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CONTENTS.
1
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER.-Causes of Infidelity: False and
true Philosophy-What is the aim of true Phi- losophy? Its identity with Christianity
CHAPTER I.
THE EXISTENCE OF GOD. OBJECTIONS.
SECT. 1.-An examination of the argument against the
existence of a Supreme intelligence founded
upon the laws of Nature
·
SECT. II.-An examination of the argument founded on
the asserted eternity of matter
SECT. III.-An examination of the argument founded on
the properties of matter
SECT. IV. An examination of the argument from chance
CHAPTER II.
DIRECT EVIDENCE OF THE EXISTENCE OF GOD.
SECT. I.-Evidence from the human body as a whole
SECT. II.-Evidence of design in individual parts of the
body. The arm — joints — muscles — hand-
heart-mouth
15
22
27
33
43
51
SECT. III.-Evidence from external nature-adaptation
to the wants of man--abundance of the use-
ful, and scarcity of the hurtful-the camel--
rein-deer planetary system-atmosphere -
water, its relation to the law of contraction
and expansion in freezing
CHAPTER III.
A REVELATION REASONABLE AND PROBABLE.
OF THE LIGHT OF NATURE.
INSUFFICIENCY
SECT. I.-A Revelation reasonable and probable, argued
from the practical admission of all nations in all
ages-pretended revelations imply true--pa-
rental character of God requires it--the wants
of all other creatures provided for; but, without
revelation, the highest wants of the human soul
uncared for, its aspirations unanswered, and the
awful mystery of death unexplained
SECT. II.-The light of Nature not adequate to the neces-
sities of man-shown from pagan religions--
from the doctrines of ancient philosophers-and
those of modern philosophers-the assertion that
the truths of the Gospel are only truths of Na-
ture, and discoverable by Reason, without the
aid of Revelation
CHAPTER IV.
62
NECESSITY OF A REVELATION PROVED FROM THE RELIGIONS
AND MORALS OF THE WORLD PREVIOUS TO CHRISTIANITY.
IS THAT NECESSITY ANSWERED BY CHRISTIANITY?
SECT. I.-Religious opinions. 1. Opinions respecting God.
2. Religious worship. 3. Origin of the world.
4. Origin of the human race. 5. A future
state. Corrections offered by Christianity
SECT. II.-Morals. 1. Philosophy. 2. Jurisprudence. 3.
Religion. The morality of Christianity as cor-
rectives of these
;
· 102
112
CHAPTER V.
HISTORICAL EVIDENCE FOR THE TRUTH OF THE
CHRISTIAN HISTORY.
SECT. I.--Were there Christians eighteen hundred years
ago? The continued evidence of history from
the present day upward to the time of Christ
CHAPTER VI.
HISTORICAL EVIDENCE CONTINUED.
SECT. I.-Were the books which compose the New Testa-
ment written by the disciples of Christ? Argu-
ment from circumstances
SECT. II.-Direct Historical evidence
SECT. III.-Evidence of the Early Heretics
SECT. IV. Have the Books of the New Testament been
corrupted?
SECT. V. Various readings-their character, and their re-
lation to the integrity of the text of the New
Testament-Interpolations-how detected--Ex-
ample, John v. 7.
125
141
146
168
174
188
CHAPTER VII.
INTERNAL EVIDENCE OF THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL HISTORY.
SECT. I.--Argument from the character of the religion and
SECT. II.-Argument from the simplicity and circumstan-
of its Author
tiality of the history
SECT. III.-Argument from the honesty of the writers in
SECT. IV.-Argument from the fact that many of the
events are prcisely what we should expect un-
der the given circumstances
SECT. V.-Argument from the nature of the facts men-
tioned, which, if false, would have led to imme-
diate exposure
232
CHAPTER VIII.
EXTERNAL EVIDENCE FOR THE TRUTH OF THE GOSPEL HISTORY.
SECT. I.-Argument from the acknowledgments of the
early opposers of Christianity
SECT. II.--Argument from the rapid progress of Christ-
ianity on its first appearance
-
241
254
265
SECT. III.-Argument from the sufferings of the first
SECT. IV.-Argument from existing institutions. Lord's Supper-First day of the week. The conclu- sion of the whole argument
CHAPTER 1X.
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED THE QUESTION OF MIRACLES.
INTRODUCTORY.-A few objections based on abstractions, or
isolated statements of the narrative, do not de-
stroy the historical argument of the previous
chapters
272
281
SECT. I.-Miracles and the Laws of Nature examined.-
What are the Laws of Nature? What is a Mir-
acle? The Miracles of Christ
SECT. II.-Hume's argument against Miracles examined
SECT. III.-False or counterfeit miracles--Hume's selec-
tion examined-The cure of a lame man and of
a blind man by Vespasian-The cures wrought
at the tomb of the Abbe of Paris
SECT. IV.-The the assertion that the Ignorance of the
Age was favorable to miracle-working. If Je-
sus wrought so many miracles, he would have
converted the whole Jewish nation
CHAPTER X.
284
309
315
325
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED: THE MYTHICAL SYSTEM, AS DEVELOPED
BY STRAUSS, EXAMINED.
INTRODUCTORY.--Brief sketch of the principles and aims of
this system
332
338
348
SECT. I.-The Assumptions of Strauss: A miracle impos-
sible--The Gospels complete histories-The
"must be " follows the "
may be "
SECT. II.-External difficulties of the mythic theory: The
age in which Christianity took its rise-The
place, the people, the time assigned for the rise,
growth and completion of the system
SECT. III.--Internal difficulties: The structure of the
Gospel narratives wholly unlike a mythical or
legendary story--this shown by a comparison of
them with actually existing myths
SECT. IV. Internal difficulties continued: Undesigned co- incidences between the Evangelists-The event, and the allusions to governments, customs, &c., of their narratives, illustrated and confirmed by Josephus and Roman Historians
CHAPTER XI.
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED:
THE DIFFERENCES IN THE
GOSPEL HISTORIES.
INTRODUCTORY.-Statement of the question-The character
of these difficulties
SECT. I.-Illustrations from Ancient History: The argu-
ment applied to the Life of Alexander the Great
-Hannibal's Passage over the Alps
SECT. II.-Illustrations from Modern History: Joan of
Naples-John Milton-Marquis of Argyll-Ex-
amples from Prescott's Conquest of Mexico-
from Bancroft's United States-Battle of Bunk-
er's Hill -
CHAPTER XII.
362
373
386
391
398
OBJECTIONS ANSWERED.-Inspiration common to all men-
Christ's inspiration not special--the truths he
taught would have been brought out by the nat-
ural and necessary process and development of
the race
CONCLUSION
408
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