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    86                                  20               1667

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    Ought to refuse that office.

    Qu: whither if an offended brother chuse the two Eldrs

    to heare it in private  they Must doe that Worke?

    An: Pri It belongs ordinarily to private Brethren 1. bec:

    by that means the offence is kept more private, then

    when publick persons take notice of it, (that wch Xt in his

    Order  Math. 18  takes Care of)   2. Elders also would be

    lesse able to mannage it afterwards (the greatest Strength is

    to be reserved to yt wr in is greatest difficulty Sc: publick

    agitatiō)  They therefore may & Ordinarily (therefore)

    ought to decline it.

    ________________

    Decem: 19 1667

    Jonathan Jonathan Platts Son of (as was Reported) of a Godly ffather Member of

    Platts. a Congregationall Church in England , had by his wife (a Woman of

    good conversation & well esteemed, yet not a member-in-full-Communion)

    Children whom he had desired Might be baptized: we offerd that his Children

    might be baptized on his Wifes account (she having manifested fittnesse

    to be so acknowledged)  No! (Sayd he) they shall be baptized on Mine.

    Or some Reason why he did diserve to be worse accounted of then others

    whose Children were baptized , Should be given / It was answered Him

    In private : Besides his once bringing his Children (when Mr Phillips

    was about to baptize another Child) unto them desiring (though Mr Phillips

    had before in private told Him he would not) that they might be

    baptized, & ha when Mr Phillips [then] in publick refused it , he had

    the Congregation take Notice ––––  (which was 1. disorderly , 2. an act

    disturbing & tending to render the Ordinance wch was to be administered to

    the Other infant lesse Sollemne . [prophanesse it was to take force the

    mixture of M Observation of Mens distemperes at a time when Gods

    name was to be Sanctifyed]           But besides that formerly

    mentioned to Him & which indeed if the Church could have passed by

    we would, and therefore had offered to propound it to the church!

    And yet having other advice & warning afterward durst not /

    Then in private was mentioned to Him some particulars which being

    the exprssions of that Spirit wch we had great reason to presume

    was the mans wonted Evill, it was thought needfull that he should

    manifesting some Repentance for ‘Ere we could admitt Him into Nearer

    Communion (Sc: to take ye Covent. & to have his Children baptized)

    1. That in discourse this Jonathan in discourse , did Say that [Speaking

    of propounding his Chil case [Supra of bringing his Children as he did)

    for yt apprhensions thereabouts whither it were not scandalous] that

    they would Doe as they were led]  intimating that Eyther Leaders

    were Unfaythfull , or people Ignorant; This he sayd he did not

    undrstand of all the Church as a church but of sundry particular

                                        members

    but , ye Contempt cast on them particular he neyther, gave his

    Reason for, nor Did confesse his fault in.