A14095:1048
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.
And notwithstanding this foul injury, you offer unto God in robbing him so shamefully of the glory of his grace, and absolute prerogative to dispose of his creatures as he thinks good, in making whom he will vessels of mercy, and whom he will vessels of wrath, yet you think to pacify him with an hungry, base, and mere verbal amplification of the streams of his goodness, the issue whereof is to injury him afresh in like manner, by robbing him, and adorning man with the spoils of his glory. For increase of joy and happiness shall be, you say, unto a man from the streams of life, proceeding from God as a fountain of life, provided that man gives free passage to their current. And what is this current, but Gods spirations formerly mentioned, whereby he exhorts us to profit ⟨p. 448⟩by the examples of his judgements on others, and also to patience when we are injured by others. Now if we do yield to this, and do profit by the consideration of Gods judgements upon others, and do patiently bear the wrongs that are done us by others, then increase of joy and happiness shall be unto us from the fountain of goodness, who as he hath some streams of life, whereby he exhorts us unto that which is good; so he hath other streams of life and happiness, wherewith he rewards us for our obedience: so that whatsoever show you make of honouring God, the issue is to bestow all the honour upon the obedience of man. So that the amends you make herein for former injuries, is as if a man having given his neighbour a box in the ear, should make show of making him amends by kind stroking of him, and in stead of stroking him, give him another box in the ear, Thus Joab took Amasa by the beard as though he would have kissed him, but, indeed, stabbed him to the heart. You are willing to make God the author of glory, but by no means can you be brought to acknowledge him the author, but only the orator of grace: like to the Paynims, who were wont to say, Debt vitam, debt opes, animum mihi ipse parabo. You are given so much to painting, that it is a hard matter to discern the native countenance of your discourse, the proper face of your meaning. What mean you by the current of life? Is it a gracious current, or a glorious current? if gracious, that is the same with spirations before spoken of, and these are exhortations and persuasions.
And notwithstanding this foule injury, you offer unto God in robbing him so shamefully of the glory of his grace, and absolute prerogative to dispose of his creatures as he thinkes good, in making whom he will vessels of mercy, and whom hee will vessels of wrath, yet you thinke to pacifie him with an hungry, base, and meere verball amplification of the streames of his goodnesse, the issue whereof is to injurie him afresh in like manner, by robbing him, and adorning man with the spoiles of his glory. For increase of joy and happinesse shall be, you say, unto a man from the streames of life, proceeding from God as a fountaine of life, provided that man gives free passage to their current. And what is this current, but Gods spirations formerly mentioned, whereby he exhorts us to profit