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    27                                 1672                                93

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    A letter from Topsfeild to desire messengers

      from this church at Rowley to their ordination of

      Mr Jere: Hubbard.[92]

      These TO ye Reverend Mr S. P. teacher of ye ch at Rowley & the brethren

    thereof present

    Honoured Reverend & beloved in ye lord

    Wee heartily Salute you wishing grace mercy & peace to be multiplyed

    Even from God the father & from ye Lord Jesus Christ yor Lord & ours

      The occasion of or present writing is to signify unto your selves That

    wheras (about half a yeer since) we after solemn seeking the lord for his

    direction in our choyce of a minister; It pleased God soe to dispose thoughts

    as to pitch them upon Mr Jer Hubbard, who accordingly inclined to our mo

    tion, removeing himself & family among us, & that Ever since improved

    his tallent in preaching the gospell publickly heer unto us, not without

    good proof of his ministry & satisfaction to our selves & others ; wherupon

    some weeks since we did close with him farther as to call him to the

    place of pastoral office to this poor Church of Christ heer: Wherfore we hum

    bly request the Church of Christ at Rowley to send your Messengers over to

    us in order to a solemn ordination (which is appointed upon the 2d day

    of october next at Topsfeild) to strengthen assist & incourage the same by

    your presence, countenance & prayers; as alsoe to affoard the right hand

    of fellowship in the lord; Hopeing of your loveing concurrance we shall ad

    noe more, but with beging the prayers of the whole Church to the father of

    lights to send down his holy spirit amongst us, soe as ye issue of this Solemni

    ty may be to his glory & Edification & salvation of christs little flock

    heer: wee Rest

        Yors in him,

    ffrom Topsfeild      wee in the name of   Francis Pæbody

       September 25 1672         the Church  Thomas Howlett

     

    The church of Christ at Rowley did generally dissent from concurring wth

    Topsfeild in this ordination ffor 3 grounds 1 Their harsh dealing wth Mr

    Gilbert their late pastor presenting him often to Court: tho they could not

    justify Mr Gilbert[--] from great failings yet they conceived Topsfield might

    have carried it wth more tenderness toward him whom they seemed soe

    highly to esteem of at his first comeing to them : 2 in that they were

    soe quick in matching againe after a sad parting wth foremer pastor ye

    word requireing that hands be layd suddenly on noe man; it was scars

    half a yeer Mr Hubbard had bin with them, & we have not ordinarily any

    such custome in the churches to be soe sudden in soe waighty affairs.

    3. the bad reports that went about of Mr Hubbard the word requireing that

    one

     

    [92] I.e., Jeremiah Hobart, who was pastor at Topsfield from 1672 to 1680, after which he went on to minister at churches on Long Island and in Connecticut.