1675                         141       (75

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Soe should they cause great searchings of heart in you, with deep humiliation

before the lord

2^ly as to the Teacher M^r Phillips his actings in these matters, we cannot but ob=

serve that he hath manifested a due regard to the churches peac, & proceeded

with a spirit of Integrity as farr as we see ; humane frailties Excepted

3^ly In the manageing of these things as we observe to our rejoicing much of a spirit

of tenderness & brotherly love one towards another, soe we find that through

Sathans Subtlely & humane frailty, there is y^t mixture of a spirit of contention

for w^ch you ought to humble your selves before the lord & Each other

4^ly yet we find noe such difference in these matters but that upon mutuall

forbearing & forgiveing each other in love, you may retaine the unity of

the spirit in the bond of peace, & return to the Enjoyment of communi

=on with Christ & one another in all his ordinances Eph 4 2. 3 Coll 3 13 and seeing the

                                        it

repeating of matters tendeth to strife, & is as much as may be to be avoyded Especially

in such an humbling day of adversity

We doe advise you mutually to agree by an act of forgiveness & oblivion (upon

the acknowledgm^t of what the lord hath discovered to Each of you as matter of humi

=liation) to bury the mentioning of past matters of offence, & studiously to avoyd all

occasions for time to come prov. 14 9 14 & 20 3 . & 30 22 . Gen. 13. 7.

And in order thereunto in a way of mutuall condescention doe advise (all things

considered) that M^r Shepard be againe desired to preach till Mayday next, if he

pleaseth, within w^ch time unless the whole church concurr to vote his continu=

ance that he then desist from farther proceeding in that work in this place, y^t

soe he may attend what call shall be given him to y^e service of God els where,

and the church shall be noe way occasioned or oblidged to any farther retain

=ing M^r Shepard by this advise, or any foremer obligation

 Rowley novemb 7 1675                               John Higgeson

William Hubbard

Seaborn Cotton

Josuah Moodey

This advise was accepted & assented to by M^r         John Hale.

Phillips & M^r Shepard, & alsoe by a voat of the whole

Church noe man contradicting

Jn^o Higginson

  Novemb 4 1675.      Will. Hubbard

Seaborn Cotton

Josuah Moodey

Jn^o Hale

M^r Shepard read before the Elders his complaints till they were weary to hear it it

being many sheets nothing proved the whole scope of it was to hold me forth to the Elders

and [-] Church to have acted deceitfully towards him from first to last, but in his

narrative ther were 3 untruthes he uttered 1 that none of the church had ever

spoaken to him in a Xstian way of any thing amiss but two, wheras S P spake

to him of [-] 4 thing his long locks reproaching a godly minister[44] his com-