A90293:166
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.
Fourthly, Another thing that the Article asserteth according to the Scripture is, that there is no other cause of our election, but Gods own counsel, it recounteth no motives in us, nothing impelling the will of God, to choose some out of mankind, rejecting others, but his own decree that is his absolute will and good pleasure, ⟨p. 58⟩so that as there is no cause, in any thing without himself, why he would create the world or elect any at all, for he doth all these things for himself for the praise of his own glory, so there is no cause in singular elected persons, why God should choose them, rather then others; he looked upon all mankind in the same condition, vested with the same qualifications, or rather without any at all, for it is the children not yet borne, before they do either good or evil, that are chosen or rejected, his free grace embracing the one, and passing over the other, yet here we must observe, that although God freely without any desert of theirs chooseth some men to be partakers, both of the end and the means, yet he bestoweth faith or the means, on none, but for the merit of Christ: neither do any attain the end or salvation, but by their own faith through that righteousness of his: the free grace of God notwithstanding choosing Jacob, when Esau is rejected, the only antecedent cause of any difference, between the elect and reprobates, remaineth firm and unshaken: and surely unless men were resolved to trust wholly to their own bottoms, to take nothing gratis at the hands of God, they would not endeavour to rob him of his glory: of having mercy on whom he will have mercy, of loving us without our desert, before the world began: if we must claim an interest in obtaining the temporal acts of his favour, by our own endeavours; yet oh, let us grant him the glory of being good unto us, only for his own sake, when we were in his hand as the clay in the hand of the potter: what made this piece of clay, fit for comely service and not a vessel wherein there is no pleasure, but the power, and will of the framer? it is enough, yea, too much for them to repine and say, why hast thou made us thus, who are vessels fitted for wrath? let not them who are prepared for honour, exalt themselves against him, and sacrifice to their own nets, as the sole providers of their glory: but so it is?
Fourthly, Another thing that the Article asserteth according to the Scripture is, that there is no other cause of our election, but Gods own counsell, it recounteth no motives in us, nothing impelling the will of God, to choose some out of mankinde, rejecting others, but his own decree that is his absolute will and good pleasure,