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

Rule 6. When men may unit without personal guilt, or accession to the defects or guilt of others, there may and ought to be union, even though there be failings and defects of several kinds in a Church. The reasons before given will clear this, because men are to reckon not for other mens carriages, but their own, and no such Church-state is to be expected as is free of defects. Beside, can it warrant a man to abstain from his duty because others do not theirs; whileas there is no sinful impediment lying in the way of his access thereto. If it be asked, What may be accounted such impediments, as a tender conscience may be justly scarred by from uniting? It may be answered in these and such like, 1. If a ⟨p. 324⟩person be put to condemn any thing he thinketh lawful in his own former practice, or the practice of others, or in some point of Doctrine though never so extrinsic, if it be to him a point of truth. 2. If he be put to approve the deed, and practice of some others which he accounteth sinful, or to affirm somewhat as truth which he doth account an error. 3. When some engagement is required for the future, which doth restrain from any duty called▪ for, or that may afterward be called-for. These and such like involve persons in the sin of what is past, and also maketh them accessory to the inconveniences which may come; because they are bound up with their own consent, from endeavouring the preventing thereof in the way of duty, at least it is so to them, and so defileth their conscience. Therefore such entanglements are by all means to be forborne; but where no such thing is in condemning or acknowledging any thing that is past, nor any such restraining bond inconsistent with duty for the time to come, there may be access to union, even where there are many public defects, which is the thing laid down to be cleared.

Rule 6. When men may unit without personall guilt, or accession to the defects or guilt of others, there may and ought to be union, even though there be failings and defects of severall kinds in a Church. The reasons before given will clear this, because men are to reckon not for other mens car•iages, but their own, and no such Church-state is to be expected as is free of defects. Beside, can it warrand a man to abstain from his duty because others do not theirs; whileas there is no sinfull impediment lying in the way of his accesse thereto. If it be asked, What may be accounted such impediments, as a tender conscience may be justly scarred by from uniting? It may be answered in these and such like, 1. If a