A14095:1071
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.
But what purity and holiness, or what consonancy to Gods purity and holiness is to be found in all this, as namely in willing a man to be a reasonable creature, a beast to be a creature unreasonable, seeing now you affirm, that Gods will cannot pitch but upon that which is pure and holy? If I be not deceived, you are now passing to another point, and do ⟨p. 463⟩begin to apply the terms of your assertion to Gods will of commanding; which makes me remember what the Welsh Tailor said to his boy, in making a garment while the owner stood by: for he cried out, Potherion, potherion, which afterwards by inquiry was found to signify, Wide stitches, wide stitches. At length you come to the fountain whence you fetch your Divinity, whilst others taste it but in trenches. And you tell us out of the book of Wisdom, that For as much as God 1is righteous, he ordereth all things righteously, thinking it not agreeable to his power to condemn him that hath not deserved to be punished. God is righteous in keeping his word; I hope you will not deny it: neither Philo the Jew, nor the author of the book of Wisdom, doth inform us of any other righteousness in God. Sure I am, that both Suarez and Vasquez, other manner of Scholars then Philo ever was, acknowledge no justice in God, in respect of his creatures, but upon supposition of his will. Now God hath promised, that every soul that sinneth, it shall dye, and not that the sons 2teeth shall be set on edge for the sins of the father. And yet I appeal to your own judgement, whether thus to carry himself be to do that which is agreeable to his power, or rather that which is agreeable to his righteousness. God, you say, loveth truth & sincere dealing, because he himself is true & just. Yet when the devil testified of the Apostles saying, These are the servants of the most high God, which show unto us the ways of everlasting life, though it were a truth which they uttered, yet the coming of it out of such a ones mouth, I think was as little liked by God himself, as by his Apostle. Amongst the actions of heathen men, truth was found, as well as other virtuous conversation; yet of their best actions Austin was bold to profess, that they were no better then splendida peccata. 3And he gives this rule for the discerning of true goodnesse, Noveris non ossiciis, sed sinibus discernendas esse virtutes.