24           160           1677

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 Conviction & humiliation for what is a breach of Gods rules, they think not

amiss

But this Enterprise he sayth was undertaken that he might prevent his being

deprived of Gods sweet & holy ordinances; how farr this complaint to y^e

court will prevent it the Church will in due time judge but it suits not with

integrity to hold forth such a fear of being deprived of y^e injoy^mt of god in his

holy ordinances, wheras by your means especially its come to pass (throw the con

tentions that you have raysed in Church & Towne) that y^e whol church has

bin long deprived of injoying y^e lords supper & like to be still till you &

some others who have bin irregular in y^r wais & carriages & have ioynd w^th

you in makeing division be convinced of & humbled for their soe doing

you further tell y^e court what your aim was in makeing such a complaint viz

to put a barr to the churches dealing with you as an offendour but y^s is soe farr

from putting a barr that it makes y^e way more open & clear for dealing

with you, this being added to y^e rest that you have publickly complain^d

against Elder & church as if they had soe farr mistaken y^ms as to blame an In

nocent man for an offendour.

ffor the particulars you complain you are charged with the court did declare

that you had broken y^e 5^th . 8^th & 9^th comandemt so y^t the church received

noe light from them wherby to alter ther apprehensions concerning your irregu

lar speeches & carriages: the church is usualy above any brother & to be honoured

                                        so y^r bringing B^r Neh business

ffor the 5^th you not only neglected to obey him y^t God sets over you in reffusing

                                         ^

to come to a Church meeting when called but (contrary to y^e apostles charg dis

pise not y^e church of God)[71] you dishonourd the church & y^e assembly together before

Town & strangers before you had taken any pains to convince them of any irre

regularity wither in y^r meeting or in any thing y^ei did when mett your speech

also what care I who is speaking when it was told you y^t I was speaking:

^___________

ffor ye 8^th comand I own not what is witnessed y^t I shuld say you rob^d & stole

I told you that it was a sin your denying me any maintenance for a whol

yeer labor as to one half of y^e week & stirring up all others to the like

unjust dealing y^t y^s was a robbing God & y^s I own still, nether dos a minis

ter use too high expressions against a sin when he uses y^e same that god in his

holy word uses against the same.

^__________

ffor the 9^th besides defaming y^e Church publickly for her meeting about & med

ling with y^t she had nothing to doe in w^thout y^e Town (though y^e court say^d

otherwise one of y^e magistrates ther asked contradicting) this is a breach of y^e

9^th as well as 5^th comand, and it was a falls accusation y^t y^ie meddled w^th

a matter y^ei had nothing to doe declare y^r minds about one to another, & y^rfore

it was a disorderly practise to seperate from y^m and to declare it had bin well

if all had done as you did, you alsoe broak y^or ingagemt made before y^e counsill

^{_____________}

That you have bin a principall instru^mt of y^e breach of y^e peace of y^s place

I doe affirm & doe desire the lord would help you to se it & be humbled for

it ffor you were the principal man in y^e Church y^t did abett Daniel Weicon

in y^t presumptious & rude vote of his and did actually vote for M^r Shepard

preaching a Monthly lecture, though you knew that y^e whol church nor half

of it agreed therto, you alsoe have continued striff & division by opposing

the church in y^e performance of y^e lawfull promise of admitting your brother

Jewitt going about to se what hands you could get to joyn with you in your

groundless oppositions, and after your reasons were answered twice not only once

in private but in publick before y^e whol church & you had promised y^t if y^e

church should (y^e body of y^m) concurr in takeing in M^r Neh Jewitt after y^ei had

heard your reasons you would (as indeed your duty was) sit still but you still

stood up to oppose to y^e great distraction of gods work & y^e greif of