A37042:190
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
Part 2 › Chapter 5: Concerning what is to be done, when offending persons give no satisfaction.
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.
For, although he was offensive before that rebuke, yet was he not actually ⟨p. 83⟩bound or excluded from any Church privilege by that offence (because offence giveth ground to exclude, if contempt follow, but doth not actually exclude of it self) neither doth the rebuke bind and exclude any if no further Censure follow and be added thereunto, but is intended to prevent both, And therefore, I say, that a person merely rebuked for such an offence, and not continuing in, or renewing the same, hath right to all Church-privileges, seeing he is by no Ordinance of Christ excluded; and that way of public rebuking, is appointed to prevent the falling of others, by that occasion.
For, although he was offensive before that rebuke, yet was he not actually ⟨p. 83⟩bound or excluded from any Church priviledge by that offence (because offence giveth ground to exclude, if contempt follow, but doth not actually exclude of it self) neither doth the rebuke bind and exclude any if no further Censure follow and be added thereunto, but is intended to prevent both, And therefore, I say, that a person meerly rebuked for such an offence, and not continuing in, or renuing the same, hath right to all Church-priviledges, seing he is by no Ordinance of Christ excluded; and that way of publick rebuking, is appointed to prevent the falling of others, by that occasion.
A third sort of offences are such as of their nature are gross, and in their evidence clear, suppose drunkenness, fornication, gross swearing, corrupt errors, &c. and the person offending, after much pains, doth yet continue obstinate, refusing to hear the Church; in that case the rule is clear to proceed with the Sentence of cutting off, If no accidental thing call for the suspending thereof, for respect to the Churches good.
A third sort of offences are such as of their nature are grosse, and in their evidence clear, suppose drunkennesse, fornication, grosse swearing, corrupt errours, &c. and the person offending, after much pains, doth yet continue obstinate, refusing to hear the Church; in that case the rule is clear to proceed with the Sentence of cutting off, If no accidentall thing call for the suspending thereof, for respect to the Churches good.