The divine right of church-government and excommunication

For then David in committing adultery, Noah in drunkenness, Lot in his incestuous folly with his own daughters, Peter in denying his Saviour, should not have caused others within, or without the Church to stumble, nor have culpably scandalized them; So David. Noah, Lot, and Peter, had preached to all that heard of their fall, that adultery, drunkenness, incest, and denial of Christ, were grievous sins to be avoided, and that it was sin for any to be scandalized thereat, for such information should have given sufficient literal information to beware of the like sins. Yea, a father might enclose in a chamber, his son and a beautiful virgin, and if he should sufficiently inform his son of the guiltiness, and punishment of harlotry, he should not lay a stumbling-block before his son. Yet we all know, a stumbling-block may be laid before the inclination no less, then before the blind mind, yea suppose, to warn a Traveller of a pit, in his way, might be sufficient, to make the digger of the pit free of laying a stumbling-block in the way (as it is not) seeing to make a pit is not indifferent, yet it shall not free the Commanders of Ceremonies and the acts of Perth Assembly of active scandal, because men naturally loving life and health, hate to fall into pits, which may endanger their life, and so have no inward moral inclination to fall into a pit; but men though informed of spiritual falls, and warned to beware of them, yet love and incline to Idolatry, and therefore to warn them to beware, and yet set the powder near the fire, is but to scorn the craft, and to mock men. Yea, in that they desire and require, that the people beware of the Ceremonies, and require that Pastors inform them of the danger; they grant that Ceremonies are powder amongst the pitchers, and yet they be innocent, and indifferent creatures, as if they would call them indifferent pits, indifferent whores to allure, beware of them; indifferent pest-clothes, see that your inclination touch them not. Yea, then Hezekiah had given no scandal, if he had commanded the brazen Serpent still to stand, and had commanded the Priests to preach that the Serpent was not God, and therefore warned the people of their Idolatry in burning Incense to ⟨p. 22⟩it, only let it stand as a memorial of Gods power in curing the people, who were stung with Serpents in the Wilderness.

For then David in committing adulterie, Noah in drunkenness, Lot in his incestuous folly with his owne daughters, Peter in denying his Saviour, should not have caused others within, or without the Church to stumble, nor have culpably scandalized them; So David. Noah, Lot, and Peter, had preached to all that heard of their fall, that adulterie, drunkenness, incest, and denyall of Christ, were grievous sinnes to be avoyded, and that it was sin for any to be scandalized thereat, for such information should have given sufficient literall information to beware of the like sinnes. Yea, a father might inclose in a chamber, his sonne and a beautifull virgin, and if he should sufficiently informe his son of the guiltiness, and punishment of harlotrie, he should not lay a stumbling-block before his sonne. Yet we all know, a stumbling-block may be layed before the inclination no lesse, then before the blind minde, yea suppose, to warne a Traveller of a pit, in his way, might be sufficient, to make the digger of the pit free of laying a stumbling-block in the way (as it is not) seeing to make a pit is not indifferent, yet it shall not free the Commanders of Ceremonies and the acts of Pearth Assemblie of active scandall, because men naturally loving life and health, hate to fall into pitts, which may indanger their life, and so have no inward morall inclination to fall into a pitt; but men though informed of spirituall falls, and warned to beware of them, yet love and incline to Idolatrie, and therefore to warne them to beware, and yet set the powder neere the fire, is but to scorne the craft, and to mock men. Yea, in that they desire and require, that the people beware of the Ceremonies, and require that Pastours informe them of the danger; they grant that Ceremonies are powder amongst the pitchers, and yet they be innocent, and indifferent creatures, as if they would call them indifferent pitts, indifferent whoores to allure, beware of them; indifferent pest-cloathes, see that your inclination touch them not. Yea, then Ezechiah had given no scandall, if he had commanded the brazen Serpent still to stand, and had commanded the Priests to preach that the Serpent was not God, and therefore warned the people of their Idolatrie in burning Incence to