The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal…

We see when the rest of the Disciples offend at Zebedee's children for their suit, the Lord checks that, and proposeth to them the necessity of humility and mortification, and such like, that he might put the unprofitable question, (who should be greatest?) out of their head, as it is in Matth. chap. 18. 1, &c. and chap. 20. ver. 20, and 25, &c. And this is frequent in Paul's Epistles to Timothy and Titus, whereas upon the one side, he dehorteth from strife, contention, vain jangling, following of fables, and such like, So he doth, upon the other side, exhort to the exercise of godliness, and to the pressing of good ⟨p. 53⟩works, as good and profitable to men in opposition to these, as may be gathered from 1 Tim. chap. 1. ver. 4. 5. and chap. 4. ver. 7, 8. 2 Tim. chap. 2. ver. 14. 15, &c. Titus 3. ver. 8. 9. Yea, the Apostle will have Ministers so serious in this, as to charge and obtest their hearers (as he did his, 1 Corinth. 1. 10. and Phil. 2. 1.) to eschew these things, and not to strive about words, 1 Tim. 1. 3. 4. 2 Tim. 2. 14, &c. Especially Ministers would beware of mentioning such things unnecessarily, as are the bone of contention, or which may foster mistakes of, or grudges against, others, or make themselves to appear to be carnal, and to walk like men, But rather they would endeavour to hush them to silence, as they would have blocks removed out of the peoples way, otherwise they cannot but lose of their ministerial authority, and discompose the frame of the people, which by all means should be eschewed by them.

We see when the rest of the Disciples offend at Zebedee's children for their suit, the Lord checks that, and proposeth to them the necessity of humility and mortification, and such like, that he might put the unprofitable question, (who should be greatest?) out of their head, as it is in