A37042:506
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. Their would be an abstinence from Christian fellowship, that is, we would not pray with them, ⟨p. 266⟩read or confer of spiritual purposes, (purposely at least) nor do any such thing that belongeth to Christian-communion, that is, to reject him in that sense from Christian fellowship, and to account him as an heathen man or publican. In this respect, we cannot walk with an excommunicate man, as we may walk with other Christians; And, in the first respect, we cannot walk with them, as we may walk with other heathens, that, it may be, are guilty of as gross sins upon the matter; for, the Word of the Lord, putteth this difference expressly between them and these who are simply heathens, 1 Cor. 5.
2. Their would be an abstinence from Christian fellowship, that is, we would not pray with them, ⟨p. 266⟩read or confer of spirituall purposes, (purposly at least) nor do any such thing that belongeth to Christian-communion, that is, to reject him in that sense from Christian fellowship, and to account him as an heathen man or publican. In this respect, we cannot walk with an excommunicate man, as we may walk with other Christians; And, in the first respect, we cannot walk with them, as we may walk with other heathens, that, it may be, are guilty of as grosse sins upon the matter; for, the Word of the Lord, putteth this differeece expresly between them and these who are simply heathens, 1 Cor. 5.
3. Yet even then prayer may be made for them; for, excommunication is no evidence, that a person hath sinned the sin against the holy Ghost; or, that their sin is a sin unto death, and their necessities, if they be in want, may and should be supplied, because they are men, and it is natural to supply such; they may be helped also against unjust violence, or from any personal hazard, if they fall in it; and as occasion offereth, folks may give a weighty serious word of admonition unto them, and such like, because by such means, the end of the Sentence and its weight are furthered, and not weakened.