A90293:253
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.
But now, after God hath got this power by the death of Christ, and out of his gracious good pleasure, assigned faith to be the means for us to attain those blessings, he hath procured himself a liberty to bestow? Did Christ obtain this faith for us, of him? if it be a thing not in our own power? No:k Faith is not obtained by the death of Christ, saith Corvinus: so that there is no good thing, no spiritual blessing, into which, any man in the world hath any interest by the death of Christ: which is not so great an absurdity, but that they are most ready to grant it: ⟨p. 101⟩lArnoldus confesseth, that he believes, that the death of Christ might have enjoyed its end, or his merit its full force, although, never any had believed: and again,m the death and satisfaction of Christ being accomplished, it might come to pass, that, none fulfilling the condition of the new Covenant, none should be saved, so also saith Grevinchovius: Oh Christ, that any pretending to profess thy holy Name, should thus slight the precious work of thy death and passion? surely, never any before, who counted it their glory to be called Christians, did ever thus extenuate (their friends the Socinians only excepted) the dignity of his merit and satisfaction: take but a short view of what benefit they allow to redound to us, by the effusion of his precious blood, and you may see what a pestilent heresy, these men have laboured to bring into the Church: neither faith nor salvation, grace nor glory, hath he purchased for us, not any spiritual blessing, that by our interest in his death we can claim to be ours: it is not such a reconciliation with God, as that he thereupon, should be contented again to be called our God, it is not justification, nor righteousness, nor actual redemption from our sins, it did not make satisfaction for our iniquities, and deliver us from the curse:n only it was a means of obtaining such a possibility of salvation, as that God without wronging of his justice, might save us if he would, one way or other: so that when Christ had done all that he could, there was not one man in the world immediately the better for it: notwithstanding the utmost of his endeavour, every one might have been damned with Judas to the pit of hell