A76988:148
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.
It was the multitude of errors, which put Luther to search out what was truth, if there had not been so many errors, it might be he had not enquired and sought out truth; the like I ⟨p. 22⟩may say of Calvin and others, and the errors and corruptions in worship, imposed, did put on us to the trial of the whole, and made us more strict to examine the bottoms whereon we stood.
It was the multitude of errours, which put Luther to search out what was truth, if there had not been so many errours, it might be he had not enquired and sought out truth; the like I ⟨p. 22⟩may say of Calvin and others, and the errours and corruptions in worship, imposed, did put on us to the triall of the whole, and made us more strict to examine the bottomes whereon we stood.
2. God suffers it to beat them off their sandy foundations whereon they build. As it is a means to put you on to search what your foundation is whereon you build, the bottom whereon you stand, so it is a means to beat you off your sandy foundations. When a man sees abundance of opinions abroad, one saith this, another that, sure it will make a man to put the question to himself, upon what foundation do I stand, what is my bottom? And how can he have any rest till he have gotten a better foundation to build on, a foundation which none of these opinions can shake and unsettle; when he sees so many fair buildings, specious structures to fall down, and not able to stand out the blast of trial and temptation, because they are houses built on the sands; It will make a man to enquire after the rock, and endeavour to build there, that when the wind blows, yet the house may stand firm. This is the different working which opinions have upon the good and bad, upon such whom God hath a purpose of good unto, and upon such that he will not own. That the one, the multitude of opinions doth draw him away, or else Atheist him, that he will be nothing. The other it doth un-atheist him, put him upon the search and examination what is the truth of God; One he is now more formal, and minds no more but mere formality, to go to Church, and say over a prayer, and if God will save him with that well and good, he will do no more; The other, these things do fire him out of his formality, and he can have no rest till he come to some bottom to stand on: And that is another end God hath, he would awaken, and beat us off our sandy foundations.