1678                         179         113

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doe understand not what tenderness to the churches creditt ther is in such passag

=es : In scripture persons & things usually are denominated from the better part,

the substance & scope of that paper was to give our grounds why we could not sit

downe with, nor practise according to the result of the Council. ^____

 Wheras it is say^d noe church meeting was regularly warned, I answer I gave notice

to the whole church by reading the major G: leter, wherin he desires the church would

give the council a meeting at such a day & hour, & when I had some reading I told y^e

church it was meet to assemble at the day & hour appointed, to attend what God might

then call us to, not mentioning any place of meeting, because I knew not wher the Counc

cill would desire us to meet them, whether at M^r Nelsons house, or at the meeting house

 If there had bin any church business about which I was to appoint a church meeting I

should perhaps have named the place, though that needed not because the church suffi

tiently knew, that in winterly weather it is at my house: yea sometimes when I have

mentioned the meeting house as the place of meeting, the season has caused us to alter

our minds, & to repair to my house: And therfore it is but a pretence in the dissenting

brethren to say they they knew not wher the meeting should be : If they had bin in

frame to carry it as brethren should doe, they would have repaired to their officer

as the major part of the church did, who alsoe might have pleaded ignorance, wher

the meeting of the church should be, as well as they who soe objected, & I am sorry

their so seperating themselves should rather be countenanced by the council then

blamed:

Suppose I had out of forgetfullness omitted that circumstance of nameing the place y^e

brethren might have come to my house, or have sent some one to inquire wher the

church should meet (If it were a real doubt to them) rather then seperate themselves

from their officer & Brethren as they did.

 And wheras it is charged on the Teacher & some of the Brethren (viz y^e major

part of the church) that they decline the advise of the council & therby continue &

propagate their dissentions we answer

 It is fully Evident that ther was a very smal appearance of dissent in y^e church till

since y^e council came, & farr more hopes of repentance in y^e offendour, then we have

grounds to Expect now. ^–––

 ffor our not comming to y^e meeting house when sent for, our grounds why we did not

come are judged frivilous, but such as they are we leave to your consideration.

 1 we lookt upon the council as not a council to us, but onely called by M^r Nelson

(how orderly we are not in a capasity to dispute) against the mind of the major part

of the church, who objected against two neighbouring churches, as understanding they had

in noe little part Expressed their iudgm^t in the case before, we mean some principal

men, whom we knew would be sent, In particular your self Reverend M^r Cobbett

did tell me that you heard that we objected your deafness (as we had good ground to do)

and prejudging the case, but you say^d it was not our objecting should hinder your coming

I told you, you would find it very difficult to iudg contrary to what you had declar

=ed to me in writing before: But we look upon these things as an infringment of our

liberty, who might limit the offendour from calling any that were preposest or offen

ded with the church or officer before they came : In any Jury or arbitration ther

is liberty to object against this man or that, & surely a church has noe less liberty

if ther be iust cause.

 Our coming to the council at their first conveening, in a neighbourly & Xstian

way to give them the grounds of our proceedings, if it was lookt upon as an ar

gument that we owned the council as a council to us, or that we were bound

to appear before them when they appointed, we never intended nor thought any

such thing, and therfore our not comming the 2^d time of your meeting when

sent for, our church who needed not to have appeared in publick (and are

              glad[102] they did) at all, have made noe fault (y^t we know of)