Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

I do not know what some of you may think, but I believe these things are not useless to be proposed for our selves to answer temptations: We know not what wicked temptation in a debauched and sceptic Age, meeting with a corrupt heart, may prompt men to: And tho there may not be any Atheist here present, yet I know there is more than one, who have accidentally met with such, who openly denied a Deity. And if the like occasion happen, these considerations may not be ⟨p. 44⟩unuseful to apply to their Consciences. But I must confess, that since those that live in this sentiment, do not judg themselves worthy of their own care, they are not worthy of the care of others; and a man must have all the Charity of the Christian Religion, which they despise, not to contemn them, and leave them to their own folly. As we are to pity mad men, who sink under an unavoidable distemper, we are as much to abominate them, who wilfully hug this prodigious frenzy.

I do not know what some of you may think, but I beleive these things are not useless to be proposed for our selves to answer temptations: We know not what wicked temptation in a debauched and sceptick Age, meeting with a corrupt heart, may prompt men to: And tho there may not be any Atheist here present, yet I know there is more than one, who have accidentally met with such, who openly denyed a Deity. And if the like occasion happen, these considerations may not be ⟨p. 44⟩unuseful to apply to their Consciences. But I must confess, that since those that live in this sentiment, do not judg themselves worthy of their own care, they are not worthy of the care of others; and a man must have all the Charity of the Christian Religion, which they despise, not to contemn them, and leave them to their own folly. As we are to pity mad men, who sink under an unavoidable distemper, we are as much to abominate them, who willfully hug this prodigious frenzy.

Use 3 If it be the Atheists folly to deny or doubt of the being of God, 'Tis our wisdom to be firmly settled in this Truth, That God is. We should never be without our Arms in an Age wherein Atheism appears bare faced without a disguise.