[The sincere convert, discovering the small number of true believers, and the great difficulty…[The sincere convert, discovering the small number of true beleevers, and the great difficulty…

This is an use of reproof •o all Atheists, use 1 either in opinion or practise.¹

This is an use of repr•of •o all Atheists, use 1 either in opinion or practise.¹

1. 1A discovery of AtheismA discoverie of Atheism

First in opinion, such as either conclude, or suspect there is no God. Oh blasphemous thought! Are there any such men? Men? Nay, beasts; nay, devils; nay worse then devils; for they believe and tremble. Yet the fool hath said in his heart, there is no ⟨p. 8⟩God, Ps. 1•.1. Men that have little heads little knowledge, without hearts, as scholars sometimes of weak brains, seeing how things come by second causes, though they might believe their books, yet cannot ra••e their dull thoughts to the beholding of a first cause. Great Politicians are like children always standing on their heads, and shaking their heels against heaven: these think Religion to be but a piece of policy, to keep people in awe▪ Profane persons, desiring to go on in sin, without any rub or check for sin, blow out all the light of nature, wishing there were no God to punish, and are willing to suspect that which is not. Those also that have sinned secretly, though not openly against nature, or the light of conscience: God smites men for incest, sodomy, self-pollution, with dismal blindness. Those also that are notorious worldlings, that look no higher then their barns, no further then their shops the world i a pearl in their eye, they cannot see a God.