A76988:327
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 as those errors durst not appear, so neither was the truth suffered to appear; for one error which they suppressed, they held down many a truth; if they suppressed error, they murdered truth, and stifled it.
2. Againe as those errours durst not appeare, so neither was the truth suffered to appeare; for one errour which they suppressed, they held down many a truth; if they suppressed errour, they murthered truth, and stifled it.
3. If they suppressed any, yet they reformed none; It is the proper work of the discipline of Christ, rather to reform then to restrain, rather to amend then to suppress, at least to reform with restraining, and to restrain together with reforming. Indeed to suppress by reforming and amending, and not by ⟨p. 66⟩silencing and smothering them, which was their way, and the great occasion of the swelling and not the abating of them. As it is with Rivers, the stopping of them, doth but swell them and increase them the more, it doth not any way lessen and abate them.
3. If they suppressed any, yet they reformed none; It is the proper work of the discipline of Christ, rather to reforme then to restraine, rather to amend then to suppresse, at least to reforme with restraining, and to restrain together with reforming. Indeed to suppresse by reforming and amending, and not by ⟨p. 66⟩silencing and smothering them, which was their way, and the great occasion of the swelling and not the abating of them. As it is with Rivers, the stopping of them, doth but swell them and increase them the more, it doth not any way lessen and abate them.