A37042:472
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.
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.
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 lesse 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.
3. This doth not give way to Magistrates to condemn and restrain what they think error, or what others think error; for Ministers that ought to reject Heretics, are not warranted to reject whom they account so, but who indeed are so; So is it here, it is what is indeed error▪ and who are indeed the teachers thereof, that the Magistrate is to restrain, as those who teach rebellion against the Lord.
3. This doth not give way to Magistrates to condemn and restrain what they think errour, or what others think errour; for Ministers that ought to reject Hereticks, are not warranted to reject whom they account so, but who indeed are so; So is it here, it is what is indeed errour and who are indeed the teachers thereof, that the Magistrate is to restrain, as those who teach rebellion against the Lord.