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    con-rowley

                          1675                         141       (75

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    Soe should they cause great searchings of heart in you, with deep humiliation

    before the lord

    2ly as to the Teacher Mr Phillips his actings in these matters, we cannot but ob=

    serve that he hath manifested a due regard to the churches peac, & proceeded

    with a spirit of Integrity as farr as we see ; humane frailties Excepted

    3ly In the manageing of these things as we observe to our rejoicing much of a spirit

    of tenderness & brotherly love one towards another, soe we find that through

    Sathans Subtlely & humane frailty, there is yt mixture of a spirit of contention

    for wch you ought to humble your selves before the lord & Each other

    4ly yet we find noe such difference in these matters but that upon mutuall

    forbearing & forgiveing each other in love, you may retaine the unity of

    the spirit in the bond of peace, & return to the Enjoyment of communi

    =on with Christ & one another in all his ordinances Eph 4 2. 3 Coll 3 13 and seeing the

                                            it

    repeating of matters tendeth to strife, & is as much as may be to be avoyded Especially

    in such an humbling day of adversity

    We doe advise you mutually to agree by an act of forgiveness & oblivion (upon

    the acknowledgmt of what the lord hath discovered to Each of you as matter of humi

    =liation) to bury the mentioning of past matters of offence, & studiously to avoyd all

    occasions for time to come prov. 14 9 14 & 20 3 . & 30 22 . Gen. 13. 7.

    And in order thereunto in a way of mutuall condescention doe advise (all things

    considered) that Mr Shepard be againe desired to preach till Mayday next, if he

    pleaseth, within wch time unless the whole church concurr to vote his continu=

    ance that he then desist from farther proceeding in that work in this place, yt

    soe he may attend what call shall be given him to ye service of God els where,

    and the church shall be noe way occasioned or oblidged to any farther retain

    =ing Mr Shepard by this advise, or any foremer obligation

     Rowley novemb 7 1675                               John Higgeson

    William Hubbard

    Seaborn Cotton

    Josuah Moodey

    This advise was accepted & assented to by Mr         John Hale.

    Phillips & Mr Shepard, & alsoe by a voat of the whole

    Church noe man contradicting

    Jno Higginson

      Novemb 4 1675.      Will. Hubbard

    Seaborn Cotton

    Josuah Moodey

    Jno Hale

    Mr Shepard read before the Elders his complaints till they were weary to hear it it

    being many sheets nothing proved the whole scope of it was to hold me forth to the Elders

    and [-] Church to have acted deceitfully towards him from first to last, but in his

    narrative ther were 3 untruthes he uttered 1 that none of the church had ever

    spoaken to him in a Xstian way of any thing amiss but two, wheras S P spake

    to him of [-] 4 thing his long locks reproaching a godly minister[44] his com-

     

    [44] Conjectural reading where MS is damaged.