A14095:271
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.
When God sent a pestilence among the Israelites, that in the space of 3. days swept away 70. thousand; was it a motion of theirs, or an endeavour to entertain time, that consumed them? Nay, when any disease proves mortal, how can it appear that when one man died of an Ague, another of the Dropsy, another of the squinancy, another of the pleurisy, another of the consumption, that all of them died of a certain disease, called their motions and endeavours to enjoy and entertain time approaching: A disease, that I think was never known to Hippocrates or Galen, or any Physician before or since. I should think the disease of Pastime should wast us more then the disease of enjoying Time. Others come to their ends by violent deaths, some in war, some by course of justice, others by private malice: In all these I find my self in the briers, and cannot possibly conceive, how mens own motions and endeavours to enjoy time should wast or consume them: or in case a man makes a way with himself by hanging drowning or poisoning. Not altogether so wild is that conceit of yours which followeth, in saying we naturally seek to catch time. Yet wild enough; for it is untrue that men catch. Time; they catch opportunity, which is [Greek or Hebrew], and not a little differing from [Greek or Hebrew]. Now opportunity is only an advantage of doing something conveniently offered to us in the course of Time. As it is good to make hay while the sun shineth, ergo; I will roundly set my self to the making of Hay, while this opportunity is offered, wherein I catch not ⟨p. 150⟩time but opportunity; for the Time were the same in case it rained, but the opportunity for making of Hay were not the same, because the weather in that case were not the same; And Hay-making requires fair weather.
When God sent apestilence among the Israelites, that in the space of 3. dayes swept awaye 70. thousand; was it a motion of theirs, or an endeavour to enterteyne time, that consumed them? Nay, when any disease proves mortall, how can it appeare that when one man died of an Ague, another of the Dropsie, another of the squinancy, another of the plurisie, another of the consumption, that all of them died of a certeyn disease, called theyr motions and endeavours to enjoy and enterteyne time approching: A disease, that I think was never knowne to Hipocrates or Galin, or any Physician before or since. I should think the desease of Pastime should wast us more then the desease of enjoying Time. Others come to theyr ends by violent deathes, some in warre, some by course of justice, others by private malice: In all these I find my selfe in the bryers, and cannot possiblie conceive, how mens owne motions and endeavours to enjoy time should wast or consume them: or in case a man makes a waye with himselfe by hanging drowning or poysoning. Not altogeather so wild is that conceyt of yours which followeth, in saying we naturally seeke to catch time. Yet wild enough; for it is untrue that men catch. Time; they catch opportunity, which is , and not a litle differing from . Now opportunity is only an advantage of doing something conveniently offered to us in the course of Time. As it is good to make hay while the sun shineth, ergo; I will roundly sett my selfe to the making of Hay, while this opportunity is offered, wherein I catch not