A90293:124
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.
CHAP. V.
Whether the will and purpose of God may be resisted and he be frustrate of his intentions.
BY the former steps, is the Altar of Ahaz, set on the right hand of the Altar of God: the Arminian Idol, in a direct opposition exalted to an equal pitch, with the power, and will of the most high: I shall now present unto you, the spirit of God once more contending, with the towering imaginations of poor mortals, about a transcendent privilege of greatness, glory and power: for having made his decrees mutable, his prescience fallible, and almost quite devested him of his providence; as the sum and issue of all their endeavours, they affirm that his will may be resisted, he may fail of his intentions, be frustrate of his ends, he may, and doth propose, such things, as he neither doth, nor can at any time accomplish: and that, because the execution of such acts of his will, might haply clash against the freedom of the wills of men: which if it be not an expression of spiritual pride, above all that ever the devil attempted in heaven, divines do not well explicate that sin of his: now because there may seem some difficulty in this matter, by reason of the several acceptations of the will of God: especially in regard of that whereby it is affirmed that his law and precepts, are his will, which alas we all of us too often resist or transgress, I will unfold one distinction of the will of God, which will leave it clear, what it is, that the Arminians oppose, for which we count them worthy of so heavy a charge.
BY the former steps, is the Altar of Ahaz, set on the right hand of the Altar of God: the Arminian Idol, in a direct opposition exalted to an equall pitch, with the power, and will of the most high: I shall now present unto you, the spirit of God once more contending, with the towring imaginations of poore mortals, about a transcendent priviledge of greatnesse, glory and power: for having made his decrees mutable, his prescience fallible, and almost quite devested him of his providence; as the summe and issue of all their endeavours, they affirme that his will may be resisted, he may faile of his intentions, be frustrate of his ends, he may, and doth propose, such things, as he neither doth, nor can at any time accomplish: and that, because the execution of such acts of his will, might haply clash against the freedome of the wills of men: which if it be not an expression of spirituall pride, above all that ever the devill attempted in heaven, divines doe not well explicate that sinne of his: now because there may seeme some difficultie in this matter, by reason of the severall acceptations of the will of God: especially in regard of that whereby it is affirmed that his law and precepts, are his will, which alas we all of us too often resist or transgresse, I will unfold one distinction of the will of God, which will leave it cleare, what it is, that the Arminians oppose, for which we count them worthy of so heavy a charge.