A View of the Evidences of Christianity: In Three Parts - William Paley - Google Books

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CONTENTS.

EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.

Preparatory Considerations. Of the antecedent credibility of mira-

OF THE DIRECT HISTORICAL EVIDENCE OF CHRISTIAN-

ITY, AND WHEREIN IT IS DISTINGUISHED FROM THE

EVIDENCE ALLEGED FOR OTHER MIRACLES

That there is satisfactory evidence, that many, professing to be

original witnesses of the Christian miracles, passed their lives in

labours, dangers, and sufferings voluntarily undergone in attesta-

tion of the accounts which they delivered, and solely in conse

quence of their belief of those accounts; and that they also sub-

mitted, from the same motives, to new rules of conduct

CHAP. I.-Evidence of the sufferings of the first propagators of

Christianity, from the nature of the case

•

CHAP. II.-Evidence of the sufferings of the first propagators of
Christianity, from Profane testimony

CHAP. III.-Indirect evidence of the sufferings of the first propa-

gators of Christianity, from the Scriptures and other ancient

Christian writings.

CHAP. IV.-Direct evidence of the same

CHAP. V.-Observations upon the preceding evidence.

CHAP. VI.-That the story, for which the first propagators of

Christianity suffered, was miraculous

CHAP. VII.—That it was, in the main, the story which we have

now proved by inderect considerations

CHAP. VIII.-The same proved, from the authority of our histori-
cal Scriptures

CHAP. IX. Of the authenticity of the historical Scriptures, in ele-
ven Sections

SECT. I.-Quotations of the historical Scriptures by ancient Chris-

86

SECT. II. Of the peculiar respect with which they were quoted. 109

SECT. III.-The Scriptures were in very early times collected into

a distinct volume

SECT. IV. And distinguished by appropriate names and titles of

SECT. V.-Were publicly read and expounded in the religious as-

semblies of the early Christians

SECT. VI.-Commentaries, &c., were anciently written upon the

CHAP. X.--Recapitulation

SECT. VII. They were received by ancient Christians of different
sects and persuasions

•

SECT. VIII.-The four Gospels, the Acts of the Apostles, thirteen

Epistles of Saint Paul, the First Epistle of John, and the First

of Peter, were received without doubt by those who doubted con-

cerning the other books of our present canon

SECT. IX. Our present Gospels were considered by the adversa-

ries of Christianity, as containing the accounts upon which the

religion was founded

•

SECT. X.-Formal catalogues of authentic Scriptures were pub-

lished, in all which our present Gospels were included

SECT. XI.-The above propositions cannot be predicated of those

books which are commonly called apocryphal books of the New

PROPOSITION II.

“THE AUXILIARY EVIDENCES OF CHRISTIANITY.

CHAP. I.-Prophecy

CHAP. II.-The morality of the Gospel

CHAP. III.—The candour of the writers of the New Testament

CHAP. I. That there is NOT satisfactory evidence, that persons
pretending to be original witnesses of any other similar miracles,
have acted in the same manner, in attestation of the accounts
which they delivered, and solely in consequence of their belief of
the truth of those accounts

CHAP. IL-Consideration of some specific instances

183

137

143

.145
.-150

154
173

181

-191

CHAP. IV.—Identity of Christ's character

CHAP. V.—Originality of Christ's character

CHAP. VI.-Conformity of the facts occasionally mentioned or re

ferred to in Scripture, with the state of things in those times, as

represented by foreign and independent accounts

CHAP. VIL-Undesigned Coincidences

CHAP. VIIL-Of the History of the Resurrection.

CHAP. IX. Of the Propagation of Christianity

SECT. II.-Reflections upon the preceding Account

SECT. III. Of the success of Mahometanism

PART IIL

Page
230

A BRIEF CONSIDERATION OF SOME POPULAR OBJECTIONS.

CHAP. I.-The Discrepancies between the several Gospe.s

CHAP. II.-Erroneous Opinions imputed to the Apostles

CHAP. III.—The connection of Christianity with the Jewish His-
tory

CHAP. IV. Rejection of Christianity

CHAP. V. That the Christian miracles are not recited, or ap-

pealed to, by early Christian writers themselves, so fully or fre-

quently as might have been expected

CHAP. VI.-Want of universality in the knowledge and reception

of Christianity, and of greater clearness in the evidence

CHAP. VII.-The supposed Effects of Christianity

CHAP. VIII.-Conclusion

243

. 272

. 274

. 278
• 296
303

. 316

320

.349

207

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