A14095:1127
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.
3. You would willingly draw Heathens to the acknowledgement of this fatherhood in God towards all; though thinking it too narrow to comprehend all references of loving kindnesses between him and demy gods, which demy gods you take to be men. I think rather they were conceived to be inferior spirits; like as Aristotle makes all inferior intelligences to depend upon the first mover. And what reference of loving kindness is comprehended in this, that Jupiter is said to be both male and female, you may at leisure dilate of when you please. Gods affection to his children exceeds the affection of any mother towards the fruit of her womb. For God was content to purchase his Church with ⟨p. 500⟩1his own blood. Your next sentence containes meere non sense: I rectify it thus; And as if his love could not be sufficiently expressed by these dearest references amongst men, &c. he hath chosen the most affectionate female, &c. Thus I make sense of it; but the poorest sense that ever was vented in so grave a matter of discourse. As if the greatness of place, or curiosity of education did make mothers so little compassionate towards their children, that God is fain to seek out for more proper resemblances. Thus you fetch about for matter, as Balaam did for divinations; as if there were no women in the world, but delicate Ladies, or such nice & curious dames, whose niceness hath made them so unnatural, that our Saviour was driven to compare his tender affection unto the affection of a hen towards her chicken; which creature is magnified by you (to hold up the jest) for the most affectionate female amongst reasonless creatures: implying that reasonable creatures may in tenderness of affection right well exceed the hen, and so you quite mar your own play. But where do you find (if a man might be so bold to ask) that an hen is so superlative a creature in her affection towards her chicken? I can hardly believe that either Aristotle or Pliny hath afforded you any such observation, but rather your comment upon them, or upon the book of Nature. What? is an hen more affectionate to her young ones, then a Pelican is to hers, who is said to let her self blood to feed them?
3. You would willingly draw Heathens to the acknowledgement of this fatherhood in God towards all; though thinking it too narrow to comprehend all references of loving kindnesses betweene him and demy gods, which demy gods you take to be men. I thinke rather they were conceived to be inferiour spirits; like as Aristotle makes all inferiour intelligences to depend upon the first mover. And what reference of loving kindnesse is comprehended in this, that Iupiter is said to be both male and female, you may at leisure dilate of when you please. Gods affection to his children exceeds the affection of any mother towards the fruit of her wombe. For God was content to purchase his Church with