A76988:525
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. A short answer will serve for this. It is one thing to be a Heretic, 1another thing to be so reputed. There is nothing more common then this, that they who have gotten public power and authority to join with them, to account them for Heretics, who reject their decrees and determinations: because they are persuaded they have decreed nothing, but what is according to the rule of the Word. But if they be deceived, as it hath often fallen out, and that the other be in the truth, those who are called Heretics are the Orthodox. To reject the decrees of Councils doth not make a man an Heretic; but to reject the truth, the Word of God. And therefore it is needful to examine and to judge of things,* lest while we would shun to be called Heretics, we begin to be Heretics.
Ans. A short answer will serve for this. It is one thing to be a Heretike, 1another thing to be so reputed. There is nothing more common then this, that they who have gotten publike power and authority to joyn with them, to account them for Heretikes, who reject their decrees and determinations: because they are perswaded they have decreed nothing, but what is according to the rule of the Word. But if they be deceived, as it hath often fallen out, and that the other be in the truth, those who are called Heretikes are the Orthodox. To reject the decrees of Councels doth not make a man an Heretike; but to reject the truth, the Word of God. And therefore it is needfull to examine and to judge of things,* lest while we would shun to be called Heretikes, we begin to be Heretikes.
- 1Daven. de Jud. & norma pag. 159.
- *Ne dumb haberi pro haereticis vitamus, esse haeretici incipiamus, Daven. ib.Ne dum haberi pro haereticis vitamus, esse haeretici incipiamus, Daven. ib.