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

4. Matters of difficulty would rather be committed¹ to deputed persons than instantly decided▪ especially in superior Judicatories. The reasons are. 1▪ Because ordinarily superior Judicatories cannot wait the time that fretted spirits will require to bring businesses of difficulty to any cordial close. 2. It seemeth respective like when they are so taken notice of, and slighting like when things are hastened. 3. Neither so are all after-murmurings and risings of heart prevented, when things are not heard to the full. 4. Because time may do many things, and that may be easy ere long which is difficult now. 5. In such deputations there is more access to have respect to the appointing of such persons, as may most probably effectuate the thing for the Churches good; and, no question, a Church-judicatory is to take the way which may do the thing best, aswell as a particular person, and they are to abstain from debatable things and hasty conclusions, even as particular persons are: and oftentimes experience teacheth, that such Commissions expede many things, which more frequent Assemblies could not so well do. Hence we will find, that it was ordinary in the primitive time upon such grounds, to give Commission to some few to do things, and particularly, that often-mentioned Council of Carthage did think good to dissolve, and to depute so many for deciding that, in matters of discipline, which they could not by themselves so well be able to compass.²

4. Matters of difficulty would rather be committed¹ to deputed persons than instantly decided▪ especially in superiour Judicatories. The reasons are. 1▪ Because ordinarily superiour Judicatories cannot wait the time that fretted spirits will require to bring businesses of difficulty to any cordial close. 2. It seemeth respective like when they are so taken notice of, and sleighting like when things are hastened. 3. Neither so are all after-murmurings and risings of heart prevented, when things are not heard to the full. 4. Because time may do many things, and that may be easie ere long which is difficult now. 5. In such deputations there is more accesse to have respect to the appointing of such persons, as may most probably effectuate the thing for the Churches good; and, no question, a Church-judicatory is to take the way which may do the thing best, aswell as a particular person, and they are to abstain from debatable things and hasty conclusions, even as particular persons are: and oftentimes experience teacheth, that such Commissions expede many things, which more frequent Assemblies could not so well do. Hence we will find, that it was ordinary in the primitive time upon such grounds, to give Commission to some few to do things, and particularly, that often-mentioned Council of Carthage did think good to dissolve, and to depute so many for deciding that, in matters of discipline, which they could not by themselves so well be able to compasse.