A14095:49
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.
Yet that he did acknowledge a cause of it, is no where evident. Nay he opposeth Plato, & the rest before him, who ⟨p. 25⟩maintained, that the World was made, & so accordingly, that it had a beginning: whereby it seems, that he, denying the creation of the World, denied therewithal that the World had any efficient cause. And indeed, whosoever maintains, that the world had a beginning by creation, must therewithal maintain, that either it was made of something, or of nothing. You will not say that tis a thing evident that the World was made of some preexistent matter, which matter had existence without creation. For that is unto us Christians a manifest untruth. Therefore you must be driven to maintain, that it is a truth evident of it self, that the World was made originally out of nothing; or at least, that it may be immediately concluded evidently, by a principle, which is evident of it self; thus Whatsoever hath bounds of being hath been made, the World hath bounds of being: therefore it hath been made; and seeing it was not made of any thing preexistent; therefore it was made of nothing. Now what Wise man will acknowledge this discourse to be evident? considering how many Learned Philosophers conceived it to be a thing impossible, that any thing could be made out of nothing; as also considering that the H. Ghost imputeth the acknowledgement hereof, not to any natural evidence, but only unto faith, as where the Apostle saith, by faith we believe that the World was made, so that things which we 1see were made [Greek or Hebrew], not of things that do.
Yet that he did acknowledge a cause of it, is no where evident. Nay he opposethe Plato, & the rest before him, who ⟨p. 25⟩maynteyned, that the World was made, & so accordingly, that it had a beginninge: wherby it seemes, that he, denyinge the creation of the World, denyed therwithall that the World had any efficient cause. And indeede, whosoever maynteynes, that the world had a beginning by creation, must therwithall maynteyne, that eyther it was made of somethinge, or of nothinge. You will not say that tis a thing evident that the World was made of some preexistent matter, which matter had existence without creation. For that is unto us Christians a manifest untruthe. Therfore you must be driven to maynteyne, that it is a truthe evident of it selfe, that the World was made originally out of nothinge; or at least, that it may be immediately concluded evidently, by a principle, which is evident of it selfe; thus Whatsoever hath boundes of beinge hath bene made, the World hath boundes of beinge: therfore it hath bene made; and seing it was not made of any thing preexistent; therfore it was made of nothing. Now what Wise man will acknowledge this discourse to be evident? considering howe many Learned Philosophers conceaved it to be a thing impossible, that any thing coulde be made out of nothinge; as allso consideringe that the H. Ghost imputethe the acknowledgement herof, not to any naturall evidence, but only unto faithe, as where the Apostle saythe, by faithe we believe that the World was made, so that things which we