A90293:296
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.
CHAP. XII.
Of Free-will, the nature and power thereof.
Our next task, is to take a view of the Idol himself; of this great deity of Free-will, whose original, being not well known, he is pretended like the Ephesian image of Diana, to have fallen down from heaven, and to have his endowments from above: but yet considering, what a nothing he was at his first discovery, in comparison, of that vast giantlike hugeness, to which now he is grown, we may say of him, as the Painter said of his monstrous picture, which he had mended, or rather marred, according to every ones fancy: hunc populus fecit, it is the issue of the peoples brain.a Origen is supposed to have brought him first into the Church: but among those many sincere worshippers of divine grace, this setter forth of new Daemons, found but little entertainment: it was looked upon, but like the stump of Dagon, with his head and hands laid down before the Ark of God: without whose help he could neither know, nor do, that which is good in any kind: still accounted, but truncus ficulnus, inutile lignum: a fig-tree log, an unprofitable piece of wood; incerti patres scamnum facerentne? the Fathers of the succeeding ages, had much debate, to what use they should put it: and though some exalted it, a degree or two, above its merits, yet the most concluded to keep it a block still: until at length, there arose ab stout Champion, challenging on his behalf, the whole Church of God, and like a Knight errant wandered from the West, to the East, to grapple with any, that should oppose his Idol: who though he met with