A76988:130
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.
4. A fourth merciful end, God suffers it to commend his love to them, in preserving them from the poison and infection of error; to give you a taste and experience of his goodness in keeping of you, that you are not carried aside with the ways of error. And this doth exceedingly take the heart, and raise it up to praise him. Oh saith the soul, Lord, others of greater parts, and greater abilities, thou hast suffered to be led away, and carried away with error, how comes it that thou hast preserved me? This sets off and commends Gods love, and raiseth up the heart in praises.
4. A fourth mercifull end, God suffers it to commend his love to them, in preserving them from the poison and infection of errour; to give you a tast and experience of his goodnesse in keeping of you, that you are not carried aside with the wayes of errour. And this doth exceedingly take the heart, and raise it up to praise him. Oh saith the soule, Lord, others of greater parts, and greater abilities, thou hast suffered to be led away, and carried away with errour, how comes it that thou hast preserved me? This sets off and commends Gods love, and raiseth up the heart in praises.
5. A fifth merciful end, to discover to us that it is not by our own strength we stand, but by the strength of Christ. As we are kept in grace, so we are preserved in truth; and the Apostle tells us, We are kept by the mighty power of God through ⟨p. 17⟩faith. When you see errors to abound, and see them prevail with so many others, men of greater parts and abilities, when you read that they shall prevail with them that shall perish, oh this makes the soul keep close to Christ; and herein doth God discover it is not our strength but his, whereby we are preserved in a way of truth, and kept from error.
5. A fifth mercifull end, to discover to us that it is not by our own strength we stand, but by the strength of Christ. As we are kept in grace, so we are preserv'd in truth; and the Apostle tells us, We are kept by the mighty power of God through