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  purg out y^e old Leaven that you may keep the Feast, the least sin is wor[se]

then a cartload of leaven, this forementioned fayling, that the Scriptures doe con-

demn as well as y^r councill the lord inable you to purg them out by repentance that

soe you may come together to y^t ordinance of love joy & prayer, purely for the better

and not for the works soe prayse your unworthy brother S. P.

 

Revrend & Good Sir.

It was in my purpose (as it seems it was in yours) not to have troubl^d you my

self wth any more writing, & yrfore having purused you[r] reply to my letter, though

I gott not satisfaction by it, yet I attempted noe return, judging it meet y^t your

self should have y^e last word : But having received another writing from you

Intimate that I have to great offence admitted one of Newberry Church

or more to the lords table wth us, though under scandall & not having

given satisfaction this does necessitate me to write once more & upon this

occasion I shall make a breif reply unto your former larg letter

The 5 of w^ch you wrote as concarning it touches not your case but condemns

morrall evills covered wth a cloak of devotion towards God, such as open

violence, devouring widdows houses & for a pretence making long prayers

But the Text sayth if thou rememberest that thy brother has ought against you

if it be a lesser fault then such as you mention yet if it be a breach of

w^ch whereby I have offended my brother in word or deed I ought to acknow

ledg my fault & be reconciled wth him : It is true as you say, a man

must remember y^t his brother has something against him & if yourselves can

remember nought of that nature who can help it but onely God: Whereas

you say in your 1 writing & alsoe 2^d y^t all dutyes of gods worship both publick &

privat must be omitted, I know noe such consequences can rationally be ga

thered from anything I have expresst, you say that all Gods ordinances are

of ye same natur & alike holy; though y^t be granted yet I conceive a man may

and ought to attend upon God in dutyes of his worship dayly in his family &

weekly in hearing the word &c. though in his sins living & allowing himself

in them or suppose a past companion & one that has offended many by his un

godly words & ways & though it is his sin to come wth y^e Stumbling block of

his iniquity before his face yet he may not abstain from y^e Service of God

in family or publick, but for him to come to y^e lords supper in such a condition

were a high provocation to god, very sinfull in y^m y^t suffer it & very dange

rous to her own: The reason is because some dutyes of Gods worship as reading hear

ing, prayer &c. are means appointed for converting & working grace & reform to be

attended by such as are Impenitent offenders, but y^e sacrament appointed for com

forting y^e week beleaver & for y^e strengthening & increase of grace, my meaning is not

in the least to reflect in all this but to show the invalidity of such an assertion

& if we must abstain from y^e lords supper till we he have acknowledged o^r faults whereby

we have offended our brethren (especially wⁿ y^y are more publick) there by the same

reason we must abstain from all dutyes of Gods worship both publick & privat non con=

=no sepurtue[17]  Besides family worship dayly & publick worship weekly are stated

as to time of attending such dutyes but the lords supper is not soe but yy may

come hither seldomer or oftener as y^e are in capasity for such an ordinance  old

M^r Shepard administered it once in 10 weeks, & truly better not once in a year

than to come wth any allowed leaven (publickly taken notice of) but not removed

by