BOOK I.

That there is a God

That there is but one God

All perfection is in God

And in an infinite degree

That God is eternal, omnipotent, omniscient, and completely good

That God is the cause of all things

The objection, concerning the cause of evil, answered

Against two principles

That God governs the universe

And the affairs of this lower world

And the particulars in it

This is further proved by the preservation of empires

And by miracles

But more especially amongst the Jews, who ought to be credited upon the account of the long continuance of their religion

From the truth and antiquity of Moses

From foreign testimonies

The same proved also from predictions

And by other arguments

The objection, of miracles not being seen now, answered

And of there being so much wickedness

And that so great, as to oppress good men

This may he turned upon them, so as to prove that souls survive bodies

Which is confirmed by tradition

And no way repugnant to reason

But many things favour it

From whence it follows, that the end of man is happiness after this life

Which we must secure, by finding out the true religion

BOOK II.

That the Christian religion is true

The proof that there was such a person as Jesus

That he died an ignominious death

And yet, after his death, was worshipped by wise men

The cause of which could he no other but those miracles which were done by him

Which miracles cannot be ascribed to any natural or diabolical power, but must be from God

The resurrection of Christ proved from credible testimony

The objection drawn from the seeming impossibility of a resurrection, answered

The truth of Jesus’s doctrine proved from his resurrection

That the Christian religion exceeds all others

The excellency of the reward proposed

A solution of the objection taken from hence, that the bodies after their dissolution cannot be restored

The exceeding purity of its precepts, with respect to the worship of God

Concerning those duties of humanity which we owe to our neighbour, though he has injured us

About the conjunction of male and female

About the use of temporal goods

Concerning oaths

Concerning other actions

An answer to the objection drawn from the many controversies amongst Christians

The excellency of the Christian religion further proved from the excellency of its Teacher

From the wonderful propagation of this religion

Considering the weakness and simplicity of those who taught it in the first ages

And the great impediments that hindered men from embracing it, or deterred them from professing it

An answer to those who require more and stronger arguments

BOOK III.

Of the authority of the books of the New Testament

The books, that have any names affixed to them, were writ by those persons whose names they hear

The doubt of those books that were formerly doubtful, taken away

The authority of those books which have no name to them evident from the nature of the writings

That these authors wrote what was true, because they knew the things they wrote about

And because they would not say what was false

The credibility of these writers further confirmed, from their being famous for miracles

And of their writings; because in them are contained many things which the event proved to he revealed by a Divine Power

And also from the care, that it was fit God should take, that false writings should not be forged

A solution of that objection, that many books were rejected by some

An answer to the objection, of some things being contained in these books that are impossible

Or disagreeable to reason

An answer to this objection, that some things are contained in these books which are inconsistent with one another

An answer to the objection from external testimonies; where it is shewn that they make more for these books

An answer to the objection of the Scriptures being altered

The authority of the books of the Old Testament

BOOK IV.

A particular confutation of the religions that differ from Christianity

And, first, of Paganism. That there is but one God. That created beings are either good or bad. That the good are not to be worshipped without the command of the Supreme God

A proof that evil spirits were worshipped by the heathen, and the unfitness of it shewn

Against the heathen worship paid to departed men

Against the worship given to the stars and elements

Against the worship given to brute creatures

Against the worship given to those things which have no real existence

An answer to the objection of the heathens taken from the miracles done amongst them

And from oracles

The heathen religion rejected, because it failed of its own accord, as soon as human assistance was wanting

An answer to this, that the rise and decay of religion is owing to the stars

The principal things of the Christian religion were approved of by the wisest heathens: and if there be any thing in it hard to be believed, the like is to he found amongst the heathen

BOOK V.

.A confutation of Judaism, beginning with an address to the Jews

That the Jews ought to look upon the miracles of Christ as sufficiently attested

An answer to the objection, that those miracles were done by the help of devils

Or by the power of words

That the miracles of Jesus were divine, proved from hence, because he taught the worship of one God, the Maker of the world

An answer to the objection drawn from the difference betwixt the law of Moses and the law of Christ; where it is shewn, that there might be given a more perfect law than that of Moses

The law of Moses was observed by Jesus when on earth, neither was any part of it abolished afterwards, but only those precepts which had no intrinsic goodness in them

As sacrifices, which were never acceptable to God upon their own account

And the difference of meats

And of days

And circumcision of the flesh

And yet the apostles of Jesus easily allowed of those things

A proof against the Jews, taken from their own confession of the extraordinary promise of the Messiah

That he is already come, appears from the time foretold

(With an answer to what is alleged, that his coming was deferred upon the account of the sins of the people)

Also from the present state of the Jews, compared with the promises of the law

Jesus proved to be the Messiah, from those things that were predicted of the Messiah

An answer to what is alleged, that some things were not fulfilled

And to that which is objected of the low condition and death of Jesus

And as though they were good men who delivered him to death

An answer to the objection of the Christians worshipping many gods

And that human nature is worshipped by them

The conclusion of this part, with a prayer for the Jews

BOOK VI.

A confutation of Mahometanism: the original thereof

The Mahometans’ foundation overturned, in that they do not examine into religion

A proof against the Mahometans, taken out of the sacred books of the Hebrews and Christians; and that they are not corrupted

From comparing Mahomet with Christ

And the works of each of them

And of those who first embraced each of these religions

And of the methods by which each law was propagated

And of their precepts compared with one another

A solution of the Mahometans’ objection concerning the Son of God

There are many absurd things in the Mahometan books

The conclusion to the Christians, who are admonished of their duty upon occasion of the foregoing things

MR. LE CLERC’S TWO BOOKS.

BOOK I.

WE must inquire amongst what Christians the trite doe-trine of Christ flourished most at this time

We are to join ourselves with those who are most worthy the name of Christians

They are most worthy the name of Christians who, in the purest manner of all, profess the doctrine the truth of which hath been proved by Grail’s

Concerning the agreement and disagreement of Christians

Whence every one ought to learn the knowledge of the Christian religion

Nothing else ought to be imposed upon Christians but what they can gather from the New Testament

The providence of God in preserving the Christian doctrine is very wonderful

An answer to that question, Why God permits differences and errors to arise amongst Christians?

They profess and teach the Christian doctrine in the purest manner of all, who propose those things only as necessary to be believed, practised, or hoped for, which Christians are agreed in

All prudent persons ought to partake of the sacrament with those who require nothing else of Christians but what every one finds in the books of the New Testament

Concerning church-government

The ancient church-government was highly esteemed by Grotius, without condemning others

An exhortation to all Christians who differ from each other, not to require of one another any points of doctrine but such as every one finds in the New Testament, and have always been believed

BOOK II.

That we ought to have a love for truth in all things, but more especially in such as are of great moment

Nothing can be of greater moment than religion; and therefore we ought to use our utmost endeavours to come at the true knowledge of it

That an indifference in religion is in its own nature unlawful, forbidden by the laws of God, and condemned by all sects of Christians

We ought not hastily to condemn those who differ from us, as if they were guilty of such a crime, or such unlawful worship, as is inconsistent with eternal life; so that none who admit such persons should be capable of the mercy of God; nor yet, on the other hand, is it lawful for us to profess that we believe what we do not really believe, or to do what, at the same time, we condemn

A man that commits a sin by mistake may be accepted of God, but a hypocrite cannot

TESTIMONIES concerning Hugo Grotius’s affection for the Church of England