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      purg out ye old Leaven that you may keep the Feast, the least sin is wor[se]

    then a cartload of leaven, this forementioned fayling, that the Scriptures doe con-

    demn as well as yr councill the lord inable you to purg them out by repentance that

    soe you may come together to yt ordinance of love joy & prayer, purely for the better

    and not for the works soe prayse your unworthy brother S. P.

     

    Revrend & Good Sir.

    It was in my purpose (as it seems it was in yours) not to have troubld you my

    self wth any more writing, & yrfore having purused you[r] reply to my letter, though

    I gott not satisfaction by it, yet I attempted noe return, judging it meet yt your

    self should have ye last word : But having received another writing from you

    Intimate that I have to great offence admitted one of Newberry Church

    or more to the lords table wth us, though under scandall & not having

    given satisfaction this does necessitate me to write once more & upon this

    occasion I shall make a breif reply unto your former larg letter

    The 5 of wch you wrote as concarning it touches not your case but condemns

    morrall evills covered wth a cloak of devotion towards God, such as open

    violence, devouring widdows houses & for a pretence making long prayers

    But the Text sayth if thou rememberest that thy brother has ought against you

    if it be a lesser fault then such as you mention yet if it be a breach of

    wch whereby I have offended my brother in word or deed I ought to acknow

    ledg my fault & be reconciled wth him : It is true as you say, a man

    must remember yt his brother has something against him & if yourselves can

    remember nought of that nature who can help it but onely God: Whereas

    you say in your 1 writing & alsoe 2d yt all dutyes of gods worship both publick &

    privat must be omitted, I know noe such consequences can rationally be ga

    thered from anything I have expresst, you say that all Gods ordinances are

    of ye same natur & alike holy; though yt be granted yet I conceive a man may

    and ought to attend upon God in dutyes of his worship dayly in his family &

    weekly in hearing the word &c. though in his sins living & allowing himself

    in them or suppose a past companion & one that has offended many by his un

    godly words & ways & though it is his sin to come wth ye Stumbling block of

    his iniquity before his face yet he may not abstain from ye Service of God

    in family or publick, but for him to come to ye lords supper in such a condition

    were a high provocation to god, very sinfull in ym yt suffer it & very dange

    rous to her own: The reason is because some dutyes of Gods worship as reading hear

    ing, prayer &c. are means appointed for converting & working grace & reform to be

    attended by such as are Impenitent offenders, but ye sacrament appointed for com

    forting ye week beleaver & for ye strengthening & increase of grace, my meaning is not

    in the least to reflect in all this but to show the invalidity of such an assertion

    & if we must abstain from ye lords supper till we he have acknowledged or faults whereby

    we have offended our brethren (especially wn yy are more publick) there by the same

    reason we must abstain from all dutyes of Gods worship both publick & privat non con=

    =no sepurtue[17]  Besides family worship dayly & publick worship weekly are stated

    as to time of attending such dutyes but the lords supper is not soe but yy may

    come hither seldomer or oftener as ye are in capasity for such an ordinance  old

    Mr Shepard administered it once in 10 weeks, & truly better not once in a year

    than to come wth any allowed leaven (publickly taken notice of) but not removed

    by

     

    [17] “It connotes nothing.”