A14095:761
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.
8. Free it was for you to have done something the last year, which you did not, and every minute thereof, in case every minute thereof you were waking. For that a man hath free will in his sleep I never heard. But how thereby the whole frame of your cogitations or actions might have been altered, is a mystery unto me. Yet I doubt not but the whole frame of your cogitations and actions this year might have been altered. For actions free and contingent could not justly be accounted free and contingent, were they not accompanied with a possibility of being otherwise. And God you acknowledge to be the cause of this alteration, and of every thought and ⟨p. 298⟩deed thus altered. So then if there had been another course of your thoughts and actions, God had been the cause of it, and of every thought and deed. What think you of that course which hath been of your thoughts and actions; is God the true and principal cause of this also, and of every thought and deed of yours this year? I see no reason to the contrary, but it stands you upon to justify this also, as well as the former; and as of your self, so as concerning the actions of all o•her both men and Angels: and if for one year, why not for every year from the beginning unto this day? And so I see no colour of reason why you should not as freely acknowledge that all things are decreed by God; for if God hath decreed all the thoughts and actions of men, it will be no hard matter to grant that God hath decreed all things that in their times and seasons do successively come to pass. And if God be the true and principal cause of them, did he not decree that he would be the true and principal cause of them? that is, that he would in due time indeed and principally produce them, not withstanding all the evil that doth accompany them? For I do not think that you take upon you so much perfection as to avouch that amongst all your thoughts and actions for a year together, there was no evil thought, no evil action among them.
8. Free it was for you to have done something the last yeare, which you did not, and every minute thereof, in case every minute thereof you were waking. For that a man hath free will in his sleepe I never heard. But how thereby the whole frame of your cogitations or actions might have beene altered, is a mystery unto mee. Yet I doubt not but the whole frame of your cogitations and actions this yeare might have beene altered. For actions free and contingent could not justly bee accounted free and contingent, were they not accompanied with a possibility of being otherwise. And God you acknowledge to be the cause of this alteration, and of every thought and