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    102      168                  1678.

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    Have rather failed in being too slow in attending the duty we owed to him

    especially considering what ill use he has made of the churches patience formerly

    yea, & at the time alsoe as appears by his presumptious sin in going to the Sa

    =crament at Ipswich some time after he had bin dealt withall by some Brethren

    for his scandelous speeches in prayer, & had justified himself therin

     4 We humbly leave it to consideration, whether private information from

    the officer & 2 or 3 of the brethren with him might not have bin called for by

    such Elders & Brethren of our neighbour churches, as had any question in their

    minds about our proceedings: This we conceive might have been layd in ye

    ballance against the offendours complaint, & soe possibly have prevented your

    travell & paines in comming to gether at this time, & alsoe soe great a concourse

    and withall an uncomfortable reflection upon this church, yea though you should

    judg Mr Nelson had noe cause to complain to the churches officers

    But seing you have thought meet to Enquire into the causes of Mr Nelsons cutting

    of from this church: They are as followeth.

    1) Mr Nelson charged Deacon Jewitt his aged Uncle (who hath used the office

    of a Deacon well, above 30 years) for unrighteousness & Rogery.[78]

    This the church hath found to be a fals & rayling accusation, Its sayd of

    Naball that he rayled on Davids messengers 1 Sam 25 14 & yet never a word

    Expressed by him soe bad as Roguery John 9 28 Its sayd the[y] reviled him or

    rayled on him as the word ther loidoriaV[79] els wher rendered 1 Cor 5 11 If that

    were rayling much more this: And this is aggravated

     1 In that he was not provoaked to it by any rayling or reproachfull words

    uttered against him, which if he had the Rule requires that we render not rayling

    for rayling 1 Pet 3.9.

     2 That he could let this pretended unrighteousness & Roguery ly unsearched out

    above 17 years, never dealing with the Deacon about it, wherin he shewed lit

    tle regard to Gods honour or the good of his Brothers soule, or the Rule which

    sayth thou shalt not hate thy Brother, nor suffer sin to rest upon him, soe long

    as we doe we live in the sin of hating our Brother, nor did ther appear any

    holy zeal against or hatred of sin in such a neglect

    And we could not but note that this unrighteousness & Roguery was not search

    ed after, till Deacon Jewitt upon a trayning day did advise the youth in the

    trayne band to take heed of showing contempt to their Capt. least they therby

    procured to themselves for contempt of authority.

    As to this head of Rayling & falls accusing another instance was mentioned before

    the church & owned by himself, & that was against one other Deacon William

    Tenny he charged him with lying & opened a bible shewing him the sin of Anna

    nias & Zaphira 5 Acts & in discourse uttered thes words you lye, you lye, you ly[e]

    This was the evening before the last sacrament, & yet came to the sacrament

    the next day

    It was told him that his Conscience knew & also several of the church that he

    had a way of rayling as diverse are ready depose on oath.

    It was alsoe told him that this sin of Rayling was contrary to ye example of Xst

    & of the angells who bring not a rayling accusation against gods people 2 Pet 2

    11 noe not against the devill Jude 9. & that Rayling reproachfull speaking (as

    Jenkins notes on Jude v. 9.)[80] is more cruel then hell for hell onely devours the

    bad; but a tongue set on fire by hell devoures the good.

    We find in scripture that a bitter rayling tongue is a signe of an unregenerate

    heart Rom 3 14 1 Cor 6. 10. & how the church should carry it to such an one ye

    Apostle detirmines 1 Cor 5 11

    2) His Blasphemous speech to Br Leaver, If I be deceived ther is noe god in heaven

    Blasphemy is either against god Levit 24 16. or man 1 Cor 4 13 Titus 3. 2 Ezeck

    12 13. Rev. 13. 6. & Mr Nelson has bin guilty of both, as for that speech of his with

    reference to God we did & doe judg it, though not such blasphemy as is capital, yet

    not the least degree of that sin of blasphemy; Shall any man be soe bold as to

    put the being of God in the balance with a long ante[81] stake for a meer un

     

    [78] I.e., roguery.

    [79] loidoresan: rendered “reviled” in KJV.

    [80] William Jenkyn, An exposition on the Epistle of Jude, with many large and useful deductions . . . The second part (London, 1652), p. 103: “Evil speaking is more cruel then hell, for hell only devoures the bad, but the hell of the tongue the good and bad too.”

    [81] “long ante stake”is conjectural (possibly a gambling term).