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

but on the contrary, it often looketh likest Christs Ordinance, when meekness is most prevalent, and so in the end, it cometh to have greater weight; for, many cannot discern betwixt Officers seeking their own authority, and the authority of the Ordinances; and when the rise of the offence is from a miscarriage to some person immediately, it looketh to them to be carnal and vindictive ⟨p. 67⟩like, and so hath the appearance of evil, and is to be eschewed. This we may observe also in Pauls carriage, and in the practices of most zealous men, who never wronged the Ordinances by denying of their own respect in such cases. And Church-officers would especially advert to this, because often in our hottest fits, it is rather respect to our own authority, than zeal for Christ that acteth us, which appeareth by this, that a practical contempt of the Ordinances in our own hands▪ will st•r more than many other gross evils, or doctrinal blasphemies, or contemptuous practices which immediately reflect on others, although these may be •ore dishonourable to Christ. 3. For attaining this end, the rigidity and strictness of law would not be stuck to, as the persons not appearing at such a day if afterward they condescend; their hastiness in expressing themselves rashly at one time, or carrying themselves irreverently, which afterward they may pass from: these and such like, I say, are not to be stuck to, lest Church-officers seem, under pretext of Church-discipline, to take advantage of them; and it is an evidence of the contrary, when they are condescended unto in this. Advert, this is to be observed in practices that seem to •low from infirmity; but, suppose the person were some subtle, deceitful, dissembling one, using his pretexts of repentance for furthering his design▪ this condescension may be hurtful to the Church of God, in letting such an occasion slip, and therefore is not to be admitted. 4. It contributeth to this end also, that public appearances and public rebukes be not frequent, nor in cases but such as are in the nature and evidence thereof convincing, and that also after private admonitions have been fruitlessly given. We suppose that mid step in Christs direction, Matth. 18