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    106)   172                      1678

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     After ye reading of this Result Mr Nelsons confession which the council had

    mett & appointed him to make, was read publickly his hand was set to it, & he

    being upset did sine it with tears & yet the same night reproached Br Peirson

    telling him that a testimony he had given in to the council was a fals & wicked

    Testimony, but Mr Shepard bestirred himself & prevailed with Mr Nelson to ac-

    =knowledg his fault & soe it was made up.     The confession followes

     

      Wheras I Philip Nelson have been convented before the church of

    Rowley, & censured by them, for such miscarriages as have bin charged

    against me, I doe humbly intreat them to accept of this my confession I

    am ready & doe condemn my self, for my over hasty spirit, for speaking

    unadvisedly, & giving occasion to them to Judg me as a reviler, which I

    abhor, & as farr as I am guilty of it, I beg their pardon: ffor the over

    =bold Expressions in prayer, which I have already acknowledged, & doe again

    acknowledg before God & the church, & intreat their pardon off & prayers

    to God to forgive

    And for that vehement asserveration which is charged on me, I confess my

    guilt therin, & though I cannot account it Blasphemy, yet I desire to

    loath my self for it, & desire the church to pass by & forgive these and

    all other offenses, wherby I have given them any cause of trouble: And all

    this I doe with my heart, & intreat the prayers of the church for me yt

    God would be pleased to forgive all, & grant me his grace, that for the

    time to come, I may walk more christianly wth God, & before men, which

    I shall make it my indeavour to doe

       Rowley December 11 1678.

                                                      Philip Nelson.

        A True copy of the acknowledgment

         Mr Nelson made publickly per order

           of the council   as Attest       Jeremiah Hubbard

                                                John Richardson

                                           Appointed Scribes for the council.

     

     Soon after; the church mett, to consider of what the Council had left

    with us; The result & Mr Nelsons confession were read before the church &

    they did manifest the major part of them by farr that they were not satis

    =fied but did judg that Mr Nelson ought according to ye word of God to make

    further confession then the council had appointed; accordingly we sent

    an account to the Reverend moderator Mr Ward (as himself had desired we

    would) why we could not sit down with the councills advise; but of ys pag[91]

    _______

    After this the church desired to have a sacramt & by a full vote declared their con

    sent therin one only holding up his hand against it viz Br Samuel Mighell & 3

    more making some objection, notice was therfore given of the celebration of yt

    holy ordinance the next Sab:

    Mr Nelson came with 2 wittnesses to my house & askt me whether he should come

    to the sacramt the next sabbath It was told him it was not in my power to give

    him liberty the body of the church still remayneing unsatisfied with him & yrfore

    could not take off the censure nor admitt him.

    Upon this he goes to Ipswich & procures a writing from the Major General & Mr

    Cobbet as followes

                        To ye Revd Mr Samuel Philips & the Brethren of

                         the Church of Rowley these present

     Reverd Sr

    Wheras at the meeting of the council of the messengers of the five churches

     lately at Rowley to consider & advise about the case of Mr Nelsons Excomu

    =nication by the church of Rowley), there was delivered to you to acquaint ye

                                                                        church

     

    [91] Uncertain reading; perhaps an uncompleted reference to a letter on another page.