A76988:343
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.
And to let go the natural grounds which arise from the tempers of nature; I have thought of these four spiritual grounds.
And to let goe the naturall grounds which arise from the tempers of nature; I have thought of these foure spirituall grounds.
1. Want of knowledge, they are but yet babes and children in knowledge, and therefore may be unsettled, according to the measure of knowledge, such is the measure of settledness and stability of spirit; if we knew perfectly, we should never change, but we know but in part, and therefore being imperfect in knowledge, we are also imperfect in our stability.
1. Want of knowledge, they are but yet babes and children in knowledge, and therfore may be unsetled, according to the measure of knowledge, such is the measure of setlednesse and stability of spirit; if we knew perfectly, we should never change, but we know but in part, and therfore being imperfect in knowledge, we are also imperfect in our stability.
2. Want of grace, I say degrees of grace, not truth and essence of grace; this the Apostle sets down, Heb. 13.9. Be not carried with divers and strange doctrines, for it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; here was inconstancy in them, what was the reason? they had grace, but were not stablished with grace, they wanted such a measure as to stablish their hearts: Grace will ballast the most unsettled heart, it will fix the most unfixed spirit; a little grace will so fix the heart, as 1. It shall never entertain any fundamental error; 2. Nay he shall never make any error his choice: 3. Nay if he give way to any error, it is still under the notion of truth A little grace will do this, but there is required a greater measure of grace to stablish a man in the truth, and to preserve a man that he shall not be led aside with any way of error.