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                            241

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    July 10. 1751 at a Chh. meeting held by adjournment

    It was voted, That This Church looks upon their Brother

    James Hidden as having given just Cause of offence to them

    in his absenting himself so long from their Communion without

    any Cause fairly made known to and pleaded before them, and

                 both

    in his refusing to attend upon the Church when met partly

                  ^

    on his account, and to send in his reasons for his absenting

    himself from their Communion ––––––

     

    At a meeting of the Church held Aug. 7. 1751. our

    Brother James Hidden appeared in the meeting and

    by word of mouth offered, his reason for Absenting

    himself from the Communion of the Chh. in the Sacrament

    of the Lords Supper, and the Time being Spent in discourse

    the meeting was adjourned to four of the Clock of the

          next

    Day of September Lecture –––

         ^

     

     The Chh. met Sep. 4. 1751 according to Adjournment and

    the Question being put, Whether they judged the Reasons

    given by their Brother James Hidden for his absenting him

    Self from the Communion of the Church sufficient to justify

    him therein and it passed in the Negative ––– and a

    vote then passed That this Chh. does judge that their Brother

    James Hidden has given just Cause of offence to the Chh.

    in his absenting himself from the Communion of it for a long

    Time, and in his saying to this purpose that he had as

    leave join with the Papists as with this Chh. under the

    present Circumstances, and in treating a written Message

    from the Chh. with great Contempt and in giving his

    Reasons given for his absenting himself from the Communion

    of it, the most of which this Chh. looks upon rather as

    Unjust Accusations of the Church than any Reasons justifying

    his Withdraw from it: and cannot but judge that he has Cut

    himself off from the priviledge of Communion with the Chh.