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

2. There are some truths and practices evident, which by the light of the Word may be solidly demonstrated to an impartial and unbiased searcher; and some contrary errors and scandals, that are at the first obvious (and, it may be, even to a natural conscience) to be such, so that although men would use tergiversations, and say as Hymeneus and Phyletus did, 2 Tim. 2. 17. that there were no resurrection to ⟨p. 204⟩come, because the Scripture speaketh of a spiritual resurrection, which in the Believer is passed already. And although many deluded persons, who will not admit of distinctions according to reason, in such a case, may be drawn away with them, and adhere still to them; yet are the things demonstrable to these that are even but of ordinary reach, by sound grounds from the Scripture, and that convincingly: Other things, again, may be truths, and there may be to some persons a possibility of reaching them by many consequences from Scripture, yet are they not so clear to many; whereupon it is, that men, yea, even learned and godly men, do differ in their apprehensions of several truths, the Lord so thinking good to bridle mens humours and to let us see the necessity of humility and soberness, and this may be in the meanest like things; these the Apostle, Rom. 14. 1. calleth doubtful disputations, as being things wherein too many, at least there is not such evidence attainable as to stay the minds of ordinary people, or to refute the contrary assertions of any adversary▪ of which are Genealogies, and other things that Paul mentioneth to Timothy, 1 Tim. 1. 4. and calleth them endless, because there is no settled ground to rest on, but one question doth generate another; and so the principle that must be laid down for clearing such a thing to one, is also disputable to another as the thing it self is, and men know but in part, even those that are eminent, so that an universal harmony in these cannot well be expected: In reference to this, we say, That greater peremptoriness is required in the first sort than in the second▪ wherein, by reason of the practice of the Apostles in Scripture, yea, and of necessity there is a forbearance requisite, Yet we would beware of partiality in accounting truths, either evident or disputable, as men (according as they are judged) are too apt to do;