A90293:208
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, for Adam himself, they affirm, that the death threatened unto him, if he transgressed the Covenant, and due unto him for it, lwas neither death temporal, for that before he was subject unto, by the primary constitution of his nature: nor yet such an eternal death, as is accompanied with damnation, or everlasting punishment: No? Why then let us here learn some new Divinity? Christians have hitherto believed, that whatsoever may be comprised under the name of death: together with its antecedents, consequents, and attendants was threatened to Adam, in this commination: and Divines until this day, can find but these two sorts of death in the Scripture, as penal unto men, and properly so called: and shall we now be persuaded that it was neither of these that was threatened unto Adam? in must be so, if we will believe the Arminians: it was neither the one, nor the other, of the former: but whereas he was created mortal and subject to a temporal death, the sanction of his obedience, was a threatening of the utter dissolution of his soul and body, or a reduction to their primitive nothing: but what if a man will not here take them at their words, but believe according to Saint Paul, that death entered by sin; that if we had never sinned, we had ⟨p. 78⟩never died, that man in the state of innocency was by Gods constitution, free even from temporal death, and all things directly conducing thereunto. Secondly, that this death threatened to our first parents, comprehended damnation also of soul and body for evermore, and that of their imaginary dissolution, there is not the least intimation in the word of God: why I confess they have impudence enough in divers places to beg that we would believe their assertions, but never confidence enough, to venture once to prove them true. Now they who make so slight of the desert of this sin, in Adam himself, will surely scarce allow it to have any ill merit at all, in his posterity.
First, for Adam himselfe, they affirme, that the death threatued unto him, if he transgressed the Covenant, and due unto him for it, lwas neither death temporall, for that before he was subiect unto, by the primarie constitution of his nature: nor yet such an eternall death, as is accompanied with damnation, or everlasting punishment: No? Why then let us here learne some new Divinitie? Christians have hitherto beleeved, that whatsoever may be comprised under the name of death: together with its antecedents, consequents, and attendants was threatned to Adam, in this commination: and Divines untill this day, can finde but these two sorts of death in the Scripture, as poenall unto men, and properly so called: and shall we now be perswaded that it was neither of these that was threatned unto Adam? in must be so, if we will beleeve the Arminians: it was neither the one, nor the other, of the former: but whereas he was created mortall and subject to a temporall death, the sanction of his obedience, was a threatning of the utter dissolution of his soule and body, or a reduction to their primative nothing: but what if a man will not here take them at their words, but beleeve according to Saint Paul, that death entred by sinne; that if we had never sinned, we had