The dying man's testament to the Church of Scotland; or, A treatise concerning scandal, publ. by J. Carstares

and emergents, never miffing, as it were, one lith or joynt and like a left-handed Benjamite, that in the greatift intricacies, and graveft difficulties can fling ftones at an hairs breadth and not mifle. It favouretb "likewife all-along of a most sharp, strong and pregnant wit, in fuppofing cafes, propofing pertinent overtures and expedients, in diffofing of arguments, framing distinctions, anticipating objections, in cautious guarding against mistakes and inconveniences or. So that it's verified of him what was once faid of Origen, Origenis ingenium fufficiebat ad cmnia perdifcenda, he had fuch pregnancy of wit that he could reach any thing; and of Jofeph Scaliger, be was portentofi ingenii vir, a man of a ftupendious wit. It difcoveretb withall fo very great infight in Church-bistory and Writings of the ancient Fathers, wherewith it is every where most beautifully illuminate, that it may well be faid of him, as once of weet Bucholtzer, that one would have thought univerfam antiquitatem in ejus pectufculo latuiffe reconditam, that all antiquity lay hid in his breaft; and of famous Mr. Holland, Regius Professor of Divinity in Oxford, Adeo familiaris erat cum Patribus ac fi ipfe pater, He was fo familiarly acquainted with the Fathers as if himself had been one of them. As for bus ftile and manner of expreffing himself, it favoureth very much of the primitive and Gospel-fimplicity, So that what is foken to the commendation of Bafil by a learned man, may fitly be applied to the Author, The Reader will find in him a fmple and natural form of speech, flowing from his holy breaft, much drained of all humane paffons; And that which is laid of Ambrofe, be ftudied non aures titillare, fed corda pungere, not to tickle and please cars, but to prick hearts: As likewife that which is faid of another great man, His words were, non inflantia fed in flammantia, not inflating but inflaming: He fheweth himfelf bere many ayes to have been indeed a great man; but I (having been bis Colleague in the Miniftery and of his very intimate acquaintance for fome years) knew him to be fuch more particularly and several other wayes, So that while I reflect

reflect upon, and call to remembrance what I have seen in, and beard from him, I am constrained to fay, as once Urba nus Regius (a man much more able indeed to difcern) faid of Luther, upon occafion of a conference with him, Semper fuit mihi magnus, at jam mihi maximus eft; vidi enim præfens & audivi que nullo calamo tradi poffunt abfentibus, He was alwayes to me a great man, but now very great; for I faw and heard things when I was prefent with him, which can hardly by any pen be communicated to thofe that were abfent. In a word, as to the whole Treatise, it may, I think, without any hyperbole be faid, that it is univerfally most profitable and fea fonably beautiful; For, in the firft part of it concerning Scandal in the general (excellently compended and com mended as all the rest are, by the stately-styling, profound and precious Prefacet, like-minded in all these things with the bleffed Author, whofe fage mind in them, and not the leffe because of this co-incidency, would be more laid weight upon, left we be put out of time to lament alfo the loffe of fuch a Healer and Piller in this forely fick and fhaken Church) In the first part, I fay, the ancient, primitive, long-dead, buried, and almoft-forgotten tenderneffe in the matter of Offence (a fpecially-adorning requifit to a Christian and Gospel-becoming converfation) is again rivived and por traied as rifen from the dead with a most amiable and comely countenance and taking aspect, so that it forceth the ferious bebolders to fay, Peace be upon as many as walk according to this Rule. In the fecond part concerning Scandals as they are the object of Church-cenfures, there is a very compleat and compact directory according to the Scripture pattern for Church-officers how to manage the great Ordinance of Difcipline in its exercife, which, if it were diligently and confcienciously followed in the feveral steps of it, (as it was most convincingly fo by the Author himself) would undoubtedly make that work both much more eafie and much more fuccesfull than it ufeth ordinarily to be. In the third part concerning Scandalous Errours, wonderfully fuited to this time of fo great infection, ficknesse and mortality, by

the

the raging plague and botch of errour, exceedingly gathered to. a bead, ripened and made to break and run out, to the in felting, in a manner, of the very air wherein the Churches of thefe Nations breath, by the beat and warmneffe afforded to it from a lamentable liberty and vaft Toleration; In this third part, 1 fay, there is, as it were, a Physicians Shop, full of choice prefervatives against, and foveraign remedies of, poyfonable errours and herefies. In the fourth part, concerning Scandalous Divifions, be doth, as another Irenæus, with much meekneffe of wisdom and fingular moderation of spirit, without any the leaft reflection or irritation, moft tenderly, fingly,unbyaffedly and impartially, and most affectionatly,as a man burnt with the offence that waiteth on divifions amongst godly Minifters especially, strongly endeavour an innocent and wholefom union and compofure, fo that (as an eminent, aged and experienced fervant of Jefus Chrift, whofe praife is in the Gospel throughout all thefe Churches, when be first faw this Piece in writ, faid) it will be unwelcom to none but fuch as are led with a bitter fpirit; to which may well be added, that as it's reported of Nazianzen, he was of fuch authority in the Greek Churches, that whofoever durft oppofe his teftimony, was fufpected to be an Heretick: So may it be faid of the piously and prudently-peaceable, and healing-spirited Author, that be deferveth to be of fuch authority, at leaft in the Scottish Church, that whoever shall adventure to oppofe (as it's hoped none will) bus wife, barmleffe, boly and bealing Overtures, may be fufpected to be no great friend to the union and peace of this afflicted and rent Church. I will not, Chriftian Reader, detain thee any longer from perufing this notable Tractate, but shall only offer to thy grave and Jerious confideration these two things, which I fuppofe will not a little commend the fame unto thee, especially as to the last part of it; one is, That the Author, when be was (but a very little before his last sicknesse, and after bis finishing the three first parts) most unexpectedly furprised with a motion fuggefted to him anent the expediency of bandling fomewhat of the Scandal of Divifions, it did fo exseedingly affright him, and had such astonishing influence up

on him through the apprehended difficulty and ticklishneffe of the fubject (fo tender was be) that (as himself did to fome afterward profeffe) he funk down in his feat, and yet being convinced of the nece Tity of faying fomewhat to it, the Lord having witball helped him in the other parts, be durst not forbear; whereupon this choice difcourfe (for it was not divided in Chapters till afterward) did follow, much whereof I know and am perfwaded did occur and was given unto him inter dictandum. The other thing is, That fometimes before bis death to fome friends, be did bumbly and gravely call it his Teftament to the Church of Scotland; which Teftament and Latter-will of a dead, but yet speakingfaithfull fervant of God, will, I hope, in due time be confirmed by all godly, judicious, fober, peaceable and unprejudicate men, as containing in it a most excellent and enriching Legacy, worthy to be put into the Churches Treafury. Now, that it may go forth with a rich blessing from the God of truth and peace, to all the boneft-bearted lovers of the truth in peace, for the advancement of truth and a holy peace, is the defire of bim, who defireth to be

Thine to ferve thee in the

Gospel of Peace,

J. C.

THE

The Contents.

He rife of the Treatife, pag. 1, 20 The grounds

of it, P, 2, 3.

PART I

Concerning Scandal in the general, The fum of it, p. 4.