A76988:759
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.
Take heed of rejecting any doctrine merely under the notion of new: you may so reject truth as well as error. It may be the doctrine is not new in it self, though new to you. Against this rock many have split themselves, wilfully shutting their eyes against the discoveries of their times, under the pretence of novelty. The most precious truths that are have been in their generations looked upon as new: there is nothing which you hold different from Popery; but in their generation, when first they were revealed and manifested, they have been looked upon and rejected for novelties.
Take heed of rejecting any doctrine meerly under the notion of new: you may so reject truth as well as errour. It may be the doctrine is not new in it self, though new to you. Against this rock many have split themselves, wilfully shutting their eyes against the discoveries of their times, under the pretence of novelty. The most precious truths that are have been in their generations looked upon as new: there is nothing which you hold different from Poperie; but in their generation, when first they were revealed and manifested, they have been looked upon and rejected for novelties.
If your spirits had lived in the times of Luther and Calvin, they would have rejected all those things which they discovered, under the same notion which you reject truth in these days: though indeed there was nothing which they held was new, in respect of being, but only new, in respect of observation: nay there was nothing in which Luther dissented from Popery, but it was condemned in all Councils which were before that Antichristian Council or conventicle of Trent, when surely God sealed to the bill of divorce against them.
If your spirits had lived in the times of Luther and Calvin, they would have rejected all those things which they discovered, under the same notion which you reject truth in these daies: though indeed there was nothing which they held was new, in respect of being, but only new, in respect of observation: nay there was nothing in which Luther dissented from Popery, but it was condemned in all Councels which were before that Antichristian Councel or conventicle of Trent, when surely God sealed to the bill of divorce against them.