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    con-rowley

     89.                        1677                             155

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    permitt noe such thing for the future that any shuld stand up to oppose the

    admission of a member because of some offence they had against him wheras the

    rule of dealing with him had not bin attended for the removal of such offence tho

    the party propounded had stood a suffitient time propounded  Yet being willing

    rather to err on that hand, in condescension I did desire Br Homes to come to my

    house after the lecture that I might (& some brethren with me) hear what he had

    to alleadg against Mr Jewitt

    Accordingly he came & Mr Nelson & Br Sam: Mighell And after looking up

    to God for his presence & guidance of us in that agitation I desired brother Homes

    who was the principal occasion of ye meeting, to declare what matter of offence he

    had against Mr Neh Jewitt which he had neglected to deal with him privately a-

    bout, he told me he should say nothing at present but referred hims to a paper

    Mr Nelson put into my hand to wch he had set his hand contayning reasons why

    he could not joyne in church fellowship with ye sayd Mr Neh. Jewitt, which

    when some conceived he spoke in disdain he answered may I not soe call him

    when the Reverend Mr Whiting & our Teacher doe soe

    As to ye paper, understanding that Mr Nelson & Somebody els with him went a-

    bout wth him in a factious way to se who the[y] could get to set to their hands

    against the admission of Neh Jewitt that so yrby he might get as many as he

    could to oppose the Elder & the church in the admission of ye sayd Neh, tho

    some they solicited to set to their hands denyed to doe it; yet wth much travell

    about the Town Mr Nelson did obtayne 5 besides hims: I testified against this

    practise as tending to sow division amongst brethren.

    Mr Nelsons Answer was that brethren who dissented had noe other way to ex

    =press themselves Answ. How can yt be soe when the party propounded stood propoun

    ded 3 quarters of a year & more soe yt noe man but might in yt time have gott

    Satisfaction for matters of offence , or Els in an orderly way a Stop might have bin

    put to present proceedings as to his admission

         The reasons mentioned were as to ye substance as followeth

                                       sound of[59]

    1 Gods house should be built without axe & hammers or ye like,[60] alsoe ye party

          propounded that day when he should have bin admitted showed a spirit not be

      coming one entring into such a relation [--] or side 00 ye rule requiring

     a spirit of Submission &c. & generally if wronged yet bearing, but he rather lying at

     the catch (as we may say[)] before Ever he was admitted

    Answ. as to ye fist branch its very unbecoming Mr Nelson to complain of hamers

    & nailes Jarrings &c. in ye house of God when its hims firstly & cheifly that lifts

    up the hamers & has bin ye cheif instrumt to break the peace of the church

    as to ye other branch we know noe rule for any to lay heavy charges upon

    persons to be admitted before a congregation & neither first nor last make

    anything out; Neh might well desire ye church to take notice of the

    Charg & its the churches Duty soe to doe & he deal with Br Homes for such

    heavy charges against a godly man when he can make nothing of it out

    nor has Dealt wth him in a private way but take upon him to publish great

    faults of his neighbour before according to God it ought to have bin pub

    =lished; & hims to doe it wch was none of his work. _____

     

    [59] Conjectural reading.

    [60] I Kgs. 6:7.