A37042:587
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
Part 4 › Chapter 6: What be the sad effects of division, and the necessity of endeavouring unity.
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.
CHAP. VI. What be the sad effects of division, and the necessity of endeavouring unity.
Having now some way discovered the nature and causes of the evil of division, it may be easily conjectured what will be the effects thereof, which ever have been most deplorable, as to the torturing of these that are engaged, to the scandalizing of the weak, to the hardening and breaking of the neck of many profane light persons, to the spoiling of the Church in its purity, Government, order and beauty of her Ordinances, and which is more, to the wearing out of the life and power of Religion; yea, which is above all, there is nothing that doth more tend to the reproach of the blessed Name of our Lord Jesus, that maketh Christianity more hateful, that rendereth the Gospel more unfruitful, and more marreth the progress and interest of the Kingdom of our Lord Jesus; and, in a word, doth more shut out all good, and let in by an open door every thing that is evil into the Church, than this woeful evil of division doth, according to the word, Jam. 3. 16. Where envy and strife is, there is confusion, and every evil work. And we are persuaded, that who hath read ⟨p. 313⟩the Scriptures, and the many and great motives whereby union is pressed, and have considered the Fathers what great weight they lay upon unity, and with what horror they mention division, even as maximum malum, or the greatest evil that can befall the Church; Or, have observed in Church-history, the many sad consequents and effects that have followed upon this, and the lamentable face of the Church under the same: when friends thought shame, and were made faint; enemies were encouraged and delighted, and on-lookers were either provoked to mock at, or pity the same; Or, who have had some taste in experience of the bitter fruits thereof, will, and if they be not altogether stupid, cannot but be convinced of the many horrible evils, that are in this one evil of division. Sure there is no evil doth more suddenly and inevitably overturn the Church than this; which maketh her fight against her self, and eat her own flesh, and tear her own bowels: for, that a Kingdom divided against it self cannot stand, is the infallible maxim of Him that was greater and wiser than Solomon.