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    con-rowley

    54        120                         1673

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    Right hand of fellowship is that 2 gall 9. wher James Peter & John perceiving the

    grace of God which was given to paul, whereby he was furnished to be a minister to the gen

    tills they gave to him & Barnabas the right hand of fellowship; such ground we have

    to reach forth the right hand of fellowship to your Self wch betookens that mutual love &

    & accord that ought to be amongst Elders & Churches, & readiness to affoard all brotherly

    assistance as ther may be need: The Enimis of Xst & his Kingdome doe joyne hand & head &

    heart to hinder & discourage the builders of Gods houses & shall not the freinds of Christ

    be of one heart & goe hand in hand as fellow helpers to ye kingdome of God: Paul

    had many enimise to lift up a hand against him, he had the more need of faythfull friends

    to reach out a hand unto him: To love as brethren is yt wherby we should Evidence to

    all that we are Christs Disciples; & its a speciall thing signified by giving the right hand

    of fellowship : Its an awfull speach of Paræus[17] on yt 2 gall 9 that such as stand aloof

    from ye faythfull servants of Xst; & will not reach forth any right hand of fellowship to ym

    have cause to fear that god will set ym at his left hand another day. –

    Now it having pleased God Reverend Brother to set you apart as a chosen vessel to bear

    his name unto his pp, seing he hath of his grace accounted you faythfull, putting you into ye

    ministry; we doe with thankfulness acknowledge gods mercy to you & to this flock of his over

    which he hath set you; And I do in ye name of the Lord Jesus & wth ye hearty consent of

    the Reverend Elders & respected messengers of ye churches Reach forth unto you the right hand

    of fellowship which is not an Empty Ceremony but a real testimony of our cordiall ac

    ceptance of you in ye lord as a fellow labourer & Elder in ye great work of ye ministry

    And doe heerby signify & engage to yeild all brotherly helpfulness to you as God shall in

    all us, by our prayers for you & otherwise as the matter may requier & as by communion of

    Churches we are bound; And doe earnestly desire & expect the same brotherly assistance

    from your self & this church of Xst, for the mutuall strengthning of our hearts & hands in

    this good work of God

    Now the lords presenc be wth you & give you rest the lord grant you mercy to be faythfull & to

    fulfill ye ministry that you have received of ye lord, The lord inable you to indure hardships as

    a good Souldier of Jesus Xst: The place we are in a wilderness dos occasion more hardships

    to Gods pp & messengers than in some respects than els wher are mett with, but Christs pitty &

    free reward will make amends: If we meet with hard Speeches & unkind dealings even

    from these yt should incourrage us, let us not grow weary of our work for we serve ye lord

    Christ a gratious & bountifull master we have his bosome to lay our heads in & to pour

    out our hearts into, we may make our moan to him as Gods messengers in such cases

    have done: They murmured against moses & moses cryed unto ye lord 15 Exod 24 25

    Hee was a derision dayly but yet he could say that he had not hastened from being a pastor

    he did not allow hims rashly to desire or indeavour to be discharged from his work though

    he found little acceptance with or incorragemt from men Jer. 17.16.__________

                                                              Novemb. 1673.

    Br John Johnson made a complaint to me of Br Remington that having soeld him an

    ox Gate & some meadow some 7 or 8 years since, & Br Johnson neglecting to get deads

    of what he had bought of him he now refused to give him any but required the land again

    and put a beast upon the gate in ye ox pasture, proposing to hold it by virtue of a

    law wch sayth noe sale of land shall be good in law if it be not assured to ye byer

    by deads sealed & witnessed : S P. spake to him privately to take heed of such unbro

    therly & dishonest carriage towards brother Johnson but he was not moved by anything

    that was sayd but resolved to have ye land again wch he had sold & take in ye pay

    off: afterward I sent to him to him to give me a meeting & take one or two & Br

    Johnson as many whom yy pleased that soe we might help him with light & diffuse

    the matter more privately but he refused to attend any such meeting rather desiring

    it might be brought to ye church : before I acquainted the church wth it I went to him

    alone & desired him not to persist in his former

    [17] I.e., David Pareus (David Wängler) (1548-1622), German Reformed theologian and professor of theology at Heidelberg, who, among many works, wrote a commentary on Galatians, Ad Galatas S. Pauli Apostoli espistolam Commentarius (Heidelberg, 1613; see p. 100 for his comments on Gal. 2:9. Phillips seems to be referring to Pareus’ statement: “Qui ad nutum aliquorú non probant dogmata inutilia, scandalosa, periculosa, imostipulosa de ubiquitate, et esu orali carnis Christi, iis dextra societatis recusatur, licet sincerè prædicet Christum. Viderent igitur, ne aliquando ad sinistram relegentur in judicio Dei.” Phillips may also have come at this passage in Pareus’ four-volume Operum Theologicorum Exegeticorum (1628-50), which was in the Harvard College Library.