View Facsimile

    con-rowley

    1679.                  183        117

    _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

    of excomunication, & farther that it should be administred upon him the Sabbath

    next following; The vote being alsoe put in the negative 3 onely lift up their hands

    as 2 or 3 upon inquiry made concerning the number did publickly declare and not one

    contradicted ym that we heerd off

    The grounds of his excomunication were as followes vid page 102 103. 104

     

    The Reverd council having labourd much with Mr Nelson to bring him to a sight of

    the Evill of thos 5 things for wch he was Excomunicated, he did of his own mind

    write his acknowledgmt & presented it to ye council which was read in ye publick meeting

    hims as followeth;

                                      vi

      I Philips Nelson, having bin concted of sundry faults & offences, that I have

    comitted to the dishonour of God & greif of my Brethren, doe humbly freely and from

    my heart present this as my unfeined confession & acknowledgmt of my guilt in

    the particulars following

    1 My Charging deacon Jewitt with dishonesty was a rash & inconsiderate speech &

    though I cannot remember that word of (Roguery) yt if that word were used I

    am heartily Sorry for it, & doe blame my self for saying soe much as I did, and

    had the thing bin true in the charg, yet the Expressions I disallow & condemn.

    2 As to that speech for which I am charged (god is not in heaven if I be decei

    ved) I cannot say that I spake them in the negative, but in the affirmative,

    however as I sayd them, I own it to be a wicked & abominable speech, & doe ab

    horr my self & repent in dust & ashes for the same.

    3. Concerning my words in prayer, I confess it was very sinfully done of me in

    such a solemn ordinance, soe to vent my own spirit, & I doe iudg my self for the

    same, Especially that I should pray against my reverend & worthy teacher, which to

    have done against an Enimy, I account abominable, & if I did use that tearm, (Re=

    veng or aveng) it would have bin a farther, & higher aggravation of my sin

    and guilt.

    4 I knew not that my going to the Sacramt at Ipswich would be offensive, Els I

    would not have done it, & shall carefully avoyd such actings for ye future. -–

    ___________

    5 with relation to my dealing with ye deaf kid youth, referring to ye External means used

    viz putting my fingers in his Ears, & using those words of our Saviour marc 7. 33.

    Haveing had discourse with this Reverend council, & being really convinced that many

    learned & godly men have born witness against such a practise as sinfull & unwar

    =rentable by the word of god, doe therfore se just cause to suspect my self that I

    did yrin sin against God, & am heartily sorry for whatsoever may be a breach

                                                             it

    of Gods law in soe acting, praying that God would discover to me more & more ye

                                                             ^

    naughtiness of my own heart, & whatsoever is sinfull in such a proceeding, that I

    may be truly humbled before god, & would not allow my self or others in anything En

    =thusiastical, or that hath a tendency to a spirit of Excorcisme which I should loath

    in my self or others

      Philip Nelson.

     

    here note that the deaf & dum youth was sent for before the council & the mode

    raters & other members of the council did call him aloud by his name (which his

    father sayd he knew) but he stood like like[107] one deaf as he was, & gave noe toaken

    one way or other of any hering though he was cald upon to lift up his hand if he

    heard when called by his name but he took noe notice of any thing, henc the

    Reverend moderators gave it under their hands as followeth.

     The councill assembled at Rowley, having had the deaf youth before them did

    not apprehend that any cure was wrought upon him as to his deafness

    Rowley Novemb 21 1679.                   Josh Moodey

    Increase Mather

    [107] MS sic.