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

Therefore also must it be a different account upon which Discipline doth admit, or restore men to outward privileges, and absolve men from outward Censures, than that upon which the Word doth admit to saving privileges. And seeing this last is sincere faith and repentance, the other must have somewhat different from this, upon the account whereof it doth give right, which can be no other thing than the moral sincerity mentioned. 5. Upon these differences follows another (which doth confirm ⟨p. 106⟩all the former) to wit, a diversity that is in the manner of binding and loosing by these two keys; for, when a Minister useth the key of Doctrine, he doth exclude from heaven and saving privileges but conditionally, and he can warrantably exclude no particular professor absolutely; So no Minister can absolve absolutely, by the key of Doctrine, but conditionally, to wit, if the person believeth that he speaketh unto; for, it runneth on these terms, If thou believest, thou shalt be saved. But, again, in the exercise of the key of Discipline it is not so, no Church-judicatory doth debar a man from privileges conditionally, if he believe not, but absolutely he is debarred because of some present scandal; and although the person were or should become a real Believer, yet he continueth bound from outward privileges by the key of Discipline, until that scandal be removed: So when they receive any into Church-communion, they do not absolve them from their former Censure, and give them right to Church-privileges upon condition they believe, but absolutely that Censure is removed, and they are admitted unto these privileges.

Therefore also must it be a different account upon which Discipline doth admit, or restore men to outward priviledges, and absolve men from outward Censures, than that upon which the Word doth admit to saving priviledges. And seing this last is sincere faith and repentance, the other must have somewhat different from this, upon the account whereof it doth give right, which can be no other thing than the moral sincerity mentioned. 5. Upon these differences followes another (which doth confirm ⟨p. 106⟩all the former) to wit, a diversity that is in the manner of binding and loosing by these two keys; for, when a Minister useth the key of Doctrine, he doth exclude from heaven and saving priviledges but conditionally, and he can warrantably exclude no particular professour absolutely; So no Minister can absolve absolutely, by the key of Doctrine, but conditionally, to wit, if the person believeth that he speaketh unto; for, it runneth on these tearms, If thou believest, thou shalt be saved. But, again, in the exercise of the key of Discipline it is not so, no Church-judicatory doth debar a man from priviledges conditionally, if he believe not, but absolutely he is debarred because of some present scandal; and although the person were or should become a real Believer, yet he continueth bound from outward priviledges by the key of Discipline, untill that scandal be removed: So when they receive any into Church-communion, they do not absolve them from their former Censure, and give them right to Church-priviledges upon condition they believe, but absolutely that Censure is removed, and they are admitted unto these priviledges.