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    con-rowley

    80                             14      1667

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    (c)     Qn: 3. whither if a man knowing before hand a motive to

         deterre from some Evill Action yet not thinking yrof doe Committ

         it , this man sins not agaynst his knowledge    why doth He

         not before yt improove his thinking to prevent it / Sometime or

         other he did think of it. / the Last act of any Evill it is (un-

         =lesse it be done in hast & per accident), but in virtute

         prcedentium.[78] / intentio optimus & usus Mediorū prius fuit[79] / & if

         yr was thinking in them that yr was thinking in ye Sin. / ffor ye sin

         was then & not before completed.

         Qn: 4 whither an officer may absolve an offendor when He thinks

    ________ in his Conscience yt he Repents not though ye church doe think so?

    Tho. Miller

    Sept: 22. 1667.    The church tarryed to Read L.rs frō & about Thom: Miller.

    first one from some Brethren in Middleton, in answer to one frō

    ye Pastor to ym mentioned  p. 8. *

     

    R. S.                          Middletown  11 of 7th. 1667

    Yours respecting brother Miller have some considerable time

    since come to or Knowledge by Mr Collins. We cannot

    but wth much thankfullnesse take notice of ye faithfullnesse

    & Love towards Him as we wish his welfare; & your

    truely Xtian tendernesse towards us yr in, Wherein your

    selves are (thro: Gods grace) pleased to contrive for

    or future peace, with truth & holynesse, We have in

    some measure of faithfullnesse & plainnesse (at a meeting

    with Him on purpose for that very End , in ye presence of

    Bro: Daniel Harris who was wth us here underwritten)

    indeavoured to Cast in or mite in way of Conviction

    & conversion wth respect to his grosse scandalous

    sin in ye several circumstances of it ; two of us

    went to Him, heard your letter read to Him. wr in

    God hath directed your selves to lay ye finger upon

                   as

    the maine sore ( we Conceive) wished Him to thinke it

                   ^

    over seriously ; we wish we could say we find Him tru-

    =ly broken under sight & sense of his sin, especially

    that he could come of more freely wth respect to his

    breach of his 6th commandmt, in wch he seemes much

    to hesitate , rather blaming his former Yokefellow

    then Himselfe : we dare not say we judge him fit

    agayn to be received into ye boosome of Church–

    :fellowship , as one to or charity absolved in heaven

    Through grace we shall not faile to discharge any

     

    [78] “By the virtue of the preceding.”

    [79] “The best of intentions and the use of means beforehand.”