A14095:123
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.
Yet I envy no man the delight that he takes in these and such like contemplations, but rather wonder that succession, and extension should be reckoned up by you as excellencies and perfections contained in God, and that all these mentioned attributes laid out in several, should have infinities added unto them. Much more should we have wondered, if the issue of your discourse had been answerable to the original, which is to show, not how power, and wisdom, & goodness are all one in God, which are with us of accidental denomination; but to show how every substance is in God, of Angel, of man, of beasts, of birds, of fishes, of worms and every creeping thing; and that all these are to be accounted excellencies and perfections. And surely they had need to be in God, in a more excellent manner, then they are in themselves; otherwise their advancing so high, would be too great a degrading of the nature of God.
Yet I envy no man the delight that he takes in these and such like contemplations, but rather wonder that succession, and extension shoulde be reckoned up by you as excellencyes and perfections conteyned in God, and that all these mentioned attributes layde out in severall, should have infinities added unto them. Much more should we have wondered, if the issue of your discourse had bene answearable to the originall, which is to shewe, not how power, and wisedome, & goodnes are all one in God, which are with us of accidentall denomination; but to shewe how every substance is in God, of Angell, of man, of beasts, of birds, of fishes, of woormes and every creeping thinge; and that all these are to be accoumpted excellencyes and perfections. And surely they had neede to be in God, in a more excellent manner, then they are in themselves; otherwise their advancing so highe, woulde be too great a degrading of the nature of God.
But to add my mite of discourse, touching the being of all things in God, and the precise unity of all things in God, which under a form of plurality according to our conceits, are attributed unto him. As touching the first, that all perfections are in God, is to be acknowledged without all controversy, because we understand by God such a nature, as nothing can be imagined better; and I approve of Aquinas his reason. Like as heat if it did exist of it self, it should comprehend all degrees of heat: so the essence of God being all one with his existence, that is he being essentially [Greek or Hebrew], all perfections of being must necessarily be comprehended in him. But as for the perfections of being