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

Asser. 2. Where an offended Brother followeth Christs way in pursuing of an offence, he is not to be accounted an accuser formally, as the term of accusation useth properly to be taken: Because, 1. To accuse often is a thing that may be omitted, but this kind of pursuit is laid on as a necessary duty. 2. To accuse, respects some particular wrong and injury usually, and the following thereof▪ importeth a prejudice and hurt to the party accused. But this which respects offence without any particular injury, proceedeth from love, tendeth to the advantage and recovery of the party, and so properly cannot be called accusation. Yea▪ 3. When a person hath followed the second step, and made out his private admonition by two or three witnesses, when he cometh to the Church with them, neither of them can be accounted accusers ⟨p. 119⟩more than when he did privately speak to the person, or after that to those witnesses, because all is duty, and a piece of that Christian mutual communion, that brethren and members of the same body, owe one to another, and to the body in common; yet is he who so entereth a complaint, obliged to make it evident to the Judicatory; and if he hath rightly performed the second step, and made it appear before two or three, there is no hazard or difficulty in this; but if he hath failed in that, he ought not to have proceeded to this.

Asser. 2. Where an offended Brother followeth Christs way in pursuing of an offence, he is not to be accounted an accuser formally, as the terme of accusation useth properly to be taken: Because, 1. To accuse often is a thing that may be omitted, but this kind of pursuit is laid on as a necessary duty. 2. To accuse, respects some paticular wrong and injury usually, and the following thereof▪ importeth a prejudice and hurt to the party accused. But this which respects offence without any particular injury, proceedeth from love, tendeth to the advantage and recovery of the party, and so properly cannot be called accusation. Yea▪ 3. When a person hath followed the second step, and made out his private admonition by two or three witnesses, when he cometh to the Church with them, neither of them can be accounted accusers ⟨p. 119⟩