A90293:338
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.
Secondly, having thus extenuated the grace of God, they affirm, fThat in operation the efficacy thereof dependeth on Freewill, ⟨p. 144⟩so the Remonstrants in their Apology. And gto speak confidently, saith Grevinchovius, I say, that the effect of grace, in an ordinary course dependeth on some act of our free-will. Suppose then that of two men made partakers of the same grace, that is, have the Gospel preached unto them by the same means, one is converted, and the other is not; What may be the cause of this so great a difference? Was there any intention or purpose in God, that one should be changed rather then the other? No: He equally desireth and intendeth the conversion of all and every one. Did then God work more powerfully in the heart of the one, by his holy Spirit then of the other? No: The same operation of the spirit always accompanieth the same preaching of the word. But was not one by some Almighty action, made partaker of real infused grace, which the other attained not unto? No: for that would destroy the liberty of his will, and deprive him of all the praise of believing. How then came this extreme difference of effects? Who made the one differ from the other, or what hath he, that he did not receive? Why all this proceedeth merely from the strength of his own free-will, yielding obedience to Gods gracious invitation, which like the other he might have rejected. This is the immediate cause of his conversion, to which all the praise thereof is due. And here the old Idol may glory to all the world, that if he can but get his worshippers to prevail in this, he hath quite excluded the grace of Christ, and made it nomen inane, a mere title, whereas there is no such thing in the world.
Secondly, having thus extenuated the grace of God, they affirme, fThat in operation the efficacie thereof dependeth on Freewill, ⟨p. 144⟩so the Remonstrants in their Apologie. And g