Chapter 4: That the Same Knowledge Is Either Choked or Corrupted, Partly by Ignorance and Partly by Malice

But as experience teaches that God has sown the seed of religion in all men, so scarcely may be found the hundredth man that, having it conceived in his heart, does cherish it, but no man in whom it ripens, so far is it that any fruit appears in due time. Therefore whether it be that some become vain in their own superstitions, or that some do of set purpose maliciously revolt from God, yet all do run out of kind from the true knowledge of him. So comes it to pass that there remains no true godliness in the world. But whereas I said that some by error fall into superstition, I mean not thereby as though their simplicity might excuse them from blame, because the blindness that they have is commonly always mingled both with proud vanity and with stubbornness. Vanity, and the same joined with pride, appears in this, that these miserable men both in the seeking of God do not climb above themselves as they ought to have done, but measure him according to the proportion of their own fleshly dullness, and also neglecting the perfect manner of searching for him, do curiously fly to vain speculations. And so they conceive him not such a one as he offers himself, but do imagine him such a one as of their own rash presumption they have forged him. Which gulf being once opened, whatever way they stir their feet, they must always run headlong into destruction. For whatever afterward they go about toward the worshipping or service of God, they can not account it done to him, because they worship not him, but rather the device of their own heart, and their own dream in stead of him. This perverseness does Paul expressly touch, where he says: That they were made fools when they coveted to be wise. He had before said that they were made vain in their imaginations: but lest any man should thereby excuse them from blame, he adds further, that they are worthily blinded, because not contented with sobriety, but presumptuously taking upon themselves more than they ought, they willfully bring darkness upon them, yea with vain and froward pride do make themselves fools. Whereupon follows, that their foolishness is not excusable, of which the cause is not only vain curiosity, but also a greediness to know more than is meet for them, joined with a false confidence.

As for this that David says, that the wicked and mad men think in their hearts, that there is no God: first that is meant only of those that, choking the light of nature, do of purpose make themselves senseless, as we shall see again a little hereafter. Even as we see that many after that they have been hardened with boldness and custom of sinning, do furiously put from them all the remembrance of God, which yet is by very feeling of nature inwardly ministered to their minds. Now David, to make their madness the more detestable, brings them in as though they precisely denied, that there is any God: although they take not from him his being, but because in taking from him his judgment and providence, they shut him up idle in heaven. For whereas nothing less agrees with the nature of God, than to throw away the government of the world, and leave it to fortune, to wink at the sins of men, so as they may live in licentious outrage unpunished: whoever he be that, quenching the fear of the heavenly judgment, does carelessly follow his own affections, he denies that there is a God. And this is the just vengeance of God, to draw a fatness over their hearts, so that the wicked when they have once closed their eyes, even in seeing may not see. And David in another place is the best expounder of his own meaning, where he says: That the fear of God is not before the eyes of the wicked: Again: that in their evil doings they proudly rejoice at themselves, because they persuade themselves, that God does not look upon them. Therefore although they be compelled to acknowledge some God, yet they do rob him of his glory, in withdrawing from him his power. For as God (as Paul witnesses) can not deny himself, because he continually abides like himself: so is it truly said, that these men in feigning God to be a dead and vain image, do deny God. Moreover it is to be noted, that although they wrestle against their own natural feeling, and do desire not only to shake out God from there, but also to destroy him in heaven, yet their dull hardness can never so far prevail, but that God sometimes draws them back to his judgment seat. But since they are not withheld with any fear from running violently against God: therefore it is certain that there reigns in them a brutish forgetfulness of God, so long as that blind pang of rage does so forcibly carry them.

So is that vain defense overthrown which many are accustomed to pretend for excuse of their superstition. For they think, that any devotion to religion suffices, whatever it be, though it be never so much contrary to order and truth. But they consider not, that true religion ought to be framed according to the will of God, as by a perpetual rule: and that God himself abides always like himself, and is no imagined ghost or fantasy, that may be diversely fashioned after every man's liking. And truly we may plainly see with how lying deceits, superstition mocks God, while she goes about to do him pleasure. For catching hold of those things in a manner only, which God has testified that he cares not for, she either contemptuously uses, or openly refuses those things that he appoints, and says to be pleasant to him. Therefore whoever does set up newly invented forms of worshipping God, they worship and honor their own doting devices: because they dared not so trifle with God, unless they had first feigned a God, agreeing with the follies of their trifling toys. Therefore the Apostle pronounces, that that unstable and wandering opinion of the majesty of God, is a very ignorance of God. When (says he) you knew not God you served them, that in nature were no gods. And in another place he says: That the Ephesians were without a God at such time as they strayed from the right knowledge of the one God. And at least in this case, it differs not much whether you believe one God or many, because in both cases you depart from and forsake the true God: whom when you have once forsaken, there is nothing left with you but a detestable idol. It follows therefore, that we must determine with Lactantius, that there is no lawfully allowable religion, but that which is joined with truth.

There is also a second fault, that they neither have at any time any consideration of God, but against their wills, nor do approach toward him, till for all their holding back they be forcibly drawn to him: and even then also they have not a willing fear that proceeds from reverence of God's majesty, but only a servile and constrained fear, which the judgment of God wrings out of them: which judgment because they cannot escape, therefore they dread it, but yet so as therewith they abhor it. And so that saying of Statius, that fear first made gods in the world, may be fittly spoken of ungodliness, and of this kind of ungodliness only. They that have a mind abhorring from the justice of God, do heartily wish to have his throne of judgment overthrown, which they know to stand for punishment of offenses against his justice: by which affection they war against God, who cannot be without his judgment. But when they understand that his power, impossible to be avoided, hangs over them: because they can neither by force remove it, nor by flight escape it, therefore they fear it. So least they should in all things seem to despise him, whose majesty still presses upon them, they use a certain outward form of religion, such as it is: but in the mean time they cease not to defile themselves with all kinds of vices, to join outrageous mischiefs to mischiefs, until they have in all points violated the holy law of the Lord, and destroyed his whole righteousness, or at least they are not so held back with that feigned fear of God, but that they sweetly rest in their sins, and flatter themselves, and had rather follow the intemperance of their flesh than restrain it with the bridle of the Holy Ghost. But forasmuch as the same is but a void and lying shadow of religion, yes scarcely worthy to be called a shadow, hereby again is easily gathered how much the true godliness, which is poured only into the hearts of the faithful, I mean that out of which religion springs, does differ from this confused knowledge of God. And yet the hypocrites would obtain by roundabout means to seem near to God, from whom they flee. For whereas there ought to have been one continued unbroken course of obedience in their whole life, they in a manner in all their doings carelessly rebelling against him, labor with a few sacrifices to appease him. Whereas they ought to have served him with holiness of life and sincerity of heart, they invent triflings and observances of no value, to procure his favor withal: yes they do the more licentiously lie dull in their own dregs, because they trust that they may be discharged against him with their own mockeries of propitiatory satisfactions. Finally, whereas their trust ought to have been fastened in him, they neglecting him do rest in themselves, or in creatures. At length they entangle themselves with such a heap of errors, that the dark mist of malice does choke, and at last utterly quench those sparks, that dimly shined to make them see the glory of God. Yet that seed still remains, which can by no means be plucked up by the root, to believe that there is a certain Godhead, but the same seed is so corrupted that it brings forth of itself none other, but very evil fruits. Indeed thereby is that which I labor to prove more certainly gathered, that there is a feeling of Godhead naturally graven in the hearts of men, forasmuch as the very reprobate themselves are of necessity compelled to confess it. In quiet prosperity they pleasantly mock at God, yes they are full of talk and prating to diminish the greatness of his power: but if once any desperation touches them, it stirs them up to seek the same God, and ministers to them sudden short prayers: by which it may appear, that they were not utterly ignorant of God, but that the same which ought sooner to have been uttered, was by obstinacy suppressed.

But as experience shows that God has sown the seed of religion in all people, scarcely one in a hundred can be found who, having received it in his heart, actually cherishes it — and no one in whom it fully ripens and produces fruit in due season. Some become entangled in their own superstitions, while others deliberately and maliciously turn away from God. In either case, all wander away from the true knowledge of Him. As a result, no genuine godliness remains in the world. When I say that some fall into superstition through error, I do not mean that their simplicity excuses them from blame. Their blindness is almost always mixed with proud vanity and stubbornness. Vanity joined with pride shows itself in this: these miserable people, when seeking God, do not rise above themselves as they should, but measure Him according to the limitations of their own dull, fleshly minds. They also neglect the right way of seeking Him and rush off into worthless speculation. So they do not conceive of God as He actually offers Himself, but invent the kind of god that their own rash presumption has fashioned. Once that chasm is opened, whatever direction they take, they are rushing headlong toward destruction. For whatever they then attempt in worship or service to God cannot be credited to Him — they are not worshipping Him but the invention of their own heart, their own dream put in His place. Paul directly addresses this corruption where he says that they became fools when they desired to be wise. He had already said that they became vain in their imaginations. But lest anyone excuse them from blame, he adds that they are rightly blinded — because, not content with humility, they presumptuously took upon themselves more than they should, and so willfully brought darkness upon themselves, making themselves fools by vain and perverse pride. Their foolishness is therefore not excusable, since its cause is not only idle curiosity but a greed to know more than is fitting, combined with false confidence.

As for what David says — that the wicked and foolish say in their hearts there is no God — this refers only to those who, suppressing the light of nature, deliberately make themselves senseless, as we will see again shortly. We see many who, hardened by boldness and long habit of sinning, furiously drive from their minds all remembrance of God, even though this remembrance is inwardly supplied to them by the very feeling of their nature. David, to make their madness more detestable, portrays them as though they flatly deny there is any God — though what they actually deny is not His existence but His judgment and providence. They shut Him up as idle in heaven. For nothing is more contrary to the nature of God than to abandon the governance of the world, leave everything to chance, and wink at human sin so that people may live in unrestrained wickedness unpunished. Therefore whoever quenches the fear of heavenly judgment and carelessly follows his own desires is in effect denying that there is a God. And this is God's just judgment — to bring a spiritual blindness over their hearts, so that the wicked, once they have closed their eyes, cannot see even while they look. David elsewhere explains his own meaning best when he says that the fear of God is not before the eyes of the wicked, and again that in their evil deeds they congratulate themselves because they are convinced that God does not look upon them. So although they are compelled to acknowledge some god, they rob Him of His glory by denying Him His power. For as God — as Paul testifies — cannot deny Himself, because He always remains consistent with Himself, so it is rightly said that these men, in pretending God to be a dead and empty image, effectively deny God. It should also be noted that although they wrestle against their own natural sense of God, and wish not only to drive it from their hearts but to destroy God in heaven as well, their dull hardness can never prevail so completely that God does not sometimes drag them back before His judgment seat. But since no fear holds them back from rushing violently against God, a brutish forgetfulness of God certainly reigns in them for as long as that blind fit of rage carries them along.

So the empty defense many typically use to excuse their superstition is demolished. They think that any form of devotion to religion is sufficient, however contrary to order and truth it may be. But they fail to consider that true religion must be shaped according to God's will as the one constant rule, and that God Himself always remains the same — He is not a phantom or illusion that can be molded according to every person's preference. We can plainly see with what lying deceits superstition mocks God, even while attempting to please Him. It seizes on the things God has testified He does not care about, and either contemptuously ignores or openly refuses the things He has appointed and said are pleasing to Him. Therefore, whoever invents new forms of worshipping God is in fact worshipping the inventions of his own confused mind — for he would never have dared to trifle so with God unless he had first fashioned a god to match the foolishness of his trifling. So the apostle declares that this unstable and wandering opinion of the majesty of God is a true ignorance of God. 'When you did not know God,' he says, 'you served those who by nature are not gods.' And in another place he says that the Ephesians were without God at the time when they wandered from the right knowledge of the one God. In this case it matters little whether you believe in one god or many, for in both cases you depart from and abandon the true God. Once you forsake Him, nothing remains with you but a detestable idol. We must therefore agree with Lactantius: there is no lawful or acceptable religion except that which is joined with truth.

There is a second fault as well: they never give any thought to God except against their will, and they do not draw near to Him until they are forcibly dragged to Him despite all their resistance. And even then, the fear they have is not a willing fear proceeding from reverence for God's majesty — it is a servile, forced fear wrung out of them by His judgment. Because they cannot escape that judgment, they dread it, but they dread it while also hating it. So the saying of Statius — that fear first made gods in the world — may rightly be applied to ungodliness, and to this kind of ungodliness only. Those whose minds recoil from the justice of God sincerely wish to see His judgment throne overthrown, for they know it stands to punish offenses against His justice. In this they make war against God, who cannot exist apart from His judgment. But when they understand that His power, which they cannot avoid, hangs over them — that they can neither remove it by force nor escape it by flight — they are afraid of it. So that they may not in every way seem to despise God, whose majesty still bears down on them, they maintain a certain outward form of religion. But in the meantime they do not stop defiling themselves with every kind of vice, piling outrageous wickedness on wickedness, until they have in every point violated the Lord's holy law and destroyed His righteousness entirely. Or at the very least, they are not held back by that hollow fear of God from finding pleasure in their sins — flattering themselves and following the desires of their flesh rather than restraining them by the Spirit. Since this religion is nothing but an empty and lying shadow of religion — hardly worthy even to be called a shadow — we can easily see from this how far the true godliness poured only into the hearts of the faithful differs from this confused knowledge of God. Yet hypocrites try by roundabout means to appear near to God, from whom they flee. Where there ought to have been one unbroken course of obedience throughout their whole life, they live in virtual rebellion against Him in nearly everything, and then try to appease Him with a few sacrifices. Where they ought to have served Him with holiness of life and sincerity of heart, they invent empty rituals and observances of no value to try to purchase His favor. And they live all the more carelessly in their own filth, trusting that they can satisfy His demands with their own invented acts of atonement. Finally, where their trust ought to have been fixed in Him, they neglect Him and rest in themselves or in created things. In the end they become entangled in such a mass of errors that the dark fog of their malice chokes and at last utterly extinguishes the sparks that were dimly shining to show them the glory of God. Yet that seed remains — the belief in some Godhead — a seed that cannot be fully uprooted. But it is so corrupted that it produces only evil fruit. This actually proves my point all the more firmly: that the sense of the divine is naturally engraved in human hearts, since even the reprobate themselves are compelled of necessity to confess it. In comfortable prosperity they mock God cheerfully and talk freely to diminish His power. But the moment any desperation touches them, it rouses them to seek the very same God, and sudden brief prayers burst from them — showing that they were not entirely ignorant of God, but that what should have come out long before was suppressed by obstinacy.