1          1666                   67

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       a Record of Cases in y^e Church of Rowley since Nov: 15. 1666

 

Robert Swanne. brought before the church Jan: 8 1665. upon suspicion of theft, the

fact was - his by Night filching of Corne in y^e sheafe five shockes (by his acknowledging)

from of a piece of his ground, plowed & sowed by his neighbo^r Webster of Haverhill

the corne ō w^ch land of Webst^r claimed, & had procured a sentence for theft from

court. R. Swanne pleaded y^t it was his own corne, & though he had done foolishly

to take it by Night for w^ch the Court had passd such a sentence, yet it was his own

& being ō his own land it must seem be made appeare by Webster the Contrary - and

he pleaded that he intended (being so able) to proove Webster had so acknowledged

The Church not seeing convicting proofe, warned Him from litigi^s Courses &c:

 

Robert Swan  accused of his ffather for a Letter contayning (as he sayd)

sundrey th:^s false (an accursed Lett^r) (as he sayd) the matter was first

heared in private & y^e sense of y^e Elders about it was given to y^e church

some dissenting, y^e matter was propounded to y^e Rev^d. M^r Cobbet, M^r Hubbard

& M^r Whipple who issued it thus yt  (we doe conceive[)] y^t Rob^t Swan did

ought to acknowledge y^t he did ill in writing such a Lettr contayning some

expressions of Undutyfulln: & Irreverence w^ch might justly grieve any

one Xtiā ffather who had in any measure answerd y^e Duty of y^t  Relation

(as we know not but Rich: Swan hath) And y^t his ffather ought

(it was sayd privately) (for peace sake) accept such acknowledgem^t

& to w^thold no pledge of his fatherly Love, for y^e future, and y^t

y^e Letter & Coppy (of w^ch y^e offence did arise[)] be burned.]

 This Council was approoved (all things consid^red) by o^r selves o. 2.[59] and

submitted Unto by y^e Father and Sonne ––––

Mem: that this m^r was disorderly mentioned i.e. publickly in a Church

meeting at first. 2. it was disorderly handled 1^st by a Committee 3 [-] 4

Brethren joyned w^th y^e Elders . 3. many then in ord^r to issue it and

prepare it for y^e Church. 3. There were many th:^s sayd & no Care

to proove till no witnesses produced at all to many things sayd

& those w^ch were prooved we had many Meetings before men would

take Care to bring y^m. 4 y^e Bretheren under No Rule about

speech & silence. NB that it was quasi a principle amo[ngst][60]

that Every Brother must Speake. 5. That y^e Church had

Voted & yet y^e Church had forgotten whither it was so or no –-

6. a Censure of Admonition was agreed upō & One meeting

& ommitting to pronounce it p^rsently ō y^e offendour, was

delayed at his Disire to have patience tryed. & y^e affect

of it was y^t the next meeting, the Church retracted y^t

judgm^t deserted y^e Elders, & y^e offendo^r was now hard to

Deale w^th then Ever.   7. That it was a principle of

Pitty to Rob^t: in y^e Consciences of all bad or feared to be so,

& some Envy to y^e ffather & prejudice, they were afrayd

the son should be made worse yⁿ  he was, & unwilling y^e

ffather should be so good accounted worse yⁿ he seemed

 

July 28. the paper was read to y^e Cong Church under the hands of y^e

Councill (supra) & accepted Nomine Contradicente [illeg.][61]