A90293:71
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, as these not-peremptory decrees, are mutable, so they make the peremptory decrees of God, to be temporal: final impenitency,1 say they, is the only cause, and the finally unrepenting sinner, is the only object of reprobation, peremptory and irrevocable: as the Poet thought none happy, so they think no man to be elected, or a reprobate, before his death: now that denomination, he doth receive from the decree of God concerning his eternal estate, which must necessarily then be first enacted; the relation that is between the act of reprobation, and the person reprobated, importeth a coexistence of denomination: when God reprobates a man, he then becomes a reprobate: which, if it be not before he hath actually fulfilled the measure of his iniquity, and sealed it up with the talent of final impenitency in his death, the decree of God, must needs be temporal, the just judge of all the world, having till then suspended his determination, expecting the last resolution of this changeable Proteus: nay that Gods decrees concerning mens eternal ⟨p. 10⟩estates, are in their judgement temporal, and not beginning until their death, is plain from the whole course of their doctrine; especially, where they strive to prove, that if there were any such determination, God could not threaten punishments, or promise rewards:q Who, say they, ean threaten punishment, to him, whom by a peremptory decree, he will have to be free from punishment: it seems he cannot have determined, to save any whom he threatens to punish if they sin, which is evident he doth all so long as they live in this world, which makes God not only mutable, but quite deprives him of his foreknowledge: and makes the form of his decree run thus: if man will believe, I determine he shall be saved, if he will not, I determine he shall be damned, that is, I must leave him in the mean time, to do what he will, so I may meet with him in the end.
Secondly, as these not-peremptory decrees, are mutable, so they make the peremptory decrees of God, to be temporall: finall impenitencie,1 say they, is the only cause, and the finally unrepenting sinner, is the only object of reprobation, peremptory and irrevocable: as the Poet thought none happy, so they thinke no man to be elected, or a reprobate, before his death: now that denomination, he doth receive from the decree of God concerning his eternall estate, which must necessarily then be first enacted; the relation that is betweene the act of reprobation, and the person reprobated, importeth a coexistence of denomination: when God reprobates a man, he then becomes a reprobate: which, if it be not before he hath actually fulfilled the measure of his iniquitie, and sealed it up with the talent of finall impenitencie in his death, the decree of God, must needs be temporall, the just judge of all the world, having till then suspended his determination, expecting the last resolution of this changeable Proteus: nay that Gods decrees concerning mens eternall