The main chapter divisions are: "The Jewish Witnesses", "The Roman Witnesses", "The Witness of Paul", and "The Witness of the Gospels." From the Preface: "...Meanwhile we may reflect with comfort on the words of Dupuis: 'There are large numbers of men so perversely minded that they will believe everything except what is recommended by sound intelligence and reason, and shrink from philosophy as the hydrophobic shrinks from water. These people will not read us, and do not concern us, we have not written for them. Their mind is the prey of the priests, just as their body will be the prey of the worms. We have written only for the friends of humanity and reason. The rest belong to another world, even their God tells them that his kingdom is not of this world - that is to say, not of the world in which people use their judgment - and that the simple are blessed because theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Let us therefore, leave to them their opinions, and not envy the priests such a possession...