A14095:746
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.
To produce this or that, is the object of Gods decree, because he can choose whether he will produce this or tha•; but to work contingently is no object of Gods decree for it is not in Gods power to choose whether he will work contingently or necessarily. If he doth work at all ad extra he must needs work freely that is contingently. For as it is of the perfection of the divine nature to be necessarily, so it is the perfection of divine nature to work not necessarily in the producing of ought without him, but freely & contingently. But the divine nature differeth from the nature Angelical and humane, that he not only worketh freely, but also is able to create creatures herein like himself, that can work freely as namely Angels and men; like as he can and hath produced other creatures that work in all things necessarily.
To produce this or that, is the object of Gods decree, because he can choose whether he will produce this or tha•; but to worke contingently is no object of Gods decree •for it is not in Gods power to choose whether he will worke contingently or necessarily. If he doth worke at all ad extra he must needs worke freely that is contingently. For as it is of the perfection of the divine nature to bee necessarily, so it is the perfection of divine nature to worke not necessarily in the producing of ought without him, but freely & contingently. But the divine nature differeth from the nature Angelicall and humane, that he not only worketh freely, but also is able to create creatures herein like himselfe, that can worke freely as namely Angells and men; like as he can and hath produced other creatures that worke in all things necessarily.
Again, considering that necessity and contingency are but modi rerum certain manners of bringing things to pass, & therefore cannot exist without the things themselves which are said to exist and to be brought to pass either necessarily or contingently. Therefore it cannot be said that God doth produce the necessity or contingency of this or that particular, unless he produceth the particular it self; neither can he be said to decree the contingency or necessity of this or that particular, except he decree the thing it self. So that for God to decree the necessity or contingency of this or that particular, is nothing else then to decree that this particular shall necessarily come to pass, or such a particular shall contingently come to pass.