72      138                    1675

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Several others of o^r Brethren have Expressed themselves unsatisfied thems.

unsatisfied with M^r Shepards being being[41] hindered from preaching a-

mongst us & think there is need of the help of a councill that the

grounds of actions concerning him may be cleared, & love & accord

amongst us maybe attayined if it be the lords will –––

                         The Answer

 Beloved Brethren

In your preface to your Quæreyes you tell us you remayne unsatisfied

concerning the carriage to M^r Shepard, we know not what that car

riage is nor those that you are soe dissatisfied with, & therefore can

offer nothing at present for your Satisfaction, till we know particularly

what that offensive carriage is you remayne unsatisfied with

 

Your paper seemes in great part if not wholy to avoyd the churches

desire of propounding your grounds of dissatisfaction, or what it is

that you conceive was a breach of Rule in the churches actings with

reference to M^r Shepard; That soe we might indeavour (The whole

Church meeting together for that End) mutuall satisfaction, & if that

be not attayned then to call in the help of a Concill: But yourselves

seem to wave that method of profeeding propounded by the church, & to desire

forthwith a councill : But neither Reason nor Religion doe suggest any ground

to us to joyne in calling a councill, till we know what are the Irregularities

we are to answer for, & untill due means has bin used amongst our selves for

the composing of differences

 

  ffor your first Query we answer: That a whole church may not refuse

  (much less a small party of a church) to admitt any that desire to joyne w^th

her without alleadging suffitient ground for their refusing : But ther were

Suffitient grounds alleadged (w^ch we suppose you remember), though you menti

on them not, & therefore say nothing towards their removall, nor the dis

covery of their Invalidity . –

 

 To your 2^d Inquiry whether a voat soe obtained as that voat was &c. was

according to Rule or not

Answer the church did soe judg that her voat was according to Rule when

she voated for M^r Shepards desisting to preach Januarÿ 1674 and is of the

same mind still as appeared by her last act (June 18 1675) in owneing &

confirming that say^d voat . : It remayneth with your selves to show us how

that voat was soe attained as it ought not to be, that is Irregularly as you

seem to Intimate, though you tell us not wherin –

 

To your Third Query: If you were Satisfied concerning the voat (soe

or upon such grounde attained that it was regular (which we think not

difficult to Evince) ther would be noe need of the 3^d Quærey, yet in a

few words we Answer : That a church that calls a minister upon tryall

to preach y^e word, may after times of tryall Expired Express that she desires

not to Imploy him any farther in that work, with out convincing him of

any notorious sin or Evill or without calling in a councill : as a church

may call a minister upon tryall, without a councill, soe if after tryall she

judg him not Sutable for them, they may dismiss him without a councill: And

the church with her Elders are judges that God hath firstly allowed to deter

                                                               (=mine