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

If the second be said, viz. That there is some other thing to fix on for quieting of consciences in such a case, as to their exoneration beyond that public decision; We desire to know what that is which is called-for, and by what rule we are to proceed in it? If it be said, that in such a case the duty is to separate from that Church, where the plurality of Officers do admit such as are accounted to be scandalous; Then we ask, 1. What is next to be done? it must either be to continue as no member of a Church, which is both impossible and absurd. It is impossible that there can be any particular visible baptized member, and not belong to the visible body, at least, being considered, as the Church maketh one integral visible body. It's absurd, because it would say, That either Christ had no visible Church, or, that He hath ⟨p. 144⟩an ordinary way of edifying by external Ordinances without His visible Church, or, that a person might be regardless of, and without His Church and Ordinances, and be approven of Him▪ and expect the benefit; yea, upon this supposition▪ the unfaithfulness of Church-officers in not casting-out of scandalous men, would infer the actual unchurching of those that were not scandalous, and so the sin of the one should be the punishment of the other, which is absurd.

If the second be said, viz. That there is some other thing to fix on for quieting of consciences in such a case, as to their exoneration beyond that publick decision; We desire to know what that is which is called-for, and by what rule we are to proceed in it? If it be said, that in such a case the duty is to separate from that Church, where the plurality of Officers do admit such as are accounted to be scandalous; Then we ask, 1. What is next to be done? it must either be to continue as no member of a Church, which is both impossible and absurd. It is impossible that there can be any particular visible baptized member, and not belong to the visible body, at least, being considered, as the Church maketh one integral visible body. It's absurd, because it would say, That either Christ had no visible Church, or, that He hath ⟨p. 144⟩an ordinary way of edifying by external Ordinances without His visible Church, or, that a person might be regardlesse of, and without His Church and Ordinances, and be approven of Him and expect the benefit; yea, upon this supposition the unfaithfulnesse of Church-officers in not casting-out of scandalous men, would infer the actual unchurching of those that were not scandalous, and so the sin of the one should be the punishment of the other, which is absurd.