A14095:709
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.
Secondly either you suppose that all this multiplicity of means you speak of, shall be used or no. If all be not used, then God doth not forecast the full accomplishment of his proposed end by this multiplicity of means possible, you speak of, but only by some of them, namely so many as were used. And indeed it is very strange, that all means possible to be used should be used to the accomplishment of every proposed end, or indeed of any proposed end. But if all be used, and all fail save the last, upon what ground can you say that the end proposed must necessarily be accomplished by this last, which is as possible to miscarry as the former; for you have not signified that God always useth this course, as to use the courses first that are most possible to miscarry, and such as are least possible in the last place; nay your self profess all the means to be alike possible, and probable. To this you seem to answer in the sentence following, that it comes to pass by the rules of eternal wisdom. Namely that if an hundred means be appointed for the apprehension of a Traitor, and ninety and nine do amiss, the hundred, and last by the rules of eternal wisdom must of necessity take. But where ⟨p. 264⟩these rules of eternal wisdom are to be found, that you do not tell us, and therefore we take liberty to discourse against it thus; was it not possible for God to have used this means in the first, or second, or third, or middle place, or in the place last save one which he useth in the last? you have not manifested the least likelihood to deny this. Now if used in the first place, or in the last place save one it might have miscarried, why not in this, seeing the nature of it is not altered but continueth the same still, working only contingently unto the producing of the end proposed, and not necessarily? Again all other means failing this takes effect (you say) by the rules of eternal wisdom. Now I demand if none other had been appointed but this, why could not this alone being used have taken effect by rules of eternal wisdom as well, as now it doth, that is why could not God ordain that by this means only used, the effect intended should be brought to pass, as well as by this means used after, the use of many other, seeing still the effect comes to pass by his means alone and not by any other:
Secondly eyther you suppose that all this multiplicity of meanes you speake of, shall be used or no. If all be not used, then God doth not forecast the full accomplishment of his proposed end by this multiplicity of meanes possible, you speake of, but onely by some of them, namely so many as were used. And indeed it is very strange, that all meanes possible to be used should be used to the accomplishment of every proposed end, or indeede of any proposed end. But if all be used, and all faile save the last, upon what ground can you say that the end proposed must necessarily be accomplished by this last, which is as possible to miscarry as the former; for you have not signified that God alwayes useth this course, as to use the courses first that are most possible to miscarry, and such as are least possible in the last place; nay your selfe professe all the meanes to be alike possible, and probable. To this you seeme to answere in the sentence following, that it comes to passe by the rules of eternall wisedome. Namely that if an hundred meanes be appointed for the apprehension of a Traytor, and ninety and nine doe amisse, the hundreth, and last by the rules of eternall wisedome must of necessitie take. But where