective glasse, wherby the admirers of…
A discovery of D. Jacksons vanity. Or A perspective glass, whereby the admirers of D. Jacksons profound discourses, may see the vanity and weakness of them, in sundry passages, and especially so far as they tend to the undermining of the doctrine hitherto received. Written by William Twice, Doctor of Divinity, as they say, from whom the copy came to the pressA discovery of D. Iacksons vanitie. Or A perspective glasse, wherby the admirers of D. Iacksons profound discourses, may see the vanitie and weaknesse of them, in sundry passages, and especially so farre as they tende to the undermining of the doctrine hitherto received. Written by William Twisse, Doctor of Divinitie, as they say, from whom the copie came to the presse
Amsterdam: printed by the successors of Giles Thorp, 1631
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
6. In the next place you discourse of the improvement of the force of temptations, which you say is wrought by inequality, partly of our natural propensions, partly of the means which minister their several contentments or annoyances. Herein you propose a distinction, but I do not find you very careful to follow it, and make it appear how you accommodate your self thereto. Great means of annoyances are apt to breed great fears, and fear is a strong passion hindering the course of reason, and of moral duty, according unto reason.
6. In the next place you discourse of the improvement of the force of temptations, which you say is wrought by inequality, partly of our naturall propensions, partly of the meanes which minister their severall contentments or annoyances. Herein you propose a distinction, but I doe not finde you very carefull to follow it, and make it appeare how you accommodate your selfe thereto. Great meanes of annoyances are apt to breed great feares, and feare is a strong passion hindering the course of reason, and of morall duty, according unto reason.
Peters confession of Christ at the very time when, and in the place where Christ was in his enemies hands that sought his death, might have hazarded his life; and the consideration hereof, being suddenly put unto it, either to confess him or deny him, surprised him with fear; this fear exposed him to deny his master. Sir Gervas Elvas moved to give way to the poisoning of Sir Thomas Overbury, saw manifestly, that his refusal would have been an occasion to bereave him of his Lieutenancy of the Tower, which he had bought with a great sum of money. This temptation prevailed with him: we commonly say, The greater is the temptation, the less is the sin. So where small means of contentments are, the greater is the temptation to discontent, and to taste of the bitter fruits thereof. But I do not find that the particular instances following, do any way savour of this member of your distinction. You seem to keep your self wholly to the prosecuting of inequality of natural propensions; yet not that neither with such congruity as might justly be expected. For first you prosecute the inequality of wealth and wit: Wit is a natural faculty, I confess, I never heard it called a natural propension till now. But as for wealth, it is neither propension, nor faculty natural, nor at all natural. It is true, I confess, that some mens wealth gets the start of wit, as he observed, that in a great audience sometimes said unto his auditors, When I behold your wealth, I wonder at your wit; again, when I behold your wit, I wonder at your wealth. I confess willingly, that to abound in wealth, is to abound in temptations unto sin; that fullness of bread is reckoned among the sins of Sodom,