A76988:418
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.
4. Cowardly and fearful spirited men. The fear of men will work a snare, Prov. 29.25. And this is one snare, it will not only make men shy of truth, with Nicodemus, but baulk, decline, suppress, nay fall to error and forsake truth. A fearful man will never be a faithful man: its all one to trust a coward and a traitor: he that is the first will quickly be made the second. Fear will undo him, as it hath done many. To conclude, this is certain, who ever is under the command of any lust, truth hath no command over him: he that is given up to any sin, will quickly be given up to error too. And thus you see who those are, who are in danger to be carried away with error. And how much this Nation, nay every one of us are guilty of these sins, you will know, if you do but impartially look over them.
4. Cowardly and fearfull spirited men. The fear of men will worke a snare, Prov. 29.25. And this is one snare, it will not only make men shie of truth, with Nicodemus, but baulk, decline, suppresse, nay fall to errour and forsake truth. A fearfull man will never be a faithfull man: its all one to trust a coward and a traitor: he that is the first will quickly be made the second. Fear will undoe him, as it hath done many. To conclude, this is certaine, who ever is under the command of any lust, truth hath no command over him: he that is given up to any sinne, will quickly be given up to errour too. And thus you see who those are, who are in danger to be carried away with errour. And how much this Nation, nay every one of us are guilty of these sinnes, you will know, if you doe but impartially looke over them.
1. We have not retained the notions of God in holy hearts. ⟨p. 90⟩2. Nor received truths with love. 3. Nor walked suitable to truths revealed. 4. We have adhered to truth for partial respects. 5. We are not grounded in truth. 6. We have rejected truth on corrupt grounds. 7. We have been servants to the world, and how just it is with God thereupon to give us up to ways of error, I have already showed you: to conclude then, if you would be established in these times, let it be your care;