A37042:630
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 8: Some preparatory endeavours for uniting.
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.
4. When that is done, there would be repentance1 suitable to what is found, and extraordinary humiliation and secret prayer to God, not only for themselves and for their own particular condition, but for the public, and particularly for healing of that breach, and that thereby God would spare His people, and not suffer His inheritance to be a reproach. It is no little furtherance to union, to have men in a spiritual, abstracted and mortified frame; for, we are sure, if it remove not difference, it will in a great part moderate the division, and restrain the carnalnesse that usually accompanieth it, and dispose men to be more impartial to hear what may lead further.
4. When that is done, there would be repentance1 suitable to what is found, and extraordinary humiliation and secret prayer to God, not only for themselves and for their own particular condition, but for the publick, and particularly for healing of that breach, and that thereby God would spare His people, and not suffer His inheritance to be a reproach. It is no little furtherance to union, to have men in a spirituall, abstracted and mortified frame; for, we are sure, if it remove not difference, it will in a great part moderate the division, and restrain the carnalnesse that usually accompanieth it, and dispose men to be more impartiall to hear what may lead further.
- 1Repentance suitable.
5. Men would not fist in this, but as they have interest,1 and are led by their places, they would endeavour soberly, warily and seriously, by speaking, writing, obtesting and otherwayes, to commend union to these that differ; yea, even they that differ, would commend it to these that differ from them. We see the Apostles do this frequently in the New Testament, and that not only in the general to Churches, but some persons are particularly by name obtested, as,