80                             14      1667

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(c)     Qn: 3. whither if a man knowing before hand a motive to

     deterre from some Evill Action yet not thinking y^rof doe Committ

     it , this man sins not agaynst his knowledge    why doth He

     not before y^t improove his thinking to prevent it / Sometime or

     other he did think of it. / the Last act of any Evill it is (un-

     =lesse it be done in hast & per accident), but in virtute

     p^rcedentium.[78] / intentio optimus & usus Mediorū prius fuit[79] / & if

     y^r was thinking in them that y^r was thinking in y^e Sin. / ffor y^e sin

     was then & not before completed.

     Qn: 4 whither an officer may absolve an offendo^r when He thinks

________ in his Conscience y^t he Repents not though y^e church doe think so?

Tho. Miller

Sept: 22. 1667.    The church tarryed to Read L.^rs frō & about Thom: Miller.

first one from some Brethren in Middleton, in answer to one frō

y^e Pasto^r to y^m mentioned  p. 8. *

R. S.                          Middletown  11 of 7^th. 1667

Yours respecting brother Miller have some considerable time

since come to o^r Knowledge by M^r Collins. We cannot

but w^th much thankfullnesse take notice of y^e faithfullnesse

& Love towards Him as we wish his welfare; & your

truely X^tian tendernesse towards us y^r in, Wherein your

selves are (thro: Gods grace) pleased to contrive for

o^r future peace, with truth & holynesse, We have in

some measure of faithfullnesse & plainnesse (at a meeting

with Him on purpose for that very End , in y^e presence of

Bro: Daniel Harris who was w^th us here underwritten)

indeavoured to Cast in o^r mite in way of Conviction

& conversion w^th respect to his grosse scandalous

sin in y^e several circumstances of it ; two of us

went to Him, heard your letter read to Him. wr in

God hath directed your selves to lay y^e finger upon

               as

the maine sore ( we Conceive) wished Him to thinke it

               ^

over seriously ; we wish we could say we find Him tru-

=ly broken under sight & sense of his sin, especially

that he could come of more freely w^th respect to his

breach of his 6^th commandm^t, in w^ch he seemes much

to hesitate , rather blaming his former Yokefellow

then Himselfe : we dare not say we judge him fit

agayn to be received into y^e boosome of Church–

:fellowship , as one to o^r charity absolved in heaven

Through grace we shall not faile to discharge any