View Facsimile

    con-rowley

                                 1678                     175             (109

    ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    upon it as a bold presumptious unwarantable act : To Imitate Xst in putting his

    finger into his eare, & giving a comand Epatha be opened, in the name of the lord Je

    -sus pretending a revelation many years sinc that he should doe it: now untill he

    make out an Immediate & Extraordinary call as the Apostles had to doe such works

    we cannot but testify against it as very sinfull & not to be countenanced, ther was an

    alteration (as was reported) many months (as to his deafness) before Mr Nelson soe acted

    about him Dr Haller told his parents many years since that when the youth came

    to such years, as he hath now attained to, ther would in an ordinary way be some

    alteration as to his deafness & accordingly it came to pass soe that his mother told

    some that she could not tell whether the hearing that [-] he hath came to him

    before Mr Nelsons attempt, or after

     Moreover it was too like uncharitable arrogancy to attribute that hearing God had

    bestowed on ye youth, to his prayers, more then to the prayers of gods pp in this place

    soe to doe is very unlike that Spirit that hath appeared In Gods holy ones 2 dan 30

    Besides scriptural charity hath the less ground to beleev Mr Nelsons prevalency

    with God in prayer for ys cure (If anything be done) when we consider his vile cariage

    presently after 1 cor 13. 1. 2.

    7 As to his going to the Sacramt at Ipswich we cannot but still testify against it as

    a bold presumptious sin contrary to many Scriptures 7 levit 20 5 Math 23. 18 Math

    6. Rom 14 20 21 . If thou rememberest that thy brother &c. It was not onely a

    brother, but several Brethren that had bin dealing with him for offences given by

    him: he knew how offensive his speeches to Br Leaver were, and for carrying his Br.

    to the court he was blamed by the magistrates as alsoe for the speech : The Sacramt also

    was put by for many months by his means, In the mean time whilst we were pre

    paring matters as fast as we could for the Church, he then goes to yt ordinance, when

    we told him of this his answer to the church was he would doe it again.

      These things considered we cannot submitt to that harsh censure of being vain

    surmisers in reference to his actings about the deaf youth & his going to the Sacra

    mt, which we are not convinced off nor hath ther bin any pains taken with us

    that we might soe be

    It is alsoe uncomfortable to us that the Church should be tearmed Mr Nelsons

    opposers for dealing with him for Sin, a compellation that we meet not with in

    scripture nor in any of our writers when they speak of a church of God

    That these things should be accounted infirmityes & comon faylings we want light

    from the Word to bring us to be of that mind : If we consider how his tongue

    hath bin set on fire, The Scripture gives a sadder aninmadversion upon such a tongue

    then comon infirmityes, Solomon sayth that life & death are in the power of ye

    tongue, prov 16 21 & a greater then Solomon hath sayd that by our words we shall

    be justified, & by our words condemned, & James tells us that he that seemeth religi

    ous & bridleth not &c.[95]

    But we cannot think that Rayling wch ye Apostle ranks amongst horrid crimes

    is intended by you when you speak of comon faylings & infirmityes, nor his pro

    phaning gods name in prayer or otherwise. –––

     That ther was noe previous admonition we still know of noe omission of duty

    therin, ther had bin long patience & noe little paines taken with him in

    private, & publick, & we may Query whether it was not a virtual admonition ye

    putting of the celebrating the Lords Supper for many months by occasion of the

    offences given by him to many : Besides this 3 times in publick his Scandelous

    Evills were layd before him, & noe repentance showne, but the contrary both in

    word & gesture, nor did he once desire any farther time to bethink himself

      The nature of the offences was such (together with Impenitancy) as we still

    beleeve they called for the highest censure, some of the Scandelous Evills he

    was censured for are condemned by the light of nature as might be showen out

                                    of [illeg.] aristotle Seneca, [illeg.] Plagam

     

    [95] Matt. 12:37, Jas. 1:26.