PUBLIC-DOMAIN CHRISTIAN BOOK
The Works of John Owen — Volume 10
John Owen · 353,616 words · 352 reading sections
Section 1
B ^ ©hcolagical fcminavji, PRINCETON, N. J. The Steplien Collins Douatio,ii^ 9315 .08 lff5D V. 10 ' Owen, John, 1616-1683. The works of John Owen THE WORKS / JOHN OWEN, D.D. EDITED BY THE REV. WILLIAM H. GOOLD, EDINBURGH. YOL. X. . NEW YORK: ROBERT CARTER & BROTHERS, 285 BROADWAY. M.DCCC.IJI. CONTENTS O…
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fniiiatiuii of the first general argument for universiU redemption, . 330 IV.— Answer to the second general ai-gument for the universality of redemp- tion, ......... 343 V. — The last argument from Scripture answered, .... 359 VI.— An answer to the twentieth cliapter of the book entitled, "The Univei'- sality of (iod…
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ship in the temple of .Jerusalem — The names of some persons sacrificed — The use of human sacrifices among the Gentiles proved from Cle- mens of Alexandria, Dionysius of Halicarnassus, Porphyry, Philo, Eusebius, Tertullian, Euripides — Instances of human sacrifices in the sacred Sci'iptures— The remarkable obedience …
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XII.— The progress of the dispute to the theologians of our own country- The supreme authority of divine truth- Who they are, and what kind of nien who have gone into factions about this matter— The Coryphaius ot the adversaries,_ the very illustrious Twisse-The occasion of his .publishing his opinion— The opinion of t…
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XVIII. — The conclusion of this dissertation — The uses of the doctrine herein vin- dicated— The abominable natuae of sin— God's hatred against sin re- vealed in various ways— The dreadful effects of sin all over the creation— Enmity between God and every sin— Threatenings and the punishment of sin appointed — 'J'lie d…
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PREFATORY NOTE. 3 First, perhaps, in the order of time, this discussion was revived in Poland, and in con- nection with the heresies of Socinus. The divinity of Christ, the nature of the atone- ment, and the corruption of human nature, are all doctrines essentially connected. It is because Christ is divine that an ade…
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At this juncture, Owen felt it his duty to oppose the innovations on the received doc- trine of the church, by the publication of a work in which the views of the Ai-minians are exhibited on all the leading topics of the controver.«y, with the exception of three points, relating to universal grace, justification, and t…
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1 This committee was appointed by the House of Lords, March 12, 1640. It sometimes bears the name of the Committee of Accommodation, and consisted of ten earls, ten bishops, and ten barons. To prepare the subjects of discussion, some bishops and several divines of different persuasions were appointed a sub-committee. T…
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ever since the first Reformation necessarily bring along with it schisms and dis- sensions, so long as any remain who love the truth, or esteem the gospel above pre- ferment ? Neither let any deceive your wisdoms, by affirming that they are differ- ences of an inferior nature that are at this day agitated between the A…
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My intention in this weak endeavour (which is but the undigested issue of a i&\f broken hours, too many causes, in these furious malignant days, continually in- terrupting the course of my studies), is but to stir up such who, having more leisure and greater abilities, will not as yet move a finger to help [to] vindica…
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1 Eph. iv. 18 ; Jolin i. 5 ; 1 Cor. ii. 14. 2 John vi. 42, vii. 52. " Natura sic apparet vitiata ut hoc majoris vitii sit, non videre." — Aug. ^ Pelag. Semipelag. Scliolastic. ♦ " In hac causa non judicant secundiun eequitatem, sed secundum aifectum commodi sui." — Luth. de Arbit. Serv. 12 A DISPLAY OF ARMINIANISM. …
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Thirdlj^, If ye will charge our human nature with a repugnancy to the law of God, they will maintain that it was also in Adam when he was first created, and so comes from God himself: chapter the eighth. Fourthly, They deny the efficacy of the merit of the death of Christ; — both that God intended by his death to rede…
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' "In ordine volitorum divinorum, qusadara sunt qtise omnem actum creaturse prsece- dunt, quffidam quse sequuntur." — Corv. ad Molin., cap. v. sect. 1, p. G7. 2 " Certum est Deum qucedam velle, quae non vellet nisi aliqua volitio humana antece- deret." — Armin., Antip., p. 211. * " Multa tamen arbitror Deum velle, qu…
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' "Possunt homines electionem s^am irritam et frustraneam reddere." — ^Eem. Apol., cap. ix. p. 105. 2 Jackson, of the Divine Essence. ^ " Non niirum -videri debet quod aliquando ex electis rcprobi et ex reprobis electi fiant."— Welsin. de Of. Ch. Horn. * " Omnia Dei decreta, non sunt peremptoria, sed qusedam conditi…
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Secondly, The Mecrees of God, being conformable to his nature and essence, do require eternity and immutability as their insepar- able properties. God, and he only, never was, nor ever can be, what noAV he is not. Passive possibility to any thing, which is the foun- 1 Author of " God's Love to Mankind," p. 4, [a treat…
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" Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my plea- sure," Isa. xlvi. 10. " For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the pur- pose of God according to election might stand," as…
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1 " Qufficunque possunt per creaturam fieri, vel cogitari, vel ciici, et etiam quaecunque ipse facere potest, omnia cognoscit Deus, etiamsi neque sunt, neque erunt, neque fuerunt, scientia simplicis intelligentise." — Aquin. p. q. 14, a. 9, c. Ex verbis apostoli, Rom. iv., " Qui vocat ea qute non sunt tanquam ea quae s…
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Secondly, ^They affirm that God is said properly to expect and desire divers things which yet never come to pass. " We grant," saith Corvinus, " that there are desires in God that never are fulfilled." Now, surely, to desire what one is sure will never come to pass is not an act regulated by wisdom or counsel; and, the…
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First, It is laid down as a firm foundation, that " known unto God are all his works from the beginning of the world," Acts xv. 18. Every thing, then, that in any respect may be called his work, is known unto him from all eternity. Now, what in the world, if we may speak as he hath taught us, can be exempted from this …
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» Pa. xliv. 21 ; Job xi. 11 ; Dan. ii. 47; Ps. vii. 9, xxvi. 2, cxlvii. 4; Luke xii. 27; Matt. X. 29, 30; Ps. cxxxix. 2. OF THE PKESCIENCE OF GOD. 29 slioot who had determined his arrow should be the death of a king. He maketh men poor and rich, Prov, xxii. 2; He lifteth up one, and pulleth down another, Ps. Ixxv. 7.…
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' " Btia -rxyrav apx^ S' ^* a^ravTa xa.) iirri xa) 'Sixfi.ixi," — ThcoplirastuS, apud Picura. Viil. Senecam dc Provid. ct Plotinum. OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD. 31 they, with a better error, made a goddess of providence, because, as they feigned, she helped Latona to bring forth in the isle of Delos; intimating that Lat…
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OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD. S3 the good hand of his providence he doth not govern and sus- tain. Now, this general extent of his common providence to all doth no way hinder but that he may exercise certain special acts thereof to- wards some in particular, even by how much nearer than other things they approach unto hi…
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First, His sustentation or upholding of all things is his powerful continuing of their being, natural strength, and faculties, bestowed on them at their creation : " In him we live, and move, and have our being," Acts xvii. So that he doth neither work all himself in them, without any co-operation of theirs, which woul…
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' " Qui sic homines voluit esse liberos ut fecit sacrileges." — Aug. - Ta l^' vfuv oh Tri; Tfovcia; dXXa tou itftirifiou auri^ov^lov. — I'aniaSCCD. OF THE PROVIDENCE OF GOD.. 37 actions, would exempt and free the will of man, not only from all fore-determining to the production of such and such effects, but also fro…
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First, For his conservation or sustaining of all things, they affirm" ' " Dftindc ctfii in isto casu flostinatum aliquod consilium ac voluntas Dei detcrmi- DJita con.sidcranda CHSot, tarnen in omnibus actionibus ot in iis quidcm quic ex dclibe- rato liominum consilio et libera voluntatc et male (juidem fiunt, ita 8e r…
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■ " Doininus dissipavit consiliiini quod dcdcvat Acliitoplicl agendo in corde Absolon, ut tale cons^ilinni repudiavct, ct aliud quod ei non cxpediebat eligerct." — Aug. do Cirat., et Lib. Arbit., caj). xx. OF THE PEOVIDENCE OF GOD. 41 lomon affirmeth that " tlie king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, hke the rivers…
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Secondly. It denieth God to l^e the author of all moral goodness, for an action is good inasmuch as it is such an action in particular;^ which that any is so, according to this opinion, is to be attributed merely to the will of man. The general influence of God moveth him no more to prayer than to evil communications t…
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In which regard they are not only tolerable, but simply necessary, because without them it is utterly impossible to reconcile some places of Scripture seemingly repugnant. In the 2 2d chapter of Genesis, verse 2, God commandeth Abraham to take his only son Isaac, and offer him for a burnt-offering in the land of Moriah…
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First, By his word ; as where God afl&rmeth that the dead shall rise. We doubt not but that they shall rise, and that it is the abso- lute will of God that they shall do so. Secondly, By the effects ; for when any thing cometh to pass, we may cast the event on the will of God as its cause, and look upon it as a revelat…
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1 The •words "former" and "latter" evidently refer to the previous sentence, — " former " corresponding with the revealed will, " latter " with the secret will of God. The order is reversed in the first clause of tliis sentence, and i»encc the author's mean- ing might be mistaken. — Ed. 48 A DISPLAY OF ARMINIANISM. l…
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' " Ea sententia non continet apostoli verba, sed Judaeorum objectionem ab apostolo rejectam." — Corv. ad Molin., cap. iii. per. 19. 2 " Multa non fieri quse Dens fieri vult, vel non dubitamns." — Ibid, cap. v. p. 5. 3 " Multa fiunt quie Deus fieri non vult : nee semper fiunt quce ipse tiere vult." — Vorst. de Deo, p…
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First, " Our God is in the heavens," saith the psalmist: " he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased," Ps. cxv. 3. Not only part, but all, whatsoever he pleased should come to pass, by any means. " He ruleth in the kingdom of men, and giveth it to whomsoever he will," Dan. iv. 1 7. The transposition of kingdoms is not wi…
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* First, In respect of their objects; for whereas the decree of provi- dence compreliendeth his intentions towards all the works of his hands, predestination respecteth only rational creatures. Secondly, In regard of their ends; for whereas his providence di- recteth all creatures in general to those several ends to w…
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Secondly, The article affirmeth that it is constant, — that is, one immutable decree; agreeably also to the Scriptures, teaching but one purpose, but one foreknowledge, one good pleasure, one decree of God, concerning the infallible ordination of his elect unto glory; although of this decree there may be said to be two…
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' Aquinas. 2 " Nos negamus Dei elcctionem ad salutera extendere sesc ad singulares pcrsonas, qua singulares personas." — Rem. Coll. Hag., fol. 76. ■* " Dens statuit indiscriiuinatini media ad fidem admiuistrare, et prout has, vel illas personas, istis mediis credituras Yel non credituras videt, ita tandem de illis st…
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These are doctrines that I believe searchers of the Scripture had scarce ever been acquainted withal, had they not lighted on such ex- positors as teach, ^"That the only cause why God loveth" (or chooseth) " any person is, because the honesty, faith, and piety wherewith, ac- cording to God's command and his own duty, h…
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And here observe, that this doth not thwart my former assertion, where I showed that they deny the election of any particular persons, which here they seem to grant upon a foresight of their faith and good works; for there is not any one person, as such a person, not- withstanding all this, that in their judgment is in…
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First, If final perseverance in faith and obedience be the cause of, or a condition required unto, election, then none can be said in this life to be elected ; for no man is a final perseverer until he be dead, until he hath finished his course and consummated the faith. But certain it is that it is spoken of some in t…
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Sixthly, and principally, The effects of election, infallibly following it, cannot be the causes of election, certainly preceding it. This is evident, for nothing can be the cause and the effect of the same thing, before and after itself But all our faith, our obedience, repent- ance, good works, are the effects of ele…
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" Not according to our works, but according to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world be- gan," 2 Tim. i. 9. " For the children being not yet born, neither having done any good or evil, that the pur- pose of God according to election might stand, not of works, but of him that ca…
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If any would know how considerable this article concerning origi- nal sin hath ever been accounted in the church of Christ, let him but consult the writings of St Augustine, Prosper, Hilary, Fulgen- tius, any of those learned fathers whom God stirred up to resist, and enabled to overcome, the spreading Pelagian heresy,…
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Secondly, The opposition that is made between the righteousness of Christ and the sin of Adam, Rom. v., which is the proper seat of this doctrine, showeth that there is in our nature an inbred sinful corruption ; for the sin of Adam holds such relation unto sinners, proceeding from him by natural propagation, as the ri…
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I see no reason, then, why Corvinus should affirm, as he doth, *" That it is absurd, that by one man's disobedience many should be made actually disobedient,'^ unless he did it purposely to contradict 1 " Contra naturam peccati est, ut censeatur peccatum, aut ut proprie in jDcccatuni iniputetur, quod propria voluntate…
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But let them enjoy their own wisdom, which is earthly, sensual, and devilish. The Scripture is clear that the sin of Adam is the sin of us all, not only by propagation and communication (whereby not his singular fault, but something of the same nature, is derived unto us), but also by an imputation of his actual transg…
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^"Whether ever any one were damned for original sin, and adjudged to everlasting torments, is deservedly doubted of Yea, we doubt not to affirm that never any was so damned," saith Corvinus. And that this is not his sole opinion he declares by telling you no less of his master, Arminius. ^" It is most true," saith he, …
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OF ORIGINAL SIN. 79 Hence was that heavy burden of "vanity/' that " bondage of coiTup- tion," under which to this day " the whole creation groaneth and tra- vaileth in pain'' until it be delivered, Rom. viii. 20-22. Now, if our sin had such a strange malignant influence upon those things which have no relation unto us…
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Now here, to shut up all, observe, that in this inquiry of the de- sert of original sin, the question is not, What shall be the certain lot of those that depart this life under the guilt of this sin only? but. What this hereditary and native corruption doth deserve in all those OF OPJGINAL SIN. 81 in whom it is? for,…
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OF ORIGINAL RIGHTEOUSNESS. 83 spouslble to the justice of God, they labour to draw down our first parents, even from the instant of their forming, into the same condition wherein we are engaged by reason of corrupted nature. But, truly, I fear they will scarce obtain so prosperous an issue of their endeavour as Mohamm…
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' " Dcus honiini rcpugnaiitiam imlidit atlversus legem." — Job. Gest. in Synod. Confes. ' " Homo uon est idoncus cui lex I'oiatur, quando in eo, ad id quod lege vctatur, non est propensio, ac inelinatio natuvalis." — ("orv. ad Molin., cap. x. sect. 15. ' "Inelinatio ad peccandum ante lapsum in liominc fuit, licet non…
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Thirdly, and principally, Whence had our primitive nature this affection to those things that were forbidden it, — this rebellion and repugnancy to the law, which must needs be an anomy, and so a thing sinful ? There was as yet no demerit, to deserve it as a punish- ment. What fault is it to be created? ^The operation …
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The first part of this controversy may be handled under these two questions: — First, Whether God giving his Son, and Christ making his soul a ransom for- sin, intended thereby to redeem all and every one from their sing, that all and every one alike, from the be- ginning of the world to the last day, should all equall…
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Secondly, The proper counsel and intention of God in sending his Son into the world to die was, that thereby he might confirm and ratify the new covenant to his elect, and purchase for them all the good things which are contained in the tenure of that covenant, — to wit, grace and glory; that by his death he might brin…
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92 A DISPLAY OF ARMINIANISM. a sacrifice for their sins, he is surely a king, to apply the good things purchased by his death unto them, as Arminius himself confesseth; much more to whom he is a priest by sacrifice, he will be a priest by intercession. And, therefore, seeing he doth not intercede and pray for every on…
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Now, because they are things of a twofold denomination about which we contend before the King of heaven, each part producing their evidence, the first springing from the favour of God towards us, the second from the working of his grace actually within us, I shall handle them severally and apart; — especially because t…
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But now, after God hath got this power by the death of Christ, and out of his gracious good pleasure assigned faith to be the means for us to attain those blessings, he hath procured himself a liberty to bestow. Did Christ obtain this faith for us of him, if it be a thing not m our own power? No; *" faith is not obtain…
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Secondly, See what the Scripture prjrug, " expressly," assigneth as the proper end and immediate effect (according to the purpose of God and his own intention) of the effusion of the blood of Jesus Christ, and you shall find that he intended by it to take away the sins of many; to "make his soul an offering for sin," t…
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" God was in Christ, reconcil- ing the world unto himself," 2 Cor. V. 19. "When thou shalt make his soul an offering for sin, he shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days, and the pleasure of the Lord shall prosper in his hand," Isa. liii. 10, " By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he sha…
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' " Nihil ineptius, nihil vanius, quam regenerationem et fidem merito Christi tribu- ere; si enim Christus nobis meritus dicatur fidem et regenerationem, tum fides conditio esse non potei'at quam a peccatoribus Deus sub comminatione mortis ceternse exigeret." — Rem. Apol., cap. viii. p. 95. 2 " Si fides sit eflfectum …
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' "Illud certlssimum est, nee jubendum esse quod efficitur, nee efficiendum quod jubetur. Stulte jubet et vult ab alio fieri aliquid, qui ipse quod jubet in eo efficere vult." — Eem. Apol, cap. ix. p. 105, a. - " At exigua conclusione pene tu totum Pelagianum dogma confirmas, dicendo, nullius laudis esse ac meriti; si…
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First, Deut. x. 1 6, The Lord commandeth the Israelites to " cir- cumcise the foreskin of their hearts, and to be no more stiff-necked;" so that the circumcising of their hearts was a part of their obedience, — it was their duty so to do, in obedience to God's command. And yet, in the 30th chapter, verse 6, he affirmet…
904 wordsSource & rights
Public-domain historical edition (1850–1870); OCR text from Internet Archive. OCR may contain scanning/transcription errors. Verify quotations against page images when precision matters.
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Historical Christian writing; not Scripture.