A37042:471
The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal…
The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland, or, A treatise concerning scandal divided into four parts ... : in each of which there are not a few choice and useful questions, very shortly and satisfyingly discussed and cleared / by ... Mr. James Durham ... who being dead (by this) yet speaketh ; and published by John Carstares ... ; to which is prefixed an excellent preface of famous Mr. Blair ... ; together with a table of the contents of the several chapters of each part.
Edinburgh: printed by Christopher Higgins, 1659
Modern spelling is a reading aid: the words are the author’s, only the spelling is modernized. Original shows the page as printed, with the transcription marks.
1. That it is not intended, that Magistrates should rigidly and severely (much less equally) animadvert upon all that in their judgment are erroneous, or differ from what is truth, that is not called-for from Ministers. Therefore here the former distinctions are to be remembered and applied: for, there is great odds betwixt animadverting upon an absurd error, or taking notice thereof, as it is a thing of the mind, and, it may be, a scruple in some conscience, and as it is an external deed, having with it real offence, prejudice and hurt unto others; in which case the Magistrate forceth no mans conscience to another Religion, but doth keep his own conscience, by keeping one that is deluded from seducing of others, or wronging the Name of the Lord or His Church.
1. That it is not intended, that Magistrates should rigidly and severely (much lesse equally) animadvert upon all that in their judgment are erroneous, or differ from what is truth, that is not called-for from Ministers. Therefore here the former distinctions are to be remembred and applyed: for, there is great odds betwixt animadverting upon an absurd errour, or taking notice thereof, as it is a thing of the mind, and, it may be, a scruple in some conscience, and as it is an external deed, having with it real offence, prejudice and hurt unto others; in which case the Magistrate forceth no mans conscience to another Religion, but doth keep his own conscience, by keeping one that is deluded from seducing of others, or wronging the Name of the Lord or His Church.
2. It is to be adverted, that we speak not here of the Magistrates duty in punishing of corrupt teachers with civil or capital punishments, (though we doubt not but in some cases their power doth reach to that) much less are the highest punishments to be understood here; whatever▪be truth in these, we do not ⟨p. 249⟩now search into it, because the Scope is according to the Assertion, to consider what is called-for, for the preventing of the spreading of corrupt doctrine, and the preserving or recovering of a people therefrom.