A14095:297
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.
And as for my self amongst reasonables, one though a poor one, having some knowledge both of eternity in the way of Christian Divinity, and of my proper being in the way of natural Philosophy; yet what it is to suck more of my portion of being at once then God think fit, I am utterly ignorant, and therefore cannot be conscious to my self of any such transgression: Suppose the durance of my being in the appointment of God be between 50. and 60. years, do I desire or can I desire to enjoy these 60. years in the space of 20. or is it possible by the almighty power of God that I should? I grant the knowledge and goodness I have arrived unto by Gods grace in the space of 50. years, I might have arrived unto in the space of 40. Yet am I not conscious of any desire I had of this: But this is only my accidental being, and therefore deserveth not simply to be accounted my proper being.
And as for my selfe amongst reasonables, one though a poore one, having some knowledge both of eternity in the waye of Christian Divinity, and of my proper being in the waye of naturall Philosophy; yet what it is to suck more of my portion of being at once then God think fitt, I am utterly ignorant, and therefore cannot be conscious to my selfe of any such transgression: Suppose the durance of my being in the appoyntement of God be betwene 50. and 60. yeares, doe I desire or can I desire to enjoy these 60. yeares in the space of 20. or is it possible by the almighty power of God that I should? I grant the knowledge and goodnes I have arrived unto by Gods grace in the space of 50. yeares, I might have arrived unto in the space of 40. Yet am I not conscious of any desire I had of this: But this is only my accidentall being, and therefore deserveth not simplie to be accompted my proper being.
The like may be as touching the Qualities or Quantity of my body: But my substantial being, that only deserveth to be accounted simply my Being; And this I had all at once, ⟨p. 159⟩as I had my organical body, and soul all at once; though the continuance of it I had not all at once; For that was impossible I should have, it being a continuance by way of succession of days after days &c. And f I had had all at once, there had been no succession; and therefore, in my judgement, it is absurd to say our portions of life are piece-meal & sparingly distributed unto us, lest too much being put into our hands at once might make us prodigal of the whole stock. And which implies, that God could, if it had pleased him, have made us enjoy the whole space of our life at once; For that were to make time past, present and to come, to exist altogether, which, I think, every wise man will judge to be impossible: Yet this case being put; how were it possible to the contrary, but that we must needs spend it all at once? For like as the space of life of 60. years must necessarily be spent in 60. years: So if we had all this space together in one day, or one year, we wust needs spend it together in the space of a day, or a year: In a word, sith this cannot be true of our essential being, which we have all at once undoubtedly; nor of our accidental being; for that cannot be properly accounted our being; it remains to be understood only of the continuance of our being: And to desire to have all this at once, is to desire to have at 7. years, as much age as others at 60: But no man desires this, though lately we hear, that after the surrendering of Rochelle, maidens, by reason of the famine there during the Siege, of 16. years old were found to look like women of an 100 years old. We rather desire in old-age to be young, like unto Moses who being an 100. and 20. his eye was not dim, nor his natural strength abated. Yet your conceit is manifestly impossible; for it proceeds not of having the qualities of age in youth, but the very continuance, which is as much as to say, at seven years of age to be as old as a man of 60. which no man desires, neither is it possible for God to effect.