Discourses upon the Existence and Attributes of God

The noblest Faculty of Man, his Understanding, wherein the remaining Lineaments of the Image of God are visible; the highest Operation of that Faculty, which is Wisdom, is in the Judgment of the Spirit of God Devilish, whiles it is earthly and sensual^*: and the Wisdom of the best man is no better by Nature; a legion of impure Spirits possess it. Devilish, as the Devil, who though he believe there is a God, yet acts as if there were none, and wishes he had no Superior to prescribe him a Law, and inflict that punishment upon him which his Crimes have merited. Hence the Poison of Man by Nature is said to be like the Poison of a Serpent, alluding to that serpentine temptation which first infected Mankind, and changed the nature of Man into the likeness of that of the Devil.^* So that notwithstanding the Harmony of the World that presents men not only with the Notice of the Being of a God, but darts into their minds some remarks of his Power and Eternity; yet the thoughts and reasonings of Man are so corrupt, as may well be called Diabolical, and as contrary to the Perfection of God and the original Law of their Nature, as the actings of the Devil are: For since every natural Man is a Child of the Devil, and is acted by the Diabolical Spirit, he must needs have that Nature which his Father hath, and the Infusion of that Venom which the Spirit that acts him, is possessed with; though the full Discovery of it may be restrained by various Circumstances, Eph. 2.2. To conclude, though no man, or at least very few arrive to a round and positive Conclusion in their hearts that there is no God, yet there is no man that naturally hath in his heart any reverence of God.

The noblest Faculty of Man, his Understanding, wherein the remaining Lineaments of the Image of God are visible; the highest Operation of that Faculty, which is Wisdom, is in the Judgment of the Spirit of God Devilish, whiles it is earthly and sensual^*: and the Wisdom of the best man is no better by Nature; a legion of impure Spirits possess it. Devilish, as the Devil, who though he believe there is a God, yet acts as if there were none, and wishes he had no Superior to prescribe him a Law, and inflict that punishment upon him which his Crimes have merited. Hence the Poyson of Man by Nature is said to be like the Poyson of a Serpent, alluding to that serpentine temptation which first infected Mankind, and changed the nature of Man into the likeness of that of the Devil.