A treatise of mans imaginations Showing his natural evil thoughtsA treatise of mans imaginations Shewing his naturall euill thoughts

The third degree is, when a man doth avouch, hold, & maintain that there is no God at all; this is the highest degree of Atheism and the most notorious sin that can be, and all such persons as maintain this cursed thought, are unworthy the common breath of men: for if that man shall die the death, and that worthily, who shall avouch his lawful prince to be no prince, how much more ought he to die the death, though he had a thousand lives that shall affirm the true God, to be no God? Thus we see the fruits of this evil thought whereby the heinousness of it doth plainly appear.

The third degree is, when a man doth avouch, hould, & maintaine that there is no God at all; this is the highest degree of Atheisme and the most notorious sinne that can bee, and all such persons as maintain this cursed thought, are vnworthie the common breath of men: for if that man shall die the death, and that worthilie, who shall avouch his lawfull prince to be no prince, howe much more ought hee to die the death, though hee had a thousand liues that shall affirme the true God, to bee no God? Thus wee see the fruites of this euill thought whereby the haynousnes of it doth plainly appeare.

IV. Point. The examination of our own hearts touching this thought whether it may be found among us or not:¹ doubtless every one will labour to clear himself hereof; And the reason wherewith many do sooth up themselves is this, because they never felt in themselves any such conceits as this, that there is no God. But we may easily deceive our selves herein, for a man cannot always discern what be the thoughts of his own heart: There be in man two kinds of cogitations, or as one may say reasons: the first is a single cogitation, whereby a man simply thinketh, or knoweth, or judgeth this or that; and this is properly called the mind: ⟨p. 52⟩The other is a reflex cogitation or reason, whereby a man judgeth that he knoweth or thinketh this or that; and it is commonly called Conscience. Now since Adams fall, the conscience is corrupt by original sin, as be all other powers of mans soul; whence it cometh to pass, that conscience can not do his duty in giving true testimony concerning mans Imaginations: but a man may think evil, and yet his conscience not tell him: and therefore we may nor say, because we feel not these evil thoughts in us; therefore we have them not, or we are free from them.