A76988:265
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.
Though the streams be corrupt, yet if the fountain be clear, there is more hope; but when the fountain it self is poisoned, when the fountain is corrupted, the corruption is dangerous. So though a man had many errors in his life and conversation, yet if the understanding were kept pure and untainted, if that were kept from corruption, there were yet some hope, but when the fountain of action is corrupt, when the understanding is polluted, there is great danger of recovery.
Though the streames be corrupt, yet if the fountaine be cleare, there is more hope; but when the fountaine it selfe is poison'd, when the fountaine is corrupted, the corruption is dangerous. So though a man had many errours in his life and conversation, yet if the understanding were kept pure and untainted, if that were kept from corruption, there were yet some hope, but when the fountaine of action is corrupt, when the understanding is polluted, there is great danger of recovery.
It would be a hard question to resolve, whether a sound judgement, though with corrupt conversation (which seldom meet, yet if they do) whether it may not hold weight with a corrupt judgement, though the conversation be not blameable.
It would be a hard question to resolve, whether a sound judgement, though with corrupt conversation (which seldome meet, yet if they doe) whether it may not hold weight with a corrupt judgement, though the conversation be not blameable.
Indeed a corrupt heart, and a corrupt life, is not so bad as a corrupt head and heart too. Some say, the corruption of the understanding, is the worst corruption, though minoris infamiae, yet majoris culpae, though of less scandal, yet more fault. And the grounds might be, in regard that the corruption of the understanding, doth make men likest to the Devil, and may seem to be most opposite to God, God is a Spirit, and the corruption of the spirit, must needs be most opposite to God.