A76988:616
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.
I have charged one upon you, as your duty, at all times.
It is the duty of every one to examine, &c.
And I have given you here the rule by which you are to try, viz. the Word of God. This is the touch-stone: It is not men, not Councils, not Synods, much less the Pope, whose unerring authority the Papists set above Councils. But it is the Word of God which is the rule and judg, aand therefore by this the Council of Nice both tried and condemned the Arian Heresy, by this the Council of Carthage, of Melevis, of Orange, tried and condemned the Pelagian Heresy. It is the speech of a heathen Philosopher:b he that makes the law judge, makes God judge, but he that makes man, substitutes a beast instead. And he gives this reason,c because the best men are wrested with affections, but the law is free of these perturbations.
And I have given you here the rule by which you are to try, viz. the Word of God. This is the touch-stone: It is not men, not Councels, not Synods, much lesse the Pope, whose unerring authority the Papists set above Councells. But it is the Word of God which is the rule and judg, aand therefore by this the Councell of Nice both tryed and condemned the Arian Heresy, by this the Councell of Carthage, of Melevis, of Orange, tryed and condemned the Pelagian Heresy. It is the speech of a heathen Philosopher:b