A76988:117
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.
And therefore to discover sincerity, God permits errors in the Church, as you see it 1 Cor. 11.19. I hear there are divisions among you, and I believe it, for there must be heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest: and as they try, so they do discover our sincerity to our selves, to God, to others, by which means we are approved.
And therefore to discover sincerity, God permits errours in the Church, as you see it 1 Cor. 11.19. I heare there are divisions among you, and I beleeve it, for there must be heresies among you, that they which are approved may be made manifest: and as they try, so they doe discover our sincerity to our selves, to God, to others, by which meanes we are approved.
And this is the first merciful end which God hath to his people in permitting errors in the Church, to sift his people.
And this is the first mercifull end which God hath to his people in permitting errours in the Church, to sift his people.
2. A second merciful end which God hath to his own people in the permitting errors, viz. to exercise and quicken our graces. As God suffers corruptions in our persons to exercise and quicken us, he could as easily destroy them, as subdue them, unbe• them, as conquer them; so he suffers errors in his Churches, on purpose to exercise and quicken his own people. We had need of quickening: rather then God would suffer his people to be dead, he suffers the Canaanites to be as thorns in their sides: and rather then dead, he suffers errors in the Church, and if there be any life in you, this will quicken, this will raise it. God hath