A90293:44
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. I.
The soul of man, by reason of the corruption of nature, is not onlya darkened, with a mist of ignorance, whereby he is dis-enabled, for the comprehending of divine truth, but is also armed, withb prejudice and opposition, against some parts thereof, which are either, most above, or most contrary, to some false principles, which he hath framed unto himself. As a desire of self-sufficiency, was the first cause of this infirmity, so a conceit thereof, is that where with he still languisheth, nothing doth he more contend for, then an independency of any supreme power, which might either help, hinder, or control him, in his actions. This is that bitter root,3 from whence have sprung, all those heresies, and wretched contentions, which have troubled the Church; concerning the power of man in working his own happiness, and his exemption, from ⟨p. 2⟩the over-ruling providence of Almighty God. All which wrangling disputes of carnal reason, against the word of God: come at last to this head, whether the first and chiefest part,4 in disposing of things in this world, ought to be ascribed to God, or man: men for the most part have vindicated this preeminence, unto themselves, by exclamations, that so it must be, or else, that God is unjust, and his ways unequal: never did any men postquam Christiana gens esse caepit: more eagerly endeavour the erecting of this Babel, then the Arminians, the modern blinded Patrons of humane self-sufficiency; All whose innovations in the received doctrine of the reformed Churches, aim at, and tend to, one of these two ends.
THe soule of man, by reason of the corruption of nature, is not only