Discourses Upon the Existence and Attributes of God

Discourses Upon The Existence And Attributes Of God by Stephen Charnock. This late-19th/20th-century edition of Charnock's Puritan theological work presents a rigorous defense of the existence of God using Scripture, natural reason, and moral psychology. The first discourse argues that there is a God and that atheism is folly, rooted in human nature, reason, and the observable order of the world. It outlines central themes: the denials of atheism (existentiam, providentiam, naturam); the universality of belief; natural knowledge of God in creation; the design and order of the cosmos; the soul and conscience as witnesses; the necessity of a first cause; consequences of denying God; and miracles and prophecy as further confirmers. The work proceeds through reasoned arguments—Reason I (universal assent to a Creator), Reason II (order implies an intelligent cause), internal testimony of the soul, and the first cause argument—addressing a polemical, educated audience. The text blends doctrinal exposition with practical use, guiding belief, worship, and moral life.