9

___________________________________________________________________________________

proceed for want of light in difficult cases or for want of peace & accord

As for y^t passage you mention out of y^e plattform y^t y^e power of regular governmt

is in y^e pastor & brethren walking in communion,[20] they canot be thought to in

tend it of a divided & rent church as yours is

Concerning your last writing as to y^r satisfaction the brethren have generally

tendred I judge as you doe y^t it is farr from what y^e lord & his pp doe ex

pect from you: As for y^e matter of blame you Impute to mee for receiving to y^e

sacram^t one or more of y^or offending brethren [----------] Scandelous & Impe

nitent I Answer it is easy to conceive a grevious fault & yⁿ to aggravate &

lay load of blame upon it; I am not of y^t opinion as you intimate nor has y^r

bin any such practise amongst as y^t I yet know of. The person y^t communicated

w^th us was goodm: Hale Junior you say^d practised y^rin is Episcopall, I wish y^r

were nothing in Newberry y^t looks of a more Episcopal countenance but to let

y^t pass

1 The Sentence upon The Censure put upon him viz goodm: Hale & y^e rest was

                                                                   its true

declared by y^e councill to be null, I am sure it was irregular though y^e

                                                                   ^

fault was great

2 He was one y^t M^r Parker was willing to accept to y^e lords supper w^th hims

as being satisfied w^th his acknowledgm^t (w^rin becomes us fully to own his fault

according to the sentance of y^e councill interminis.) provided he would come to y^e sacram^t

3 We have it attested by two wittnesses that M^r Parker told y^m (going to him to

acknowledge their fault according to y^e councills sentance) y^t let y^m goe as farr

as y^ei would in acknowledgment, except y^ei would come & joyne w^th him at y^e lords ta

ble it would not be accepted for satisfaction

4 I propounded his desire of partakeing to our church that if any had any thing

to object y^ei could speak y^r was not one y^t manifested y^e least dissent

5 I asked y^e week before advise of M^r Cobbet in reference to M^r Dummer & Goodmⁿ

Hale y^e desire of partakeing w^th us, he say^d in case y^ei came up to full acknowedgm^t

of y^e Evill to M^r Parker & y^e brethren there that yⁿ y^ei might be admitted: If

M^r Parker doe not own y^t he have fully submitted to y^e councills sentence (Intending

Goodm: Hale) to take y^e blame upon him w^ch y^ei lay upon him, & was not willing

or refused to own as much publickly as he presented to M^r Parker more private

ly then I acknowledg y^r was upon a mistaken irregularity in admitting him to

communion in y^t ordenance w^th us soe y^e wittness I spoke of before were not present

w^th goodm. Hale offer^d such full satisfaction to M^r Parker, w^ch I understood

not till a day or 2 after y^e sacram^t, but y^e testimony is y^t y^ei offer^d y^e like full

satisfaction but it was not accepted except y^y would come to y^e sacram^t

I shall not for y^e future admitt him nor any off y^m till y^y make it very evident

by full proof y^t y^y have attended y^r duty in what is before mentioned; And then

though y^ei should scruple hereupon w^th that part of y^e church w^th you w^ch doe partake

whose matters stand as y^ei doe. I do not see how y^ei can be respected of other chur

ches; yet not^wthstanding I shall not be verry forward to admitt anymore of y^m till

God be pleased to find some way for issuing differences amongst you, w^ch

might have bin allayed before this Day had both partyes acknowledged

one to the other what was amiss: I would not be understood as if I look upon

the offences as equally evill, yet y^e mote in o^r own eye shold trouble us (if y^e

humble soul may call his sin a mote) as well as y^e beam in anothers, for a

less fault is more hurtfull to us if not repented off, then y^e great crimes of

others can be: ffor my intermeddling as a busy body [-] in other mens matters

                                                                    ffor