A76988:522
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.
What a fearful thing, if our condition were such, as those blind Papists, who know nothing, but believe as the Church believes, and that they might not know, the key of knowledge is taken from them, they are interdicted the private use of Scriptures, and the public use of them is rendered unuseful, being read to them in an unknown tongue. And having thus beasted men, they say to them after this manner,* You are unskilful and illiterate, and therefore are no way able to judge of Questions of faith: if therefore you would be saved, there is nothing then remaining, but that you should with a blind: obedience subscribe unto our judgements and determinations. Here is the miserable condition of those blind, deluded souls. We know better, we know it is our work to study and enquire into the things of heaven. It is our work to learn to be able to judge of things that differ; if to prove all things, then to judge.
What a fearfull thing, if our condition were such, as those blinde Papists, who know nothing, but believe as the Church believes, and that they might not know, the key of knowledge is taken from them, they are interdicted the private use of Scriptures, and the publike use of them is rendred unusefull, being read to them in an unknown tongue. And having thus beasted men, they say to them after this manner,* You are unskilfull and illiterate, and therefore are no way able to judge of Questions of faith: if therefore you would be saved, there is nothing then remaining, but that you should with a blind: obedience subscribe unto our judgements and determinations. Here is the miserable condition of those blinde, deluded souls. We know better, we know it is our worke to study and enquire into the things of heaven. It is our worke to learn to be able to judge of things that differ; if to prove all things, then to judge.
- *Vos rudes est is & imperiti, nullo modo potestis judicare de quaestionibus fidei, ergesi salvi esse velitis, nihil jam reliquum est, nisi ut coecâ obedientiâ nostro judicio subscribatis. Bellar.