A37042:766
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 20: What is incumbent to Magistrates and People for remedying this evil.
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.
2. All would search if they have had any sinful influence upon the procuring of such a stroke; for, if it be a plague and woe to them, they would look back to the rise thereof; who knows but the sins of Magistrates or People in their fretting at the Ordinance of Government, despising of the Ministry, not receiving of the Word nor walking answerably thereto, and such like may have procured this division from the Lord, as a judicial stroke on them to harden them in their former sin, and thereby to strengthen their tentation to despise all the Ordinances more to their own ruin, as may be gathered from what hath been formerly spoken?
2. All would search if they have had any sinfull influence upon the procuring of such a stroke; for, if it be a plague and wo to them, they would look back to the rise thereof; who knows but the sins of Magistrates or People in their fretting at the Ordinance of Government, despising of the Ministery, not receiving of the Word nor walking answerably therto, and such like may have procured this division from the Lord, as a judicial stroke on them to harden them in their former sin, and thereby to strengthen their tentation to despise all the Ordinances more to their own ruin, as may be gathered from what hath been formerly spoken?
3. All would be careful to abstain from what may ⟨p. 424⟩further or heighten the breach, and by all means endeavour not to be engaged in such sidings; for, that often encourageth others, and increaseth and fixeth a rent; and in experience it is seen, that these schisms were ever most dangerous, and most difficultly removed, wherein people came to party, and side with opposite sides in the division: and seeing the Spirit in the Scripture, doth forbid people as well as Ministers to divide, this must be their duty, not to join in such a division. Also, it unfits them to get good from Ministers, or to do good for removing of a rent amongst them. And we are sure, If doubtful disputations, vain janglings, and such like questions, that tend not to edification, be to be eschewed by people, then we conceive that such as are in the cases presupposed, may be so esteemed of.