A supplement to The Morning-exercise at Cripple-Gate, or, Several more cases of conscience practically…

3. Proposition.

Though all men for some time were without the written Law of God, ¹which is full and sufficient to salvation, and many are without it still, yet all men have a law written in their hearts, showing them that good is to be embraced, and evil to be shunned, and is sufficient to leave them without excuse. Besides what is said before, the Apostle proveth this, Rom. 2.14. by a twofold argument or testimony; the first external, from the lives of many of the more sober Heathen, who did many things contained in, and commanded by the Law of God, for when the Gentiles which have not the Law, do by nature the things contained in the Law, these having not the Law, are a Law unto themselves: The second is an internal testimony, v. 15. which show the work of the Law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing, or else excusing one another. The very Heathen have been filled with fears of ⟨p. 304⟩punishment after they have committed sin: but what need that, unless they knew they had transgressed some Law?² What Law then? Not the written Law of God; for that they had not: Therefore a Law of Nature; being for such evils for which they were not exposed to punishment by the Laws of men.

Though all men for some time were without the written Law of God, ¹