A14095:942
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 God himself was from everlasting and still continueth unto everlasting, in like sort Gods decree or will was from everlasting, and the same will of his continueth still without any alteration or shadow of change. But albeit Gods will continueth the same without change and end, yet I find no example to justify this phrase of yours, in saying God now decreeth the things that befall us; and you may as well say that God shall decree the things that do befall us; and that by the same reason; for his decree hath no end. And is it a sober speech think you to affirm, that God doth now decree the creation of the World, or the fall of Angels, or the turning of Adam out of Paradise, or Noah's flood, or the burning of Sodom and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone? You say it is much safer to think on Gods decree as present to the whole course of our life, then as it was before the World: for so we shall think of them as of acts past and finished, more irrevocable then the laws of the Medes and Persians. Well then you deny not that these decrees were before the World, if this be as much as to be ⟨p. 388⟩now past and finished, then also it is true, that they are acts past and finished; which you deny; If to be before the world be not to be past and finished, then to think of them as they were before the World, is not to think of them as acts past & finished, which yet you say it is, but without all reason in this case. And I pray what think you? are Gods decrees, which you dare not to deny to have had their existence before the world, of a revocable nature? Certainly they are no more alterable then that which is past irrevocable. But like as God cannot be said to be past, though he was before the World: Because he still continueth and shall continue for ever: So the decrees of God cannot be said to be past, though they were before the World; because the same will whereby he decreed all things, doth continue without all change and shall continue for ever, though the things decreed and willed by him do change from things to come to things present, from things present to things past. But the laws of men suppose liberty in the makers while they are in making, which they utterly take from them being enacted.
As God himselfe was from everlasting and still continueth unto everlastinge, in like sort Gods decree or will was from everlasting, and the same will of his continueth still without any alteration or shadowe of change. But albeit Gods will continueth the same without change and end, yet I finde no example to justify this phrase of yours, in saying God now decreeth the thinges that befall us; and you may as well say that God shall decree the things that doe befall us; and that by the same reason; for his decree hath no end. And is it a sober speech thinke you to affirme, that God doth now decree the creation of the World, or the fall of Angells, or the turning of Adam out of Paradise, or Noahs flood, or the burning of Sodome and Gomorrah with fire and brimstone? You say it is much safer to thinke on Gods decree as present to the whole course of our life, then as it was before the World: for so we shall thinke of them as of acts past and finished, more irrevocable then the lawes of the Medes and Persians. Well then you deny not that these decrees were before the World, if this be as much as to be