Christian religion's appeal from the groundless prejudices of the sceptick to the bar of common reason by John Smith.

Book III. (Book 3)

THE ARGUMENT.

3, We have as good grounds of Assurance, that the matters of Fact and Doctrine contain'd in the Scrip∣tures of the Prophets and Apostles, were done and delivered accordingly, as they are therein related; as we have or can have, of the Truth of any other the most certain Relation in the World.

THE CONTENTS.

CHAP. I.

The Universal Tradition of the Church a good Evidence of the Gospels Legitimacy.

§ 1. The inconquerable force of Universal Tradition. § 2. No dan∣ger of being over-credulous in our Case. § 3. Reasons interest in Matters of Religion. § 4. We have better assurance that the E∣vangelical Writings and History are those mens Off-spring, whose Names they bear, then any Man can have that he is his reputed Fathers Son. § 5. The Sceptick cannot prove himself his Mothers Son by so good Arguments, as the Gospel hath for its Legitimacy. § 6. Bastard-slips grafted into Noble Families. The Sceptick in Religion, is a Leveller in Politicks.

CHAP. II.

The Suffrage of Adversaries to the testimony of the Church.

§ 1. Pagan Indictments shew what was found Christianity in Pagan Courts, § 2. Christian Precepts and Examples Civilized the Courts of Heathen Emperours. § 3. Pliny's information concer∣ning Christians to Trajan. § 4. What it was in Christians that Maximnus hated them for.

CHAP. III.

The Substance of Christian Religion, as it stands now in the Gospel, is to be found in the Books of its Adversa∣ries.

§ 1. The Effigies of the Gospel is hung out where it is proscribed. § 2. Hierocles, attempting to outvie Jesus with Apollonius, hath presented to the World the Sum of Evangelical History. § 3. More Apes of Christ than Apollonius. § 4. Christs Do∣ctrine may be traced out, by the footsteps of the Hunters who pur∣sued it.

CHAP. IV.

Every Article of the Apostles Creed to be found, as asserted by the Church, in those writings which opposed Christian Re∣ligion.

§ 1. Maker of Heaven and Earth. § 2. His only Son. § 3. Con∣ceived by the holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary. § 4. Suffered under Pontius Pilate, &c. § 5. Rose again the third day. § 6. As∣cended into Heaven: thence, &c. § 7. The Holy Ghost. § 8. Ho∣ly Catholick Church, &c.

CHAP. V.

The Truth of the Gospel-History attested by Secular Wri∣ters.

§ 1. Old Antagonists did not persist in the denial of any point of Gospel-History, save that of Christs Resurrection: and the man∣ner of their denying it, proves the Truth of it. § 2. Josephus his Story of John Baptist accords with Gospel-History. § 3. His Text in testimony of Jesus vindicated from the Exceptions of Vos∣sius, &c. § 4. Josephus his date of Christs and the Baptists Story falls in with Gospel-Chronology. § 5. The Stories of He∣rod, Herodias, Aretus, Artabanus, Philip, Lysanias, in Josephus, Tacitus, Suetonius, timed to Sacred Chronology. § 6. The Twin-Priesthood of Annas and Caiphas at Christs Baptism and Passion, cleared. § 7. The Date of Philip the Tetrarch his Death.

CHAP. VI.

The Date of Christs Birth, as it is asserted by the Church, main∣tain'd by Scripture.

§ 1. Christ homaged by the Magi early after his Birth. § 2. Christ born and Baptized the same day of the year. § 3. God would have the Church observe the day of Christs Birth. The Priestly Courses the Character of it; which from the first Institution, by Solomon, to the last and fatal year of the Second Temples stan∣ding, were never interrupted. § 4. The Calculation of these cour∣ses leads us to the Conception and Birth of the Baptist and our Sa∣viour. § 5. Christs Baptism and John's Ministry in the same year of Tiberius Reign. point out the same thing. Objections an∣swered. § 6. The taxing of all the world ill-confounded with that of Syria.

CHAP. VII.

Josephus his Suffrage to the Evangelists in the Substance of their History of Christ.

§ 1. He appropriates the Compellation [Christ] to our Jesus, speaks of the Churches growth in a Gospel-stile. § 2. Describes Christs Dis∣ciples by Evangelical Characters; gives the Evangelists Reasons why others did not embrace the Gospel. § 3. He peremptorily as∣serts Christs Miracles, how he came to a certain information there∣of. Appion and Justus would have found it out, if he had pro∣ceeded here upon presumptions and uncertainties. § 4. He de∣scribes Christs Miracles after the Evangelical Model. § 5. And affirms them to have been such as the Prophets had foretold. The Touch-stone of Canonical History. § 6. He asserts Christs Resurre∣ction with all its Circumstances.

CHAP. VIII.

Josephus confirms St. Lukes History of Herod Agrippa.

§ 1. He paints him in Evangelical Colours, as the Jews favourite, as a Prodigal, as much in the Tyrians Debt, and therefore displea∣sed with them, &c. § 2. He Dates his Death according to St. Luke, St. James Martyred in the third, a Famine at Rome in the second and third. In Judaea in the fourth of Claudius. § 3. He describes his Death after St. Lukes Style. Two Acclamations: im∣mediately after the second he was struck by a Messenger of Death, an Owle. § 4. Angels assume what form the divine mandat pre∣scribes: Evil Angels God's Messengers. § 5. Herod the Great died of the like stroke. Josephus gives the natural Symptoms of Agrippa's Disease. § 6. A Digression touching St. Paul's Thorn in the Flesh.

CHAP. IX.

Other Secular Witnesses to the Truth of Sacred History.

§ 1. Phlegon of the Darkness and Earthquake at Christs Passion. § 2. Thallus his mistaking that Darkness for an Eclipse. § 3. The Records of Pagan Rome, touching that and other Occurrences. § 4. The Chronicles of Edessa though Apochryphal, yet true. Juli∣an's Prohibition of the use of secular Books in Christian Schools: his Testimony. § 5. Moses his History of Joseph attested by Pa∣gans. § 6. His History of himself. § 7. Of Noah, Balaam, &c. avouched by Secular Writers.

CHAP. X.

The Adversaries forced upon very great Disadvantages to their own Cause, by reason that they could not for very shame re∣sist the Evidences brought in defence of Sacred History.

§ 1. Christ accused of working by the Prince of Devils: that Accu∣sation withdrawn in open Court: and this Plea put in against him, that he made himself a King, and therefore was an Enemy to Cae∣sar. § 2. Pety Exceptions rebound upon the heads of their Fra∣mers. § 3. The Modern Sceptick's half-reasons too young to grapple with old Prescription. § 4. Christs Works, Gods Seal to his Mis∣sion. § 5. The present Age as able to judge of the Nature of those Works, as that was wherein they were done. § 6. Atheistical Ex∣ceptions against particular points of Religion, an Hydra's head, yet they all stand upon one neck and may be cut off at one blow by proving the Divine Original of Religion.