A76988:577
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.
But now the Scriptures are, they are the Word of the living God, they are the standard of truth, and truth it self. We may deceive our selves in the search; but the Scriptures are infallible, they cannot deceive, if a man have never so just a measure, yet he may deceive himself in the measuring, but yet this deceit is not to be charged upon the measure, but upon our selves: So the Scriptures are a just, infallible, unerring rule, yet may a man be deceived in the measuring of things by it, but this deceit is not to be charged upon the rule, but upon our selves. Either we err, not knowing the Scriptures, or we err in the partial search & enquiry into them, we are not faithful in the scrutiny.
But now the Scriptures are, they are the Word of the living God, they are the standard of truth, and truth it self. We may deceive our selves in the search; but the Scriptures are infallible, they cannot deceive, if a man have never so juct a measure, yet he may deceive himselfe in the measuring, but yet this deceit is not to be charged upon the measure, but upon our selves: So the Scriptures are a just, infallible, unerring rule, yet may a man be deceived in the measuring of things by it, but this deceit is not to be charged upon the rule, but upon our selves. Either we err, not knowing the Scriptures, or we err in the partiall search & enquiry into thē, we are not faithfull in the scrutiny.
All failing ariseth either from ignorance, from neglect, or from corrupt affections, and not from the Scriptures themselves. ⟨p. 122⟩All errors do pretend to have then foundation in Scripture,1 every heretic will allege Scriptures, but the Scripture will not patronize errors, you may cast them upon Scripture, but the Scripture will not father these unlawful births of your own, which are begotten between ignorance, and corrupt affections.
All fayling ariseth either from ignorance, from neglect, or from corrupt affections, and not from the Scriptures themselves.