102      168                  1678.

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Have rather failed in being too slow in attending the duty we owed to him

especially considering what ill use he has made of the churches patience formerly

yea, & at the time alsoe as appears by his presumptious sin in going to the Sa

=crament at Ipswich some time after he had bin dealt withall by some Brethren

for his scandelous speeches in prayer, & had justified himself therin

 4 We humbly leave it to consideration, whether private information from

the officer & 2 or 3 of the brethren with him might not have bin called for by

such Elders & Brethren of our neighbour churches, as had any question in their

minds about our proceedings: This we conceive might have been lay^d in y^e

ballance against the offendours complaint, & soe possibly have prevented your

travell & paines in comming to gether at this time, & alsoe soe great a concourse

and withall an uncomfortable reflection upon this church, yea though you should

judg M^r Nelson had noe cause to complain to the churches officers

But seing you have thought meet to Enquire into the causes of M^r Nelsons cutting

of from this church: They are as followeth.

1) M^r Nelson charged Deacon Jewitt his aged Uncle (who hath used the office

of a Deacon well, above 30 years) for unrighteousness & Rogery.[78]

This the church hath found to be a fals & rayling accusation, Its say^d of

Naball that he rayled on Davids messengers 1 Sam 25 14 & yet never a word

Expressed by him soe bad as Roguery John 9 28 Its say^d the[y] reviled him or

rayled on him as the word ther loidoriaV[79] els wher rendered 1 Cor 5 11 If that

were rayling much more this: And this is aggravated

 1 In that he was not provoaked to it by any rayling or reproachfull words

uttered against him, which if he had the Rule requires that we render not rayling

for rayling 1 Pet 3.9.

 2 That he could let this pretended unrighteousness & Roguery ly unsearched out

above 17 years, never dealing with the Deacon about it, wherin he shewed lit

tle regard to Gods honour or the good of his Brothers soule, or the Rule which

sayth thou shalt not hate thy Brother, nor suffer sin to rest upon him, soe long

as we doe we live in the sin of hating our Brother, nor did ther appear any

holy zeal against or hatred of sin in such a neglect

And we could not but note that this unrighteousness & Roguery was not search

ed after, till Deacon Jewitt upon a trayning day did advise the youth in the

trayne band to take heed of showing contempt to their Capt. least they therby

procured to themselves for contempt of authority.

As to this head of Rayling & falls accusing another instance was mentioned before

the church & owned by himself, & that was against one other Deacon William

Tenny he charged him with lying & opened a bible shewing him the sin of Anna

nias & Zaphira 5 Acts & in discourse uttered thes words you lye, you lye, you ly[e]

This was the evening before the last sacrament, & yet came to the sacrament

the next day

It was told him that his Conscience knew & also several of the church that he

had a way of rayling as diverse are ready depose on oath.

It was alsoe told him that this sin of Rayling was contrary to y^e example of X^st

& of the angells who bring not a rayling accusation against gods people 2 Pet 2

11 noe not against the devill Jude 9. & that Rayling reproachfull speaking (as

Jenkins notes on Jude v. 9.)[80] is more cruel then hell for hell onely devours the

bad; but a tongue set on fire by hell devoures the good.

We find in scripture that a bitter rayling tongue is a signe of an unregenerate

heart Rom 3 14 1 Cor 6. 10. & how the church should carry it to such an one y^e

Apostle detirmines 1 Cor 5 11

2) His Blasphemous speech to B^r Leaver, If I be deceived ther is noe god in heaven

Blasphemy is either against god Levit 24 16. or man 1 Cor 4 13 Titus 3. 2 Ezeck

12 13. Rev. 13. 6. & M^r Nelson has bin guilty of both, as for that speech of his with

reference to God we did & doe judg it, though not such blasphemy as is capital, yet

not the least degree of that sin of blasphemy; Shall any man be soe bold as to

put the being of God in the balance with a long ante[81] stake for a meer un