A76988:143
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.
Again, if that we might entertain a truth as we do only our goods into our houses, that would not endamage us any way; though they bring in nothing, yet they would not endamage us, then the matter were not so much. But when we are to entertain truth, as that which must live on us, that for which I am to part with relations, with comforts, with riches, with estate, with liberty, with life; Believe it, it would make a man in earnest, and try throughly before he do entertain a thing for truth, and to be sure that God saith it.
Againe, if that we might entertaine a truth as we doe only our goods into our houses, that would not endamage us any way; though they bring in nothing, yet they would not endamage us, then the matter were not so much. But when we are to entertaine truth, as that which must live on us, that for which I am to part with relations, with comforts, with riches, with estate, with liberty, with life; Beleeve it, it would make a man in earnest, and try throughly before he doe entertaine a thing for truth, and to be sure that God saith it.
But add to this, your soul may depend on it, and that to eternity, and not only thine but thy posterities too; how many families in this Kingdom that are Papists, upon no other ground then their ancestors were; and doth the soul of me, ⟨p. 21⟩my child, husband, wife, &c. depend much on me? and shall not I be wary what I entertain? surely no honest heart but will. Well this is another ground or end, God suffers errors, that we might entertain opinions warily, drop by drop is the best receiving of opinions. We are commanded to buy the truth; and surely the errors that are abroad, tell us it is to be bought by retail, in parcels, not by whole sale in the gross, for fear of receiving error as well as truth: there are many cheating chapmen abroad, false lights; I name none, I aim at none in particular: There are such who huosterize the word, adulterate, sophisticate the word. And what's that? they mingle truth, and error, linsey woolsey. And if you take up all in the gross you may be deceived, therefore beware, try before you trust, examine, search. Take heed that no man deceive you.