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

If it be asked, how this seriousness may be discerned.¹ It may be again enquired, How useth a man to be thought serious in his pursuit after any thing? I grant, this is not only to be gathered from his words, or carriage possibly at one time, But, will not seriousness, even in a particular, kith in a mans manner of urging it? 2. It kyths in a mans using of fit means for attaining of it, which are suitable to that end. 3. By his carriage, abstaining from such things ⟨p. 95⟩as may any way make his profession to be suspectlike. And▪ 4. not doing this for a day, or upon a particular occasion, but for a time continuing constant and instant therein, with such affectionateness and earnestness in the circumstances that are necessary, that whatever be the motive that swayeth such a man▪ yet that he appeareth to be morally serious and through in the thing, cannot be denied. So in this case, […] […] may be a conviction that persons are serious, and are affected so, that we may expect they will endeavour really the preventing of such an offence, and yet we may not be able to judge them so convincingly sincere, because to that there is more required, to wit, a new decision whether that seriousness, be moral only, or gracious, according to the principles, ends, motives, &c. which cannot be so evidenced externally, as seriousness in the general may be.

If it be asked, how this seriousnesse may be discerned.¹ It may be again enquired, How useth a man to be thought serious in his pursuit after any thing? I grant, this is not only to be gathered from his words, or carriage possibly at one time, But, will not seriousnesse, even in a particular, kyth in a mans manner of urging it? 2. It kyths in a mans using of fit means for attaining of it, which are suitable to that end. 3. By his carriage, abstaining from such things ⟨p. 95⟩as may any way make his profession to be suspectlike. And▪ 4. not doing this for a day, or upon a particular occasion, but for a time continuing constant and instant therein, with such affectionatenesse and earnestnesse in the circumstances that are necessary, that whatever be the motive that swayeth such a man yet that he appeareth to be morally serious and through in the thing, cannot be denied. So in this case, may be a conviction that persons are serious, and are affected so, that we may expect they will endeavour really the preventing of such an offence, and yet we may not be able to judge them so convincingly sincere, because to that there is more required, to wit, a new decision whether that seriousnesse, be morall only, or gracious, according to the principles, ends, motives, &c. which cannot be so evidenced externally, as seriousnesse in the generall may be.