A14095:878
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.
As for your principles how they confer to the clearing of this, I persuade my self you are not able to manifest. And what need, I pray, of making a difference between these principles which seem to be all one; and your self have coupled them together, as all one in the former section, and in that argument of yours whereby you proved the immutability of God. Yet these principles must be helped with another supposition, that so they may do the deed; that is, That absolute contingency, or possibilities aequipendent betwixt many effects, may as truly be the object of Gods eternal decree, as necessity in other works of nature.
As for your principles how they conferre to the clearing of this, I perswade my selfe you are not able to manifest. And what need, I pray, of making a difference betweene these principles which seeme to be all one; and your selfe have coupled them tog•ther, as all one in the former section, and in that argument of yours whereby you proved the immutability of God. Yet these principles must bee helpt with another supposition, that so they may doe the deed; that is, That absolute contingency, or possibilities aequipendent betwixt many effects, may as truly be the object of Gods eternall decree, as necessity in other workes of nature.
Which supposition to raise your readers thoughts to an admiration of the momentous nature thereof, you say, You have often promised, and once for all by Gods assistance shall undoubtedly prove: whereas you might well spare your pains in this, no man being so simple as to question it, were it not that you do intoxicate your readers thoughts in the delivering of it with wild phrases, in calling the contingency of things possibilities aequipendent. enough to stagger a man at the very noise of such cracking of thorns. We maintain that God decreeth not only contingency, but things contingent; as namely Cyrus 1his restoring of the Jews, and giving them liberty to return to their own country: the burning of the Prophets bones 2