A90293:195
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.
First, That the nature of man, which at first was created pure and holy, after the image of God, endowed with such a rectitude and righteousness, as was necessary and due unto it, to bring it unto that supernatural end to which it was ordained, is now altogether corrupted and become abominable, sinful and averse from goodness, and that this corruption or concupiscence is originally inherent in us, and derived from our first parents, is plentifully delivered in holy writ, as that which chiefly compels us to a self-denial, and drives us unto Christ.
First, That the nature of man, which at first was created pure and holy, after the image of God, endowed with such a rectitude and righteousnesse, as was necessary and due unto it, to bring it unto that supernaturall end to which it was ordained, is now altogether corrupted and become abominable, sinfull and averse from goodnesse, and that this corruption or concupiscence is originally inherent in us, and derived from our first parents, is plentifully delivered in holy writ, as that which chiefly compels us to a self-deniall, and drives us unto Christ.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me, saith David, Psal. 51. 5.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquitie, and in sinne did my mother conceive me, saith David, Psal. 51. 5.
Where for the praise of Gods goodness towards him, he begins with the confession of his native perverseness, and of the sin wherein he was wrapped before he was born: neither was this peculiar to him alone, he had it not, from the particular iniquity of his next progenitors, but by an ordinary propagation from the common parent of us all: though in some of us, Satan by this Pelagian attempt; by hiding the disease hath made it almost incurable: for even those infants, of whose innocency the Arminians boast, are unclean in the verdict of Saint Paul,