A14095:772
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.
Now let us examine this a little further. You speak indifferently ⟨p. 304⟩of good and evil that doth befall men; And these indifferently you profess to be ordained by God upon the foresight of some thing in man; So then like as the damnation of any man is ordained by God not absolutely, and in the first place but upon the foresight of some evil thing in the person damned; so the salvation of any man is not decreed absolutely by God, and in the first place, but upon the fore sight of some good in the person, saved or to be saved, which good must be either faith or good works or both; or which is worst of all some thing which is less evil (as suppose natural humility) in the state of nature. Yet you will not seem to be an abetter of their opinion, that maintain election to be upon the foresight of faith or works.
Now let us examine this a little further. You speake indifferently ⟨p. 304⟩of good and evill that doth befall men; And these indifferently you prosesse to be ordayned by God upon the foresight of some thing in man; So then like as the damnation of any man is ordayned by God not absolutely, and in the first place but upon the foresight of some evill thing in the person damned; so the salvation of any man is not decreed absolutely by God, and in the first place, but upon the fore sight of some good in the person, saved or to be saved, which good must be eyther faith or good workes or both; or which is worst of all some thing which is lesse evill (as suppose naturall humilitie) in the state of nature. Yet you will not seeme to be an abetter of their opinion, that maintayne election to be upon the foresight of faith or workes.
Yet let me have one bout with you more in the point of reprobation also. God foreseeing some evil in man (say you) doth purpose to condemn him: Now because like as no evil can exist without Gods permission; so God could not foresee evil but upon presupposall of his purpose to permit it, it followeth that the decree to permit sin, is before the decree of God to damn for sin, therefore permission of sin is in Gods intention before damnation, and consequently it must be after it, in execution, as much as to say; God doth first damn men for sin, and afterwards permit them to sin. Hereupon you will reflect upon us with an interrogatory saying; Will you maintain that God did first decree to damn men for sin, and secondly to permit them to sin? I answer; If I did maintain this, I should look to be confuted by reason, and not to be cried down without reason, or contrary to all reason. Nay I had rather maintain an harsh opinion according unto reason, then a plausible opinion in contradiction unto manifest reason.