1678                     175             (109

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upon it as a bold presumptious unwarantable act : To Imitate X^st in putting his

finger into his eare, & giving a comand Epatha be opened, in the name of the lord Je

-sus pretending a revelation many years sinc that he should doe it: now untill he

make out an Immediate & Extraordinary call as the Apostles had to doe such works

we cannot but testify against it as very sinfull & not to be countenanced, ther was an

alteration (as was reported) many months (as to his deafness) before M^r Nelson soe acted

about him D^r Haller told his parents many years since that when the youth came

to such years, as he hath now attained to, ther would in an ordinary way be some

alteration as to his deafness & accordingly it came to pass soe that his mother told

some that she could not tell whether the hearing that [-] he hath came to him

before M^r Nelsons attempt, or after

 Moreover it was too like uncharitable arrogancy to attribute that hearing God had

bestowed on y^e youth, to his prayers, more then to the prayers of gods pp in this place

soe to doe is very unlike that Spirit that hath appeared In Gods holy ones 2 dan 30

Besides scriptural charity hath the less ground to beleev M^r Nelsons prevalency

with God in prayer for y^s cure (If anything be done) when we consider his vile cariage

presently after 1 cor 13. 1. 2.

7 As to his going to the Sacram^t at Ipswich we cannot but still testify against it as

a bold presumptious sin contrary to many Scriptures 7 levit 20 5 Math 23. 18 Math

6. Rom 14 20 21 . If thou rememberest that thy brother &c. It was not onely a

brother, but several Brethren that had bin dealing with him for offences given by

him: he knew how offensive his speeches to B^r Leaver were, and for carrying his B^r.

to the court he was blamed by the magistrates as alsoe for the speech : The Sacram^t also

was put by for many months by his means, In the mean time whilst we were pre

paring matters as fast as we could for the Church, he then goes to y^t ordinance, when

we told him of this his answer to the church was he would doe it again.

  These things considered we cannot submitt to that harsh censure of being vain

surmisers in reference to his actings about the deaf youth & his going to the Sacra

m^t, which we are not convinced off nor hath ther bin any pains taken with us

that we might soe be

It is alsoe uncomfortable to us that the Church should be tearmed M^r Nelsons

opposers for dealing with him for Sin, a compellation that we meet not with in

scripture nor in any of our writers when they speak of a church of God

That these things should be accounted infirmityes & comon faylings we want light

from the Word to bring us to be of that mind : If we consider how his tongue

hath bin set on fire, The Scripture gives a sadder aninmadversion upon such a tongue

then comon infirmityes, Solomon sayth that life & death are in the power of y^e

tongue, prov 16 21 & a greater then Solomon hath say^d that by our words we shall

be justified, & by our words condemned, & James tells us that he that seemeth religi

ous & bridleth not &c.[95]

But we cannot think that Rayling w^ch y^e Apostle ranks amongst horrid crimes

is intended by you when you speak of comon faylings & infirmityes, nor his pro

phaning gods name in prayer or otherwise. ^–––

 That ther was noe previous admonition we still know of noe omission of duty

therin, ther had bin long patience & noe little paines taken with him in

private, & publick, & we may Query whether it was not a virtual admonition y^e

putting of the celebrating the Lords Supper for many months by occasion of the

offences given by him to many : Besides this 3 times in publick his Scandelous

Evills were lay^d before him, & noe repentance showne, but the contrary both in

word & gesture, nor did he once desire any farther time to bethink himself

  The nature of the offences was such (together with Impenitancy) as we still

beleeve they called for the highest censure, some of the Scandelous Evills he

was censured for are condemned by the light of nature as might be showen out

                                of [illeg.] aristotle Seneca, [illeg.] Plagam