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

7. The Lords ordering it so in His providence, that He admitteth unsanctified Officers to administrate His Ordinances, and yet withal, accounting them Officers, and the Ordinances in their hands to be His Ordinances, and that even when they are known to be unsound (till in His own way they be removed) doth demonstrate this, that pollution in joint worshippers doth not pollute the Ordinances to others. For, if any did pollute them, Then most of all scandalous Officers; But these do not. Ergo, &c. We may see it, first, in the scandalousness of Priests under the Law; for we must either say that there were no scandalous Priests, or that the people did then offer no sacrifice and join in no worship, or that sinfully they did it: All which are absurd. 2. We see in Christs time, the Scribes and Pharisees were pointed out by Him as scandalous, Mat. 23. v. 3. Yet even there doth He require continuance in the Ordinances administrate by them, notwithstanding. 3. Doth not Paul speak of some that preached out of envy, Philip. 1. 15. which is a most gross scandal, and of others who sought their own things, and not the things of Christ, Phil. 2. 21? Both which are gross, and clearly evidenced by his testimony, yet is he content that people continue, yea, he supposeth that they may profit in communion with them, which he would not, had the Ordinances been polluted by them to others. And the same may be said of several Churches in these second and third Chapters of the Revelation, where both grossness of Ministers, and of many Professors, is notified by Christ to the Church, yet it cannot be supposed that that might have been made the ground of separation afterward from them, more than not doing of it was reprovable before.

7. The Lords ordering it so in His providence, that He admitteth unsanctified Officers to administrate His Ordinances, and yet withall, accounting them Officers, and the Ordinances in their hands to be His Ordinances, and that even when they are known to be unsound (till in His own way they be removed) doth demonstrate this, that pollution in joynt worshippers doth not pollute the Ordinances to others. For, if any did pollute them, Then most of all scandalous Officers; But these do not. Ergo, &c. We may see it, first, in the scandalousnesse of Priests under the Law; for we must either say that there were no scandalous Priests, or that the people did then offer no sacrifice and joyn in no worship, or that sinfully they did it: All which are absurd. 2. We see in Christs time, the Scribes and Pharisees were pointed out by Him as scandalous,