A76988:460
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.
Ans. Were the doctrine that were prescribed good in it self, yet if not evidently good, it could not be received; and it cannot be evidently good, till it is evidenced to me to be established upon the Word; and this cannot be, till it have passed a scrutiny, till with the Bereans we have searched whether these things are so or no, Act. 17.11. This is certain, doctrines may not be in se dubiae, in themselves doubtful, and yet auditoribus dubiae, & incertae, doubtful to the people; I say they may not be doubtful in themselves, and yet they may be doubtful and incertain to us; and therefore we are not able to receive them, though clear in themselves and to others, if not cleared to us. And they cannot be clear to us, till we have tried, and examined them. The doctrine that the disciples preached to the Bereans, it was clear in it self, but yet it was not clear to them till they had searched and examined it. And if the doctrine of the Apostles were subject to trial, and they commended for their scrutiny and trial of it, much more any doctrine of man, or any prescriptions of mere men, ⟨p. 97⟩and they deserve no less commendation, who will take pains in the scrutiny and search of it.
Ans. Were the doctrine that were prescribed good in it selfe, yet if not evidently good, it could not be received; and it cannot be evidently good, till it is evidenced to me to be established upon the Word; and this cannot be, till it have passed a scrutiny, till with the Bereans we have search't whether these things are so or no, Act. 17.11. This is certain, doctrins may not be in se dubiae, in themselves doubtfull, and yet auditoribus dubiae, & incertae, doubtfull to the people; I say they may not be doubtfull in themselves, and yet they may be doubtfull and incertaine to us; and therefore we are not able to receive them, though cleare in themselves and to others, if not cleared to us. And they cannot be cleare to us, till we have tryed, and examined them. The doctrine that the disciples preached to the Bereans, it was cleare in it selfe, but yet it was not cleare to them till they had searched and examined it. And if the doctrine of the Apostles were subject to tryall, and they commended for their scrutiny and tryall of it, much more any doctrine of man, or any prescriptions of meere men, ⟨p. 97⟩