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SECT. XIX.
Of his turning WATER into WINE.
The Objection against this Miracle
306
305
Anfer'd, by confidering Chrift's grave and fober De-
portment.
The Decency obferv'd at Jewish Marriage-Feafts, 307
The meaning of the Words, when Men have well
drank, John ii. 10.
308
That Chrift might innocently go to a Marriage-Feaft,
and why he did fo;
That he encourag'd no Excels there, for
310
312
The Quantity of Wine, be Supplied, was not fo very large,
ibid.
But if more, it was no Reflection upon him,
But rather a Commendation;
313
314
Why be did not immediately work this Miracle,
And what his Reply to his Mother means.
316
317
The Sum of the Anfwer.
319
That there was no Trick or Collufion in this Miracle,
321
But a plain Demonftration of an Almighty Power. 322
Of his curing the PARALYTICK at CAPERNAUM.
323
Anfwer'd, by fhewing why there might be fuch a Croud
about the Door,
And fuch Impatience to come at Christ,
The way of building Houses among the Jews;
The Stairs without Doors;
How the Paralytick might easily be let down;
325
327
328
329
330
And why the Owner of the Houfe might permit it. 332
SECT. XXI.
Of his raifing THREE DEAD PERSONS.
The Objection against thefe Miracles
334
Anfwer'd, by obferving, that no one Miracle is greater
than another,
That the Evangelifts omit many,
337
339
And
And upon what Account they do fo:
340
Why three firft Evangelifts omit that concerning Laza-
rus,
342
Which is no Objection against St. John's Account of it ; 344
Why Chrift rais'd these three Perfons more efpecial-
ly,
346
Why we have no Account of their fubfequent Lives,
348
Nor any Intelligence from them of a separate State:
350
That there is no Fallacy or Collufion in these Miracles,
351
As appears, from the Cafe of the Widow's Son,
Of Jarus's Daughter,
352
354
(To whofe Parents Chrift enjoin'd Silence, and why,)
356
And of Lazarus,
357
W by Chrift wept,
VOICE,
and call'd him with a LOUD
358
And that the Napkin on his Face was no fufpicious
Circumftance.
361
The Reafons of the Jews hatred against Chrift, 363
And why he might very justly retire from their Malice.
366
No Poffibility of Fraud in this Miracle,
367
And the Sum of the whole Answer.
369
SECT. XXII.
Of CHRIST'S OWN RESURRECTION.
The Objection against it
371
Anfaverd, by fhewing, that the Lofs of Antichriftian Books is no great Detriment to the Caufe of Infide-
Why, and how they came to be loft
That there was no Agreement, at the fealing of the
Sepulchre, between the Chief Priefts, and his Apo-
ftles,
And for what Reafon it was fealed.
The Abfurdity of their ftealing away ke Body,
From their want of Courage,
The Impracticableness of the Thing,
377
378
379
380
381
And the Folly of it,
382
From the Condition, in which the Sepulchre was
found,
383
385
And the fubfequent Behaviour of the Chief Priests,
and Rulers.
How Chrift may be faid to Rife on the Third Day, 386
Why he did not appear to the unbelieving Jews, viz.
because they deferv'd no fuch Favour from him,
Which would probably have been loft upon them,
And done Injury to the Chriftian Cause.
The Excellency of the Apoftles Teftimony,
From their perfonal Chara&er,
Their Numbers,
And Opportunities of knowing the Truth;
From their Incapacity to execute an Imposture,
The Improbability of its Success,
And the Sufferings it expos'd them to.
389
390
392
394
395
398
399
The Cafe of Chriftian Martyrs, Criminals, or Zea-
lots, quite different;
The Abfurdity of Suppofing the Apostles guilty of an
Impofture,
And a Recapitulation of the whole Anfwer.
Anfwer'd, by fhewing, what Natural Religion is, 410
The prefent State of humane Reafon, as to its Imper-
fection,
416
419
And Depravity:
That Reafon, in its higheft Improvement, could not
fettle a Rule of Religion; because the ancient
Philofophers bad the beft of their Knowledge from
Revelation,
Were ignorant of a proper Form of Divine Worship, 423
And of the Method of obtaining Pardon for Sin. 425
Reafon unable to fettle a Rule of Morality; 428
421
Becaufe
Because the ancient Philofophers were incapable to in-
ftruct the World, either by Argument,
Or by their own Authority:
429
430
They were ignorant of fome fundamental Points, 433
Doubtful and uncertain in others,
And abetted very wicked Practices.
436
439
Hereupon modern Unbelievers are juftly cenfur'd,
441
And the wicked State of the Heathen World fhewn from
Scripture. 442
445
A Summary of the prefent State of Reason, and our want
of a Revelation;
Which is bewn to be confiftent with the Attributes of
God,
And of which Kind it ought to be.
447
449
An Objection against the myfterious Doctrines of
Christianity
450
451
452
Anfwer'd, from the Confideration of the Things, it
treats of,
Which are a proper Subject both for our prefent, and
future Contemplation,
From the Diftinétion of Things above, and Things
againft our Reason, and 454
That we ought to affent to the former, becaufe they are what may be expected in a Divine Revelation, ibid.
They imply no Contradiction or Abfurdity,
456
But redound manifeftly to the Honour and Majefty of
Religion.
458
The moral Tendency of the more obvious Doctrines
of Chriftianity,
460
And the Reasonableness of its Sacraments.
463
465
An Objection against them
Anfwer'd, by fhewing, how they are fecur'd against all
fuperftitious Abuse,
466
And are capable of exciting many Graces and good Dif-
pofitions in us,
468
How Chriftianity is much more extenfive, even in its
SECT. XXIV.
Of the DATE, and EFFICACY of the Chriftian
Dispensation.
478
Anfwer'd, by fhewing, that a Revelation from God, to
Some more than others, is confonant to his Works of
Creation and Providence,
Is no Inftance of his Partiality,
480
481
Tho' a Token of extraordinary Favour, where it is
vouchsaf'd,
482
And all along directed by his Fore-knowledge of what
is beft; 483
That, tho' Time be of no Confideration with God, yet,
in all Ages, be made fucceffive Difcoveries of himself
to the Gentile World; 485
That there was all along a standing Covenant be-
tween God and Man,
A Fitnefs that lefs perfe& Difpenfations fhould be
ufher'd in first,
490
492
That the Gofpel should be publifh'd juft at the Time,
when it was,
That it made a visible Reformation at first,
494
495
And ftill continues to do a great deal of Good in the
World.
498
A Review of the whole Argument,
500
And the Folly and Madness of changing Chriftianity
for the Religion of Nature.
502