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

both these are well consistent with ordering of a State, And yet it is such busy bodies (as the Apostle speaketh) and vagabonds, that go without their station, that often prove most hurtful to the Church, and instrumental to the devil, as being Apostles to him in such a business. 6. They may and ought to restrain and Censure all blasphemous and irreverent expressions and speeches against the Majesty of God and His Ordinances, and all calumnies and bitterness against faithful Ministers or Professors that adhere to truth: for, these are moral sins; and blasphemy, calumny, and such like, are no more to be passed over without Censure in such, than in others who are not professedly tainted with error: and the pretext of following light and conscience, cannot make these sins tolerable, more than the Nicolaitans pretending the same for their committing adultery and other filthiness: And this is not to punish mens opinions, or force their consciences, but to punish their vices, even such as have been hateful unto, ⟨p. 256⟩and punished by, many natural and heathen men▪ 7. They may and ought by their authority to cause them hear conferen es orderly and reverently, give answers discreetly, wait on their trial▪ and such like, before Ecclesiastic Assemblies. 8. They may and ought to make such incapable of public places of trust, and remove them from such: Because, 1. they cannot be supposed to employ their pow•r singly. 2. Because such trust agreeth not to men and subjects as such, but are voluntarily conferred as tokens of respect put upon men eminently qualified, and as may be for the good of the Commonwealth: And therefore it cannot be justly accounted a marring of their liberty as men or subjects. Upon this ground was Maachah the mother of Asa removed from being Queen, or having any government, 1 King. 15. 13. 2 Chron. 15. 16. yet it cannot be said she was wronged when she was so dealt with.

both these are well consistent with ordering of a State, And yet it is such busie bodies (as the Apostle speaketh) and vagabonds, that go without their station, that often prove most hurtfull to the Church, and instrumentall to the devil, as being Apostles to him in such a businesse. 6. They may and ought to restrain and Censure all blasphemous and irreverent expressions and speaches against the Majesty of God and His Ordinances, and all calumnies and bitternesse against faithfull Ministers or Professours that adhere to truth: for, these are moral sins; and blasphemy, calumny, and such like, are no more to be passed over without Censure in such, than in others who are not professedly tainted with errour: and the pretext of following light and conscience, cannot make these sins tolerable, more than the Nicolaitans pretending the same for their committing adultery and other filthinesse: And this is not to punish mens opinions, or force their consciences, but to punish their vices, even such as have been hatefull unto,