The Way to make all Discerning Lovers OF TRUTH Of One Mind: FOR THE Stronger Opposition of Those who would Ruin Them with ERRORS and DISCORDS flowing from them.  
By a Lover of Truth and Peace.  
Published with Authority.  
LONDON, Printed by N. T. at the Entrance into the Old-Spring-Garden near Charing-Cross, MDCLXXXVII.   

The way to make all discerning Lovers of Truth of one Mind; for the stronger Opposition of those who would ruin them with Errors, and Discords flowing from them.  
THE first step to this is Charity. For Men should rather love their Neighbours for the good they agree in, than hate, upon mere difference of Opinions.  
The next, is to dispute no more than we perfectly understand, without violently imposing our own conjectural Opinions on others.  
The Third is, that right Reason and necessity, obligeth us to prefer Council and an Umpirage of all our Differences, before Blows with Murder and Rapine.  
This hath been the Cause of all Governments and Laws, that the Force of the Strongest may not oppress the Innocence of the weaker Multitude.  
And our English Judges and Juries, are nothing but so many sworn Umpires to determine right in our differences.  
But whether there be the same necessity for the finding, and following the Truth of Divine Worship, shall be the Subject of the following Discourse.  
It is generally known to Mankind, that the most ingenious and Potent Nations of the Greeks and Romans, with all the rest of the World (except the Jews,) were for many Ages Idolaters; but hay agreed not in their Idols.  
For some adored the departed Souls of great Heroes amongst them in their several Statues. Others set up the Figures of their own imaginary Deities; But the most rational did either worship great Men, supposed to be turned into Stars, or the real moving Planets of Saturn, Jupiter, Venus, Mars, Apollo, etc. but even to the Sun itself, that gives Life to so many Infects, and (according to Aristotle,) to the generation of Man, is but a circumscribed Body, or a point, in respect of the Infinite space of the Universe.  
And appears to be but a great fiery Globe, by our contracting its Beams in a burning-glass, to generate Fire here on Earth: and therefore the Jews, who were more ancient Philosophers and Historians than the Nations , were satisfied by their light of Reason, that the Grandeur, Beauty, Order, and several motions of the infinity of great luminous Bodies, with the admirable Architecture of Man, and the several Species of all living Creatures, could never be the work of Chance to unite the contradictory Elements; nor of a Commonwealth of Gods imprisoned in the indifferent Spheres, but of a Monarch infinite in Extent, Power, Wisdom & Goodness; and this immense goodness, revealed this undoubted Truth to his Servant Moses, whose miraculous March through the Red Sea, with the drowning of the following Egyptians, and the opening of the Earth to swallow Corah, with thousands of his rebellious Companions, were too great and public Miracles to be suspected of Eorgery, since they were both acted and written in Moses his own time, when they must have been contradicted by thousands of then living Spectators, if not truly recited; and we know what Credit these, and many other Miracles, have given to Moses his Divine Books over the World, even unto this day.  
But the infinite lover of Mankind did continually supply the Jews, his then chosen People, with a supply of Prophets, and a Source of Miracles, not only to confirm them in their Belief, and Obedience to his Commands, and his then written Law, but promised them by his Prophets of several Ages, concurring in point of time, when a Messiah should come to redeem and instruct all Nations in the Methods of his future Worship, and promised to be with them for ever, as in Isaiah, Chap. 21. Verse 29. As for me, this is my Covenant with them, saith the Lord, my Spirit which is upon thee, and my Words which I have put in thy Mouth, shall not departed out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy Seed, nor out of the mouth of thy Seed's Seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth, and for ever. And again in Daniel, Chap. 7. verse 10 & 14. I saw in the Night Visions; and behold one like the Son of Man came with the Clouds of Heaven, and came to the ancient of days, and they brought him next before him.  
And there was given Dominion and Glory, and a Kingdom, that all People, Nations and Languages should serve him: his Dominion is an everlasting Dominion, which shall not pass away; and his Kingdom that which shall not be destroyed.  
And there is all the assurance that can be in humane Affairs, that the Jews could have no lies imposed upon them; for their Twelve Tribes had their Notaries and Scribes to each of them, who recorded all remarkable occurrences; and they often conferred Notes together, to prevent Forgeries and Mistakes: so that never any Miracles were better warranted in confirmation of the rational Truth of their Law, that there is one Omnipotent Creator, who made Man to love, worship and serve him, and no other Gods, in Confutation of Idolaters, and all other sorts of Infidels.  
And now since this learned and chosen People turned Apostate after the coming of Christ, whom they Crucified as an Usurper and an Impostor, we ought to be very particular in the Confutation of such a People; and of all our present Infidels, who (because they would be cozened in nothing) will scarce believe there was a Julius Caesar, an Alexander, or a Harry the 8th. because they never saw them.  

Of the coming of Christ.  
THe Redeemer of Mankind came into the World at the very time prefixed by a Succession of Jewish Prophets, and a concurrence of the Roman Cibils, and other disinteressed Persons; and there was not other Pretender to be the Messiah near that time: so that the blind Jews must either confess him to be their Messiah, or their written Law and Prophets to be false.  
But they pretended that he came not into the World like a King. But his low Birth was a clear demonstration, that God would have nothing of Kindred, or Power, to mix in the miraculous Work of converting all the most considerable Nations of the World.  
And therefore his Disciples were chosen Men of as humble Birth, as free from Wealth, Power, or Parts to get them, as any great Undertakers could be: His Doctrine was not easy to believe, as the Trinity, and Resurrection; and it was so free from all Temptations to bait Mankind with, that it forbidden plurality of Women, taught the suffering of all Injuries; and, instead of covering Power, or Money, which gets, and keeps it; he taught the selling all, and giving the Money to the Poor, and taking up his Cross, and following him.  
And now I would ask the greatest of his Enemies, what could make this Doctrine grow and prosper, but his Stupendious Miracles, and the omnipotent Hand of God.  
And that he did recover the Lame and Blind, raise the Dead, turn Water into Wine, feed thousands of People with the miraculous multiplication of a few Loaves and Fishes, and many more, is as certain as universal Tradition, (which is surer than any Chronicle,) and the Testimony of the then present and succeeding Matters could make it.  
To this I shall add the Testimony of an Adversary. Josephus, a Jew of Quality and Learning, who lived about forty years after Christ, in his Jewish History, doubts whether he may call Jesus of Nazareth a Man, his Miracles were so great.  
But the constant Deaths of him and most of his Apostles, are the surest of all Evidences; for though St. Peter denied him, yet he died for his Truth; and tho' Judas betrayed him, he accused him not for an Impostor, but hanged himself for having betrayed just Blood.  
And the miraculous Resurrection of our Saviour, was evident to so many Witnesses in several places, as confirmed them all.  
As St. Matthew, Chap. 28. ver. 6. He is not here, for he is risen, as he said, come see the place where the Lord lay; And again, ver. 10. Then said Jesus unto them, be not afraid; go tell my Brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. And ver. 20. Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you, and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the World, Amen. And in St. Mark, Chap. 16. ver. 14. Afterwards be appeared to the Eleven as they sat at Meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of Heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. And in St. Luke, Chap. 24. ver. 36. And as they thus spoke, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and said unto them, Peace be unto you. And ver. 39 Behold my Hands and my Feet, that it is I myself, handle me, and see, for a Spirit hath not Flesh and Bones, as ye see Me have. And in St. John, Chap. 21. ver. 14. This is now the third time that Jesus shown himself to his Disciples after that he was risen from the Dead.  
Now we need cite no more Texts to prove the Resurrection.  
But his inspired Apostles being timorous, and illiterate, were so changed by the Holy Ghost, that they had the courage to underake the Conversion of the greatest part of the known World; and were suddenly made Masters of all Languages, to enable them to propagate their hard and un-pleasing Doctrine; as appears by many very plain Texts in the Acts of the Apostles, Chap. 2. and gins ver. 4. and so goes on to the 13. verse.  
4. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other Tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance.  
5. And there were dwelling at Jerusalem, Jews, devout Men, out every Nation under Heaven.  
6. Now when this was noised abroad, the Multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language.  
7. And they were all amazed, and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold! and are not all these that speak Galileans?  
8. And how hear we every Man in our own Tongue wherein we were born.  
9 Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites, and the dwellers in Mesopotamia, and in Judea, and Cappadocia, in Pontus, and Asia.  
10. Phrygia, and Pamphilia, in Egypt, and in the parts of Lybia, about Cyrene, and Strangers of Rome, Jews and Proselytes.  
11. Cretes and Arabians; We do hear them speak in our Tongues the wonderful Works of God.  
12. And they were all amazed, and in doubt, saying one to another, What means this.  
Now the effects do clearly prove the truth of this Miracle; For the Multitude of Converts in all these Nations, could not be made without Language; and a few poor illiterate Fishermen, could not learn all their Languages at once, without he miraculous Power of God.  
But the performance of this undertaking was the greatest of all Miracles, that they and their Successors affected, without the Compulsion of an Army, (which Mahomet used.)  
But their Doctrine did spring up in Blood, in spite of all the Power and Tyranny of the Romans, with their varieties of cruel Deaths and Tortures to suppress it; till the miraculous Sign of the Cross in the Air, Converted the Great Constantine, with the greatest part of his Army to Christianity, by those Legible Words; In this Sign thou shalt overcome.  
And though Mahometism hath usurped upon Christianity in Asia and Africa, yet the greater part of the Turks Subjects are Christians still: And God hath made as great an Addition to his Christian Flock, as hath been elsewhere abated, in America alone; besides the Advancement of it in China, Aethiopia, and other parts of the East Indies.  
And now, though I have said nothing but what is expressed more learnedly and copiously in greater Volumes; yet since Epitomies are soon read over by those, who may be busy or negligent, when larger Tracts are laid by.  
I do not distrust, but that I have here laid enough together, to satisfy all discerning Lovers of Truth; and that I shall engage many Readers to be of a mind as far as Christianity.  
And now my next attempt will be the Union of Christians amongst themselves.  
But because I am to cite several Texts of Scripture, for the satisfaction of those who rely upon nothing else.  
I shall also assert the Truth of the New Testament, to endeavour the satisfaction of those who are no Lovers of Truth; but doubt or mis-believe the Contents of it.   

And to begin with the four Evangelists, the first Writers of the New Law.  
THE Tradition of most Nations, (omitting the Church History, and Fathers, for Brevity sake,) assure us that they were all Men of Exemplary Piety and Sufferings, and Two of them were of the Twelve Apostles, who could mistake nothing they were Actors in. And St. Matthew made good his miraculous Actions and Writings with his Blood. And St. John the beloved Apostle of our Saviour, suffered Torments worse than Death. The other two were famed through all the Believing World for their great Sanctity.  
It is enough to say that their Writings, (with the rest of St. Paul, and the rest of that mysterious Volume,) were watered with the Bloods of their living and succeeding Disciples: and that most of the Nations of Europe, Asia, and Africa had great numbers of Martyrs, who died within the first three hundred years after Christ, with variety of excessive Torments, to justify the Contents of this Sacred Volume.  
And if we consider how it hath passed through many Languages, and is preserved to this day by most Nations, with very little difference: We may well call it the universal Chronicle not to be doubted.  
For, if it be foolish to doubt the main of our own Chronicle, written by four or five Authors; what can we think of those who doubt the Word of God, backed by so universal a Tradition, but that they cannot see the Sun for too much Light.  
But though the whole Sacred Writ is a most precious Liquor, yet there are obscure intoxicating parts of it, that are too strong for our weak Brains: Witness the uncharitable contradictory Sects sprung from it, whose Bloody Effects have sufficiently appeared in our own Nation.  
But since obscure places ought to be explained, because nothing in the word of God can be impertinent; and that a great part of the World which ought to be saved, cannot read; and few that can, do well understand what they read: Reason doth lead us to the necessity of laying aside what we understand not, and leave it all to a learned Umpire Church; as we do the Moot Points of the Common Law, to the Learned in that Profession, as I before hinted.  
But how to be sure of this true Church, let us learn if we can, out of the plain Texts of the Canonical parts of an Episcopal Protestant Bible.  
We find that in St. Mark, Chap. 16. ver. 15. & 16. our Saviour said to his Disciples, And be said unto them, Go ye into all the the World, and Preach the Gospel unto every Creature.  
He that believeth, and is Baptised, shall be saved; But he that believeth not, shall be damned.  
And in St. Matthew, Chap. 28. ver. 20. Christ's own Words; Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the World.  
And in St. John, Chap. 14. ver. 16. And I will pray the Father, and be shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever.  
We find apparently in these three Texts, that Damnation is denounced to all misbelievers.  
And Christ hath promised to be with his Church to the end of the World.  
Which is a plain demonstration, that it must be always a visible true Church to the end of the World.  
And God farther declared, that whatsoever this Church bindeth or looseth on Earth, shall be so in Heaven.  
And St. Matthew, Chap. 17. & 18. And if be shall neglect to hear thee, tell it unto the church; and and if he neglect to hear the Church, let him be unto thee as a Heathen man, and a Publican.  
Verily I say unto you, whatsoever ye shall bind on Earth, shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever ye shall lose on Earth, shall be loosed in Heaven.  
In this Text all that deny to hear the true Church, are condemned as Heathens.  
And to proceed, to more proofs of the Foundation of a true Church in the Apostles. Christ's words to St. Peter are found in St. Matthew, Chap. 16. ver. 18 and 19 And I say also unto thee, that thou art Peter, and upon this Rock will I build my Church, and the Gates of Hell shall not prevail against it.  
And I will give unto thee the Keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on Earth, shall be bound in Heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt lose on Earth, shall be loosed in Heaven.  
And St. John, Chap. 21. ver. 15, 16, 17. there are three Repetitions of Christ to St. Peter.  
Feed my Lambs, feed my Sheep, feed my Sheep.  
Now these Texts do evidently imply, that St. Peter was a Favourite; and if any one of the Apostles had Supremacy over the rest, it must be Herald  
But now I shall proceed to prove by a Text, that the Apostles were all Bishops; for if Judas was one, the rest are not to be doubted: for in the Reproofs of Judas it is written in the Acts, Chap. 1. ver. 20. For it is written in the Book of Psalms, Let his Habitation be desolate, and let no Man dwell therein; and his Bishopric let another take.  
And now let the Calvinists, and all other Sectaries, that Covenanted and fought against Popery and Prelacy, and deposed our English Bishops, excuse their Persecution, if they can, of Bishops, as Usurpers, Unlawful, and Antichristian: Sure they will not say the Apostles were Antichristian; Nor need we any further Proof out of St. Paul's Epistle to Titus and Timothy, to make out that there were Bishops, as well as Presbyters, in God's Church in his time.  
But we may without doubt conclude, that John Calvin, when he separated from all Episcopal Churches, he did revolt from the Apostles and their true Successors, be they whom they will, and so incurred the Penalty or the Text already mentioned, That be that will not hear the Church, shall be as a Heathen Man, and a Publican.  
He renounced that Church which Christ said he was with to the end of the World.  
And he was worse than any other Independent, for he established a coersive Power in every Parish, as absolute as that of a Bishop in his Diocese; and left no Power to correct the ill manners of any of his Rulers, but the remote one of a National Synod.  
The Roman, Greek, Lutheran, and English Bishops are all alike obliged to this Presbiterian Reformer; but he designed, that the heavy charge of Idolatry should justify all the Confusion of his Doctrine; and therefore few of his Followers (if any) will kneel to receive the Sacrament.  
But the Roman Catholics and Episcopal Protestants of England, (if not the rest) do kneel, to show their Respect to what God's Word hath given them; though they differ whether they should follow the Literal or Mystical Sense of the Text.  
But I shall endeavour to make it appear, that no Christian Church can be guilty of Idolatry.  
The Church which Christ is always with, cannot, because God hath forbidden it often.  
And none of the rest believe, or have taught a multiplicity of Gods.  
Nor have any Christians commanded the Worshipping of Images, or any thing but a Triune God, replenished with Infinite Wisdom, Power, and Charity.  
As for Idolatry, it consisteth not in outward respects to Creatures, without an evil concurrence of the Heart to Worship, and prefer a Senate of Gods, before the only true Monarchical God. For we must all turn Quakers, if signs of our Civility and Humility are forbidden; no man must put off his Hat to another, nor bow down his Head in Salutation; much less kneel to a Sovereign Prince to kiss his Hand; or kneel at his Prayers in a Room where a Crucifix or Picture is.  
But I would satisfy the very Quakers, that the Idolatry which the Primitive Christians avoided, was the entering into a Pagan Church, there to Worship a forbidden Idol, as a denial of Christ before Men, who then would deny them before his Heavenly Father.  
And now I shall proceed to the Marks of the true Church, that my Readers may easily find it.  
And first for the universality of the true Church, I shall only cite one Text out of St. Mark, Chap. 16. ver. 15. And he said unto them, go ye into all the World, and Preach the Gospel to every Creature.  
Now whatever Church is most extended, and doth yet continue Preaching to most Nations, must needs be preferred before those Churches, that want this Mark.  
As for the Succession, it must be where Christ is always in a visible Church for Men to hear.  
And if any Church proves an Historical Succession from any of the Apostles, and no other Church pretends to the same, that must be the true Church, which Christ is always with; and which, whosoever refuses to hear, must be a Heathen Man, as in the Texts before mentioned.  
Lastly, the Nature of all Governments necessarily requiring an Umpire, to avoid Discords both in Church and State; we may conclude that Bishops are necessary Overseers of the Presbiterian Clergy; and Archibishops are continued in England (which was once a part of another Church) to regulate the failings of dispersed Bishops.  
And if there were but two Archbishops in the World, they might, as Men, err in matters of Fact, and so want an Overseer to regulate their Divisions, Manners and Discipline. So that we naturally rise to a Successor of Christ, as absolute in matters of Faith, as if Christ were visibly with him, who hath promised to be always with him, as is above proved.  
Now tho' St. Peter's Style is fairest to the Monarchical Church-Power by the foremention'd Texts, yet I shall forbear to pronounce the Succession, but shall conclude with a certain rule to find it out by; and that is; examine who have been the chief Bishops to call and dissolve the major part of general Councils, since the Emperors (who did it in the Infancy of the Church) left it.  
And if general Councils are the Parliaments of Christendom; and that it is a madness to think that God's Blessing is not more upon so many Learned and Pious Men of all Christian Nations, expounding hard places of Scripture, then upon the Inteterpretation of any private Spirit: we may conclude that the Prelate, who assembles and dissolves the chosen Divines of all Christian Nations at his Pleasure, and never got this Power by force of Arms, must be the Universal Spiritual Monarch, whom Christ hath promised to be always with to the end of the World, as above cited.    

ERRATA.  
PAge 3. l. 20. instead of (to the Sun) read the Sun, p. 6. l. 20. instead of Chap. 21. ver. 29. read Chap. 29. ver. 21. p. 17. l. 12. instead of affected, read effected. p. 25. l. 7. instead of Chap. 17. and 18. read Chap. 18. ver. 17. and 18.  
FINIS.   

LONDON, Printed by Nat. Thompson at the Entrance into Old Spring Garden near Charing-Cross, 1687.