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    con-rowley

                            3             1666               69

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    theyr names , to signify to you that theyr desire is  if it might be

    that you would make a journey to Rowley as soon as possibly

    you can , & send us word when that will be : We have not

    proceeded to censure tho: your sin deserve , because we are willing

    to wayt a while for your Repentance  coming to us, Hoping

    that ye meanes yt may be used for your reforming may be more

    effectuall by your being present  then if you were absent, & you

    know not but some thing may be spoken by your Brethren, &

    old Neighbours  that may have some Impression on your heart.

    So yt you may have no Cause to Repent your comming to us , Thus

    desiring ye Lord to grant you Repentance & Remissiō of Sins. We rest

                                       Your Loving friends

        Rowley. 5 (9) 1666.                     Samuel Phillips

                                                 Samuel Shepard.

     

    May. 6. 1667.  Being informed (first) by brother John Palmer, after called prooving a

    Common Report in Town that John Hobkinson had gone without knowled[ge][63]

    of Parents Unto  & bin Entertayned by Hannah Palmer (daughter to ye sd John

                                                                        Pal[mer]

    so farr that her affections were intangled, occasionning sick fitts &c: He

    having to have Desired a promise of her, & soe obtayned & repromised

    (mutually) on Condition of theyr Parents Consent , of marriage afterward

                                             1st at his House

    Mr Phillips & I, Did in private speake wth Him (John Hobk:) (taking [it]

    pro confesso) we informed Him of ye Evill of ye ffact  How many of [ye]

    Lawes of G. (ye whole 2d table) were yrin broken / He sayd yt he

    Did own yt he had sinned in so Doing — And desired prayrs that God wd

    help Him to see ye Evill of it.   / He Confessed that . Brian Brown

    helped Him to speech wth her . & yt Joseph Trumble had bin a midle

    person between Hims: & Hannah.   that he had bin out ō nights unseasonably —

    The Mayd [Hannah] did acknowledge it was her foolishnesnesse to doe

    as she had done] Being in ye Like manner charged, and ownned yt Brian

    Brown had bin Helpfull as above sayd –––– (being Examined alone at my House

    We told them both that we would wayt some time to heare from them

    whither God did give them sight of ye Evill of it or not.

     

                                        Br:

    May. 26. 1667. having received a Letter from Thomas Miller at Middleton it

                                            ^

    what was sent in his behalf for ye churches satisfaction was read

    The Letter from Himself was this ––

     

               Middletown ye 30th April. 1667.

            Loveing & Deare Brethren

                            now

                   I that am unworthy to be called a Brother, have received

                            ^

      your carefull Letter wch I finde was written Nov: 5th last

      but nothing thereof was communicated to me till 28th instant

      upon ye Evening, upon consideration whereof as also my great

      sin of Adultery in me, & my many other sins wch I feare

      did provoke God to leave me into ye hands of ye Tempter

     

    [63] MS damage affects this and subsequent lines; conjectural readings provided in brackets.