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.

CHAP. XX. What is incumbent to Magistrates and People for remedying this evil.

IT resteth now that we should speak something, to what is incumbent to Magistrates and People, for remedying of such an evil in the Church; but being keeped so long on the former, we cannot enter on this; We shall only lay down these few generals,

1. That neither of them ought to be offended or stumbled at such divisions, or thereby be brought to have lesse esteem either of the Gospel, the Ordinance of Government, or Worship, or the Ministery and Ministers of Jesus Christ; much lesse would there be insulting over, or advantage taken against, these upon this occasion, as is recorded to the infamy of several persons; but on the contrary, all would be affected therewith, as with a most dangerous snare, and fear∣full plague: And to this purpose Augustine doth seri∣ously presse his Boniface, Governour of Africk, that he should not stumble at the divisions of the Church, and particularly Epist. 50.

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 Ordi∣nance of Government, despising of the Ministery, not receiving of the Word nor walking answerably ther∣to, 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 carefull to abstain from what may

further or heighten the breach, and by all means en∣deavour not to be engaged in such sidings; for, that often encourageth others, and encreaseth and fixeth a rent; and in experience it is seen, that these schisms were ever most dangerous, and most difficultly remo∣ved, wherein people came to party, and side with op∣posit sides in the division: and seing the Spirit in the Scripture, doth forbid people as well as Ministers to divide, this must be their duty, not to joyn in such a division. Also, it unfits them to get good from Mi∣nisters, or to do good for removing of a rent amongst them. And we are sure, If doubtfull 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.

4. They are by all respective means seriously to presse the abstaining from, and composing of such dif∣ferences, by their serious representations of the ills thereof, and exhortations, according to their places to have the same remedyed. And were this more amongst people, upon occasions in due manner, to testifie their sober resentment of such evils in the general, and desire of union, and condescendency for attaining the same, so far as is fit, it would much more become the sobrie∣ty of tender Christians and be much more effectual for this end, than to be heightening and aggreging the miscarriage of any one party to another, or carrying reports or informations true or false, which may kindle humours to a flame that are hot and smoaking alrea∣dy. It would affect a heart to hear the regraits and expostulations that Constantine, Gratian, and others, have anent the divisions of Church-men in their times and their exhortations to remedy the same.

5. All sorts would endeavour to be in good tearms with God, in respect of their own particular conditi∣ons: and when all faileth, they would still be instant∣ly dealing with God by prayer for healing of the

same, as accounting it a great plague▪ even to them, while this continueth.