A53702:119
An humble testimony unto the goodness and severity of God in his dealing with…
An humble testimony unto the goodness and severity of God in his dealing with sinful churches and nations, or, The only way to deliver a sinful nation from utter ruin by impendent judgments, in a discourse on the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Luk. 13, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / by John Owen.An humble testimony unto the goodness and severity of God in his dealing with sinful churches and nations, or, The only way to deliver a sinful nation from utter ruine by impendent judgments, in a discourse on the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, Luk. 13, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 / by John Owen.
London: printed for Nathanael Ponder, 1681
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. The first is Atheism, an abomination that these parts of the World were unacquainted ⟨p. 38⟩with all until these latter Ages. I do▪ not speak concerning Speculative▪ or Opinionative Atheism, in them that deny the Being of God, or which is all one, his righteous Government of the World; for it will not avail any man to believe that God is, unless withal he believe that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Yet of this sort it is to be feared, that there, are many amongst us, yea some that make great Advantages of Religion, do live and talk as if they esteemed it all a Fable. But I speak of that which is called Practical Atheism, when men live and act as if they were influenced by prevalent thoughts, that there is no God: such the Nation is replenished withal, and it exerts it self especially two ways.
1. The first is Atheism, an abomination that these parts of the World were unacquainted ⟨p. 38⟩with all untill these latter Ages. I do▪ not speak concerning Speculative▪ or Opinionative Atheism, in them that deny the Being of God, or which is all one, his righteous Government of the World; for it will not avail any man to beleive that God is, unless withal he believe that he is the Rewarder of them that diligently seek him. Yet of this sort it is to be feared, that there, are many amongst us, yea some that make great Advantages of Religion, do live and talk as if they esteemed it all a Fable. But I speak of that which is called Practical Atheism, when men live and act as if they were influenced by prevalent thoughts, that there is no God: such the Nation is replenished withal, and it exerts it self especially two ways.
1. In Cursed Oaths and blasphemous Execrations, whereby the highest contempt is cast on the Divine Name and Being. The most excellent Thuanus, giving an account of the Parisian Massacre, with the horrible Desolations that ensued thereon, ascribes it in the first place unto the Anger of God, revenging the horrid Oaths and monstrous Blasphemies, which from the Court, had spread themselves over all the Nation. Histor. Lib. 53: Nor is it otherwise among