A76988:26
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.
THE General Prospect OF THE ENSUING DISCOURSE.
THE Generall Prospect OF THE ENSVING DISCOVRSE.
THE general inducement unto the ensuing Discourse, Pag. 1. The coherence of the Text, and the division of it, p. 2, 3. The several Doctrines contained in it, and the main Doctrine propounded, viz. Doct. That there shall be many dangerous and erroneous opinions toward the end of the world, which shall seduce and carry away many. 4, 5. This Discourse is carried on in way of resolution to six main Questions. 5. Qu. 1. How it may stand with Gods ends, with Sata•• ends, with a mans own ends, that there should be erroneous opinions? p. 6. The several branches of this Question are spoken unto; and, 1. It is showed how it may stand with Gods ends. ibid. 1. It may stand with Gods ends, 1. His merciful ends to the good. 1. To them brought in. 2. To them in purpose to call. 2. His judicial ends to the bad. ibid. 1. With his merciful ends, viz. to them brought in, 1. To fifth and try, 1. Their conditions. 2. Their graces. 3. Their grounds. 4. Their […]. The two first are only spoken unto. 1. To sift and try their conditions; where six conditions are laid down to which God hath promised direction in truth, and preservation from undoing errors p. 7, 8. ⟨image 8⟩2. To try their graces: where are five graces laid down, which God doth especially try by permitting of errors 1. Their knowledge. 2. Their love. 3. Their zeal. 4. Their stability. 5. Their sincerity. p. 8, 9, 10, 11. A second merciful end which God hath to his own people, is to exercise and quicken their graces, this instanced in four graces, viz. 1 Their knowledge. 2. Their zeal. 3. Their faith. 4. Prayer. p. 12. 10 15. A third merciful end, to make them keep closer, 1. To him. 2. To his Word, p. 55. A fourth merciful end, to commend his love to them, p. 6. A fifth, to discover to us where our strength is, ib. A sixth, to make us prize truth more while we live, 17 A seventh, to make us wary of what we receive, 18. to 21 2. It may stand with Gods merciful ends to them in his purpose to call, viz. 1 To awaken them. 2 To beat them off their sandy foundations. 3 To clear the way of truth to them, 21 to 25 2. The permission of errors may stand with Gods judicial ends to the bad, 1. To the promoters. 2. To the receivers. 1. For the punishment of some former way of sin, where five sins are named, wherefore God doth suffer men to be carried away with errors, 27, 28 2. For the further hardening of their hearts;