A76988:291
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.
3. In case a man be profane and voluptuous: It will stand with his ends to broach errors, that he may more securely sin, truth will not prevail with him to leave his sin, and therefore his sin prevails with him to leave the truth, while he entertained the truth, it would not suffer him to live quietly in his sins, it would be ever checking and reproving of him, he could ⟨p. 55⟩not sin without disturbance, and therefore he must either forego the truth, or his sin, but his sin he cannot part withal, and he now takes up such an opinion, as he may keep his sin without disturbance, he may sin without trouble. I have heard of one, that went on in a way of sin, and would not be reclaimed, though conscience held out to him, that if he did persist in that way, he was sure to perish: But for all this he held up sin, and therefore he could not long hold up truth, it was impossible that these two should stand together, he loved sin and could not leave it, and he saw the truth flew in his face, which told him that he should perish if he sinned, thereupon he took up an opinion, which was said to be Origens, that after a 1000. years torment in hell, all men shall be saved, and now he sinned with more quiet: Others that come to this, that none shall be damned, God never made his creature to damn his creature. These with many others, might be named, all which are taken up, that themselves might sin without check and disturbance.
3. In case a man be profane and voluptuous: It will stand with his ends to broach errours, that he may more securely sin, truth will not prevaile with him to leave his sin, and therefore his sinne prevailes with him to leave the truth, while he entertain'd the truth, it would not suffer him to live quietly in his sins, it would be ever checking and reproving of him, he could ⟨p. 55⟩not sin without disturbance, and therefore he must either foregoe the truth, or his sin, but his sin he cannot part withall, and he now takes up such an opinion, as he may keepe his sin without disturbance, he may sin without trouble. I have heard of one, that went on in a way of sin, and would not be reclaimed, though conscience held out to him, that if he did persist in that way, he was sure to perish: But for all this he held up sin, and therefore he could not long hold up truth, it was impossible that these two should stand togther, he loved sin and could not leave it, and he saw the truth flew in his face, which told him that he should perish if he sin'd, thereupon he tooke up an opinion, which was said to be Origens, that after a 1000. yeares torment in hell, all men shall be saved, and now he sinned with more quiet: Others that come to this, that none shall be damned, God never made his creature to damne his creature. These with many others, might be named, all which are taken up, that themselves might sin without check and disturbance.