Page

Yet it does not from hence at all follow, either that a Good Man ought to

have no respect to Rewards and Punishments, or that Rewards and Pun-

ishments are not absolutely necessary to maintain the Practice of Virtue in

this present World

200

The Manifold Absurdities of Mr Hobbes's Doctrines concerning the Ori-

gival of Right, shown in particular

204

PROP. II. That the same Eternal Moral Obligations, which arise necessarily

from the Natural Differences of Things, are moreover the Express W 1,

Command, and Law of God to all Rational Creatures

218

Proved from the Consideration of the Divine Attributes

ibid.

And from the Consideration of the Nature of God's Creation

222

And from the Tendency of the Practice of Morality to the Good and Hap-

piness of the whole World

223

PROP. III. That the same Eternal Moral Obligations, which are of them-

selves incumbent indeed on all Rational Creatures, antecedent to any

respect of particular Reward or Punishment, must yet certainly and

necessarily be attended with Rewards and Punishments

226

Proved from the Attributes of God

ibid.

And from the Necessity there is that there should be some Vindication of

the Honour of God's Laws and Government

227

PROP. IV. That because these Rewards and Punishments are not distributed

in the present State, therefore there must of necessity be a Future State 228

That, according to the Original Constitution of Things, Virtue and Vice are

attended with Natural Rewards and Punishments

230

But that now, in this present World, the Natural Order of Things is so Per-

verted, that Vice often flourishes in great Prosperity and Virtue falls under

the greatest Calamities of Life

231

That therefore there must needs be a Future State of Rewards and Punish-

ments

233

of the Stoical Opinion concerning the Self-Sufficiency of Virtue to its own

Happiness

234

From whence the Certainty of a Future State is again concluded

236

Why the Wisdom of God is not so Clearly and Plainly seen in his Govern-
ment of the Moral, as in the Fabric of the Natural World

258

of the Immortality of the Soul, and the Natural Proofs we have of it 239

The Natural Credibility of the Soul's being Immortal, of great Use to the

Wiser Heathens

243

The Argument for a Future State drawn from Men's Natural Desire of Im-

mortality

245

Another, drawn from Men's Conscience or Judgment of their own Actions 246

Another, drawn from Man's being by Nature an Accountable Creature ibid.

PROP. V. That though the Necessity and Indispensableness of all the great

and Moral Obligations of Natural Religion, and also the Certainty of a

Future State of Rewards and Punishments, be in general deducible from

Right Reason, yet such is the present Corrupt Estate and Condition of

Mankind in the World, that very few are able, in reality and effect, to

discover these things clearly and plainly for themselves, but Men have

great need of Particular Teaching and much Instruction

248

Page.

Men Hindered from Discovering and Understanding Religious Truths, by

Carelessness and Want of Attention

249

And by Early Prejudices and False Notions

250

And by Sensual Appetites, Passions, and Worldly Business

251

And, above all, by Vicious Habits and Practices

252

Wherefore Men have great need to be Taught and Instructed in Matters of

Religion

254

The great Use and Necessity of an Order of Preachers

256

PROP. VI. That all the Teaching and Instruction of the best Heathen

Philosophers, was for many Reasons Utterly Insufficient to Reform Man-
kind

ibid.

That there have been in the Heathen World some Excellent Teachers of

Morality

257

Who seem to have been designed by Providence to bear witness against the

Wickedness of the Nations wherein they lived

258

But yet none of these Men were ever able to Reform the World with any

considerable success

259

Because they have been but very few that have in earnest set themselves

about that Excellent Work

261

And those few were entirely ignorant of some Doctrines absolutely neces-

sary to the bringing about that Great End

263

Particularly, they were Ignorant in what Manner God will be Acceptably

Worshipped

265

And in what Method God would be Reconciled to Returning Sinners 267

And other Doctrines absolutely necessary to the same end, they were very

doubtful and uncertain about

268

And those things which they were certain of, yet they were not able to

prove and explain clearly and distinctly enough

271

And those things which they were able to prove and explain clearly and

distinctly enough, yet they had not sufficient authority to enforce in

practice

275

PROP. VII. That there was plainly wanting a Divine Revelation, to re-

cover Mankind out of their Universal Degenerate Estate, and that both the

Necessities of Men, and their Natural Notions of God, gave them rea-

sonable ground to hope for such a Revelation

278

A Divine Revelation very necessary for the Recovery of Mankind

ibid.

That it was agreeable to the Dictates of Nature and Right Reason to ex-

pect or hope for such a Divine Revelation

280

The Unreasonableness of Modern Deists in Denying the Waŋt and Use of

a Revelation

284

The great Necessity and Use of Divine Revelation

285

Yet God was not absolutely obliged to afford men the help of such a Re-

velation

288

Want of Universality no sufficient Objection against the Truth of a Reve-

lation

D

Page.

Of the Mahometan Religion

291

Of the Jewish Religion

ibid.

PROP. IX. That the Christian Religion has all the Marks and Proofs of its

being Actually and Truly a Divine Revelation, that any Divine Revela-

tion, supposing it was true, could reasonably be imagined or desired to

have

292

The Marks of a Religion Coming from God

ibid.

PROP. X. That the Practical Duties, which the Christian Religion enjoins,

are all such as are most agreeable to our Natural Notions of God, and

most Perfective of the Nature and Conducive to the Happiness and

Well-being of Men

293

Proved in the Several Instances of Duty

ibid.

This a Great Evidence of a Religion coming from God

296

PROP. XI. That the Motives by which the Christian Religion en forces the

Practice of the Duties it enjoins, are such as are most suitable to the

excellent wisdom of God, and most answerable to the natural expecta.

tions of Men

299

Of the Acceptableness of True Repentance as a Motive to Obedience ibid.

Of the Divine Assistance as another Motive to Obedience

300

Of the Clear Discovery of Future Rewards and Punishments, as another

Motive to Obedience

301

PROP. XII. That the Peculiar Manner and Circumstances, with which the

Christian Religion enjoins the Duties, and urges the Motives before-

mentioned, are exactly consonant to the Dictates of Sound Reason, or

the Unprejudiced Light of Nature, and most wisely perfective of it 303

Proved by Particular Instances

ibid.

An Answer to the Objections drawn from the Divisions among Christians 305

PROP. XIII. That all the Credenda, or Doctrines, which the Christian

Religion requires our particular assent to, are agreeable to Unpre.

judiced Reason, have every one of them a Natural Tendency and Direct

Influence to Reform Men's Manners, and do together make up the most

consistent and rational Scheme of Belief in the World

306

Of the One Supreme God

ibid.

of the Only-begotten Son of God

307

Of the Holy Spirit

308

Of the Creation of the Universe

ibid.

Of the Formation of the Earth

309

Of the Continual Government of Providence

310

Of Paradise, and the Loss of it by Sin

311

Of the Flood

312

Of God's Revealing Himself to the Patriarchs, and giving the Law to the

Jews

313

Of the other Particulars of Scripture-history in the Old Testament ibid.

Of God's sending his Son into the World, for the Redemption of Mankind 315

That it is not Unreasonable to Suppose God Making a Revelation of his

Will to Men

316

That it is not unreasonable to believe that God would appoint a Sacrifice

ibid.

or Expiation for Sin

-

Page.

That it is not unreasonable to believe that a Mediator should be appointed

between God and Man

317

Of the Objection drawn from the Dignity of the Person whom we believe
to be our Mediator and Redeemer

ibid.

Of the Objection drawn from the Christian Revelation not being in fact Uni-

versal

322

of the other particulars of Scripture-history contained in the New Testa-

ment

323

Of the Day of Judgment and Christ the Judge

324

Of the Resurrection of the Body

325

Of the Resurrection of the same Body

326

Of the Eternal Happiness of the Blessed, and the Eternal Punishment of

the Damned

328

All the Articles of our Belief agreeable to Right Reason

331

Every one of them has a Direct Tendency and Powerful Influence to Re-
form Men's Manners

ibid.

And all of them together make up the most consistent and Rational

Scheme of Belief in the World

335

PROP. XIV. That the Christian Revelation is positively and directly proved

to be sent to us from God by the Miracles which our Saviour worked, by

the fulfilling of the Prophecies, and by the Testimony of the Apostles 336

Of the Life and Character of our Saviour, as an Evidence of the Truth of

the Christian Revelation

337

Of the Miracles of Christ, as the Evidence of his Divine Commission 338

Of Miracles in General

ibid.

That, in Respect of the Power of God, all things are alike easy

339

That therefore Miracles ought not to be defined by any Absolute Difficulty
in the Nature of the Things themselves to be done

ibid.

What degrees of Power God may have communicated to Created Beings,

is not possible for us to determine

340

That therefore a Miracle is not rightly defined to be such an Effect as

could not have been produced by any less Power than the Divine Omni-
potence

ibid.
All things that are done in the World, are done either Inmediately by

God Himself, or by Created Intelligent Beings, Matter being capable of
no laws or powers ; and consequently there is, properly speaking, no
such thing as the Course or Power of Nature

343

That therefore a Miracle is not rightly defined to be that which is against

the Course of Nature, or above the Natural Powers of Created Agents 342

The Unreasonableness of those who deny the Possibility of Miracles in

General

ibid.

Some Effects prove the Constant Providence of God, and others prove the

.

Page.

How we are to Distinguish Miracles wrought by God for the Proof of any

Doctrine, from the Frauds of Evil Spirits

345

The Difference between those who teach that the Immediate Power of God

is, or is not, necessarily requisite to the Working of a Miracle, is not

347

very great at bottom

The True Definition of a Miracle

ibid.

The Strength of the Evidence of our Saviour's Miracles

348

Concerning the Objection, that we prove in a circle the Miracles by the
Doctrine, and the Doctrine by the Miracles

ibid.

Of the Pretended Miracles of Apollonius and others

350

Of the fulfilling the Prophecies as an Evidence of our Saviour's Divine

Commission

351

Of the Prophecies that went before Concerning the Messiah

ibid.

of the Prophecies that Christ Himself delivered concerning things that

were to happen after

353

An Answer to Objections against Applying the Prophecies in the Old Testa-

ment to Christ

354

Of the Testimony of our Saviour's Disciples, as an Evidence of the Truth

of the Christian Revelation

399

What Things are requisite to make the Testimony of our Saviour's Dis-

ciples a Complete Evidence

400

That the Apostles could not be Imposed upon Themselves

ibid.

That they could have no design of imposing upon Others

401

That the Apostles' Testimony has beer truly conveyed down to us

403

Of the Authority of the Books of Holy Scripture

404

PROP. XV. That they who will not, by the Arguments and Proofs before-

mentioned, be convinced of the Truth and Certainty of the Christian

Religion, would not be convinced by any other Evidence whatsoever,—no,

not though one should rise on purpose from the dead to endeavour to

Convince them

405

That the Evidence which God has afforded us of the Truth of our Religion
is abundantly sufficient

ibid.

That the Cause of Men's Unbelief is not Want of Better Evidence to

prove the great Truths of Religion

406

But that Wickedness and Ungoverned Lusts are the only Causes of Obsti-

pate Infidelity

408

And so long as Men are under the Dominion of their Lusts, they would

not be convinced, though the Evidence of Religion was even much

Stronger than it is

ibid.

Nay, not even though one should Rise on Purpose from the Dead to Con-

vince them

410

That therefore it is Absolutely Necessary in the first place, that Men be-

come Impartially Willing to embrace all Truth, and to obey all Rea-

sonable Obligations

411

That Men of such a Disposition would be Religious, though the Evidences

of Religion were much less than they are

412

That God may require us to take notice of some things at our peril 414

Letters from a Gentleman in Gloucestershire relative to some points stated

in the foregoing Discourses, with the Answers thereto

418