View Facsimile

    con-rowley

                                              1673               121            55

    _________________________________________________________________________________

    Resolutions & told him it was disorderly: when that he should refuse to attend a

    meeting, but he told me that in vayne was a snare layd in ye sight of any bird

    After this ye church mett & I declared the occasion in general, but desired brother John

    -son to mention his offence, (after I had premised Br Remingtons breach of rule in refusing

    to attend any meeting in private) which was blamed & he acknowledged his Evill therin

    which accordingly br Johnson did & produced 2 or 3 warrants in writing that testified thus much

    viz yt yy heard Br Remington say that he had soeld this land in controversy to Br Johnson

    & more if need more could wittness the same as Br Leaver &c. Br Remington did still

    stand to justify his carriage in ys thing & manifested his resolution as formerly to keep ye

    land: The Church after much pains taken with him did come to give their judgmt that

    Br Remingtons carriag in ys matter was very unbrotherly unfaythfull, & unjust & soe left

    it with him seriously to consider what had been sayd to him especially from those 2 Scriptures

    15 ps. He dos noe evil to his neighbour, & keeps his word though he loos therby & yt

    1 thess 4 6 – 11 .

    ffeb 2. 1673. we had a Church meeting at my house that the Churches mind might be known

    conserning Mr Jer Shepard (his year being now expired) whether they did desire his continu

    ation any longer wth us The church did manifest ye desier of his continuance another year by

    a vote in order to setling upon mutuall likeing & S P wth captain Brottlebank & Leutenant

    Nelson Br Tod Br Barker Br Palmer did in ye Churches name acquaint Mr Shepard all

    the churches desier, His answer that he did thankfully acknowledg the Churches love &

    if ye Toun acceeded in yt desier it would be a proper incouragemt to accept of ys renewed

    call: Ther were some Br: Deacon Jewett Br Pickard Br Leaver Br Price that did

    dissent from the Churches vote; as not being satisfied concerning Mr Shepards qualifications as

    to ye main as also our inability to mayntaine two [illeg.] of Gods afflicting hand upon

    or labours Br Swan & Br Barebank[18] did show some dissent alsoe but they sat down wth

    the Churches act .Mr Shepard accepted ys renewed call:

    _____

    April 8 74 The Church mett at my house about Br Remingtons business after I

    had put them in mind of ye rules he had sinned against before mentioned alsoe yt 12

    prov. 22 lying lips are an abomination to ye lord soe 21 prov. 15 it is joy unto a just

    man to doe judgmt it should be his sorrow when he has don otherwise he rejoyceth not soe

    much in his gettings by buying or selling as in ye Testimony of his conscience yt he has dealt justly

    with all men  I desiered the Church & againe & againe beseeched them to speak orderly to

    the present case (whether Br Remington had not done Evilly & unjustly) & not run out

    to any discourse about other matters that might be considered in ther due season.

    Br Remington then was desierd to speak what he thought of his practises he had some time

    to consider of what ye church had left wth him in their former meeting, his answer was that

    he desierd to be silent & say nothing for a fool sayd he is counted wise when holdeth

    his tongue; it was mentioned to him that this was not an answer beco[m]ing him & abuse

    of the Scripture it was his wisdom to confess his Evill when orderly Called therto

    Upon this Br Tod & Br Platts stood up to plead for him  Br Plats thought his sin was in

    selling his ox pasture & yt yr were other mattres of unrighteousness amongst us that should be

    lookt into & conceeded as that ye Town had voted him ox gates & afterward disanuled

    the vote & took ym away again : Answering This in appearance was a mattre needful to be consi-

    dered if orderly prepared for ye church but yt meeting was not a season wch was called

    for another business & should that wch was orderly brought to the church be warnd

    for a business which was never prepared for the church

    Br Tod wth much heat sayd ye ox paster brethren did wickedly get & wickedly keep

    that pasture afterward yy sined in getting & keeping it wch was very offensive to a great

    part of ye Church his charg was not only harsh but fals for yr was nothing done in ye

    such about poundage of cogs before ye major to prove or title to ye ox pasture; he

    sayd moreover that ye ox pasture men were unfitt judges of Br Remingtons case

     

    [18] Probably “Brottlebank,” as above.