A14095:812
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.
But how doth this agree with your tenet, seeing herhence it follows that God can produce any act of Mans freewill, any casual thing and if he can so do, what hind•h but that he could from everlasting decree to produce them? Yet not alone as formerly you have interpreted what it is for things to be in God. For it is impossible that God should produce the act of mans will without man. For if without man, then it is not the act of mans will, which is an immanent act of the will.
But how doth this agree with your tenet, seing herhence it followes that God can produce any act of Mans freewill, any casuall thinge and if he can so doe, what hind•h but that he could from everlasting decree to produce them? Yet not alone as formerly you have interpreted what it is for things to be in God. For it is impossible that God should produce the act of mans will without man. For if without man, then it is not the act of mans will, which is an immanente act of the will.
Thirdly, it is false to say that the perfect knowledge of Gods essence, necessarily includes the perfect knowledge of all things that have been, are, or shall be. It includes I confess the knowledge of all necessary truths, and of all things possible; but as for the knowledge of contingent truths, and of these to come, it includes not that; unless under the essence of God, you comprehend the will of God. And so to distinguish as to say that all necessary truths God knoweth by necessity of nature, but all contingent truths he knoweth by the determination of his own will; which indeed is a truth, but flat opposite to your opinion. But that things contingent cannot be known to be future, but upon the determination of Gods will, I prove thus. Things ⟨p. 325⟩cannot be known to be future until they are future; (for to apprehend or conceive things to be future, when they are not future, is not to know, but to err,) but contingent things, and only possible to be or not to be, do not become future till the determination of Gods will hath made them future. Therefore contingent things cannot be known to be future but upon the determination of God will.