A14095:178
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.
5. Gods immensity is no more subject to his will and power to be straitened, then his eternity: But as God is not in time, that being a measure only fit for creatures subject to mutation, but in his own eternity, which is all one with himself: So neither is he in place a measure fit for creatures only subject to extension, but in his own immensity, which is all one with himself. And as by his eternity he doth transcendently and supereminently comprehend all times: so by his immensity doth he comprehend all places. So that neither do we say, that the first could not be, neither do we say, that this your second way can be. Only we dare not say, the essence of God doth pierce all things; least we should give unto his simple and indivisible nature, some kind of extension.
5. Gods immensitie is no more subject to his will and power to be streitned, then his eternitie: But as God is not in time, that being a measure only fitt for creatures subject to mutation, but in his owne eternitie, which is all one with himselfe: So neyther is he in place a measure fitt for creatures only subject to extension, but in his owne immensitie, which is all one with himselfe. And as by his eternitie he doth transcendently and supereminently comprehend all times: so by his immensitie dothe he comprehend all places. So that neyther doe we say, that the first could not be, neyther doe we say, that this your second way can be. Only we dare not say, the essence of God dothe pierce all things; least we should give unto his simple and indivisible nature, some kinde of extension.
And how can you avoid it, in making the essence or substance of God to pierce all things; how, I say, can you avoid the maintaining of Gods essence to be changeable from place to place, (upon supposition that the World may move either Eastward, or Westward, farther then it is) or that his essence is in Uacuo, and that after a manner of extension, as ⟨p. 116⟩before hath been argued. Now you tell us, that mutability is incompetent with infinity: yet in the very next section foregoing, you reckoned it a point of impotency not to be able to change, as Angels do their mansions, when they mislike them. Of which course of Angels, either as touching their mistake, or change of mansion I am nothing conscious, as neither am I of any oracle tending that way.