Exploring Stephen Charnock's Foundational Discourses on God (Discourse 1-3)

 Stephen Charnock, a renowned 17th-century Puritan preacher, left behind a monumental work on theology titled The Existence and Attributes of God. His writings, transcribed from his sermons, excel in "solid divinity and argumentative power," addressing both the intellect and the heart with profound clarity. While his complete work is vast, the opening discourses lay an essential foundation for understanding the divine nature.

This post seeks to distill and make accessible the first three of these foundational arguments. We will explore Charnock's reasoning for God's existence, examine his key evidence, feature powerful quotes that capture the force of his logic, and provide reflection questions to help a modern audience engage with these timeless theological truths. In an age of skepticism and distraction, Charnock's rigorous, God-centered logic offers a profound anchor for the intellect and the soul.

1. Discourse I: The Argument from Universal Consent

Charnock begins his monumental work not with abstract philosophy, but with an appeal to a tangible, global reality: the universal, constant, and innate belief in a Supreme Being found across all human societies. He presents this widespread consensus not merely as a fascinating cultural phenomenon, but as powerful evidence for a foundational truth that "runs in the blood of mankind." This discourse argues that a belief so deeply and universally held cannot be a mere fancy, but must point to an objective reality.

1.1. Analyzing the Core Argument

Charnock builds his case for why this universal belief serves as a formidable proof of God's existence through a series of interlocking observations.

• Unanimous Agreement: He notes that all nations—"heathen, Turk, Jew, and Christian"—have historically agreed on the existence of a Deity. While they differed vastly in their specific religions and practices, this central truth remained a point of uncontested consensus.
• Universal Reach: This belief was not confined to a particular social class or intellectual elite. It has been owned, Charnock argues, by the "wise and ignorant, by the learned and stupid," making it as universal as human reason itself.
• Innate to Humanity: The concept of a Divine Being is so intertwined with human reason that some have defined man not as animal rationale (a rational animal) but as animal religiosum (a religious animal). For Charnock, this means a person "renounceth his humanity when he renounceth a Divinity," as this belief is an intrinsic part of what it means to be human.
• Evidence from the Unreached: Charnock highlights the powerful testimony of isolated peoples, such as those discovered in the Americas who were "but one remove from brutes." Despite lacking commerce with other nations, they were found to possess a clear notion of a Supreme Being, an object for their worship, and a practice of prayer to implore for good and avert evil.

1.2. Key Quotation

Charnock forcefully concludes that this universal stamp of belief is undeniable, even in the most remote corners of the world:

Go to the utmost bounds of America, you may find people without some broken pieces of the law of nature, but not without this signature and stamp upon them, though they wanted commerce with other nations, except as savage as themselves, in whom the light of nature was as it were sunk into the socket... yet were they as soon known to own a God, as they were known to be a people.

1.3. Study & Reflection Questions

1. Charnock argues that the universality of belief in a deity is strong proof of God's existence. In today's globalized and more secular world, do you think this argument still holds the same weight? Why or why not?
2. Charnock suggests that belief in a Supreme Being is "twisted with reason" and part of our humanity. How does this perspective challenge modern, purely materialistic views of human consciousness and origins?

While the sheer scope of human consensus provides powerful external evidence, Charnock next turns to two witnesses that are even closer to home: the magnificent design of the created world and the inescapable court of the human conscience.

2. Discourse II: The Argument from Creation and Conscience

In his second discourse, Charnock shifts his focus from the collective testimony of humanity to the dual testimony of the created world and the human soul. He argues that both the magnificent order of the universe and the inner workings of the human conscience serve as clear, undeniable witnesses to God's "eternal power and Godhead." This section will explore these two powerful lines of evidence, one external and one internal.

2.1. The Witness of the Created World

Charnock distills several arguments from the natural world that he believes point definitively to a Creator.

• The World as a Mirror: He uses the analogy of the world as a "looking-glass," referencing Romans 1:20. Every part of creation, from the largest leviathan to the smallest ant, is a "broken piece" of this mirror, clearly reflecting the existence and skill of the "artificer" who made it.
• The Impossibility of Self-Creation: Charnock presents a core logical argument: "nothing cannot be the cause of something." If every person had a beginning, they were once nothing and could not have created themselves. He reasons that if a man could give himself being, he would also have the power to preserve himself from disease and death, yet all humanity is subject to decay.
• The Evidence of Intelligent Design: He details the argument from the "admirable difference of the features of men." The fact that no two people are exactly alike, he contends, could not be the work of chance. This distinction is essential for preserving personal identity, family relationships, civil justice, and commerce, pointing to a wise Creator who ordered the world with purpose.

2.2. The Inner Witness of the Conscience

Charnock argues that the human conscience is God's inescapable "deputy" in the soul, a principle that "continually cites him before God" and acts with His "authority and omniscience." It is a divine tribunal installed within every person.

1. An Internal Law: He describes the concept of an innate "law of nature" written within the human soul, providing a universal moral framework independent of external legislation.
2. Fear and Accountability: The fear, horror, and guilt that arise from transgressing this inner law point to a superior Judge to whom all humans are accountable. This internal "scourge" testifies to a power beyond ourselves.
3. Comfort and Reward: Conversely, the "comfortable reflections," peace, and joy that come from well-doing also testify to a Sovereign Judge who rewards righteousness and approves of actions aligned with His nature.
4. The Inescapable Authority: Charnock concludes that because a person has less power over their conscience than any other faculty—they cannot simply will it to be silent—it must have been established by a Supreme Authority, God Himself.

2.3. Key Quotations

No creature can make itself; the world could not make itself. If every man had a beginning, every man then was once nothing; he could not then make himself, because nothing cannot be the cause of something.

There is no surer evidence in nature that there is a God, than that every man hath a natural principle in him, which continually cites him before God, and puts him in mind of him, and makes him one way or other fear him, and reflects upon him whether he will or no.

2.4. Study & Reflection Questions

1. Charnock uses the uniqueness of every human face as an argument against chance and for a wise Creator. What other examples from the natural world or human experience could be used to support this argument for intelligent design?
2. Reflect on a time your conscience strongly accused or comforted you. How does Charnock's description of conscience as God's inescapable "deputy" in our breast align with or differ from your own experience?

With the fact of God's existence established by the twin witnesses of creation and conscience, Charnock pivots from the question of that God is to the profound matter of what God is, defining His essential nature.

3. Discourse III: On God's Being a Spirit

Having established God's existence through universal consent, creation, and conscience, Charnock now turns to define His essential nature. This third discourse is strategically built upon the pivotal statement of Jesus in John 4:24: "God is a Spirit." Charnock explains that this foundational truth about God's non-corporeal being is not an abstract theological point; it directly shapes the nature of all true and acceptable worship.

3.1. Defining God's Spiritual Nature

Charnock synthesizes several core concepts to explain what it means for God to be a "pure spiritual being."

• A Unique Biblical Assertion: He observes that the plain statement "God is a Spirit" is found in this exact form only once in the Bible (John 4:24), making it a uniquely direct and profound definition of His essence.
• Understanding Anthropomorphism: Charnock explains why Scripture often ascribes human-like parts such as hands, eyes, and ears to God. He clarifies that these are symbolic representations of His noblest actions—power, wisdom, and providence—and not literal descriptions. He notes that parts implying imperfection (like eating or sleeping) are never ascribed to Him.
• The Human Proneness to Idolatry: He argues that humanity is naturally inclined to represent God in a physical form. His primary example is the Israelites' golden calf. He reasons that they were not attempting to worship a false Egyptian god, but were attempting to worship the true God—Jehovah—under a forbidden physical image. After all, they knew the Egyptian gods would have used their force to keep them under the yoke, not free them from it. This demonstrates a deep-seated impulse to reduce the spiritual to the corporeal.

3.2. The Implications for Worship

The direct consequence of God's spiritual nature is that He must be worshipped in a corresponding manner. Charnock explains that the Old Testament's ceremonial law—which he describes as "gross, carnal, calculated for an infant and sensitive church"—was a system of shadows. It was ultimately abolished by Christ to usher in the "worship in spirit" required by the gospel, a worship that engages the mind and heart, not just the physical senses.

3.3. Key Quotation

Charnock captures the central argument regarding worship by identifying the great danger of substituting physical ceremony for spiritual reality:

Pompous rites have been the great engine wherewith the devil hath deceived the souls of men, and wrought them to a nauseating the simplicity of divine worship, as unworthy the majesty and excellency of God.

3.4. Study & Reflection Questions

1. Charnock argues that even the Israelites' golden calf was an attempt to worship the true God, just in a forbidden, physical way. How does this insight challenge our modern understanding of idolatry? What are some "corporeal forms" or "pompous rites" we might be tempted to substitute for simple, spiritual worship today?
2. Given that God is a Spirit, what practical steps can a person take to ensure their worship is truly "in spirit and in truth" and not merely an external performance or emotional experience?

Conclusion

This journey through Stephen Charnock's first three discourses reveals a powerful and logical progression of thought. He begins with the universal belief in God found across all humanity, moves to the undeniable evidence stamped upon creation and etched into the human conscience, and culminates in the profound definition of God's spiritual nature. This logical ascent from the evidence for God's existence to the reality of His essence is not merely an intellectual exercise. As Charnock demonstrates, these truths form the very grammar of our most important activity: worship. By grounding our faith in these foundational truths—the witness of humanity, the testimony of creation, and the reality of God's spiritual nature—we move beyond mere sentiment and cultivate a worship that is as intellectually robust as it is spiritually authentic, the very worship Charnock proves God rightly seeks.