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    con-rowley

    50         124                    1675

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    Did my indeavour to remove them but they still desierd yy might be now proceed

    ing to admission; the captain & other brethren did much desier it, Answ. 1 we never

    have admitted any wth such dissent 2. Mr Shepard is offended wth those brethren yt dissent

    & yrfore canot joyne in sutable brotherly love 1st be reconciled to thy brother 3. he

    sayd he is resolved to be gone when ye year is out nether or carriage to him nor mayntenence

    is incouraging: 4 I did ask advise of several Elders and though some of ym did think

    we should admitt him if god had fitted him yet others were doubtfull: I mentioned ye

    advise that I mett wth to ye church viz for his ioyning as inclyning myself to yr

    iudgmt that soe thought, but ye brethren did soe farr express yr dissent that I con

    -ceived the matter rather required a councill then [-] an issue to be forct by

                                     it

    a major vote, neither am I clear yt is allowable for me to force a minister upon ym

                                     ^    some of

    or a member unto ye church to ye greif of the cheif brethren

                                           ^

    ___

    Septemb 4 1674 Tho: Miller came to Rowley to seek for reconciliation wth &

    readmission into the Church of Christ therin, & brought letters testimoniall

    from the Reverend Pastor & several brethren of the church of Middletowne wher his

    abode Is  The letter Is as followeth

     Middletown ye 24 6th 1674.

    Reverend honoured & beloved in ye lord The church of Xst at Rowley

    Wheras our neighbour Tho Miller wth no smal inconvenience & difficulty

    & yet wth much earnestness & freedome of spirit (being as he sayth con

    vinct of it as his duty) is addressing himself to your selves, in order to his re

    conciliation, wth purpose of heart as the Lord shall help him to make confes

    sion of his great & greatly aggravated offence, giving glory to God & takeing

    shame to himself: we thought it incumbent on & yt wch would justly be ex-

    =pected from us to say something relating therunto, which be pleased to accept as

    follweth & improve as the lord shall direct:

    Since his ejection from you, he hath behaved hims. soberly as one professing

    godliness, And although (for some time) we found not that freedome & fullness

    to acknowledg some of ye waighty circumstances of his sin; yet of late we

    hope hath bin more convinct therof, & sensible of ye estate wherin he lyeth

    And to such of us as have read yor last to him (wherin you plainly & affecti

    =onately lay before him wherin he was too stuck in his acknowledgement) he hath

    freely & fully owned the same from particular to particular wth voluntary

    expatiating the same, & that with tears, soe he hath done to him in speci

    =all who writeth these viz Mr Nathaniel Collings[22]

    We farther informe, notwithstanding much weakness & indistinctness (wch we

    doubt not but yoreselves will find, and all that know him best, is acquainted wth

    in him) yet if ye lord pleases soe farr to appear as to greet him wth open

    heartedness & due sense to fall in wth ye matter of conviction, which it hath

    pleased him to help you to affoard him formerly, together with what shall be

    farther presented (a copy of his acknowledgmt before the church, together

    with his dismission being sent us) we know nothing in his conversation |sinc

    his Excomunication that may justly forbid his reception here.

    Wee have not to add but our prayers for him, to him who hath ye key of

    David that he would be pleased soe to open his heart & worde that as he

    hath caused great dishonour to his precious name & great heaviness to

    yorselves; soe now by ye manifestation of His sincere Effectuell return yt

    name may be glorified, your soules refreshed, & his own indeed restored

     

    [22] Nathaniel Collins, pastor of Middletown, Conn., 1664-84.