Christianismus primitivus, or, The ancient Christian religion, in its nature, certainty, excellency, and beauty, (internal and external) particularly considered, asserted, and vindicated from the many abuses which have invaded that sacred profession, by humane innovation, or pretended revelation comprehending likewise the general duties of mankind, in their respective relations : and particularly the obedience of all Christians to magistrates, and the necessity of Christian-moderation about things dispensible in matters of religion : with divers cases of conscience discussed and resolved / by Thomas Grantham ...

SECT. I. Against ATHEISM.

1. Atheism is either a flat denial that there is any God, who rules the Uni∣verse by his Power and Providence; or else, an utter regardlesness whether there be any God, what he doth or requires to be done.

This damning Sin, in the first Branch of it, I hope is not very com∣mon; and where it is, it obtain'd its entrance by Mens desiring to be overwise, and are withal of bold and daring Spirits, such as Paul menti∣ons, 1 Cor. 1. 21. The World through Wisdom knew not God: or, as Pha∣raoh, who said, I know not the Lord; and who is the Lord that I should obey his Voice? Exod. 5. 2. Or as Statius, who held, That only Fear made Gods first in the World. Or rather as Diagoras and Theodorus, who are said flatly to deny there was any God at all; * 1.1 Protagoras Deum in dubium voca∣vit, Diagoras exclusit. These Men (how wise soever) are justly censured by the Apostle, Rom. 1. 22. Professing themselves Wise, they make them∣selves Fools: and so they stand upon Record, Psal. 14. 1. The Fool hath said in his Heart, There is no God. Of this sort were our late Ranters, (the Fore-runners of the * 1.2 Quakers) as may be seen by their execrable Books yet extant.

The Atheist fights not against the Scriptures only, but against Heaven it self; which hath wont to convince Men that there is a God which ru∣leth the very Stars themselves. Homines ceperunt Deum agnoscere, &c. * 1.3 Men first began to acknowledg a God, when they considered the Stars to main∣tain such a comliness Day and ight, both in Winter and Summer, to ob∣serve their designed Risings and Settings. Why then should any so far un∣man themselves, as not to lift up their Eyes, and dispose their Minds to consider the Eternal Power and Godhead, which shineth forth in the Creation and continuation of the World. * 1.4 He that would see (saith Boetius) the Laws of God, let him with a prudent mind look up to Heaven, and observe there how all things agree. The Stars run their Courses in peace. the Moon's cold Sphere is not injured by the heat of the Sun, but each one keep their Course with exact motion, &c. The consideration whereof, seems to have kept Aristotle himself from Atheism: * 1.5 What (saith he) can ever be compared with the motion of the Stars in their several Revolutions, which move exactly as it were by the Rule and Square, by Line and Level, from one Generation to another.

The Atheist being required to shew how the World came to be, and to bear so excellent a Form and Order? Is said (by a learned Pen) to give only this account: That the World was produced of certain Atoms, dancing in an Eternal Circle. But this is so vain, that it cannot be heard without just indignation; and it may well be demanded, Why Atoms do not still produce the same effects? Why are there not new Heavens, new Earths, new Suns, new Moons? &c. No Reason can be given why there are not the same things produced, if they had no other cause of their first being than Atoms: And it would be understood whence these Atoms had their beeing? But surely, as the Scripture informs us, that the Heavens are God's Handywork, Psal. 19. 1. * 1.6 So Lactantius said well against the Heathen Man, As that which is made, had never been, had not God commanded, Let it be: So neither had they continued, unless he had gi∣ven the Charge, &c. Now he that denies a Deity, is confuted by every Creature in the World. All which in their kind proclaim a Creator, seeing their state is such as evidently shews they could not give themselves a Being; nor are they able to continue, though they desire it. Which shews they are under a Power, to which all must submit.

2. Atheism in the second Consideration, is justly chargeable upon the Irreligious, or those that make no Conscience of Religion. Seeing there is no sufficient evidence that Mankind does either know, or love God, any more than the Beasts of the Field, but as he is distinguished from them by the Bond of Religion: And hence it was that Adam only, of all Crea∣tures, had an Institution of Religion given him in his Innocency, which he not observing, was like the Beast that perisheth, Psal. 49. 10.

Those Men therefore are without God in the World, who are without Religion, or make no Conscience of the Worship of God (though they do not flatly deny his Being) the impious language of whose ungodly Con∣versation is expressed, Job. 21. 14, 15. They say unto God, Depart from us, for we desire not the knowledg of thy Ways. What is the Almighty, that we should serve him? and what profit should we have if we pray unto him? Yea,

they plainly say, It is in vain to serve God, Mal. 3. 14.

These kind of Atheists are not only opposed to the principles of Theo∣logie, but have therewith cast off the very Documents of Nature, which leads Mankind to acknowledg their Maker, and to delight to please him in all things: The Gentiles having not the Law, do by Nature the things contain'd in the Law; Whilst those sordid Creatures defile themselves in what they know, (or might understand naturally) as Jude speaks.

They arrive at this Impiety, to neglect Religion, by the love of pre∣sent things: Ye cannot serve God and Mammon, saith Christ. And by de∣grees conclude, that God takes no notice of Religious Performances; yea, their Cogitations often-times are very strange concerning God, as that the Lord hath forsaken the Earth; that he will not do good, neither punish them with evil, Ezek. 8. 12. & 9. 9. When yet it is most certain, that nothing ever so much provoked the Lord to Wrath, as the neglect of Re∣ligion; this brought the Curse on Adam, Gen. 3. and this brought De∣struction on the old World, Gen. 6. and 7. This often hindred the Mercies of God from descending upon his Ancient People, and particu∣larly in the time of the Prophet Haggai, Chap. 1. ver. 9. Ye looked for much, and loe it came to little — Why, saith the Lord of Hosts? Because of mine House that is waste, and ye run every Man to his own House. * 1.7 And hence Lactantius truly said, Discite igitur, si quid vobis relictae mentis est, &c. Learn thus much then (if you have any understanding left) that Mischief daily befals Men, because God the Greator and Governour of the World, is for∣saken of them — and finally because you will not permit the Worship of the True God, so much as to a few.

2. Another great cause of Irreligion, or want of Conscience, is the ill example of many who are set over the People, in this and other Nations, as their Guides and Teachers, who live not in any measure as they teach, nor are they fixed in the Worship, or Religion they profess; but have been found ready to change with the Times, as if Religion was only to serve a turn. This the Vulgar observing, are stumbled, and made to regard no Religion at all. And here we may justly remember the complaint of the Prophet, Isa. 3. 12. O my People, they that lead thee, cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy Paths. Worldly-minded Preachers are the ruine of true Religion, and the promoters of this kind of Atheism; for whilst they make their Belly their own God, in vain do they preach another God to the People. Against these, holy Paul en∣veigheth most bitterly, and under his just Censure I leave them, Phil. 3. 18, 19. For many walk, of whom I have told you often, and now tell you even weeping, that they are Enemies of the Cross of Christ: Whose end is De∣struction, whose God is their Belly, whose glory is in their Shame, who mind Earthly things.

Let all Men seriously consider, that unless there be some duty of Reli∣gion pertaining to Mankind, as previous to a state of Happiness, it will be hard to dignifie Mankind (generally) above the Beasts of the Field. For though some few by reason of their Wealth and Honours, may seem to out-vie those Animals, yet the generality of Men seem to be (and doubtless are) exposed to a more anxious Life than the Fowls of Hea∣ven,

the Fishes in the Sea, and many Beasts of the Earth; to whom it is hard to add any thing to make their Life more happy than it is, save that they are Mortal. But wretched Mankind, if now debarr'd of the Know∣ledg of God, and true Religion, and the Glory that shall follow, is an ob∣ject of the greatest Contempt (especially the Poor of this World) of all other; and by how much he hath reason to consider his state as such, it will by so much augment his Sorrows, and not relieve him at all.

But now, Consider him as capable to know the Lord, and to walk with him in a way of Faith and Religion whilst here, and to be thereby fit∣ted to live for ever in the full enjoyment of the Presence of that God, who giveth Life and Being to all things; this, even this, and only this, makes him the most happy of all Creatures here below. This makes him forget his Sorrows as Trifles which last but for a moment, and which (by the power of the true Religion) work for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of Glory, whilst he can chearfully look at the things (by Faith) which appear not to sense: for the things which are seen are Tempo∣ral, but the things which are not seen are Eternal.

Wherefore let all Men be perswaded to hate, scorn, and detest the odi∣ous principles of Atheism, which so basely ignobles the Children of Men, as to make them the most wretched of all others. And let us love, walk, and delight our selves greatly in Religion, the true Religion, even the An∣cient Christian Religion; which so advanceth, dignifieth, and for ever secureth the Faithful, to, and in, that Joy which is unspeakable, and full of Glory. Nor shall we actum agere, shew here what this true Religion is, having done that already.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Lact. de fal. Reli. c. 2.
• * 1.2

  See Mr. Pennington in his Book written to all the Madmen in Great Bedlam, (meaning the Ranters in Great Britain) where he prophesies of their Revolution, and how they should be very famous in it; and it was not long before the Quakers shewed themselves: and what the natural consequence of their Doctrine is, hath been sufficiently made manifest by many Witnesses.
• * 1.3

  Plutarch.
• * 1.4

  Boetius.
• * 1.5

  Aristotle.
• * 1.6

  Lactant.
• * 1.7

  Lactant.