1679                         181          (115

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which your selves aforehand doe declare to be the portion which you fear we

shall meet with, Especially if it be fully declared th to the churches how things

have bin carried amongst us, & what has past in writing between the council and

the church : I concluded with a passage of M^r Davenports in his Book intitled

 The power of Congregational Churches page 150.

“ Godly wisdome is to be Exercised in makeing a difference between cause & cause

“ which will not suffer churches to conneive at grossor Scandalls, nor to withdraw

“ the right hand of fellowship from any church upon smal differences in judgment

“ nor practise, much less for censureing, & holding under censure Impenitent persons

“ when the Scandelous obstinacy of delinquents is res propria to that church; though

“ some other churches (being misled by their guides, who possibly may side more then

“ they ought with the delinquent out of som secret grudg against the Elders of that

“ Church) declare it to be their iudgment that the party should not have bin lay^d

“ under that censure, or should now be released from it : To withdraw the right

“ hand of fellowship from a church for such a cause, is contrary to Rules of true wis=

“ dome If a church be found in the fayth & order of the gospel, greater matters then y^s

“ will cause noe breach of comunion between churches, wher brotherly comunion is Excercis

“ ed with true humility & godly wisdome.[105] ^_____

 

There was noe deliverance wrought for us by the two meetings of this council but

they left us in a worse condition then they found us, but as their Reverend Moderator

M^r Ward say^d they found a spark at Rowley & left a flame, for wheras ther were

but 3. that voted on y^e negative as to M^r Nelsons Ejection, by the comming of the coun

-cill 15 or 17 Brethren expressed their consent to sit down with the councills result

which the major part of the church could not doe, wherfore we desired our dissen

ting brethren to ioyne with the major part in calling a council of churches but they

would not saying we have had an able council already and we are satisfied with

their determination, and as the council had declared themselves offended withersoe

did our brethren soe that we could not have a sacram^t, if we had they told us they

must withdraw, we then desired them to ioyne in petioning to the general court

y^t they would send us a council of churches or a comitty as they saw meet but

they would not ioyne with the major part of the church in any such petition, &

therfore we petioned our selves to the general court May 28 1679 who did not

that Sessions agree to send us any help (hopeing we might agree amongst our selves)

but told us that if we could not agree if we renewed our petition in y^e next sessi

ons viz Octob 15 1679 they would send a council which accordingly they did

4 churches of the first council Ipsw. Newberry, Hampton Haverhil, & 6 new

churches the 3 churches in Boston, Salem Beverly, Portsmouth. who conveened

according to y^e order of the General Court Novemb. 19 1679. being 4^th day of y^e

week M^r Allin of Boston M^r Higginson, M^r Cobbet, M^r Ward Captain Walley

Deacon Allin of Boston were absent : noe little conflict ther was between the

two councills soe that it was feared nothing would have bin done when

two days were spent and great care was taken not to reflect upon the proceedings

of the formar council; which yet they could not but doe if they would discharg y^r

consciences as some of them did express themselves they blamed not the churches act

In Excomunicating M^r Nelson without previous admonition but say^d the Censure as

to y^e substance of it was just righteous & vallid, and they blamed M^r Nelson for se

veral Evills that the formar council called for noe acknowledgm^t off as 1

his falls accusing Deacon Jewit of unrighteousness 2 his actings about the

deaf lad 3 his going to y^e sacram^t at Ipswich &c.