A76988:785
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.
To the infallible judgement of an error by the lives and conversations of those that maintain it, we are to observe ••ese rules.
To the infallible judgement of an errour by the lives and conversations of those that maintain it, we are to observe ••ese rules.
Rule. 1. See what agreement there is between his judgment Rule 1 and his practice, between his opinion and his walking; it may be there is a contradiction between his life and his judgement, his judgement speaks one thing, and his life another; now, if so, you are not able to evidence his opinion to be an error, though his life be wicked. But if on the contrary you see an agreement between his practice and principles, between his life and opinion, between his judgement and conversation, then may we conclude it to be an error; that is certainly an error, that agrees with loose and sinful walking.
Rule. 1. See what agreement there is between his judgment Rule 1 and his practice, between his opinion and his walking; it may be there is a contradiction between his life and his judgement, his judgement speaks one thing, and his life another; now, if so, you are not able to evidence his opinion to be an errour, though his life be wicked. But if on the contrary you see an agreement between his practice and principles, between his life and opinion, between his judgement and conversation, then may we conclude it to be an errour; that is certainly an errour, that agrees with loose and sinfull walking.
Rule 2. If you would judge of mens doctrine by their sinful Rule 2 practice: see what influence his opinion hath to such practices, if his opinion doth necessarily, or by way of consequence lead to sinfulness of life: it is certainly an erroneous opinion: for example, to take men off the performance of duty, to cry down the Law as a rule of obedience, it is an opinion that doth necessarily lead to libertinism and sinfulness of life: men that will be tied to no Rule, will ere long be under no command; men that neglect the practice of holiness, will quickly fall into the practice of sin; they who will not do what they should do, will quickly do that which they should not do.