A90293:308
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, every thing that is independent of any else in operation, is purely active, and so consequently a God: for nothing but a divine will can be a pure act, possessing such a liberty by virtue of its own essence: every created will, must have a liberty by participation, which includeth such an imperfect potentiality, as cannot be brought into act, without some premotion (as I may so say) of a Superior Agent: neither doth this motion being extrinsical, at all prejudice the true liberty of the will, which requireth indeed, that the internal principle of operation be active and free, but not, that, that principle be not moved to that operation, by an outward Superior Agent: nothing in this sense, can have an independent principle of operation, which hath not an independent being: it is no more necessary, to the nature of a free cause, from whence a free action must proceed, that it be the first beginning of it; then it is necessary to the nature of a cause, that it be the first cause.
First, every thing that is independent of any else in operation, is purely active, and so consequently a God: for nothing but a divine will can be a pure act, possessing such a libertie by vertue of its owne essence: every created will, must have a libertie by participation, which includeth such an imperfect potentiality, as cannot be brought into act, without some praemotion (as I may so say) of a Superiour Agent: neither doth this motion being extrinsecall, at all prejudice the true libertie of the will, which requireth indeed, that the internall principle of operation be active and free, but not, that, that principle be not moved to that operation, by an outward Superiour Agent: nothing in this sense, can have an independent principle of operation, which hath not an independent being: it is no more necessary, to the nature of a free cause, from whence a free action must proceed, that it be the first beginning of it; then it is necessarie to the nature of a cause, that it be the first cause.
Secondly, if the free acts of our wills are so subservient, to the providence of God, as that he useth them to what end he will, and by them effecteth many of his purposes, then they cannot of themselves, be so absolutely independent as to have in their own power, every necessary circumstance, and condition, that they may use, or not use at their pleasure: Now the former is proved, by all those reasons, and Texts of Scripture, I before produced, to show that the providence of God overruleth the actions and determineth the wills of men, freely to do, that which he hath appointed: and truly were it otherwise, Gods dominion over the most things that are in the world, were quite