A90293:113
Theomachia autexousiastikē
Theomachia autexousiastikē: or, A display of Arminianism. Being a discovery of the old Pelagian idol free-will, with the new goddess contingency, advancing themselves, into the throne of the God of heaven to the prejudice of his grace, providence, and supreme dominion over the children of men. Wherein the main errors of the Arminians are laid open, by which they are fallen off from the received doctrine of all the reformed churches, with their opposition in divers particulars to the doctrine established in the Church of England. Discovered out of their own writings and confessions, and confuted by the Word of God. / By John Owen, Master of Arts of Queens College in Oxon.Theomachia autexousiastikē: or, A display of Arminianisme. Being a discovery of the old Pelagian idol free-will, with the new goddesse contingency, advancing themselves, into the throne of the God of heaven to the prejudice of his grace, providence, and supreme dominion over the children of men. Wherein the maine errors of the Arminians are laid open, by which they are fallen off from the received doctrine of all the reformed churches, with their opposition in divers particulars to the doctrine established in the Church of England. Discovered out of their owne writings and confessions, and confuted by the Word of God. / By Iohn Owen, Master of Arts of Queens Colledge in Oxon.
London: printed by I.L. for Phil. Stephens, 1643
Title page typeset from the transcription.
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.
First, they deny that God (in whom we live and move and have our being) doth any thing by his providence,h whereby the ⟨p. 32⟩creature should be stirred up, or helped in any of his actions: that is, God wholly leaves a man in the hand of his own counsel, to the disposal of his own absolute independent power, without any respect to his providence at all: whence, as they do, they may well conclude:i That those things, which God would have to be done of us freely, (such as are all humane actions,) he cannot himself, will or work, more powerful and effectually, then by the way of wishing or desiring, as Vorstius speaks: which is no more, then one man can do concerning another, perhaps far less then an Angel: I can wish or desire that another man would do, what I have a mind, he should: but truly to describe the providence of God by such expressions, seems to me intolerable blasphemy: but thus it must be, without such helps as these, Dagon cannot keep on his head, nor the Idol of uncontrollable Free-will enjoy his dominion.
First, they deny that God (in whom we live and move and have our being) doth any thing by his providence,h whereby the ⟨p. 32⟩creature should be stirred up, or helped in any of his actions: that is, God wholly leaves a man in the hand of his owne counsell, to the disposall of his owne absolute independent power, without any respect to his providence at all: whence, as they doe, they may well conclude:i That those things, which God would have to be done of us freely, (such as are all humane actions,) he cannot himselfe, will or worke, more powerfull and effectually, then by the way of wishing or desiring, as Vorstius speakes: which is no more, then one man can doe concerning another, perhaps farre lesse then an Angel: I can wish or desire that another man would doe, what I have a minde, he should: but truly to describe the providence of God by such expressions, seemes to me intollerable blasphemie: but thus it must be, without such helpes as these, Dagon cannot keepe on his head, nor the Idoll of uncontroulable Free-will enioy his dominion.