A37042:744
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 18: The fears of mis-government for the time to come, and remedies thereof.
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.
We here think not fit, that such things should be decided by Church-judicatories by a mere authoritative decision: not out of any dis-respect to Church Judicatories; but because, as was formerly hinted in the general grounds, Church-judicatories are fitter for preventing such divisions than for removing of them: And further, a Church-judicatory being in all public divisions a party, such decision would ⟨p. 414⟩look liker submission (which men are not so easily induced unto) than union. Beside, such a way i• more ready to breed heart-burnings in such things as have been the matter of contest formerly, and so is palpably in hazard to brangle an union scarce begun: Also, men will more easily bear any decision wherein themselves have a consent, though it were mediately by committing it to some others, than where there is only a necessity of obeying▪ and especially where such prejudice is conceived to be in the Judge, as in the case supposed. This may be clearer from what may be said afterward.
We here think not fit, that such things should be decided by Church-judicatories by a meer authoritative decision: not out of any dis-respect to ChurchJudicatories; but because, as was formerly hinted in the generall grounds, Church-judicatories are fitter for preventing such divisions than for removing of them: And further, a Church-judicatory being in all publick divisions a party, such decision would ⟨p. 414⟩look liker submission (which men are not so easily induced unto) than union. Beside, such a way i• more ready to breed heart-burnings in such things as have been the matter of contest formerly, and so is palpably in hazard to brangle an union scarce begun: Also, men will more easily bear any decision wherein themselves have a consent, though it were mediately by committing it to some others, than where there is only a necessity of obeying▪ and especially where such prejudice is conceived to be in the Judge, as in the case supposed. This may be clearer from what may be said afterward.