A76988:954
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.
2. Or the comfort is but the comfort of his natural conscience, in being true to his opinion, not the comfort of God. The Papists may find some comfort in their way, but either, it is a deluded comfort, or the comfort which ariseth from being honest to a delusion. There is no question, but there is fear, and comfort in the Turkish Religion; when they do not walk according to their principles received, they may be troubled, and when they do, possibly they may have comfort: The ground of this is this, because they walk answerable to their principles, and then nothing within will check a man, all is at quiet within: this is but the quiet of a natural conscience. Natural conscience will tell them there is a God, and that this God is to be worshipped, but it cannot direct the way; now being either instructed, or brought up and educated in this or that way, he takes it for a truth, though perhaps it be an error, and walking answerabl• to it, for want of further light, his conscience is quiet; he hath comfort of those principles he hath, when he hath been true to them; yet this is but false comfort. Certainly, if you have any comfort of God,
2. Or the comfort is but the comfort of his naturall conscience, in being true to his opinion, not the comfort of God. The Papists may finde some comfort in their way, but either, it is a deluded comfort, or the comfort which ariseth from being honest to a delusion. There is no question, but there is fear, and comfort in the Turkish Religion; when they do not walk according to their principles received, they may be troubled, and when they doe, possibly they may have comfort: The ground of this is this, because they walk answerable to their principles, and then nothing within will check a man, all is at quiet within: this is but the quiet of a naturall conscience. Naturall conscience will tell them there is a God, and that this God is to be worshipped, but it cannot direct the way; now being either instructed, or brought up and educated in this or that way, he takes it for a truth, though perhaps it be an errour, and walking answerabl• to it, for want of further light, his conscience is quiet; he hath comfort of those principles he hath, when he hath been true to them; yet this is but false comfort. Certainly, if you have any comfort of God,