A14095:204
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.
8. Your former discourse about the Sphere, together with the Centre and Circumference (spoken of) of Gods immensity, you perceive is likely to raise some Spirits; and therefore aforehand, you show a course how to lay them. The first is, How a Centre should be conceived to be every where? The second How the indivisibility of Gods presence should be compared to a Centre? To the former, you answer, that As the Divine essence by reason of absolute infinity hath an absolute necessity of coexistence, with space or magnitude infinite; so were it possible there should be (as some Divines hold it possible there may be) a magnitude or Sphere actually infinite, this magnitude could have no set point for its centre, but of every point designable in it, we might avouch this is the Centre: Every point should have the negative properties of a spherical centre, there could be no inequality between the distances of several parts from the Circumference of that, which is infinite, and hath no bounds of magnitude. So then God by absolute necessity of nature must coexist with that, which neither doth exist, nor can exist by the opinion of most. For that an infinite body should exist, is not only by Aristotle and Aquinas proved, but most generally held to be impossible. But if such a thing be impossible to exist, it is also impossible that God should coexist with it; & consequently most false, is that which you say, namely that by reason of his infinity, it is absolutely necessary, that God should coexist with it.
8. Your former discourse about the Spheare, together with the Center and Circumference (spoken of) of Gods immensitie, you perceave is likely to rayse some Spirits; and therfore aforehand, you shewe a course how to lay them. The first is, How a Center should be conceaved to be every where? The second How the indivisibility of Gods praesence should be compared to a Center? To the former, you answeare, that As the Divine essence by reason of absolute insinity hath an absolute necessitie of coexistence, with space or magnitude infinite; so were it possible there should be (as some Divines holde it possible there may be) a magnitude or Spheare actually infinite, this magnitude could have no set point for its center, but of every point designable in it, we might avouche this is the Center: Every point shoulde have the negative properties of a sphericall center, there coulde be no inequalitie betweene the distances of severall parts from the Circumference of that, which is insinite, and hath no boundes of magnitude. So then God by absolute necessitie of nature must coexist with that, which neyther doth exist, nor can exist by the opinion of most. For that an infinite body should exist, is not only by Aristotle and Aquinas prooved, but most generally helde to be impossible. But if such a thing be impossible to exist, it is allso impossible that God should coexist with it; & consequently most false, is that which you say, namely that by reason of his infinity, it is absolutely necessary, that God should coexist with it.