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

CHAP. XII. What to do for union in points not doctrinal, but about matters of fact or personal faults.

CHAP. XII. What to do for union in points not doctrinall, but about matters of fact or personall faults.

IF the difference be not doctrinal in point of judgment, at least only, but being in matter of fact, as personal faults and corruptions; whereby the one is ready to object to the other some bypast failings, and miscarriages: whereupon by inconsiderate upbraidings, pressing of Censures, or condemnation of what hath been done, the Churches peace is in hazard to be broken, and men like to be rent and divided in their communion. And oftentimes such things prove exceeding fashious, where men wilfully, or imprudently pursue such things without respect to the Churches peace. This often waited upon a time of darkness, or persecution, when men, being in the dark, and in a distemper, were led away by tentation, and overtaken with many faults, and sometimes amongst others, made to juffle with, and trample one upon another (as it were) not knowing what they were doing; and when this time was over, some were ready to carp at what was past in the dark, and to quarrel at others for such juffling, when they were so through-other. This indeed was ordinary, but most unbecoming grave men, to make that a ground of contending, which inadvertently was done by¹ others in the dark (as the great Basilius saith) In nocturno tempore, & densis tenebris. Such contests are of four sorts.

IF the difference be not doctrinall in point of judgment, at least only, but being in matter of fact, as personall faults and corruptions; whereby the one is ready to object to the other some bypast failings, and miscarriages: whereupon by inconsiderat upbraidings, pressing of Censures, or condemnation of what hath been done, the Churches peace is in hazard to be broken, and men like to be rent and divided in their communion. And oftentimes such things prove exceeding fashious, where men wilfully, or imprudently pursue such things without respect to the Churches peace. This often waited upon a time of darknesse, or persecution, when men, being in the dark, and in a distemper, were led away by tentation, and overtaken with many faults, and sometimes amongst others, made to juffle with, and trample one upon another (as it were) not knowing what they were doing; and when this time was over, some were ready to carp at what was past in the dark, and to quarrell at others for such juffling, when they were so through-other. This indeed was ordinary, but most unbecoming grave men, to make that a ground of contending, which inadvertently was done by