86                                  20               1667

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Ought to refuse that office.

Qu: whither if an offended brother chuse the two Eld^rs

to heare it in private  they Must doe that Worke?

An: Pri It belongs ordinarily to private Brethren 1. bec:

by that means the offence is kept more private, then

when publick persons take notice of it, (that w^ch X^t in his

Order  Math. 18  takes Care of)   2. Elders also would be

lesse able to mannage it afterwards (the greatest Strength is

to be reserved to y^t w^r in is greatest difficulty Sc: publick

agitatiō)  They therefore may & Ordinarily (therefore)

ought to decline it.

________________

Decem: 19 1667

Jonathan Jonathan Platts Son of (as was Reported) of a Godly ffather Member of

Platts. a Congregationall Church in England , had by his wife (a Woman of

good conversation & well esteemed, yet not a member-in-full-Communion)

Children whom he had desired Might be baptized: we offerd that his Children

might be baptized on his Wifes account (she having manifested fittnesse

to be so acknowledged)  No! (Sayd he) they shall be baptized on Mine.

Or some Reason why he did diserve to be worse accounted of then others

whose Children were baptized , Should be given / It was answered Him

In private : Besides his once bringing his Children (when M^r Phillips

was about to baptize another Child) unto them desiring (though M^r Phillips

had before in private told Him he would not) that they might be

baptized, & ha when M^r Phillips [then] in publick refused it , he had

the Congregation take Notice ––––  (which was 1. disorderly , 2. an act

disturbing & tending to render the Ordinance w^ch was to be administered to

the Other infant lesse Sollemne . [prophanesse it was to take force the

mixture of M Observation of Mens distemperes at a time when Gods

name was to be Sanctifyed]           But besides that formerly

mentioned to Him & which indeed if the Church could have passed by

we would, and therefore had offered to propound it to the church!

And yet having other advice & warning afterward durst not /

Then in private was mentioned to Him some particulars which being

the exp^rssions of that Spirit w^ch we had great reason to presume

was the mans wonted Evill, it was thought needfull that he should

manifesting some Repentance for ‘Ere we could admitt Him into Nearer

Communion (Sc: to take y^e Coven^t. & to have his Children baptized)

1. That in discourse this Jonathan in discourse , did Say that [Speaking

of propounding his Chil case [Supra of bringing his Children as he did)

for y^t app^rhensions thereabouts whither it were not scandalous] that

they would Doe as they were led]  intimating that Eyther Leaders

were Unfaythfull , or people Ignorant; This he sayd he did not

und^rstand of all the Church as a church but of sundry particular

                                    members

but , y^e Contempt cast on them particular he neyther, gave his

Reason for, nor Did confesse his fault in.