1670                   165        99

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octob. 5 1678  Samuel Smith desired baptism for his Children but hath

bin offensive by his dalliance with a mayd he publickly made his acknowledg^mt

as followeth. the church manifesting their satisfaction by y^r vote.

Wheras I was presented to y^e court at Ipswich for unchast carriage towards a

mayd, I doe Acknowledge though I was not left to comitt uncleaness with her

Yet I did carry it too lightly & unseemly towards her, w^ch since I have considered of

it, I have seen more Evill in it, then I did at first, & am sorry for any such car=

riage, desiring gods pp to pass it by, & to pray for me that god would pardon my

sins & make me more sensible of the Evill of sin, & of my own corrupt heart, &

of my need of Jesus Christ, & y^t he would draw my heart to come to him for life

and mercy

                                            By me Samuel Smith.

 

M^r Nelson the sad breaker of the churches peac in Rowly now again broak out into

very Scandalous speeches & carriages for w^ch he was privately delt w^th by several brothers

yet noe satisfaction but farther matters of offence by his railing tongue; several brethren being

offended & some of his offences being publickly known we put by y^e Sacra^mt for about half a year

before matters could be prepared & proved for y^e churches cognisence, at length octob 27 1678

after Sermon y^e church was stayed to give notice of a church meeting about dealing with

M^r Nelson for his offensive speeches & actings: he desired to know what they were

It was answered ther were 5 evills y^t he was charged with of w^ch afterward page 102

The meeting was appointed on y^e 7^th day viz 30 october 2 of y^e clock afternoon we stayed

nigh an hour for him after y^e body of y^e church was mett & then sent for him & after we had

sent he stay^d almost another hour before he came

After we had begun w^th prayer the first of his offences were mentioned to him, viz

his falls & rayling accusation against his Uncle Jewit at Deacon Tennys house where

w^ch Deacon Tenny (takeing 2 brethren with him) had bin dealing with him but a little

before y^e church meeting & it had bin mentioned to him on y^e lords day when y^e church

meeting was appointed, but he alleadged y^t he knew not that he should give answer

about y^t neither did he take notice y^t Deacon Tenny had dealt with him about it if

he had wittnesses to bring which now he had not in readiness & y^rfore was not pro

vided to Answer; upon this the church was dismissed without doing any thing, & warn

ed to meet again y^e fryday following at 10 a clock in y^e morning, which they did

& spoke y^r that whol day till sunsett in considering of his offences which Rules were brok

en & which Censure they deserved he showing noe Repentance

The church voted for his excomunication y^e Sab following viz march 3 1678 & it

being put to voat on y^e negative to try who were against his excomunication y^r

were but 3 that lift up their hands against it

Saturday night late ther came 3 letters to my hand one from Major Samuel Pear

son another from M^r Cobbet a 3^d from my cousin M^r John Bayley all of y^m calling

upon me to forbear to publique execution y^e [illeg.][75] told me in his let

tre y^t ye act would be look^t upon as [illeg.] Zeal

against sin, & y^t I suffer^d in y^e hearts of some of my best friends &c. M^r Cobbet wrote

that he doubted whether the Rule would bear it to Excomunicate for such offenses &

that it might be good to begin lower with admonition & if y^t did not y^t a 2^d admoni

tion [illeg.] advis to forbear, Now Though I honourd & Reverenc-

ed these persons yet understanding w^ch way their letters were occasiond Either by y^r

Judges or m^r shepard in his behalf & soe It soon appeard yt m^r shepard spent

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