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    con-rowley

                                                                59

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    Boston nor take office, without the consent of the church of New Haven

    And therfore not to withstand this deceit, renders him guilty of it. Besides he

    confesseth that he knew of the letter from New Haven & of the Extract

    out of it as hath bin acknowledged also by the two of his elders; Alsoe he

    called it his dismission, joyned in membership & office upon that very ground

    as having therby his dismission from New Haven: And was highly offended

    with one of the Deacons for questioning the clearness of it, & therfore

    cannot be excused from being a-like guilty wth the other Elders.

        Thus farr we have wth all plainness given or testimony against thes

        deceitfull & falls wayse with all due abhorrence of them  ps: 119 120 &

        163 . desiring with bleeding hearts & faces full of shame to humbl our

        Soules before the lord who hath justly left these Elders to soe great a

        Scandall: & humbly we beseech the God of all grace to rays up our brethren

        that are fallen by a sutabl manifestation of their repentance to the recov

        rring of the name of God wch suffers by this: And the good lord in mercy

        (through the blood of Christ) pardon & impute it not to any of us nor to

    the countrey: Wee desire also to look upon our brethren with all due

    compassion, & to reflect upon ourselves with trembling hearts least

    we alsoe fall being compassed with infirmityes & subject to manyfold

    temptations.

     

     

     

    This Testimony was given to the Elders of Boston a day or two before a

      day of humiliation wth them, but none of them acknowledged any thing (amiss

      as to the premises) neither to God nor man on that day.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Not long after these things the brethren who dissented and according to

     counsell & wth the approbation of 5 or 6 churches gather into a church society

     at Charlstown; & after this did choose out from amongst themselves officers

     to goe in & out before them & sent to several churches for their Elders

      & messengers to be present at their ordination & to Rowley in partic

     cular as followeth

        The last gathered Church of Christ in Boston to the Church of Christ

              in Rowley. Grace mercy & peace be multiplied in God our

                                                      father