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CHAP. VIII. 1. That the Opinion of the Soul's living and acting immediately after Death, was not fetched out of Plato by the Fathers, because they left out Preexistence, an Opinion very rational in it self, 2. And such as seems plausible from sundry places of Scripture, as those alledged by Menasseh Ben Israel out of Deuteronomy, Jeremy, and Job. 3. as also God's resting on the seventh day. 4. That their proclivity to think that the Angel that appeared to the Patriarchs so often was Christ, might have been a further inducement. 5. Other places of the New Testament which seem to imply the Preexistence of Christ's Soul. 6. More of the same kinde out of S. John. 7. Force added to the last proofs from the opinion of the Socinians. 8. That our Saviour did ad∣mit, or at least not disapprove the opinion of Preexistence. 9. The main scope intended from the preceding allegations, namely, That the Soul's living and acting after death is no Pagan opinion out of Plato, but a Christian Truth evidenced out of the Scriptures.
BOOK III.
CHAP. I. 1. That the Lapse of the Soul from the Divine life immersing her into Matter, brings on the Birth of Cain in the Mystical Eve driven out of Paradise. 2. That the most Fundamental mistake of the Soul lapsed is that Birth of Cain, and that from hence also sprung Abel in the mystery, the vanity of Pagan Idolatry. 3. Solomon's universal charge against the Pagans, of Polytheisme and Atheisme, and how fit it is their Apology should be heard for the better understanding the State of the World out of Christ. 4. Their plea of worshipping but one God, namely the Sun, handsomely managed by Macrobius. 5. The Indian Brachmans worshippers of the Sun: Apollonius his entertainment with them, and of his false and vain affectation of Pythagorisme. 6. The Ignorance of the Indian Magicians, and of the Daemons that instructed them. 7. A Concession that they and the rest of the Pagans terminated their worship upon one Supreme Numen, which they conceived to be the Sun.
CHAP. VI. 1. A new and unanswerable charge against Paganisme, namely, That they adored the Divine Powers no further then they reached the Animal life, as appears from their Dijoves and Vejoves, 2. Jupiter altitonans, Averruncus, Robigus and Tempestas. 3. From the pleasant spectacle of their God Pan: what is meant by his Pipe, and Nymphs dancing about him. 4. What by his being deemed the Son of Hermes and Mercury, and what by his beloved. Nymph Syrinx, his wife Echo, and daugh∣ter Iambe. 5. The interpretation of his horns, hairiness, red face, long beard, goats feet, and laughing countenance.
CHAP. VII. 1. That as the World or Universe was deified in Pan, so were the parts thereof in Coelius, Juno, Neptune, Vulcan, Pluto, Ops, Bacchus, Ceres, &c. 2. That the Night was also a Deity, and why they sacrifi∣ced a Cock to her, with the like reason of other Sacrifices. 3. Interiour Manifestations that concern the Animal life, namely that of Wrath and Love, which are the Pagans Mars and Venus. 4. Minerva, Mercuri∣us, Eunomia, &c. Manifestations referred to the Middle life. 5. The agreement of the Greeks Religion with the Romans, as also with the Aegyptians. 6. Their worship of the River Nilus, &c. 7. That the Religion of the rest of the Nations of the world was of the same nature with that of Rome, Greece and Aegypt, and reached no further then the Animal life. 8. And that their worshipping of men deceased stood upon the same ground.
CHAP. XV. 1. The sacrificing of Children to Moloch in the valley of Hinnom, 2. That it was not a Februation, but real Burning of them. That this custome spread from Syria to Carthage. 4. Further Arguments thereof, with the mistake of Saturn being called Israel rectified by Grotius. And that Abraham's offering up Isaac was no occasion at all to these execrable sacrifices. 5. Sacrificing of men in Britain, Lusitania, France, Ger∣many, Thrace and in the Isle of Man. 6. In sundry places also of Greece, as Messene, Arcadia, Chios, Aulis, Locri, Lacedaemon. 7. That the Romans were not free neither from these salvage sacrifices. 8. To which you may add the Cimbrians, Lituanians, Aegyptians, the Inhabitants of Rhodes, Salamis, Tenedos, Indians, Persians, &c.
BOOK V.
CHAP. VIII. 1. The use of this parallel hitherto of Christ and Apollonius. 2. Ma∣homet, David George, H. Nicolas, high-pretending Prophets, brought upon the stage, and the Author's Apology for so doing. 3. That a misbelief of the History of Christ, and a dexterity in a moral Mytho∣logy thereof, are the greatest Excellencies in David George and H. Nicolas. 4. That if they believed there were any Miracles ever in the world, they ought to have given their reasons why they believe not those that are recorded of Christ, and to have undeceiv'd the world by doing Miracles themselves to ratifie their doctrine. 5. If they be∣lieved there never were, nor ever will be any Miracles, they do plain∣ly betray themselves to be mere Atheists or Epicures. 6. The wicked plot of Satan in this Sect in clothing their style with Scripture-lan∣guage, though they were worse Infidels then the very Heathen. 7. That the gross Infidelity of these two Impostours would make a man suspect them rather to have been crafty prophane Cheats then honest through-crackt Enthusiasts. 8. That where Faith is extinct, all the rapturous Exhor∣tations to Vertue are justly suspected to proceed rather from Complexion then any Divine principle.
CHAP. IX. 1. Mahomet far more orthodox in the main points of Religion then the above-named Impostours. 2. The high pitch this pretended Prophet sets himself at. His journey to Heaven, being waited upon by the An∣gel Gabriel. His Beast Alborach, and of his being called to by two Wo∣men by the way, with the Angels interpretation thereof. 3. His arrival at the Temple at Jerusalem, and the reverence done to him there by all the Prophets and holy Messengers of God that ever had been in the world. 4. The crafty political meaning of the Vision hitherto. 5. Mahomet bearing himself upon the Angel Gabriel's hand, climbes up to Heaven on a Ladder of Divine light. His passing through Seven Heavens, and his commending of himself to Christ in the Seventh. 6. His salutation of his Creatour, with the stupendious circumstances thereof. 7. Five special favours he received from God at that congress. 8. Of the natu∣ral wilyness in Enthusiasts, and of their subtile pride where they would seem most humble. The strange advantage of Enthusiasme with the rude multitude; 9. And the wonderfull success thereof in Mahomet. Other Enthusiasts as proud as Mahomet, but not so successfull, and why.
BOOK VI.
CHAP. XI. 1. A Recapitulation or Synopsis of the more Intelligible part of the Chri∣stian Mysterie, with an Indication of the Usefulness thereof. 2. The undeniable Grounds of this Mystery, The existence of God, A particu∣lar Providence, The Lapsableness of Angels and men, The natural sub∣jection of men to Devils in this fallen Condition. 3. God's Wisdome and Iustice in the Permission thereof for a time. 4, 5. Further Rea∣sons of that Permission. 6. The Lapse of Men and Angels proved. 7. The Good emerging out of this Lapse. 8. The exceeding great Pre∣ciousness of the Divine Life. 9. The Conflagration of the Earth. 10. The Good arising from the Opposition betwixt the Light and Dark King∣dome. 11. That God in due time is in a special manner to assist the Kingdome of Light, and in a way most accommodate to the humane Fa∣culties. 12. That therefore he was to send into the World some Vene∣rable Example of the Divine Life, with miraculous attestations of his Mission of so sacred a Person. 13. That this Person, by reason of the great Agonies that befall them that return to the Divine Life, ought to bring with him a palpable pledge of a proportionable Reward, suppose, of a Blessed Immortality, manifested to the meanest Capacity by his ri∣sing from the dead and visibly ascending into Heaven. 14. That in the Revolt of Mankind from the Tyranny of the Devil, there ought to be some Head, and that the Qualifications of that Head ought to be oppo∣site to those of the old Tyrant, as also to have a power of restoring us to all that we have lost by being under the Usurper. 15. That also in this Head all the notable Objects of the Religious propensions of the Nations should be comprized in a more lawfull and warrantable manner. 16. That this Idea of Christianity is so worthy the Goodness of God, and
so sutable to the state of the World, that no wise and vertuous Person can doubt but that it is or will be set on foot at some time by Divine Providence; and that if the Messias be come, and the Writings of the New Testament be true, in the literal sense it is on foot-already.
CHAP. XII. 1. That the chief Authour of this Mystical Madness that nulls the true and literal sense of Scripture is H. Nicolas, whose Doctrine therefore and Person is more exactly to be enquired into. 2. His bitter Revi∣ling and high Scorn and Contempt of all Ministers of the Gospel of Christ that teach according to the Letter, with the ill Consequences thereof. 3. The Reason of his Vilification of them, and his Injuncti∣on to his Followers not to consult with any Teachers but the Elders of his Family, no not with the Dictates of their own Consciences, but wholy to give themselves up to the leading of those Elders. The ir∣recoverable Apostasie of simple Souls from their Saviour by this wicked Stratagem. 4. His high Magnifications of himself, and his Service of the Love, before the Dispensation of Moses, John the Baptist, or Christ himself. 5. That his Service of the Love is a Third Dispensa∣tion, namely of the Spirit, and that which surpasses that of Christ; with other Encomiums of his doctrine, as That in it is the sounding of the last Trump, the Descent of the new Jerusalem from Heaven, the Resur∣rection of the dead, the glorious coming of Christ to Iudgment, and the everlasting Condemnation of the wicked in Hell-Fire. 6. That H. Ni∣colas for his time, and after him the Eldest of the Family of the Love in succession, are Christ himself descended from Heaven to judge the World, as also the true High Priest for ever in the most Holy.
BOOK VII
CHAP. VII. 1. That it being evident the Messiah is come, it will also follow that Jesus is he. 2. That the Prophets when they prophesied of any emi∣nent King, Priest or Prophet, were sometimes carried in their Prophe∣tick Raptures to such expressions as did more properly concern the Mes∣siah then the Person they began to describe. 3. That these References are of two sorts, either purely Allegorical, or Mixt; and of the use of pure Allegories by the Evangelists and Apostles. 4. Of mixt Alle∣gories of this kind, and of their validity for Argument. 5. That eminent Prophecie of Isaiah, that so fully characterizes the Person of Christ. 6. That the ancient Jews understood this of their Messiah, and that the modern are forced hence to fancy two Messiahs. The Soul of the Messiah appointed to this office from the beginning of the World, as appears out of their Pesikta. 7. The nine Characters of the Mes∣siah's Person included in the above-named Prophecie. 8. A brief In∣timation in what verses of the Prophecie they are couched. 9. That this Prophecie cannot be applied to the People of the Iews, nor adequately to Jeremie's person. 10. Special Passages in the Prophecie utterly unap∣plicable to Jeremie.
CHAP. X.
1. Further Proofs that both Iews and Pagans acknowledge the Reality of the Person of Christ and his doing of Miracles. 2. The force of these allegations added to the Prophecie of the Time of Christ's coming and the Characters of his Person. 3. That the Characters of his Person are still more exact, but not to be insisted upon till the proof of the Truth of the History of the Gospel. 4, 5. That the transcendent Eminency of Christ's Person is demonstrable from what has already been alledged and from his Resurrection, without recourse to the Gospels. From whence it necessarily follows That his Life was writ. 6. That the Life of Christ was writ timely, while Eye-witnesses were alive, proved by a very forcible Demonstration. 7. That Eternal Happiness through Christ was the hope of the First Christians, proved out of Lucian and S. Paul; and of a peculiar Self-Evidence of Truth in his Epistles. 8. That the first and most early meaning of Christianity is comprised in those Writings. 9. That Eternal Salvation depending upon the Knowledge of Christ, it was impossible but that the Apostles should take care betimes that the Miracles of Christ should be recorded. 10. That
the Apostles could not fail to have the Life of Christ written, to pre∣vent the erroneous attempts of the Pragmatical, to satisfie the Importu∣nity of Believers, or in obedience to divine Instigation. 11. That it is as incredible that the Apostles neglected the writing of the Life of Christ, as that a wise man in the affairs of the World should neglect the writing of his Will when he had opportunity of doing it. 12. That, it being so incredible but that the Life of Christ should be writ, and there being found writings that comprize the same, it naturally fol∣lows, That they are they.
CHAP. XVI. 1. That the Starrs and Planets are not useless though there be no truth in Astrology. 2. That the Starrs are not the Causes of the Variety of Productions here below. 3. That the sensible moistening power of the Moon is no argument for the Influence of other Planets and Starrs. 4. Nor yet the Flux and Reflux of the Sea, and direction of the Needle to the North Pole. 5. That the Station and Repedation of the Planets is an argument against the Astrologers. 6. That the Influ∣ence attributed to the Dog-star, the Hyades and Orion, is not theirs but the Sun's, and that the Sun's Influence is only Heat. 7. The slight occasions of their inventing of those Dignities of the Planets they call Exaltations and Houses, as also that of Aspects. 8. Their folly in preferring the Planets before the fixt Starrs of the same appearing magnitude, and of their fiction of the first qualities of the Planets, with those that rise therefrom. 9. Their rashness in allowing to the influence of the Heavenly Bodies so free passage through the Earth. 10. Their groundless Division of the Signs into Moveable and Fixt, and the ridiculous Effects they attribute to the Trigons, together with a demonstration of the Falseness of the Figment. 11. A Confutation of their Essential Dignities. 12. As also of their Accidental. 13. A subversion of their Erection of Themes and distributing of the Hea∣vens into twelve Celestial Houses. 14. Their fond Pretenses to the know∣ledge of the exact moment of the Infants birth. 15. A Confutation of their Animodar and Trutina Hermetis. 16. As also of their Method of rectifying a Nativity per Accidentia Nati. 17. His appeal to the skilfull, if he has not fundamentally confuted the whole pretended Art of Astrology.
BOOK X.
CHAP. XIV. 1. That Publick Worship is essential to Religion, and inseparable when free from Persecution. The right measure of the Circumstances thereof. 2. Of the Fabrick and Beauty of Churches according to that measure. 3. The main things he intends to touch upon concerning Publick Worship. 4. That the Churches of Christians are not Temples, the excellency of our Reli∣gion being incompliable with that Notion. 5. The vanity of the Sectari∣ans
exception against the word Church applied to the appointed places of Publick Worship. 6. That though the Church be no Temple, yet it is in some sense holy, and what respect there is to be had of it, and what reve∣rence to be used there. 7. Of Catechizing, Expounding and Preaching. 8. Of Prayer, and what is the true praying by the Spirit. 9. The Excellency of publick Liturgies. 10. What is the right End of the Ministry. 11. Cer∣tain special uses of Sermons, and of the excellency of our Saviour Christs Sermon on the Mount. 12. The best way for one to magnifie his Ministry. 13. Of the Holy Communion, who are to be excluded, and of the posture of receiving it. 14. Of the time of Baptism, and the Signe of the Crosse. 15. Of Songs and Hymns to be composed by the Church, and of Holy-daies. 16. Of the celebrating the Passion-day and the Holy Communion. 17. Of Images and Pictures in places of Publick Worship. 18. A summa∣ry advertisement concerning Ceremonies and Opinions.
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