106)   172                      1678

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 After y^e reading of this Result M^r Nelsons confession which the council had

mett & appointed him to make, was read publickly his hand was set to it, & he

being upset did sine it with tears & yet the same night reproached B^r Peirson

telling him that a testimony he had given in to the council was a fals & wicked

Testimony, but M^r Shepard bestirred himself & prevailed with M^r Nelson to ac-

=knowledg his fault & soe it was made up.     The confession followes

 

  Wheras I Philip Nelson have been convented before the church of

Rowley, & censured by them, for such miscarriages as have bin charged

against me, I doe humbly intreat them to accept of this my confession I

am ready & doe condemn my self, for my over hasty spirit, for speaking

unadvisedly, & giving occasion to them to Judg me as a reviler, which I

abhor, & as farr as I am guilty of it, I beg their pardon: ffor the over

=bold Expressions in prayer, which I have already acknowledged, & doe again

acknowledg before God & the church, & intreat their pardon off & prayers

to God to forgive

And for that vehement asserveration which is charged on me, I confess my

guilt therin, & though I cannot account it Blasphemy, yet I desire to

loath my self for it, & desire the church to pass by & forgive these and

all other offenses, wherby I have given them any cause of trouble: And all

this I doe with my heart, & intreat the prayers of the church for me y^t

God would be pleased to forgive all, & grant me his grace, that for the

time to come, I may walk more christianly wth God, & before men, which

I shall make it my indeavour to doe

   Rowley December 11 1678.

                                                  Philip Nelson.

    A True copy of the acknowledgment

     M^r Nelson made publickly per order

       of the council   as Attest       Jeremiah Hubbard

                                            John Richardson

                                       Appointed Scribes for the council.

 

 Soon after; the church mett, to consider of what the Council had left

with us; The result & M^r Nelsons confession were read before the church &

they did manifest the major part of them by farr that they were not satis

=fied but did judg that M^r Nelson ought according to y^e word of God to make

further confession then the council had appointed; accordingly we sent

an account to the Reverend moderator M^r Ward (as himself had desired we

would) why we could not sit down with the councills advise; but of y^s pag[91]

^_______

After this the church desired to have a sacram^t & by a full vote declared their con

sent therin one only holding up his hand against it viz B^r Samuel Mighell & 3

more making some objection, notice was therfore given of the celebration of y^t

holy ordinance the next Sab:

M^r Nelson came with 2 wittnesses to my house & askt me whether he should come

to the sacram^t the next sabbath It was told him it was not in my power to give

him liberty the body of the church still remayneing unsatisfied with him & y^rfore

could not take off the censure nor admitt him.

Upon this he goes to Ipswich & procures a writing from the Major General & M^r

Cobbet as followes

                    To y^e Rev^d M^r Samuel Philips & the Brethren of

                     the Church of Rowley these present

 Rever^d S^r

Wheras at the meeting of the council of the messengers of the five churches

 lately at Rowley to consider & advise about the case of M^r Nelsons Excomu

=nication by the church of Rowley), there was delivered to you to acquaint y^e

                                                                    church