A76988:824
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.
3. Or from over-weening the maintainers of an opinion.
It is a dangerous thing for us to have mens persons in admiration: men are apt to take things upon trust from honest men.
4. Or from the benign and fair aspects which an opinion may carry: thus the affections sometime work upon the understanding, and gain the understanding, not by demonstration, but by allurement: this is to bribe us and inveigle our judgements into an opinion, not to reason and persuade us. Certainly the less the understanding hath to deal with the affections, and the affections with the understanding in the finding out truth and error, as I said before, the safer and clearer is your way.
4. Or from the benigne and fair aspects which an opinion may carry: thus the affections sometime work upon the understanding, and gain the understanding, not by demonstration, but by allurement: this is to bribe us and inveagle our judgements into an opinion, not to reason and perswade us. Certainly the lesse the understanding hath to deal with the affections, and the affections with the understanding in the finding out truth and errour, as I said before, the safer and clearer is your way.