A90293:133
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.
The revealed will of God, containeth not his purpose and decree, but our duty, not what he will do according to his good pleasure, but what we should do if we will please him: and this, consisting in his word, his precepts and promises, belongeth to us and our children, that we may do the will of God: now this indeed is rather [Greek or Hebrew], then [Greek or Hebrew], that which God willeth, then his will, but termed so, as we call that the will of a man which he hath determined, shall be done: This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son and believeth on him, may have everlasting life, saith our Saviour: Joh. 6. 40. that is, this is that which his will hath appointed: hence it is called voluntas signi, or the sign of his will, Metaphorically only called his will, saitha Aquinas: for in as much, as our commands are the signs of our wills, the same is said of the precepts of God: This is the rule of our obedience, and whose transgression makes an action sinful, for [Greek or Hebrew], sin is the transgression of a law, and that such a law, as is given to the transgressor to be observed: now God hath not imposed on us the observation of his eternal decree and intention, which as it is utterly impossible for us to transgress or frustrate: so were we unblameable if we should: a Master requires of his servant, to do what he commands, not to accomplish what he intends: which perhaps he never discovered unto him: nay, the commands of superiors, are not always signs that the commander will have the things commanded actually performed, as in all precepts for trial: but only that they who are subjects to this command, shall be obliged to obedience, as far as the sense of it doth extend, & hoc clarum est in praeceptis divinis, saithb Durand. &c. and this is clear in the commands of God: by which we are obliged to ⟨p. 42⟩do, what he commandeth, and it is not always his pleasure, that the thing it self, in regard of the event, shall yet be accomplished: as we saw before in the examples of Pharaoh, and Abraham.
The revealed will of God, containeth not his purpose and decree, but our dutie, not what he will doe according to his good pleasure, but what we should doe if we will please him: and this, consisting in his word, his precepts and promises, belongeth to us and our children, that we may doe the will of God: now this indeed is rather , then , that which God willeth, then his will, but tearmed so, as we call that the will of a man which he hath determined, shall be done: This is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the sonne and beleeveth on him, may have everlasting life, saith our Saviour: