A14095:65
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 by your leave, I do not think, that any creature, capable of immortality, in what sense soever appliable to Angels as well as unto men, can be made immortal by nature. Yet I doubt not, but God can make creatures in such sort immortal by nature, as that no second cause can make them cease to be. For it is apparent, that God hath many such, as namely the Angels and souls of men. Yet still their natures are annihilable, in respect of the power of God. Neither can I believe, that to be immortal in Seneca's language, was to be without beginning. For I do not find, but that the Stoics together with Plato, conceived that the World had a beginning. But in this respect he calleth them eternal, (I should think) because the World, together with the kinds of things therein contained, subject to corruption and generation in particulars, should have no end, and that by the Providence of God. We believe that nothing is absolutely necessary, but God. But Aristotle believed the World also to be everlasting without beginning, & of absolute necessity. For that the World should be created originally out of nothing, all Philosophers held impossible, and that the matter should be everlasting, and of absolute necessity, whereof the World was to be made, that seemed impossible unto Aristotle, and that upon good reason. The creation therefore is to be justified against Philosophers by sound argument, and not avouched only by bare contestation. That which followeth, we Christians are apt enough to believe, but you take upon you to convict Philosophers of the truth of them by evident reason; this I say you undertake, but prove not. You say, that the most strong and perspicuous way of inferring the existence of God, is by this, that all things are originally derived from him, and made by him. And indeed, let it be proved, that the World had a beginning of being, and it ⟨p. 37⟩will be manifest thereby, that there is a God, to wit, the Maker of the World. But you have not yet proved against Philosophers that the creation of the World is to be acknowledged.
Yet by your leave, I doe not thinke, that any creature, capable of immortalitie, in what sense soever applyable to Angells as well as unto men, can be made immortall by nature. Yet I doubt not, but God can make creatures in such sort immortall by nature, as that no second cause can make them ceasse to be. For it is apparant, that God hathe many such, as namely the Angels and soules of men. Yet still their natures are annihilable, in respect of the power of God. Neyther can I believe, that to be immortall in Senecaes language, was to be without beginninge. For I doe not finde, but that the Stoicks together with Plato, conceaved that the World had a beginninge. But in this respect he calleth them eternall, (I shoulde thinke) because the World, together with the kindes of thinges therin conteyned, subject to corruption and generation in particulars, should have no ende, and that by the Providence of God. We believe that nothinge is absolutely necessary, but God. But Aristotle believed the World allso to be everlasting without beginninge, & of absolute necessitie. For that the World shoulde be created originally out of nothinge, all Philosophers helde impossible, and that the matter shoulde be everlastinge, and of absolute necessity, wherof the World was to be made, that seemed impossible unto Aristotle, and that upon good reason. The creation therfore is to be justified against Philosophers by sound argument, and not avouched only by bare contestation. That which followethe, we Christians are apt enoughe to believe, but you take upon you to convict Philosophers of the truthe of them by evident reason; this I say you undertake, but proove not. You say, that the most strong and perspicuous way of inferringe the existence of God, is by this, that all thinges are originally derived from him, and made by him. And indeede, let it be prooved, that the World had a beginninge of beinge, and it