Chap. III. That the Apostles did not write what was

Falfe.
p. 44

Chap. IV. That the Disciples of Jefus Chrift could not

impose upon Men in the matter of their Writing or

Preaching.
P. 49

Chap. V. Where we shall more particularly examin whe-

ther the Apostles had the Power or the Will to de-

ceive Mankind.

P. 53

Chap. VI. Where we shall examin the matters contained

in the Gofpels, and fee whether they are capable of Il-

lufion or Imposture,
P. 58

Chap. VII. Of the Holynefs of Life of Jefus Chrift.p.63

Chap. VIII. Of the Prophecies of Jefus Chrift. p. 71

Chap. IX. Wherein we shall examin the matters contain-

ed in the Book of Acts.

P. 82

Chap. X. Wherein we shall take into Confideration what

fuccefs the Preaching of the Apostles had.

P. 85

P. 88

Chap. XI. Wherein we shall examin the matters con-

tained in the Epiftles of the Apostles.

p. 102

Chap. XII, Wherein we further examin the Epistles of

St. Paul.

Chap. XIII. That we ought to look upon the New Tefta-

ment as a Divine Book.
p. 107

Chap. XIV. Wherein we shall examin thofe Difficulties

which may probably be raised against the foregoing

Truths.
P. 113

Chap. XV. Where we further examin the objections of

the Incredulous.
P. 119

Chap. XVI. Where we further examin thofe Difficulties

which may be raised against our Principles. p. 126

Chap. XVII. Where we further answer the objections of

the Incredulous.

P. 133

SECT-

SECTION III.

Wherein we shall endeavour to carry even to

a Demonftration the Proofs drawn from the

External Evidence of matters of Fact con-

tained in the New Testament, and the inward

fense we have of them.

HAP. I. Of the natural Temper, Difpofitions,

Cand Inclinations of the Disciples, and what fort of

prejudices they were poffeffed with, when Jefus Chrift

Manifefted himself to them.

P. 143

Chap. II. The firft Center of Truth: a particular Con-

fideration of the Miracles of Jefus Christ.
p. 162

Chap. III. The fecond Center of Truth: a particular

Confideration of the Refurrection of Jefus Chrift.

P. 184

Chap. IV. The third Center of Truth: a particular Con-

fideration of the Afcenfion of Jefus Chrift. p. 200

Chap. V. The fourth Center of Truth: A particular

Confideration of the Effufion of the gifts of the holy

Ghost upon the Difciples.

Chap. VI. Wherein we fhall joyn all the Miraculous mat-

ters of Fact together, and form thereby a full and per-

fect Demonstration of them.

Some reflections on the Gospel according to St. Matthew.

p. 213

p. 220

P. 242

Chap. VII. Wherein we shall further Produce out of the

other Gofpels, feveral places very proper to make us truly

fenfible of theTruth of theChriftian Religion. p. 258

Chap. VIII. Wherein we fhall further produce from the

Acts of the Apostles, several places very proper to

make us truly fenfible of the Divinity of the Chriftian

Religion,

P. 274

Chap.

Chap. IX. Wherein we fhall yet farther produce from the

Epiftles of St. Paul, St. Peter, and St. John; seve-

rat Texts very proper to make us truly fenfible of the

Divinity of the Chriftian Religion.

SECTION IV.

p. 282

Wherein we fhall prove the Truth of the Chri-

ftian Religion by the confideration of its Na-

ture and Properties.

Several

Everal Portraitures in which it may be confidered.
Page 300

p. 301

I Portraiture of the .Chriftian Religion, as it is con-

fidered in the multitude of Teftimonies given in fa-

vour of it.

II Portraiture of the Chriftian Religion, as it is op-

pofed to all other Religions.

III Portraiture of the Chriftian Religion, as it is con

fidered in its effects.

p. 307

P. 320

IV Portraiture of the Chriftian Religion as confider-

ed in the Purity of its end.
p. 325

V Portraiture of the Chriftian Religion, as it is con-

fidered in its fuitableness to the neceffities of mankind.

p. 329

VI Portraiture of the Chriftian Religion, as it is con-

fidered in the relation it bears to the Glory of God.p.341

VII. Portraiture of the Chriftian Religion, as it is

confidered in its Morality.
P. 344

VIII Portraiture of the Chriftian Religion, as it is con-

fidered in its Myfteries.
p. 360

IX Portraiture of the Chriftian Religion, or the con-

formity of its Mysteries to the Lights of Reason.p.399

X Portraiture of the Chriftian Religion, or the pro-

portion it bears to the Jewish Religion. P. 420

XI Portraiture of the Chriftian Religion, as it is con-

fidered in the proportion it bears to Natural Religion.

(1)

A

TREATISE

OF THE

TRUTH

O F

Christian Religion.

PART II.

Wherein the Christian Religion is pros

ved by its own proper Characters.

SECTION I.

Containing fome Arguments for the Chriftian

Religion, drawn from the Teftimony of those,

who were the firft Publishers of it.

INF

The Design of this Work.

N the firft Part of this Work we took our rife
from this Propofition, There is a God, and from

thence we proved that, Jefus Christ the Son of Mary

is the Meffias who was to come. We shall now take

B

a contrary course, and begin with this Propofition, There are at prefent Chriftians in the World, and from thence prove that, There is a God who has been pleafed to manifeft himself by the means of Religion. There we have had but a faint profpect of Jefus Chrift by the Light of Nature and Revelation of Mofes; Here we shall as it were draw the Curtain, and discover Jefus Chrift with that brightness of Truth and fulnefs of Light, as will wonderfully illuftrate both the Religion of Mofes and the Revelation of Nature, and in an excellent manner confirm the truth of the Existence of God.

In order to which, we fhall do these three things. I. We shall confider the fhell and bark, If I may fo fay, of the Chriftian Religion, by examining all those Arguments that are drawn from the external Testimony which the Primitive Chriftians gave of it, and by confidering their natural Capacities, the difcoveries that were made to them, their prejudices, the peculiar frame of their minds, their Martyrdom, and the reafons that induced them to fuffer it, &c. And all this before we proceed to the confideration of the Writings of the New-Teftament. II. We fhall confider thefe Writings themselves, and enquire whether they are forged or not. We fhall examin the fubject-matter of them, and endeavour both to defend them against the suspicions of the Incredulous (by fhewing that they contain nothing but what is certainly true) and to evince the Divinity of them by the Character of thofe things they contain. III. and laftly, We fhall endeavour to fhew the very substance and fpirit of Christianity, by difcovering the Excellence, ufes, advantages, the end, genius, and in general all the beauties which are proper and natural to it. And this is what we defign to treat of in the following Sections whereof this fecond part is compofed.

But