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off: out of conscience to god being awed with that word; neither be partakers

of other mens sins, keep thyself pure I Tim 5 22 & that 5 Eph 11 have noe

fellowship with the unfruitfull works of darkness, but rather reprove them. And

considering how the lords name is blaspheemed, alsoe in love & faythfullness

to our brethren that we may not suffer sin upon them Levit 19 17 And as

watchmen to fforesee the evill & give warning doe therefore declare and test

=tify as followeth. ^____________

  1 That M^r Davenport as a gift of Christ for the work of the Ministry

     Eph 4 11 12 was set by the lord Jesus a Pastor of the Church of Christ

         of New=Haven I Cor 12 28. & therfore such was the right of that church

     in their pastor, that neither could M^r Davenport remove himself from

     them, nor the church of Boston regularly call him to office with them

     without some rule of Christ directing the church to consent therunto.

     This is a confessed truth by M^r Davenport himself in his printed Apology

     page 109. Wher speaking of his church in Cole=man Street in London

     being about to withdraw from them into Holland: the Church (sayeth he)

     I confess might have required me to stay with them by virtue of that

     Rule say to Arcippus take heed to the ministry thou hast received in

     the lord that thou fulfill it: If they had soe don I proposed to yeald

     whatever had become of mee: Yea I confess the churches right to

     such in their pastor that being withdrawn, if they had sent for me to

     return to my function, promising to stick by mee wherin lawfully they

     might, I hold my self bound to have returned: Alsoe the right of New

     Haven in him their pastor was owned by his solemne appeal to God

     in publick prayer, wherin he professed that he desired onely to know

     the will of God as to his staying heer at Boston or returning to New Haven

     & waighted for the manifestation of the lords will by the return of Mes=

     sengers which were then gone to New Haven for his dismission: Likewise

     this right of New Haven in M^r Davenport hath bin confessed by the

     Church of Boston, who notw^thstanding any dark or doubtfull pleas, applied

     themselves by messengers & letters to obtayne the consent of New Haven

     in the Dismission of M^r Davenport unto them, expressing themselves in a

     certain writing that without his dismission they would not proceed

 2 The Translation of a pastor from one church to another being a mo

     mentous & solemn act of the kingly goverment of Christ in his church

     Acts 13. 1 2 3 as it calleth for serious counsell to find out the mind of

     God, soe it requireth great faythfullness in the stewards of God that stand

     between two such churches I Cor 4. 2. And that in serving the lord in

     such an instituted part of his worship it be done in sincerity & truth

     Josh 24 14.

3. Henc it clearly followeth that if any Elder or ministers of the Word (through

     whose hands letters are transmitted from one church to another) shall

     withhold any letters or any part therof wherby the consent or dissent of y^e

     Church of New Haven is made knowne this is an act of great infaythfull=

     =ness, & neglect of sincerity & truth, & of Dangerous Consequences As -

           1 The To the great wrong of New Haven in their just interest

           2 To the deluding the Church of Boston in their proceedings in

                                                                   so