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

Rule 5. Then there may and ought to be uniting when the evils that follow division or schism, are greater and more hurtful to the Church, than the evils that may be supposed to follow on union. I speak not of ills of sin, (for, the least of these are never to be chosen) but of evils and inconveniences that may indeed be hurtful to the Church in themselves, and sinful in respect of some persons, yet are not so to all: Now, in such evils the lesser is to be chosen, because uniting and acting jointly in a Church-way, doth belong to the policy and government of the Church, wherein Christian prudence is to have a main ⟨p. 322⟩hand, So that when things cannot be done as men would simply, they are to do as they may comparatively, that is, to choose and make use of what may be most edifying, and least hurtful to the Churches edification (which is the great end that ought to sway in Government) amongst all these means that seem probable and possible; So that the conscience may have testimony in this, that the way that had fewest inconveniences, and manyest advantages to edification, was chosen; and though some inconveniences fall out afterward, yet the conscience may be quiet on this ground: Because, sometimes the Lord in His providence will order so in the matters of Government, that there is no side can be chosen without inconveniences; As suppose, there is not full satisfaction in any way that occureth in planting such a Congregation, in removing of such an offence, healing such a rent, and the like; but whatever side be looked to, many hinderances to edification appear, yet something must be chosen, and may be with peace to the conscience; because we are to regulate our own act suitably to the providences, and cases we meet with, and to the tempers of these we have to do with; but we are neither to regulate nor answer for providences, and the distempers of others. Indeed in such a case, the mind may be disquieted because of fear; and the consolation of the duty may be diminished, because of such circumstances; and affections may be grieved and jumbled, because there is not full satisfaction; yet may the conscience have quietness and peace in its duty notwithstanding; and men are specially to discern and to put difference between peace of conscience and the former discomposures:

Rule 5. Then there may and ought to be uniting when the evils that follow division or schism, are greater and more hurtfull to the Church, than the evils that may be supposed to follow on union. I speak not of ills of sin, (for, the least of these are never to be chosen) but of evils and inconveniencies that may indeed be hurtfull to the Church in themselves, and sinfull in respect of some persons, yet are not so to all: Now, in such evils the lesser is to be chosen, because uniting and acting joyntly in a Church-way, doth belong to the policy and government of the Church, wherein Christian prudence is to have a main