A90293:205
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.
if we have a pure, sinless, unspotted nature, even this, could scarce be reconciled with that rule, of his proceeding in justice, with the sons of men, the soul that sinneth it shall die: which clearly granteth an impunity to all not tainted with sin. Sin and punishment, though they are sometimes separated by his mercy, pardoning the one, and so not inflicting the other, yet never by his justice, inflicting the latter, where the former is not: sin imputed, by it self alone without an inherent guilt, was never punished in any, but Christ: the unsearchableness of Gods love and justice, in laying the iniquity of us all upon him, who had no sin, is an exception from that general rule he walketh by, in his dealing with the posterity of Adam: so that if punishment be not due unto us, for a solely imputed sin, much less, when it doth not stand with the justice and equity of God, to impute any iniquity unto us at all, can we justly be wrapped in such a curse and punishment, as woeful experience teacheth us, that we lye under. Now in this act of injustice wherewith they charge the Almighty, the Arminians place the whole nature of original sin:k We account, not say they, original sin, for a sin properly so called, that should make the posterity of Adam to deserve the wrath of God, nor for an evil, that may properly be called a punishment: but only for an infirmity of nature. Which they interpret to be a kind of evil, that being inflicted on Adam, God suffereth to descend upon his posterity: so all the depravation of nature, ⟨p. 76⟩the pollution, guilt, and concupiscence, we derive from our first parents: the imputation of Adams actual transgression, is all straitened to a small infirmity, inflicted on poor innocent creatures.
if we have a pure, sinlesse, unspotted nature, even this, could scarse be reconciled with that rule, of his proceeding in justice, with the sonnes of men, the soule that sinneth it shall die: which clearely granteth an impunity to all not tainted with sinne. Sinne and punishment, though they are sometimes separated by his mercy, pardoning the one, and so not inflicting the other, yet never by his justice, inflicting the latter, where the former is not: sinne imputed, by it selfe alone without an inherent guilt, was never punished in any, but Christ: the unsearchablenesse of Gods love and justice, in laying the iniquitie of us all upon him, who had no sinne, is an exception from that generall rule he walketh by, in his dealing with the posteritie of Adam: so that if punishment bee not due unto us, for a solely imputed sinne, much lesse, when it doth not stand with the justice and equitie of God, to impute any iniquity unto us at all, can we justly be wrapped in such a curse and punishment, as wofull experience teacheth us, that we lye under. Now in this act of injustice wherewith they charge the Almightie, the Arminians place the whole nature of originall sin: