A14095:162
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.
It implies contradiction to affirm his power, or wisdom to be more infinite then his essence, if so be we conceive his power, and wisdom to be his essence. And yet to be in many places more then another thing is, is not to make it infinite, because all places put together, are but finite, much less to make it more infinite.
It implyes contradiction to affirme his power, or wisedome to be more infinite then his essence, if so be we conceave his power, and wisedome to be his essence. And yet to be in many places more then another thing is, is not to make it infinite, because all places put together, are but finite, much lesse to make it more infinite.
Not only some great Schoolmen, as you speak, but all of them for ought I know to the contrary, distinguish of Gods being in all things by his essence, by his power, by his presence; and so the vulgar verse runs, Enter, praesenter. Deus est, & ubique potenter; Although they take several courses in the explication of them, as we may read in Vasquez. Three of which explications, 1he takes upon him to confute, to wit, that of Alexander Halensis, as also the way of Bonaventure, and lastly the way of Durand: & resteth himself upon the explication of Aquinas, followed as he saith by Cajetan, Albertus, Aegidius, Ricardus, Capreolus, & Gabriel, & the exposition there set ⟨p. 109⟩down is this. 1. God is in all things by his essence, because his substance is not distant from things, but joined with them, whether in respect of himself, or in respect of his operation. 2. By his presence, because he knows all things. 3. By his power, because his power reacheth unto every thing. Now I freely profess, I cannot satisfy my self in this distinction. And to my judgement, presence is only in respect of essence, or of that individual substance whatsoever it be, which is said to be present, whether it hath knowledge or no, what power soever it hath much or little, & whether it work or no. Now the essence of God is never parted from his knowledge and power. And God indeed cannot be said, in proper speech, to be more distant from one place or thing, then from any other. But he may be said, I confess, to be in one place more then in another, in as much as he doth manifest himself more in one place, then in another. He is in all places as the Author of nature, & communicating the gifts of nature; in special sort he is said to be in his Church as the Author of grace, & communicating the gifts of grace, but in most special manner in the third Heaven as the Author of glory, & communicating himself in glorious manner unto his Angels and Saints; all which diversities of being are rather in respect of his power, then of his essence. For how is God said to be in any thing? as contained? by no means, but rather as containing; which containing is a transient operation of God, proceeding from his power, & his will. Thus saith the Apostle God is not far from every one of us; for as much as in him we