92                  158                          1677

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 April 18 1677 after about[64] half an hour or somthing more the Church mett &

many of y^e Town mett to hear y^e Relations of M^r Neh. Jewitt & Nathaniel

Barker & Neh wife (w^ch meeting Notice was given y^e lords day before M^r

Nelson (when M^r Neh Jewet was Called forth to speak) did still oppose having nothing

new to alleadg but y^t of Job If I constrain^d y^e voyce of my Servant when he con

tended w^th me &c,[65] which word how farr it has bin offerd by me & y^e Church y^e

premises declare: haveing thus given him liberty to object contrary to his

promise he went on soe long together with one or two more y^t joyned with him

that half a hour was spent to noe good purpose at last I required silence y^t y^e

work we mett about might be noe longer hindred B^r Platts wuld hear

speak y^t M^r Shepard was hindred by 4 or 6 objecting (wherin he broak y^e agre

ment y^t old things shuld not be cropt-up) & when he was desired to desist he began

                       as

to turn his back and say Jereboam y^e son of Nebat what part have I to work in

David,[66] what part have we in Church priviledges wherin he showed a very

haughty spirit as if it became not him to sitt down w^th what y^e body of y^e church

had once & again voated & that priviledges were denyed him except Elders

& almost all y^e Church would act as he would have ^ym

 After y^s y^e next meeting he told me y^t I was y^e willfullest man within 50

miles of me & y^t Neh Jewitt was noe member for but 13 voted for him he could

prove it wheras y^r was 6 or 7 besid him y^t voted w^ch be swore of & I

declared it was a general vote & noe man made any question of it to me, besides

the church had twice before declard their consent Once Every man Except one

the 2 time above 30 to 8 or 9.

he told me alsoe he would summon me to answer at Ipswich Court for y^e

charges y^t were lay^d upon him before y^e church w^ch accordingly he did yt

night haveing a coppy of his complaint to y^e court in words as followeth-

 

    The humble complaint of Philip Nelson of Rowley against M^r

  Samuel Philips, to y^e honoured County court at Ispw: April 24 1677

 

To the honour^d worshipfull magistrates Philip Nelson sendeth greeting

 and wisheth happy & prosperous Success in y^or present sessions

I have presumed to trespass soe much upon y^or patience, as to crave a can

did hearing of y^s my constrained complaint, adventuring to make my

address to your honours herein, w^ch if you shall soe farr Entertain as

to vousafe an hearing of, I hope my innocency will challenge a vindi

cation, & I shall not think my aimes wholy lost

 perhaps I may seam to some to pass the bounds of Xtian modesty in pre

senting this complaint against an Elder of a Church, & one y^t I stand re

=lated to by Church Covenant; but such is y^or wisdom that you can

& y^or honourable affection to peace & justice, y^t I doubt not but you will

bear with patience this my complaint, Especially if you consider how

I am Enforced to it by dayly threats to be dealt with as an offendour at

home, wherby I may at last come to be deprived of y^e comunion of

gods saints, & y^e sweet & Comfortable injoyment of God in all his holy

Ordinances, & I seeing noe other comodious way for y^e present to put

a barr to M^r Philips his resolutions to deal with me as an offendour

& to vindicate my blasted reputation, I doe y^rfore address my case to your

honours as patrons of peac & favour and of justice & doe present you