Chapter VI
Some objections answered. In what sense it may be affirmed that all wicked men are atheists. That wicked men are wanting in giving a heart-assent to
the first principles and fundamental truths of religion, as well as they are
defective in the application of them to themselves.
There are some objections which may be urged against the truth of the
doctrine which I have delivered, which I now come to answer.
Obj. If these sayings were in men s hearts, then all men should be heretics and atheists ; and besides, do not all profess the contrary principles, yea, and not only so, but assent to and contend for all those particular truths which are deduced out of them, and zealously defend all those branches of our religion which spring from them ?
To all which I briefly answer :
First, Whereas you say all should be heretics, I answer, that there is a twofold atheism and heresy, one direct and professed, conceived and ex
pressed in so many words contrary to these principles, and there are few such : but then there is an atheism is indirect, and manifested but by way of consequence, when that is yielded to by the heart, which overthrows what a man hath owned and assented to in his mind ; and so many deny God in
their works : 2 Peter ii. 1, But there were false prophets also among the
people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall
bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and
bring upon themselves swift destruction. So as what in words they yielded unto, they in deed and in truth deny again. We may say in this case as divines do of papists, who, though in words they do profess Christ and assent to all the articles of the creed, yet withal they admit and hold such
opinions to uphold their cursed practices as do deny him to be come in the
flesh : 1 John iv. 8, And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ
is come in the flesh is not of God : and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof you have heard that it should come ; and even now already is it in
. the world. And therefore their assenting to this truth, that Christ is come
in the flesh, doth not free them from being antichrists, and to be justly called
so, yea, and as justly as the Jews are, for they do strip him of all the ends he came into the world for. Thus, though men assent to this truth in direct terms propounded, that there is a God and a world to come, yet seeing they
yield to such courses as cannot stand with a true assent thereto, therefore
they may be termed atheists and heretics in that sense, as the papists are
called antichrist, who are they that in Rev. xi. 1 are to tread down the holy
city forty months, and possess the outward court of the people, that is, the
profession of the church. They are notwithstanding called Gentiles : Rev.
xi. 2, But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not ; for it is given unto the Gentiles : and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
And whereas, second, it is said men profess these principles, I answer, there is such an assent given to these truths as shall cause a man to profess them ; for that you do, being carried away with the common cry of all those you live amongst ; as they believed for the saying of the woman, John iv. 39, so you take them for granted, and never question, being brought up in them, and taught to say so, and because they are universally received ; just such
"an assent it is as the Turks have to their Alcoran, and therefore as they, so we profess these things as true. And look, as the stream riseth no higher
240 AN UNREGENEKATE MAN S GUILTINESS BEFORE GOD, [BOOK V.
than the fountain, so doth this assent, as it is engendered by common
opinion in men s minds, so it ariseth to common confession. But now when
a man shall be put upon all those practices, which are the necessary conse
quences of those principles, to alter all a man s course and life upon these
grounds that there is a God, and that he is a rewarder of those that seek
him, herein men fall short, for these principles have not interest enough in
the heart to prevail so far.
And therefore, thirdly, as from common opinion and general consent men
receive these principles, they do in like manner assent to all the branches of
religion which spring from them, to all the consequences of speculation and
doctrine which are thence deduced, and think them true for their concatena
tion, and linking together, and harmony, and correspondency one with
another, and so out of those principles contend for them, and accord to them, reason for them, and say if these be true, then are these likewise. As many mathematicians do for Copernicus s demonstrations, which were framed and
reared upon this, that the earth moves and the heavens stand still, wherein
yet he makes all the phenomena of sun, moon, and stars good upon that
supposition, and yet the first principle itself, not being fully believed nor
proved and evidenced to a man s mind, but the contrary, a man would not venture or hazard much upon the truth of them all ; no more will men for
the truth they profess they believe, because they stagger in their belief of the
principles themselves, which are to be apprehended by faith, and then all
that are built on them are so too. But otherwise men will not die for them, and hold them fast as their lives, and part with all for them ; nor do they frame their lives to them, so as though they yield to all the consequences of
them, of speculation and doctrine, yet not of practice, which those put them
upon.
Obj. 2. But you will, in the second place, further object, that men will
say, they have laid their ears to their hearts, but yet they never heard them
say so, they never had such distinct contrary thoughts come into their minds.
Surely, if there were such principles and sayings, which do thus guide all
their lives, they should know them ; but, on the contrary, thoughts that there
is a God &c., do often fill their minds, and are frequent with them, and come
in when they are about to sin.
I answer, that men may verily think they believe these things, and per ceive no contrary thoughts, and yet indeed do not believe them ; nay, the
contrary sayings shall yet be the chief engines that do turn their hearts about,
and all the wheels of them.
For, first, there is a clear instance of it in John v. 45-47, Do not think
that I will accuse you to the Father : there is one that accuseth you, even
Moses, in whom ye trust. For had ye believed Moses, ye would have be
lieved me : for he wrote of me. But if ye believe not his writings, how shall
ye believe my words ? The Jews they thought they believed Moses well
enough, for Christ says they trusted in him, and thought his writings the word of God, so as they put confidence in them ; yet, says Christ, it is evi
dent you do not believe his writings, for you would then beliave me also, but
because that cannot stand with your lusts and greatness you will not do it :
* How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and
verse 44,
seek not the honour that cometh from God only ? The consequences, there
fore, of believing Moses writings they yield not unto, as indeed wanting true
belief of them and of their truth.
And, secondly, you must know that these principles of atheism discover
not themselves in direct opposite thoughts much, which you may take notice
of, for they say little to the contrary of the great truths of religion, but work
CHAP. VI.] IN BESPECT OF SIN AND PUNISHMENT. 241
underhand to the contrary. You hear them not disputing against the truth
in the schools of your speculative understandings ; no, there the word of God is heard, and they are silent there, but at the court of the heart there
they plot and act, and procure all acts that pass, all a man s deeds to be
clean contrary. These possess the ears of the will and affections, and so slily
guide all and carry all afore them. And herein lies the very depth of the
heart s deceitfulness, which, Jer. xvii., the prophet says no man can know. They say in their hearts there is no God, it is added, in the heart, to note out the secrecy of it. Why, but you will say, if they be so prevalent we should know and discover them. I answer, the heart is deceitful, who can know it ?
For, thirdly, yet further to clear this to you, you must know that the first
principles whereby our minds are guided in judging of things, are seldom or never drawn out into actual thoughts by themselves, so as you may view them alone. And if in anything the heart s deceitfulness is discovered it is
in this, that all things should be thus carried in the heart, and yet the chief
agents and principles never appear.
For, first, those first principles wherewith our minds being fully possessed are guided by them, are seldom or never drawn forth, and formed into ex
plicit, distinct, actual thoughts, so as to consider them apart by themselves ; and yet implicitly they have a hand in all a man s actions, so as a man hence comes seldom to take notice of them. For example now, this is a common principle, even children are guided by it, that the whole is greater than one part ; therefore, bring half an apple to a child and a whole one to
choose, and he takes the whole and refuseth the half, his mind being guided by that principle ; and yet he hath not that thought drawn out by itself, that the whole is bigger than the half, therefore I will choose it ; yet that is in
his mind that doth it. So now this is a principle that all the world in
sinning is guided by, that there is no God ; but the meaning is not that when men sin, they have such an actual, explicit, distinct thought by itself;
no, and yet but for such an one in the heart men would never sin. Even,
also, as men that speak Latin, the rules they make it by they seldom think
of them, and yet one that heard them would say, surely their minds are guided by such rules in all. So when men produce such deformed actions of sin and wickedness, though they have not this thought still in their eye and
view, there is no God, &c., yet he that sees their actions would say that all these actions argue such principles to be in their hearts ; they are inbred
there, and by them men are guided in all, so as if you would resolve all your actions into their first principles, you would say it were so. So when in
Ps. x. 4 it is said, as some read it, that
* all his thoughts are, there is no God, the meaning is not that he actually thinks explicitly of nothing else, but virtually all his thoughts are so. So as these principles are as a spring in a watch, which moves least itself, yet the force of it doth all. Movet,
quurn ipsum sit immobile.
And, secondly, as first principles move thus unseen, so the acts of unbelief
also } for as the acts of faith are most secret, and yet most strong and power
ful, so are the acts of unbelief. Faith being the bottom and foundation of
all graces, it lies like an anchor under water, or as a foundation under ground ; as it is of things not seen, so also itself is a thing least seen and discerned, and is mostly seen but in the effects, and so therefore it is distinguished and discovered to us in the word. How many do believe, and yet we discern no faith in them ? How do we walk by it, live by it, pray, preach, work in our callings by it, so as all good works are the fruits of it, and yet we have not distinct, immediate thoughts of justifying faith in all thest. Nothing so VOL. x. Q
242 AN UNBEGENEBATE MAN S GUILTINESS BEFORE GOD, [BOOK V.
secret as the acts of faith. What ado is there among godly men what should be that act that justifies, and what should be the ground of it, &c., and yet all have it, and yet it is not discerned. Now as it is in the bottom grace of
all the rest, so it is in the bottom corruption of all the rest, unbelief; it is the root of all, and therefore it is under ground. It doth all, hath an influ ence into every action, and yet we discern it not ; but we see such a thing is in our hearts rather by the effects than otherwise, as we do faith also. And the bottom of corruption is much less discernible than the foundation of grace, for grace is light and discovers itself, but corruption is darkness ; and if the heart be deceitful, who can know it ? Then, certainly, what lies
at the bottom of all is least discernible, and so unbelief doth.
Why, but you will say, We have many distinct thoughts to the contrary,
viz., that there is a God; many considerations which aim to curb us, be cause there is a God and a hell.
I answer, 1. That, as in a believer, there often come in a thousand ob
jections against his faith, and his heart is filled with doubting thoughts, and
to his thinking with nothing else, when yet secretly faith works in all its
actions against them, and the acts thereof, which are not discerned, do pre vail with his heart still to go on to obey God, and cleave to him, and to fear
him, more than all those doubts that keep a noise can prevail to the contrary.
I have told you of an estate of men, who walk in darkness and have no
light, yea, souls that will complain that they call all into question, whether
there be a God, or the Scriptures be true, or themselves in God s favour ; and they have no thought in view but such as causes them to doubt of all
these, and yet even they walk more closely with God in such an hour than when they are freed from all these, and thereby they shew that they believe
these truths, even when they seem to deny them, which they could not do, but that faith and the principles of it work the most strongly in them. When
faith says least it often doth most.
So, on the contrary, in men whose hearts are filled with many convictions from the light of nature and the world that there is a God, and a hell, and such thoughts glare in their eyes, yet secretly the unbelief of all these pre
vail, and have a greater hand in their hearts, and they by reason of the other more glaring light discern it not.
But you will say, How can these two stand together in the heart ? I answer you out of this psalm
: this you may see in this very psalm, the
psalmist confidently affirms, that wicked men say there is no God, you see
in the first verse. Now, because men would object and say, How can that be ? Have not men knowledge that there is a God, and many serious thoughts about him ? Yes, says he, ver. 4, 5. He makes there the objection him
self, and says they have, and that such knowledge as awes them and terrifies them often ; there is their fear, for God was in the generation of the just. So even the Gentiles knew God, when yet they glorified him not as God, and therefore the apostle adds, that the fruit of all this was only to leave them without excuse. So that though there be such light and sparkling thoughts in the mind, yet it is not so powerful as the contrary darkness and
unbelief, which doth not only stand together with it in the same heart, -but
prevails more than it; and still they are corrupt for all that, the one, viz.
the knowledge of the principles of the truth, only so prevails, and wins but
so much ground as to give warning of the contrary detestable falsehood, so
as they shall be without excuse, and therefore it speaks loudest, for it can do nothing else but speak, but the other doth all, and gives laws to the man.
But you will ask, May two such contradistinct principles be in the mind
at once ?
CHAP. VI.] IN RESPECT OF SIN AND PUNISHMENT. 243
I answer, yes ; yea, and the psalmist himself affirms so much in this four
teenth Psalm ; for whenas he had said in the first verse, that the fool says in his heart there is no God, he notwithstanding, by way of prevention of
this very objection, grants that they have knowledge, and many sad and
serious thoughts and apprehensions of God and his wrath; so verses 4, 5, Have all the workers of iniquity no knowledge ? who eat up my people as
they eat bread, and call not upon the Lord. There were they in great fear:
for God is in the generation of the righteous. Have they no knowledge ? There is the objection. Yes, says he, there is their fear, for God is in the
generation of the just ; that is, God discovers himself to their consciences, not in his works only, but in his people, whom they oppress, and in his
ordinances, which in their congregations they are conversant about, and that
fears and awes their consciences often ; yet so as still this knowledge doth not exclude, but that in their hearts the contrary principles remain still, and
sway them, whence all their corrupt actions spring. For according as these two contrary principles have place in their hearts, accordingly have they con
trary effects in their hearts also ; for these principles of atheism, having the
chiefest interest, and being deeplier rooted, do still guide and sway all in
the heart ; but the other have not that firm rooting in the heart, so as to
sway all in it, yet prevail so far as to make them without excuse, Rom. i. 20, and to awe them in their evil courses, to which end they are placed there. And because these contrary serious apprehensions of the Godhead cannot
prevail, therefore* they are more clamorous than the other, and seem to be more busy, and make most noise, being opposers of the other, and con
testing against them, and yet are oppressed by the darkness in the heart, and therefore do seem to cry loudest.
If, then, there be in the heart such unbelief of these first principles, then when any man is converted to God, a man must have a new work of faith
wrought in him, a new peculiar light from God whereby to apprehend and
to assent to these first principles anew, as if he had never yet believed them. You that live in the bosom of the church, you take all these things for
granted, and think you need learn them no more, you having learned them
at first ; but I tell you, when faith once comes into your hearts, these
ordinary common things you knew before are all new to you, and you give a new assent to them. So says the apostle
: Heb. xi. 6, He that cometh
to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of those that seek him. And what kind of faith doth he speak of there, wherewith he
that cometh to God must believe those generals ? He speaks of that faith which is peculiar to God s elect, whereby the just do live, to work which is
a work of power as great as to create the world. This I prove to you by the coherence and scope of the apostle. In the 10th chapter he had said, at the 38ih and 39th verses, that the just do live by faith, and that they that want it do draw back. But we are not such ; for, says he, we are of them that believe to the saving of the soul ; and then after a general de
finition of it, he shews what acts this faith puts forth, he tells you that by this saving faith we do not only believe in Christ for salvation, but by it we
also believe the world was made, ver. 3 ; by it we believe that God is too, ver. 6.
But you will further object, that it is not unbelief of the generals and first
principles that wicked men fail in or want, which is the cause of the corrup tion in their lives ; for James says of him that hath no works, that he believes there is a God, and so do the devils : James ii. 17-19, Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works : shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew
244 AX UNBEGEXEBATE MAN S GUILTINESS BEFOEE GOD, [BOOK V.
thee my faith by my works. Thou believest that there is one God ; thou doest well : the devils also believe, and tremble. But they fail in not ap plying by faith these generals, to believe and rest on God as their God. They believe there is a hell, but they fail in not believing and applying the
threatenings to themselves that they shall go thither ; as in Rom. i. 32,
1 Who, knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them ; Rom ii. 1, Therefore thou art inexcusable, man, whosoever thou art that judgest
: for wherein thou judgest another, thou condemnest
thyself; for thou that judgest doest the same things. He knew in general the judgment of God, but thought he should escape it. For answer, many things are to be considered and laid together. 1. That indeed it is most true, that besides a bare, naked belief of the
generals, special faith and application is to be made, and therein lies the very
life of faith, whereby I believe not only that there is a God, but I believe in
God. It is the papists error to think otherwise, and therefore there are three things required to faith : (1.) to understand the promise ; but that is not enough, that they know them ; but (2.) it is necessary to assent to the truth and goodness of them ; and (3.) then to embrace them or apply them
to themselves : Heb. xi. 13, These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For as ere any conclusion can be drawn in* reasoning, there must be a major and a minor proposition, so to make up the act of faith, and
to bring forth those holy fruits which are the consequences and conclusions of it in men s lives, that faith may be a working faith, it is necessary there be an application of generals to themselves.
2. It is also true that wicked men do more commonly and more easily give some kind of assent to the generals, as that all such and such threatenings are true, when they cannot endure application, no, not the thoughts of it, but self-love comes between, and shelters the blow with self-flattery, and some forced shift or other, to exclude itself out of the general ; and therefore James expresseth their faith rather by the general than otherwise, to believe there is a God, &c. ; for without application such generals work not, yet wicked men do fail in the belief of the general. For, 3. Though that applying act of faith is necessarily required, and is a far
ther thing, yet it is the truth and strength of our assent to the general that hath the great influence into our lives, to draw forth such conclusions of
practice. My meaning is, it is the belief of the general which hath the chief
stroke in setting men a-work. For as in reasoning the chief weight of the conclusion depends on the major, and the truth of it, though a minor is re
quired, so also here in the working of faith, though application of generals
is necessary, yet the main thing that stirs the heart is the particular appli cation. But yet though that applying special act of faith is required neces
sarily, and is to be added to the general, yet still it is the strength and truth
of my belief of the general, that hath the main and great influence and stroke
in the heart to set it on work, and which draws out the application ; even as
the conclusion, though it depends upon the minor proposition, yet especially on the major as the foundation of it. Yea, and the strength of my appre hension of the truth and goodness of God, and his promises in the general,
is partly, nay, mainly, the cause of the particular act of application, and much helps to draw the heart to seek God, and to trust him ; yea, and the
cause why men come not truly in to seek and serve God, is because they
fall short in believing his goodness, mercy, and wrath, such as indeed they
CHAP. VII.] IN RESPECT OF SIN AND PUNISHMENT. 245
are in the general notion of them, Heb. xi. G. Therefore what says the
psalmist ? Ps. ix. 10, And they that know thy name will put their trust
in thee : for thou, Lord, hast not forsaken them that seek thee. Those
that know thy name that is, truly apprehend and believe what a gracious,
just, merciful, powerful, allsufficient God thou art, and able to make them
happy they will trust in thee. And the reason men do not is, they fail in
the general knowledge and faith of this ; therefore the name of God, i.e.
the mercy that is in him, is the main ground of faith, because mercy and
redemption is with him : Ps. cxxx. 4, 7, But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared. Let Israel hope in the Lord : for with the Lord there is mercy, and with him is plenteous redemption. Did men
believe it strongly enough, as they did who said, We have heard that the
kings of Israel are merciful kings, they would put ropes about their necks, and submit themselves.