A76988:1071
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.
He that like the Cherub doth shine with light and truth, like the Seraph burns with heat and love. Truth hath an heart-enamouring power, could we but see it in it's beauty, as the Philosopher said of virtue, I may of truth, we could not choose but be in love with it; and that which doth enamour the heart, must needs inflame the heart; that which ⟨p. 232⟩takes the heart, must needs set the heart on fire, either with desire to enjoy it, or with love in the enjoyment of it.
He that like the Cherub doth shine with light and truth, like the Seraph burns with heat and love. Truth hath an heart-enamouring power, could wee but see it in it's beauty, as the Philosopher said of vertue, I may of truth, we could not chuse but be in love with it; and that which doth enamour the heart, must needs enflame the heart; that which ⟨p. 232⟩takes the heart, must needs set the heart on fire, either with desire to enjoy it, or with love in the enjoyment of it.
Indeed it is true, many are too hot in an error, and others are too cold in the truth; and it is the ones sin, and the others shame; the one is the fruit of the partial reception of truth, they take it into the head, not into the heart, Th•y receive not truth with the love of it, as the Apostle saith, 2 Thess. 2. and the other is the fruit of the blind entertainment of error; they have light without heat, and thou hast heat without light; their light is a false light, because it is not joined with heat, and thy heat is a false heat, because it is not joined with light. And yet I confess many are zealous in a way of error, when the best are too cold in the truth; it is our shame, as their sin. But here is the comfort, a little true heat is worth a great deal of false fire, a little zeal acted with grace, is worth a great deal spirited with corruption. Men in ignorance are like those under the frigid zone, they are cold and frozen, and have no heats or affections in them. We may love things we have not seen, as the Apostle speaks of Christ,