The certainty of the Christian revelation, and the necessity of believing it, established in opposition to all the cavils and insinuations of such as pretend to allow natural religion, and reject the Gospel / by Francis Gastrell ...

THE CERTAINTY Of the Christian Revelation, And the Necessity of Believing it, &c.

The Contents.

• THe Connexion of this Discourse with the former. Page. 1.
• The Method laid down for the Establishing the Cer∣tainty of the Christian Revelation. p. 3.
• An Abstract or Summary of the Christian Scheme, as it is delivered in the Books of the New Testa∣ment. p. 8.
• The General Subject of the several Books or Volumes of the New Testament. p. 9.
• The Character of Jesus Christ. p. 19.
• A short Account of his Doctrine or Gospel. p. 31.
• The Character of those that believed in him. and that assisted him in the Publishing and Propaga∣ting his Gospel. p. 42.
• The Character of those that Persecuted Him and his Disciples, and opposed the Establishment of his Religion. p. 50.
• ...The way and manner in which the Books of the

• New Testament are writ, with all the important Circumstances which refer to the form and compo∣sition of those Writings p. 51.
• All the Principal Matters of Fact related in the New Testament shewn to be true, by a plain direct proof, according to this distinction of them pre∣mised; viz: Common Matters of Fact, Miracles and Prophecies, Divine Assistance and Revela∣tion. p. 59.
• The Common Historical Facts mentioned in the New Testament, proved to be true in the following manner. p. 60.
• The Original of Christianity rightly assigned in the New Testament. p. 61.
• A Survey of the Christian Religion in the time of Constantine. p. 70.
  • The Christian Faith the same in the time of Con∣stantine as it was at and immediately after the first Publication of the Gospel. p. 74.
• This Proposition made out from the constant Tradition of such a Belief, together with many sensible In∣fallible Effects of it. p. 75.
• And from many other extrinsick Signs and Monu∣ments remaining at the Meeting of the Council of Nice under Constantine. p. 105.
• Such as were several Customs and Ʋsages, p. 107.
• Relicks, Buildings, and other the like Monnments: p. 108.
• Books and Written Records of several kinds, viz. p. 109.
• Copies of the Scriptures of the Old and New Testa∣ment. p. 110.

• Publick Acts and Records belonging to Societies: p. 113.
• Genuine Writings of Orthodox Christians: p. 119.
• Books Written by Hereticks: p. 132.
• Jewish and Pagan Books. p. 133.
• Forged and Suppositious Writings of uncertain Au∣thors. p. 137.
• The Miracles and Prophecies Recorded in the New Testament shewn to be true Facts, according to the Relation there given of them. p. 140.
• An Account by way of Introduction of what is meant by Miracles and Prophecies in this place. p. 141.
• And what kind of Evidence these Facts are capable of. p. 143.
• The Miracles considered by themselves, according to the different Periods in which they were done, and the different Persons they were done by. p. 144.
• The Prophecies considered apart according to the same distinction of Times and Persons. p. 158.
• The Truth of these Extraordinary Facts, call'd Mira∣cles and Prophecies, and the Reasonableness of those Grounds upon which the first Christians believed them, evinced from General Reflections upon the Scripture-account of them. p. 161.
• What is said in the New Testament concerning Di∣vin Assistance and Revelation, proved to be true. p. 183.
• The Miracles Prophecies and Doctrines Recorded in the New Testament (which are all the Matters to be inquired into under this Head) did certainly proceed from God. p. 185.
• ... The Person themselves who appeared to be the im∣mediate

• Authors of them, might be infallibly sa∣tisfied that whatever of this kind they said or did was from God. p. 186.
• Others may be likewise convinced of the same Truth by a certain proof of the following Points, viz. p. 194.
• That the Miracles, Prophecies and Doctrines con∣tained in the New Testament could not be the Work and Contrivance of meer Men. p. 195.
• That God was the Author of them all. p. 222.
• And that 'tis absurd to ascribe these things to Evil Spirits. p. 242.
• The Truth of the Christian Revelation delivered in the Books of the New Testament proved indirectly, by shewing the absurdity of a contrary Supposition, and the Weakness of all the Objections raised a∣gainst Scripture and Revelation in General. p. 245.
• The Scriptures of the New Testament could not possibly be Forged and Invented. p. 250.
• ... Because there is no end or design imaginable suffi∣cient to have determined the supposed Author of this Work to have undertaken it.
• And because further, if the principal Matters of Fact, both Common and Extraordinary, had not been true, it would have been utterly impossible that the Christian Religion should ever have been Believed and Propagated in the World. p. 264.
• The principal Objections against Revelation, and the Scriptures answered, viz. p. 272.
• That the Miracles and Prophecies mentioned in Scripture, are no Proofs of a Divine Revelation. p. 276.

• And that there are such Faults observable in the other parts of Scripture, as shew the whole to be a pure Humane Composure. p. 288.
• The sufficiency of the proof before given of the Christian Revelation fully and undeniably made out. p. 303.
• From Humane Testimony. p. 305.
• From the Connexion of present Appearances with former. p. 309.
• And from the Nature of Things in General, and the particular Facts in Question. p, 317.
• The Arguments taken from the Nature of things further made good; by shewing that they are as just and concluding in the case of the Christian Religion as any other Arguments drawn from the Nature of things are. p. 332.
• The sufficiency of the Proof before given is such, that God may justly condemn us for not believing the Christian Religion upon it. p. 349.
• Because we believe other Matters of Fact upon less Evidence; and Ib.
• Because we are obliged to believe such Facts have those appearances of Truth, which the Christian Religion has, though they should really be false. p. 352.

FINIS.