A90293:307
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, I shall not stand to decipher the nature of humane liberty, which perhaps would require a larger discourse, then my proposed Method will bear: it may suffice, that according to my former intimation, we grant as large a freedom and dominion to our wills, over their own acts, as a creature subject to the supreme rule of Gods providence, is capable of: endued we are, with such a liberty of will, as is free from all outward compulsion, and inward necessity, having an elective faculty of applying it self, unto that which seems good unto it: in which its free choice notwithstanding, it is subservient to the decree of God, as I showed before, Chapter 4. Most free it is in all its acts, both in regard of the object it chooseth, and in regard of that vital power, and faculty, whereby it worketh, infallibly complying with Gods providence, and working by virtue of the motion thereof: but surely to assert such a supreme independency, and every way unbounded indifferency, as the Arminians claim, whereby all other things requisite being presupposed, it should remain absolutely in our own power, to will, or not to will, to do any thing, or not to do it, is plainly to deny that our wills are subject to the rule of the most High. It is granted, that in such a chimerical fancied consideration of free-will, wherein it is looked upon as having no relation to any act of Gods, but only its creation, abstracting from his decree, it may be said: to have such a liberty in regard of the object: but the truth is, this divided sense, is plain nonsense, a mere ⟨p. 129⟩fiction of such an estate, wherein it never was, nor ever can be, so long as men will confess any Deity but themselves, to whose determinations they must be subject: until then more significant terms may be invented for this free power in our nature, which the Scripture never once vouchsafed to name, I shall be content to call it with Prosper, ua Spontaneous appetite of what seemeth good unto it; free from all compulsion, but subservient to the providence of God: and against its exaltation, to this height of independency, I oppose.
First, I shall not stand to decipher the nature of humane libertie, which perhaps would require a larger discourse, then my proposed Method will beare: it may suffice, that according to my former intimation, we grant as large a freedome and dominion to our wils, over their owne acts, as a creature subject to the supreame rule of Gods providence, is capable of: endued we are, with such a libertie of will, as is free from all outward compulsion, and inward necessitie, having an elective facultie of applying it selfe, unto that which seemes good unto it: in which its free choice notwithstanding, it is subservient to the decree of God, as I shewed before, Chapter 4. Most free it is in all its acts, both in regard of the object it chooseth, and in regard of that vitall power, and facultie, whereby it worketh, infallibly complying with Gods providence, and working by vertue of the motion thereof: but surely to assert such a supreme independency, and every way unbounded indifferencie, as the Arminians claime, whereby all other things requisite being presupposed, it should remaine absolutely in our owne power, to will, or not to will, to doe any thing, or not to doe it, is plainly to deny that our wils are subject to the rule of the most High. It is granted, that in such a chymaericall fancied consideration of free-will, wherein it is looked upon as having no relation to any act of Gods, but onely its creation, abstracting from his decree, it may be said: to have such a libertie in regard of the object: but the truth is, this divided sense, is plaine nonsense, a meere