A76988:31
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.
Four sorts of men noted, who will never hold to truth, 89 Means of establishment in the truth, held forth from the Scripture, 90 Qu 5. What may be the examen• of opinions? This branched into four lesser Questions. 1 Who are to examine? 90 2 By what rule we are to examine? 90 3 Who is to judge? 90 4 What ar• the Diagnostics? 90 qu 1. Who are to examine opinions? The error of the Papists; and some distinctions •ouching examination premised, 90 to 91 A main position laid down in answer to the Question, viz. That every ⟨image 9⟩one is bound to examine, not only private opinions, but even the sentences, definitions, determinations of Councils, Synods, &c. and to embrace them, or reject them, as they are consonant, or dissonant to the word of God, 94 1 This position first cleared by Scripture. 94, 95 2 Confirmed by arguments, 96-103 3 Strengthened by testimony. 103. to 106 4 Objections are answered, 106. to 112 And this main position applied to our times. 112. to 118 Quest. 2. What is the rule by which we must examine? After some generals are premised, the answer is laid down, that the Scripture is the rule and touch-stone whereby opinions must be tried, 118, 119 This confirmed by divers arguments, wherein the properties of a rule are laid down, 119. to 126 Some objections answered, 126 to 130 Quest. 3. Who shall judge that this is Gods mind in Scripture? Some generals premised; together with some distinctions of judges, and truths, and doctrines to be judged, 130. to 134 And some general answers laid down, 134 to 137 Some more particular answers formed out of those premised distinctions, with some directions to find out truths doubtful, 137. to 144 Quest 4. What are the Diagnostics, where 1 The false marks. 2 The true. 1 The false marks, or the commonly received Characters of truth and error are 1. Examined in six Queries, viz. Qu. 1. Whether antiquity, or the ancientness of an opinion, is not a true Character of truth? 145 After some distinctions the answer is laid down, 145, 146, &c. Qu 2. Whether the newness of an opinion is not a sufficient mark to discover it an error? 147 Four distinctions premised to the answer of this, and the Query answered in two conclusions, with some admonitions to us in these times, 147-154 Qu 3. Whether the wickedness of them that maintain it be not sufficient to evidence an opinion to be erroneous?