A14095:39
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.
Painters (you say) can more exactly express, the outward lineaments of things, then we their natures. Painters expressions are in colours; our expressions are not so, but rather in words. And what a wild comparison is it, to compare things so heterogeneall in exactness. But though the expression of the one fail in exactness, in comparison of the other, yet the delight taken therein (you say) needs not: And thus you plot to make the love of God a work of nature, whereunto the natural conceptions of him, though nothing exact, by means of the creature may lead us. These conceptions of yours, are in my judgement as far from truth, as from piety. The frequent ebbs & flowings of Euripus, may cast a Philosopher into admiration, not comprehending the reason of it, yet bring him nothing the more in love with it. Angels are of very glorious natures, & in a manner quite out of the reach of our reason, both touching their being in place, their motion, their understanding, & the communicating of their thoughts, & exercising of their power; yet all this bringeth us never a whit the more in love with them. Impressions of love are wrought only by the apprehension of goodness in the object, which alone makes things amiable; as a beautiful picture affecteth the sense with pleasure and delight. But now I find, that from the impression of love, you slip I know not how, to the impression of truth: & this I confess, delighteth some minds of purer metal; as Aristotle speaks of the delight that a Man ⟨p. 20⟩takes, in the demonstration, whereby it is proved, that the Diameter in a squat, hath no common dimension with the sides of it, or that a triangle hath three angles equal to two right. Especially if the conclusion be rare & long sought after but not found, as the squaring of a circle received as knowable in Aristotle's days, though not known till of late, as Pancirolla writes & Salmuly in his commentaries upon him, about 30. years before that time. Yet some speculations may be as vain as curious: as to prove, that two Men in the World there are, that have just so many hairs on their head one as another.
Painters (you say) can more exactly expresse, the outward lineaments of thinges, then we their natures. Painters expressions are in colours; our expressions are not so, but rather in woordes. And what a wilde comparison is it, to compare thinges so heterogeneall in exactnes. But though the expression of the one fayle in exactnes, in comparison of the other, yet the delight taken therin (you say) needes not: And thus you plot to make the love of God a woorke of nature, wherunto the naturall conceptions of him, though nothing exact, by meanes of the creature may leade us. These conceptions of yours, are in my judgement as farre from truthe, as from pietie. The frequent ebbes & flowings of Euripus, may cast a Philosopher into admiration, not comprehending the reason of it, yet bringe him nothing the more in love with it. Angells are of very glorious natures, & in a manner quite out of the reach of our reason, bothe touching their being in place, their motion, their understandinge, & the communicatinge of their thoughts, & exercising of their power; yet all this bringeth us never a whit the more in love with them. Impressions of love are wrought only by the apprehension of goodnes in the object, which alone makes thinges amiable; as a beautifull picture affecteth the sense with pleasure and delight. But nowe I finde, that from the impression of love, you slip I knowe not howe, to the impression of truthe: & this I confesse, delightethe some mindes of purer metall; as Aristotle speakes of the delight that a Man