A14095:733
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.
So that herein you do manifestly suppose that we by Gods foreknowledge of future things did understand the wisdom of God. It seems you conceive it to be so, but as for us we take it to be so foul an absurdity that we desire, though you please your own lips with such lettuce, yet until you have better ground for it you will not charge it upon us. For even for a man to foreknow what he meaneth to do is no part of wisdom. For the ve•yest fool that is may know and be privy to what he meaneth to do. Every man is privy to his own thoughts and purposes. No man knoweth the things of man but the Spirit of Man. 1. Cor. 2. 8. So then the spirit of man is well enough acquainted with the purposes of man. But the wisdom that directeth the will of God is that which the learned call Scientia simplicis intelligenti•, whereby God knows what is most fit to be done for the compassing of his proposed ends, which your self confess to be the part of wisdom in the beginning of the former Section. Where also you made not the least mention of any such part of wisdom as to foreknow what one meaneth to do. Now Gods decree of producing future things in their season is a decree of the, means tending to the end which God h• intended, namely the setting forth of his glory. For God makes all things for himself. And this wisdom includeth knowledge, it is 1true the knowledge of all means whereby his glory may be ⟨p. 281⟩set forth, and God makes choice of what he thinks fit, and all this knowledge is not the knowledge of what shall be, but only the knowledge of what may be, or is fi•t to be, which all the learned acknowledge to be scientia simplicis intelligentiae. and they make it distinct from scientia visionis which is the knowledge of what shall be. And these knowledges all acknowledge to be so far different as that the one to wit scientia simplicis intelligentiae is precedent to Gods decree, the other to wit scientia visionis is subsequent which two knowledges in God, how judiciously and learnedly in the course of your magisterial censure you are pleased to confound let the Reader judge. But to proceed, hereupon you betake your self o interrogatories.