A37042:724
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
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.
The other occasion of bebate in such Church-matters,1 is upon the defect, that is, when some are really, or are thought to be, connivers at guilty men, or at least defective in putting of them to trial: others again, may be thought too forward and precipitant in that, whereupon ariseth difference; and if one cede not to another, it becometh the occasion of division, as may be seen in instances formerly given: Concerning which, we say,
The other occasion of bebate in such Church-matters,1 is upon the defect, that is, when some are really, or are thought to be, connivers at guiltie men, or at least defective in putting of them to triall: others again, may be thought too forward and precipitant in that, whereupon ariseth difference; and if one cede not to another, it becometh the occasion of division, as may be seen in instances formerly given: Concerning which, we say,
- 1Debates about conniving at guilty men
1. That men would remember, this is but one particular of many, that tend to the Churches good, (though indeed a main particular) and so ought not to be the rise of a division, nor of continuing thereof, to the marring of the Churches peace in other things, but men ought singly to do their duty, and therein to acquiesce, without partaking of the faults of others, whether it be by being defective, or by exceeding in that matter; and seeing there may be no corrupt design in either who may be upon these extremes, it would not be so highly aggreaged on either side.
1. That men would remember, this is but one particular of many, that tend to the Churches good, (though indeed a main particular) and so ought not to be the rise of a division, nor of continuing thereof, to the marring of the Churches peace in other things, but men ought singly to do their duty, and therein to acquiesce, without partaking of the faults of others, whether it be by being defective, or by exceeding in that mater; and seing there may be no corrupt design in either who may be upon these extreames, it would not be so highly aggreaged on either side.