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I. The Possibility of Miracles appears from God and Providence;

the Evidence of a Divine Testimony by them. God alone can

really alter the Course of Nature. The Devil's Power of work-

ing Miracles considered. Of Simon Magus, Apollonius. The

Cures in the Temple of Esculapius at Rome, &c. II. God

never works Miracles but for some particular End.
The par-

ticular Reasons of the Miracles of Christ. The repealing the

Law of Moses, which had been settled by Miracles. Why Christ

checked the Pharisees for demanding a Sign, when himself ap-

peals to his Miracles. The Power of Christ's Miracles on many

who did not thoroughly believe. III. Christ's Miracles made it

evident that he was the Messias, because the Predictions were ful-

filled in him. Why John Baptist wrought no Miracles. IV.

Christ's Miracles necessary for the Overthrow of the Devil's

Kingdom. V. Of the Demoniacs and Lunatics in the Gospel, and

in the Primitive Church. The Power of the Name of Christ

over them largely proved by several Testimonies. VI. The Evi-

dence thence of a Divine Power in Christ. VII. Of counterfeit

Dispossessions. Of Miracles wrought among Infidels. VIII. Of

the future State of the Church. IX. The Necessity of the Mira-

cles of Christ, as to the Propagation of Christian Religion: that

proved from the Condition of the Publishers, and the Success of

the Doctrine. The Apostles knew the Hazard of their Employ-

ment before they entered into it. X. The Boldness and Resolu-

tion of the Apostles notwithstanding this, compared with Heathen

Philosophers. XI. No Motive could carry the Apostles through

their Employment, but the Truth of their Doctrine. XII, not

seeking the Honour, Profit, or Pleasure of the World, XIII.

I. The Unreasonableness of rejecting the Evidence from Miracles,

because of Impostors. That there are certain Rules of distin-

guishing true Miracles from false, and divine from diabolical,

proved from God's Intention in giving a Power of Miracles, and

the Providence of God in the World. II. The Inconvenience of

taking away the rational Grounds of Faith, and placing it on

Self-evidence. Of the Self-evidence of the Scriptures, and the

Insufficiency of that for resolving the Question about the Autho-

rity of the Scriptures. III. Of the pretended Miracles of Im-

postors and false Christs; as Barchochebas, David el-David,

and others. IV. The Rules whereby to judge true Miracles from

false. 1. True Divine Miracles are wrought to confirm a Di-

vine Testimony. V. No Miracles necessary for the certain Con-

veyance of a Divine Testimony: proved from the Evidences that

the Scriptures could not be corrupted. VI. 2. No Miracles di-

vine which contradict Divine Revelation. Of Popish Miracles.

VII. 3. Divine Miracles leave Divine Effects on those who be-

lieve them. Of the Miracles of Simon Magus. VIII. 4. Di-

vine Miracles tend to the Overthrow of the Devil's Power in the

World: the Antipathy of the Doctrine of Christ to the Devil's

Design in the World. IX. 5. The Distinction of true Miracles

from others, from the Circumstances and Manner of their Opera-

tion. The Miracles of Christ compared with those of the Hea-

then Gods. X. 6. God makes it evident to all impartial Judg-

ments, that Divine Miracles exceed created Power. This mani-

fested from the unparalleled Miracles of Moses and our Saviour.

From all which the rational Evidence of Divine Revelation is

manifested, as to the Persons whom God employs to teach the

World.
Page 302.

ORIGINES SACRE.

BOOK I.

CHAP. I.

The Obscurity and Defect of Ancient History.

I. II. III. IV. The Knowledge of Truth proved to be the most na tural Perfection of the rational Soul; V. Yet Error often mistaken for Truth: the Accounts of it. VI. Want of Diligence in its Search; VII. VIII. The Mixture of Truth and Falsehood: thence comes either rejecting Truth for the Error's Sake, or embracing the Error for the Truth's Sake; IX. The first instanced in Heathen Philosophers, XIII. The second in vulgar Heathen. X. XI. XII. of Philosophical Atheism, and the Grounds of it. XIV. The History of Antiquity very obscure. XV. The Question stated, where the true History of ancient Times is to be found? in Heathen Histories, or only in Scripture? XVI. The Want of Credibility in Heathen Histories asserted and proved by the general Defect for Want of timely Records among Heathen Nations; the Reason of it shewed from the first Plantations of the World. XVII. The Manner of them discovered. The Original of Civil Government. XVIII. Of Hieroglyphics. XIX. The Use of Letters among the Greeks no older than Cadmus; XX. His Time enquired into: no older than Joshua: XXI. The Learning brought into Greece by him.

ENQUIRIES after truth have that peculiar commenda- CHAP.

tion above all other designs, that they come on purpose to gratify the most noble faculty of our souls, and do most immediately tend to advance the highest perfection of our rational beings. For all our most laudable endeavours after knowledge now, are only the gathering up of some scattered fragments of what was once an entire fabric, and the recovery of some precious jewels which

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