An antidote against atheisme, or, An appeal to the natural faculties of the minde of man, whether there be not a God by Henry More ...

A Table of the Chapters of each BOOK.

BOOK I.

• I. THe seasonable usefulness of the present Discourse, or the Motives that put the Authour upon these in∣deavours of demonstrating that there is a God. 〈…〉〈…〉 pag. 1
• II. VVhat is meant by demonstrating there is a God, and that the mind of men, unless he do vi••lence to his facul∣ties, will fully assent or dissent from that which notwith∣standing may have a bare possibility of being otherwise. 2
• III. An attempt towards the finding out the true No∣tion or Definition of God, and a clear Conviction that there is an indelible Idea of a Being absolutely perfect in the mind of Man. 6
• IV. VVhat Notions are more particularly comprised in the Idea of a Being absolutely perfect. That the difficulty of framing the conception of a thing ought to be no argument against the existence thereof: the nature of corporeall Mat∣ter being so perplex'd and intricate, which yet all men ac∣knowledge to exist. That the Idea of a Spirit is as easy a Notion as of any other substance what ever. What powers and properties are contain'd in the Notion of a Spirit. That Eternity and Infinity, if God were not▪ would be cast upon something else; so that Atheisme cannot free the mind from such Intricacies. Goodness, Knowledge and Power, Notions of highest perfection, and therefore necessarily in∣cluded in the Idea of a Being absolutely perfect. 8
• V. That the Soul of Man is not Abrasa Tabula, and in what sense she might be said ever to have had the actuall knowledge of eternall truths in her. 13
• VI. That the Soul of Man has of herself actual Know∣ledge in her, made good by sundry Instances and Argu∣ments. 14
• ...

• ... VII. The mind of man being not unfurnish'd of Innate Truth, that we are with confidence to attend to her naturall and unprejudic'd Dictates and Suggestions. That some Notions and Truths are at least naturally and unavoidably assented unto by the soul, whether she have of her self Actu∣all Knowledge in her or not. And that the definition of a Being absolutely perfect is such. And that this absolutely perfect Being is God, the Creatour and Contriver of all things. 17
• VIII. The first Argument for the Existence of God taken from the Idea of God as it is representative of his Nature and Perfection. From whence also it is undeniably demon∣strated that there can be no more Gods then One. 19
• IX. The second Argument from the Idea of God as it is Subjected in our Souls, and is the fittest Natural means imaginable to bring us to the knowledge of our Maker. That bare possibility ought to have no power upon the mind, to either hasten or hinder it's assent in any thing. We being dealt with in all points as if there were a God, that naturally we are to conclude there is one. 25
• X. Naturall Conscience, and Religious Veneration, ar∣guments of the Existence of God. 29
• XI. Of the Nature of the Soul of Man, whether she be a mere Modification of the Body, or a Substance really distinct, and then whether corporeal or incorporeal. 35

The Second Book.

• I. The Universall Matter of the World be it homogeneall or heterogeneall, self-mov'd or resting of it self, that it can never be contriv'd into that Order it is ••ithout the Super-in••endency of a God. 43
• II. The perpetuall Parallelisme of the Axis of the Earth and its due proportion of Inclination, as also the course

• of the Moon crossing the Ecliptick, evident arguments that the fluid Matter is guided by a divine Providence. The Atheists Sophisme of arguing from some petty inconsiderable Effects of the Motion of the Matter, that the said Motion is the cause of all things, seasonably detected and deservedly derided. 47
• III. That Rivers, Quarries of stone, Timber-Wood, Metalls, Mineralls, and the Magnet, considering the nature of Man, what use he can make of them, are manifest signes that the rude Motion of the Matter is not left to it self, but is under the guidance and Super-intendency of an all∣wise God. 53
• IV. A further proof of Divine Providence taken from the Sea, and the large train of Causes laid together in re∣ference to Navigation. 56
• V. Though the mere motion of the Matter may do something, yet it will not amount to the production of Plants and Animalls. That it is no Botch in Nature that some Phaenomena be the results of Motion, others of Substan∣tiall Formes. That Beauty is not a mere Phansy: and that the Beauty of Plants is an argument that they are from an Intellectuall Principle. 59
• VI. The Seeds and Signatures of Plants, arguments of a divine Providence. 64
• VII. Arguments of divine Providence drawn from the Usefulnesse of Plants. 69
• VIII. The Usefulnesse of Animalls an argument of di∣vine Providence. 74
• IX. Arguments of divine Providence fetched from the Pulchritude of Animalls, as also from the manner of their Propagation. 78
• X. The Frame or Fabrick of the Bodies of Animalls plainly argue that there is a God. 86
• XI. The particular Frames of the Bodies of Fowls or Birds palpable signes of Divine Providence. 91
• ...

• XII. Vnavoydable Arguments for divine Providence taken from the accurate Structure of Mans Body, from the Passions of his Mind, and fitnesse of the whole Man to be an Inhabiter of the Universe. 93

The Third Book.

• I. That, good m••n not alwayes faring best in this world, the great examples of Divine Vengeance upon wicked and blas∣phemous Persons are not so convincing to the obstinate Atheist. The irreligious Jeares and Sacrileges of Diony∣s••us of Syracuse. That there have been true Miracles in the world as well as false, and what are the best and safest wayes to distinguish them that we may not be impos'd upon by History. 105
• II. The Moving of a Sieve by a Charme. Coskino∣m••ncy. A Magicall cure of an Horse. The Charming of Serpents. A strange Example of one Death-strucken as he walked the Streets. A story of a suddain winde that had like to have thrown down the Gallows at the hanging of two Witches. 109
• III. That Winds and Tempests are raised upon mere Ceremonies or forms of words prov'd by sundry Examples. Margaret War••e discharg'd upon an Oake at a Thunder-Clap. Amantius and Rotarius cast headlong out of a Cloud upon a house top. ••he Witch of Constance seen by the Shep∣heards to ride through the Aire. III
• IV. Super••atural Effects observ'd in them that are Be∣witch'd and Possess'd. The famous Story of Magdalena Crucia. 115
• V. Examples of Bewitch'd Persons that have had Balls of Haire, Nayles, Knives, Wood stuck with Pinns, pieces of Cloth, and such like trash conveigh'd into their Bodies, with examples also of other Supernaturall Effects. 119
• ...

• ... VI. The Apparition Eckerken. The Story of the pyed Piper. A Triton or Sea-God seen on the banks of Ru∣b••con. Of the Imps of Witches, and whether those old wo∣men be guilty of so much do••age as the Atheist fancies them. That such things passe betwixt them and their Imps as are impossible to be imputed to Melancholy. The exa∣mination of John Winnick of Molesworth. The reason of Scaling Covenants with the Diveil. 123
• VII. The nocturnal Conven••••les of Witches; that they have often d••ssolved and disappeared at the naming of the Name of God or Jesus Christ; and that the party thus spea∣king has found himself alone in the fields many miles from home. The Dancing of Men, Women and cloven-footed Satyres at mid-day; John Michaell piping from the bough of an Oake, &c. 127
• VIII. Of Fairy Circles. A larger discussion of those Controversies betwixt Bodinus and Remigius, viz. whe∣ther the Bodyes of Witches be really transformed into the shape of Wolves and other Creatures; whether the Souls of Witches be not sometimes at those nocturnall Conventi∣cles, their Bodies being left at home; as also whether they leav•• not their bodies in those Extasies they put themselves in, when they promise to fetch certain newes from remote places in a very short time. 132
• IX. The Coldnesse of those bodyes that Spirits appear i•• witnessed by the experience of Cardan and Bourgotus. The naturall Reason of this Coldnesse. That the Divell does really lye with VVitches. That the very substance of Spi∣rits is not fire. Spirits skirmishing on the ground. Field∣sights and Sea-fights seen in the Aire. 137
• X. A very memorable story of a certain pious man, who had the continuall Society of a Guardian Genius. 140
• XI. Certain Enquiries upon the preceding Story; as, What these Guardian Genii may be. Whether one or more of them be allotted to every man, or to some none.

• What may be the reason of Spirits so seldome appearing; And whether they have any settled Shape or no. What their manner is of assisting men in either Devotion or Prophecy. Whether every mans complexion is capable of the Society of a good Genius. And lastly whether it be lawfull to pray to God to send such a Genius or Angel to one or no. 144
• XII. That whether the Species of things have been from all Eternity, or whether they rose out of the Earth by degrees in Time, the Frame of them is such, that a∣gainst all the Evasions of the Atheist they naturally imply that there is a God. 151
• XIII. That the Evasions of the Atheists against Appari∣tions are so weak and silly, that it is an evident argument that they are convinced in their own judgements of the truth of these kinds of Phaenomena, which forces them to answer as well as they can, though they be so ill provided. 158

FINIS.