A76988:1058
The arraignment of errorThe arraignment of errour
The arraignment of error: or, A discourse serving as a curb to restrain the wantonness of mens spirits in the entertainment of opinions; and as a compass, whereby we may sail in the search and finding of truth; distributed into six main questions. Quest. 1. How it may stand with Gods, with Satan's, with a mans own ends, that there should be erroneous opinions? Quest. 2. What are the grounds of abounding errors? Quest. 3. Why so many are carried away with error? Quest. 4. Who those are that are in danger? Quest. 5. What are the examens, or the trials of opinions, and characters of truth? Quest. 6. What ways God hath left in his Word for the suppressing of error, and reducing of erroneous persons? Under which general questions, many other necessary and profitable queries are comprised, discussed, and resolved. And in conclusion of all; some motives, and means, conducing to an happy accommodation of our present differences, are subjoined. / By Samuel Bolton minister of the Word of God at Saviours-Southwark.The arraignment of errour: or, A discourse serving as a curb to restrain the wantonnesse of mens spirits in the entertainment of opinions; and as a compasse, whereby we may sail in the search and finding of truth; distributed into six main questions. Quest. 1. How it may stand with Gods, with Satans, with a mans own ends, that there should be erroneous opinions? Quest. 2. What are the grounds of abounding errours? Quest. 3. Why so many are carried away with errour? Quest. 4. Who those are that are in danger? Quest. 5. What are the examens, or the trials of opinions, and characters of truth? Quest. 6. What waies God hath left in his Word for the suppressing of errour, and reducing of erroneous persons? Under which generall questions, many other necessary and profitable queries are comprized, discussed, and resolved. And in conclusion of all; some motives, and means, conducing to an happy accommodation of our present differences, are subjoyned. / By Samuel Bolton minister of the Word of God at Saviours-Southwark.
London: printed by G. Miller for Andrew Kembe, 1646
Title page typeset from the transcription.
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
3. Thou sayest men are proud in the truth. Why? but though ⟨p. 228⟩§3grace do not expel pride, yet it doth humble them for it: though it do not empty them of pride, yet it empties and humbles them for it. Grace and truth, if it be not a bridle, it will be a whip; if not a curb, it will be a scourge; if it be not directive, it will be afflictive; if you do not learn your duty from it, it will chastise you for the neglect of it, and so in the issue it humbles men, it makes them nothing for their being something: the higher the flood hath been, the lower is the ebb: the more sinfully they exalted themselves, with the more shame and sorrow they humble themselves before God: they are as little before God, as big with men. This is the nature of truth, where it is entertained, either it will enable you to be humble, or humble you for your pride, it will work one way; either it will empty of pride, or empty for pride: if you have swelled, those swellings are breathed out in sighs: the sighs of the closet do abate the swellings of the chair; and if it work either way, notwithstanding this objection, this operation may be a good evidence of truth, that truth doth humble those who entertain it; and so much for the first eminent operation of truth. I shall be briefer in the rest.
3. Thou sayest men are proud in the truth. Why? but though ⟨p. 228⟩§3grace doe not expell pride, yet it doth humble them for it: though it doe not empty them of pride, yet it empties and humbles them for it. Grace and truth, if it be not a bridle, it will be a whip; if not a curb, it will be a scourge; if it be not directive, it will be afflictive; if you doe not learn your duty from it, it will chastise you for the neglect of it, and so in the issue it humbles men, it makes them nothing for their being something: the higher the flood hath been, the lower is the ebb: the more sinfully they exalted themselves, with the more shame and sorrow they humble themselves before God: they are as little before God, as bigg with men. This is the nature of truth, where it is entertained, either it will inable you to be humble, or humble you for your pride, it will worke one way; either it will empty of pride, or empty for pride: if you have swelled, those swellings are breathed out in sighes: the sighes of the closet doe abate the swellings of the chayre; and if it work either way, notwithstanding this objection, this operation may be a good evidence of truth, that truth doth humble those who entertaine it; and so much for the first eminent operation of truth. I shall be briefer in the rest.