A76988:15
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.
TO THE Christian Reader.
Christian Reader,
The multitude of prevailing opinions at this time was the great ground; and the preservation of my own people was the main end of the undertaking the following Discourse. I had not (in my first undertaking the work) thought it would have been so large as now it is, but it swelled under my hand, and I hope thou wilt esteem its bigness to be its perfection, not its disease. It usually fares with works of this nature, as with our Masters bread, they multiply in the breaking. The whole is digested into six Questions, set down in the Title page, from which Generals many other particular Queries are deduced, discussed and resolved. In the first part my great design hath been to fence from error, and to put a stop to the wantonness of mens spirits in the handing and receiving of opinions. In the body of the Discourse I have laid down the Examens of opinions, and the Characters of truth. And in the close of the whole, I kept this in my eye, as the mark I aimed at, to drive on a happy agreement among those who did conscientiously differ. Wherein it is my hope, if my extreme desire of a happy accommodation hath (in thy thoughts) carried me too far, I may obtain ⟨image 6⟩the excuse of my affection, For it is not granted (say some) to love and to be wise. I am not ignorant that essays of this nature have often proved, not only Abortive, but the trouble of the Parent. And therefore politic men, as they will reserve themselves, and not speak all their heart: so they will not engage themselves beyond their power of retreat, if they shall after see reason for it. You know whose speech it was, That he would lance no farther into the Sea, then he might safely return to shore again; Thou wilt see in this Discourse I am not of that versatilis ingenij. And indeed the greatness of the evil of division, and the misery that doth attend it, with my vehement desire of a happy Accommodation of our differences, not too dear to be bought out even with our bloods, hath over-poured me to speak my whole heart, and to lay out my whole strength without those politic reserves. Though I would give all reverence to the results of other Churches, yet would I set up none as Hercules Columns, beyond which nothing more is to be known, nor nothing more to be enquired;