A14095:891
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.
So belike amongst diverse things whereunto Gods power doth extend, his freedom must not extend to all, but be confined to that which is good. As if there were some rules of good and evil prescribed unto God, and he were confined to the one, and restrained from the other. This is Arminius his language, upon which occasion, I have been bold to encounter their […] in two digressions, who maintain that there is a justice tha• doth oblige the will of God. If you would deal plainly in setting down your opinion, and Scholastically, in taking pains to dispute for it, and not in some sorry manner to beg the question, I should be ready with the help of God to enter into the lists in this point with you also.
So belike amongst diverse things whereunto Gods power doth extend, his freedome must not extend to all, but be confined to that which is good. As if there were some rules of good and evill prescribed unto God, and he were confined to the one, and restrayned from the other. This is Arminius his language, upon which occasion, I have bene bold to encounter their 〈…〉 in two digressions, who maintayne that there is a justice tha• doth oblige the will of God. If you would deale plainly in setting downe your opinion, and Scholastically, in taking paynes to dispute for it, and not in some sory manner to begge the question, I should be ready with the help of God to enter into the lists in this point with you also.
And at this time, had you named any thing that God cannot do in the way of justice, which otherwise he hath power to do, I would have taken the pains, not to consider it only, but to confute it. For I hold that tenet not far from blasphemy. And I do well observe that in expressing this your opinion, you do not signify that Gods freedom must be wedded to his goodness, but that freedom must be wedded to goodness. And indeed the freedom of men and Angels is to be limited by the laws of God, who is their Creator, and may and doth give laws unto them. But as for any law of obedience that God is bound unto, I know none, no not to his own goodness as being neither bound to manifest it nor to communicate it: but by necessity of nature he loves it, that is, himself, and by necessity of nature whatsoever he doth, he must do for himself, and for the setting forth of his own glory, as he shall think good, and not to any other end.