A90293:159
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.
Secondly, the Article affirmeth that it is constant, that is, one immutable decree, agreeably also to the Scriptures, teaching but one purpose, but one fore-knowledge, one good pleasure, one decree of God, concerning the infallible ordination of his elect unto glory: although of this decree, there may be said to be two acts, one concerning the means, the other concerning the end, but both knit up in the immutability of Gods will: Heb. 6. 17. The foundation of God, standeth sure: having this seal, God knoweth who are his: 2 Tim. 2. 19. His gifts and calling are without recalling not be repented of, Rom. 11. 29. now what say our Arminians to this, why a whole multitude of new notions, and terms have they invented, to obscure the doctrine; Election say they ise either Legal, or Evangelical, general or particular, complete, or incomplete, revocable or irrevocable, peremptory, or not peremptory, with I know not how many more distinctions of one single eternal act of Almighty God: whereof there is neither volanec vestigium, sign or token in the whole Bible, or any approved Author: and to these quavering divisions they accommodate their doctrine, or rather they purposely invented them to make their errors unintelligible: yet something agreeably thus they dictate; There fis a complete election, belonging to none but those that are dying, and there is another incomplete, common to all ⟨p. 54⟩that believe, as the good things of salvation are incomplete which are continued whilst faith is continued, and revoked when that is denied, so election is complete in this life, and revocable: again, there are say they in their confession,g three orders of believers, and repenters in the Scripture, whereof some are beginners, others having continued for a time, and some perseverants, the two first orders are chosen, vere truly, but not absolute prorsus, absolutely, but only for a time, so long as they will remain as they are, the third are chosen finally and peremptorily; for this act of God is either continued or interrupted according as we fulfil the condition: but whence learned the Arminians this doctrine? not one word of it from the word of truth, no mention there of any such desultory election, no speech of faith, but such as is consequent to the one eternal irrevocable decree of predestination, they believed who were ordained to eternal life,