A76988:197
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.
2. Again, there is a two-fold trial: 1. A suspicious trial, a trial arising from jealousy and mistrust, that the things we have received are unsound, and that is bad, if it be truth which hath been received. 2. There is a confidential trial, whereby a man is assured of the truth of those things he hath received, and rather goes for confirmation in it, then out of dubitation or doubt and questioning the things are not true.
2. Againe, there is a two-fold triall: 1. A suspitious triall, a triall arising from jealousie and mistrust, that the things we have received are unsound, and that is bad, if it be truth which hath been received. 2. There is a confidentiall triall, whereby a man is assured of the truth of those things he hath received, and rather goes for confirmation in it, then out of dubitation or doubt and questioning the things are not true.
The first trial is bad, and that which the Devil aims at in the multitude of opinions and errors, to bring us to a questioning and jealousy, and mistrust of those things we have received; he would now labour to make us look upon all Religion as a fancy, as a mere notion, and all the truths we have received as chimeras, mere notions without foundation, he would bring us to entertain all doubtfully, that so we might work deadly.
The first triall is bad, and that which the Devill aimes at in the multitude of opinions and errours, to bring us to a questioning and jealousie, and mistrust of those things we have received; he would now labour to make us looke upon all Religion as a fancie, as a meere notion, and all the truths we have received as chimaeras, meere notions without foundation, he would bring us to entertaine all doubtfully, that so we might worke deadly.