91.)                         1677                     157

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the dutyes of church Relation. 2. I have enquired of the Revren^d M^r Cob

-bet[63] & his judgm^t that its most convenient he shuld joyne with us &c.

6 we look at y^e party propounded to be or have cause to fear that he is a man

of am unbridled tongue

Answer The grounds of this reason were & are offensive to all that have herd of y^m

for to prove such a Tongue in Neh witness is brought of words spoaken 13

years since & of other words 6 or 7 years since; which Neh sayth he remembers

not but if such words were offerd as to cast he justified not hims in y^m but ac

knowledged that they were evill, but its offensive in M^r Nelson & a living in y^e

breech of that Rule 17 19 Levit 17 y^t he shuld never deal with his brother

in all those years but came to y^e sacrm^t with him all that time y^t he has

lived near us since he came from lynne, If the sin of his brother in breeching

      had troubled

gods law or y^e good of his brothers Soul had bin tender to him he would in

soe many years have sought his healing according to y^e rules of gods word but

to let y^m ly upon his brother such evills till he comes to ioyne with the church

showes that he mentions them then for to serve his own Ends & not that he

might regard Gods ends Rules or his brothers souls good.

 Thes answers to the 6 Reasons were given in the private meeting to

the satisfaction of the Brethren present, & I Judged as well as y^ms that y^e

church need not be farther troubled with them yet hearing that M^r Nelson

                                                         &

Should Say that If his reasons were read before the church if they shuld

notwithstanding them concurr the body of them to admitt Neh. Jewitt he

would sit down therfor I appointed a Church meeting wher they were

distinctly read & answered, & the Church by their vote declared that not

withstanding what dissenting brethren had alleadged to y^e contrary the[y] ought

to performe their promise formerly made to admit him into this church

ther was onely 8 or 9 dissented and they without any just ground as y^e church judged

B^r Homes that had bin the first & almost irreconcilable opposer when

we thought he had some great matter to alleadg & prove against Neh. It

was only this that being together in y^e Marsh wher they have ground lying

together & hearing words about damage received from Each other y^r were

some angry words between them & Neh threatn^d to cast him into the

Creak & boasted when he came home to Twiford West that he had so

threatn^d B^r Homes w^ch speeches Neh did blame hims for but I Ask b^r Homes

if his actings were not worse then Neh. words for as I was informd he

offer^d his fork to Nehemiahs breast he answer^d what If I did & I told him

it was a very unchristian carriage & what if Sathan had bin at your

Elbow to give a thrust, it was dangerous I told him to dally with such

tooles in passion

he farther say^d that the arbitraters Cap^t Brottlebank & B^r Samuel

Platts had Checked him : In the diffirences they had put to them be

tween him & Neh w^ch was very offensive to all that herd & when he was

told of it again afterward he say^d if they did soe it was by means of

Neh: wicked information: