A90293:147
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. VI.
How the whole doctrine of Predestination is accounted by the Arminians.
The cause of all these quarrels, wherewith the Arminians and their abettors, have troubled the Church of Christ, comes next unto our consideration: the eternal predestination of Almighty God, that fountain of all spiritual blessings, of all the effects of Gods love derived unto us through Christ: the demolishing of this rock of our salvation, hath been the chief endeavour of all the Patrons of humane self-sufficiency: so to vindicate unto themselves, a power, and independent ability of doing good, of making themselves to differ from others, of attaining everlasting happiness, without going one steppe from without themselves: and this is their first attempt, to attain their second proposed end, of building a tower, from the top whereof they may mount into heaven, whose foundation is nothing but the sand of their own free-will and endeavours: quite on the sudden (what they have done in effect) to have taken away this divine predestination, name, and thing, had been an attempt as noted as notorious, and not likely to attain the least success amongst men professing to believe the Gospel of Christ: wherefore, suffering the name to remain, they have abolished the thing it self, and substituted another so unlike it in the room thereof, that any one may see they have gotten a blear-eyed Leah instead of Rachel, and hug a cloud instead of a Deity. The true Doctrine it self, hath been so excellently delivered by divers learned Divines, so freed from all Objections, that I shall only briefly and plainly lay it down, and that with special reference to the seventeenth Article of our Church, where it is clearly avowed; showing withal which is my chief intention, how it is thwarted, opposed, and overthrown by the Arminians: Predestination in the usual sense it is taken, is a part of Gods providence, concerning his creatures, distinguished from it by a double restriction.