A37042:153
The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal…
The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal divided into four parts ... : in each of which there are not a few choice and useful questions, very shortly and satisfyingly discussed and cleared / by ... Mr. James Durham ... who being dead (by this) yet speaketh ; and published by John Carstares ... ; to which is prefixed an excellent preface of famous Mr. Blair ... ; together with a table of the contents of the several chapters of each part.
Edinburgh: printed by Christopher Higgins, 1659
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.
CHAP. I. Showing that every Offence is not public, and when it is so.
CHAP. I. Shewing that every Offence is not publick, and when it is so.
Concerning the first Question, we lay down these grounds, 1. Every thing offensive is not public, or immediately to be brought before a Church-judicatory. Of this sort are, 1. sins of ⟨p. 57⟩infirmity, which possibly may be offensive for the time, Yet the persons way being considered, they are to be thought to proceed from his infirmity, they being incident to such who are in some serious manner watchful over their way; and therefore are not the object of Discipline, which is to curb and restrain the more gross humours of Professors: Otherwayes the exercise of Discipline, in reference to infirmities, would utterly prove an entanglement both to Officers and Members, and so occasion more stumbling, contrary to Christ's scope. 2. Offences that are in disputable practices, or that flow from miscarriage in things indifferent, are not properly the object of Church-censure, because there is not solid access of through convincing the party. Hence we see, that in these disputes concerning indifferent things, or of practices following thereupon, the Apostles reprove mens untendernesse in them, but do never make them the ground of Censure as such, except they be aggreged by some other circumstance. Of this sort al•o are offences that may proceed from mens carriage in legal pursuits and civil contracts which may offend; yet cannot they be legally convinced to have broken a rule, when the strain of their way is legal, although it may be sinful before God, and be to be reproved by private admonition where men have access. 3. Some offences are gross, and, it may be, known to some to be true; yet possibly there is no convincing way of demonstrating the truth thereof to others: in that case, it's more safe and edifying to forbear public mentioning of that scandal, than to prosecute the same, seeing it may more irritate the person, and weaken the Church-authority, than edify. 4. Some scandals are gross, and may be made-out by two or three witnesses; yet are not immediately to be brought to public, except upon the supposition of following obstinacy, and not satisfying of those two or three, which especially is to be considered,