here And now againe some of us the greater number were very indifferent renewed our former desires of having the Sacrament and sent about it to M. Bartlet who said we were not as yet in a capacity to have that Ordinance that it was necessary we should be first in a Gospel order embodied and said moreover that then wee should see much of God that the day of our embodying would be such a day as we had never seene A while after M. Bartlet came to the City with his Church officers he himselfe prayed and preached on Zech. 6.12 in the â—â—â—ning afterwards seven or eight persons spake out the experiences they had of the change of their condition with which I was much affected and through M. Stucleys perswasion did the like Afterwards there was a confession of faith read being a Copy of that which was composed by M. Hughes which Copy we had not from the Author but from another this confession of faith was subscribed by every one of us And then M. Bartlet made some proposals unto us by way of quaere to this effect as I remember 1. Whether we would take Christ for our Judge King and Law-giver 2. Whether wee would renounce all wayes of false worship 3. Whether wee would worship God in all his Ordinances 4. Whether we would give up our selves to the Lord and one to another and would engage our selves in all duties of Christianity each unto other 5. Whether wee would hold communion with other Churches 6. Whether wee would relieve the Saints that were in Communion according to our abilitie 7. Whether we would not rest in the light that we had received but would study to know the mind of God and live up unto it This is the substance of our engagement as I remember At this time and somewhile after there was never a woman of the Church but my selfe and yet at every meeting about Church affaires Master Stucley would send for mee and when I pleaded for my absence at such times from the meetings that of the Apostle Let your women keep silence in the Church for it is not permitted unto them to speake he replyed he would do nothing without the consent of the whole And when I was present he himselfe would constraine me to speak my opinion of things proposed We were as I said formerly very desirous of the Sacrament in order to which our first work was to get a Minister that might administer it Although Master Stucley was with us yet the people of Torrington claimed an engagement from him that Towne having been visited with the plague and deprived of their Mininisters maintenance Master Stucley who was their Minister for those reasons left them but with a promise of returning so soon as the Lord should remove his hand and sufficient maintenance for a Minister should be procured both which being at this time effected we could not chuse him to be an Officer untill he were by them freed from his engagement in order hereunto much meanes was used Master Bartlet was imployed to perswade them unto it but they with one consent refused it saying that seeing he had promised to returne they expected that he should keep promise with them Hereupon we wrote for counsell to some of the Congregationall Churches in London Master Feake and Master Harrison in their answers to our Letters affirmed that Master Stucley was bound in conscience to goe unto Torrington that it would be dishonourable to the Gospel to leave them unlesse he could get their consent for his dismission At length Master Stucley himselfe accompanied with two or three of the Church rode thither where having made an agreement with the people those that rode with him were called in to consent therunto which they accordingly did At their returne Master Stucley required each one of us to consent likewise unto the agreement they made at Torrington without declaring what it was which being done by all the men he desired the sisters there being other women now added to the Church to do the like which my selfe and some others refused resolving that we would not act by an implicite faith Master Stucley thereupon said that what was done was a Church act because they who went with him consented thereunto viz. that we were engaged to get a Minister for the people of Torrington Accordingly there was one procured who continued with them for a time This Serpentine subtilty of his I tooke speciall notice of and did for it reprove him to his face we were in the meane time and so continued for some yeares in a bewildred condition without either of the Sacraments some not having their children baptized in a long time others did procure some Congregationall Minister to do it And as for the Lords Supper they who would partake of it rode to other places in the Country most of the people were very indifferent whether we had the Ordinances or no seeking themselves getting places and offices designing how they might build their owne houses and as for Master Stucley himselfe he was so distracted with Law-suits Intangled with the world and mony engagements as that he was seldome with us at our fasts and times of prayer Hence I began to suspect that they intended nothing but separation and setting up of themselves and their owne interests and designes which did exceedingly trouble mee Upon our private fast dayes when wee had done praying it was our custome for the help of those that were to pray to spend a little time in Conference and at such times did I take occasion to speak of the disorders among us told theÌ„ plainly that I feard we did separate froÌ„ others more godly then our selves as Cain who went out from the presence of the Lord to build citties that there was little regard had to what we at first pretended the setting up of pure ordinances I often told them that I never heard or read in Scripture or other history that the Lord did make use of a people of such an earthly luke-warme and indifferent spirit in any publique worke of reformation that it was not a party or confederacy that I looked after but to have the Gospel more discovered in greater light and beauty and the ordinances to be enjoyed in greater purity the beauty of Gods ornament to be set in Majestie and more purity and selfe-deniall to appeare in us who had separated from all mixtures Because I conceive that purity lay onely in this way therefore was I very forward and zealous in it hoping to leave posterity the ordinances pure and the name of God glorious in the brightnesse of the Gospel for this cause did I deale so plainly with them with which plaine and faithfull dealing they pretended many times to be much affected and thereupon would do something more in order to Religion then they had formerly Master Stucley as I said before being troubled about the things of this world left us to our selves very often in our
Charity This was witnessed by Seaven persons Solution This cannot prove me Contentious any more then the generality of them who have acknowledged that they did speak against her and some of them told me that whereas I had one thing against her they had twenty yea Mr. Stucley himselfe was so dissatisfied with her as that he took advice with another minister about her but I remember the law of Charity to the dead and therefore forbear to adde any more but refer the Reader to my Narrative where she is brought in as a witnesse against me for lying as she is here to prove me contentious Surely if Mr. Eveleigh did ever love her whiles she lived the best testimony he can give of it will be by letting her alone to rest quietly in her grave and not urge me any more to publish that which the law of Charity requires to be concealed Instance 5. She caused a great deale of disturbance amongst us after the Officers were chosen in pressing with much earnestnesse that Mr. Stoneham might be chosen Pastor this was witnessed by three persons Resol I know not what he meanes by disturbance nor who was disturbed neither have I any ground to believe that I caused the least disturbance to any as to this particular If I had caused such a great deale of disturbance amongst them it might have been witnessed by more than three witnesses And as for Mr. Stoneham I wonder they should alleadge him as an Instance of my Contentiousnesse now he is absent who when he was present in the name of the Church pronounced me innocent as to this very impeachment after he was Officer Inst 6. She did a long time contend for womens speaking in the Church and being admoshed for practising accordingly she did openly professe that she would not be present at Church meetings when matters were debated unlesse she might have that liberty and being denied she ever since contemptuously neglected Church meetings and slighted the officers of the Church In pag. 20 of Mr. Mall's book he laies down the charge in these words She took liberty of speaking in the Church for some time and being reproved by me for it from time to time there was a visible decay of affection to me c. Solut. That it is false as to the whole charge taken together appeares in that there are none as in the former particulars mentioned who did witnesse it neither will he ever find any unlesse they be desperately hardned that dare affirme it which I shall make evident in my Answers to the severall particulars thereof As to the first particular viz. she took the the liberty of speaking and she did a long time contend for womens speaking c. To this I answer 1 As for womens speaking it was usually practised amongst us by the rest of my Sex And it is well known that the power was pretended at first to be in the body of the people in the multitude so that every one had the liberty of assenting or dissenting of arguing and debating any matter proposed whether men or women If women were denied the liberty of speaking how could they declare their Experiences yea A. P. was kept off for refusing this 2. It is false that I took the liberty of speaking it was not only given me but the liberty of being silent was denied me and that by Mr. Stucley himselfe who would send for me at the meetings even then when there was never a woman of the Church but my selfe and afterwards many times he would single me out in the meetings and urge me very earnestly to declare my Judgment in reference to what had been proposed 3. As to my contending for womens speaking by my former Answers it appeares that Mr Stucley hath little reason to charge me with it unlesse he expected that I should be as fickle as himselfe in taking up and laying down opinions and practises as they suited with or thwarted his humour and interest As to the second particular whereas he saith he admonished and reproved me for it from time to time I answer That all the Admonition and Reproofe I had from him was that mentioned in my Narrative viz that my speaking was disrelishd by some whereupon I resolved Silence for the future although I had looked on the Contrary as my duty formerly which resolution I accordinglie kept alwaies after the Officers were chosen unlesse it were when I was required to give in my thoughts concerning a person proposed or asked a question yea Mr. Stucley witnesseth for me in the charge it selfe where he saith it was a long time that I contended for womens speaking and in Mr Mall's book for some time c. By which it is evident that I did not continue in the practise thereof to the last how can then my speaking be brought as an Instance to prove me contentious one ground of their Suspension neer three yeares after I had left of this practise As for what he saith followed on his Reproving and admonishing me viz. 1 A decay of Affection to him I answer if there were such a visible decay of affection he mistook the cause of it It was not his reproving of me no the reproof was so mild and gentle and at such a distance as that I had litle reason to be angry with him for it But it was his selfe-seeking and minding his own things more then the things of Christ c. against which I did declare my dislike both before and after this reproof and admonition As to what he saies that after their denying me the libertie of speaking I contemptuously neglected Church meetings and slighted the officers I answer that it is a grosse lye a lye so egregious as that the whole church can vvitnesse if they please against it For I was after this constantly at church meetings the liberty of speaking by a Brother being allowed me yea I declared that I was very much dissatisfied because the meetings after the Officers were chosen for conferring one with another were not continued as formerly I never absented my selfe but upon some necessary hindrance which was not often As for slighting of the Officers I answer that I gave them so much honour as was due unto them according to my power if they had not so much as they desired let them consider whether they did not desire more then they deserved They that rule well are worthy of double honour 3d Charge The Censoriousness of her Spirit was evidēced in her uncharitable language cōcerning the Presbyterians and us also reporting one to be fallen from the faith another to have nothing of God in her charging Mr. Stoneham to have walked contrary to the Apostles counsell 2 Cor. 4.2 And to have such expressions in preaching and prayer as were but as chaffe to the wheat And imputing the afflictions of some of the church to their unworthy receiving of the Lords body These were proved by many witnesses and her own letters Ans As to
according to my best Remembrance is this On the day before being munday after dynner Mr. Stonham and his wife came to visit me Before I could come to them my husband in discoursing with them sayed that I had heard Mr. Ford the day before when I came into the Roome Mr Stonham looked on me with an Angry countenance and would scarce Speak whereupon I asked his wife what did aile him who ansvvered that he vvas not vvell pleased vvith me for my goeing avvay to heare she told me likevvise that he did not like Mr Eveleighs maide and farther added that she heard that I had somewhat against her she is said I a stranger unto me and therefore it is my desire that she may be kept off one week longer untill I have informed my selfe concerning her Then said she do you be present at the meeting to speak to have her kept off this she desired with much earnestnesse On the Tuesdaie following after dinner Mr Spraigue the younger came to me frō Mr Stoneham as he said who had been with him the day before and desired him to take me off from hearing Mr Ford. To this end among other things he told me that those sheep which had been used to meane feeding were not fit for fat pasture it was the way to bring them to the scab he likewise spake something about Mr Eveleighs maid and earnestly desired me to be at the meeting I told him that I then lay under some trouble of spirit and so could not be fit for such an Imployment however upon his earnest intreaty I fitted my selfe to goe When I was come they began contrarie to their usuall practice to talke of the maid before ever the Lord had been sought unto in prayer Mr Owen sitting at the table neer me I willed him to acquaint them that it was my desire she might be kept off a week longer as I remember untill I had informed my selfe concerning her Mr Eveleigh presently replyed that he would give Testimony for her I told him that a master or superior was not so fit to give Testimony for a servant or inferior and withall instanced in Gehazi who carried himselfe fairly in his masters presence After this one Ambrose a shoomaker was proposed who it seemes wrought with Ganicle concerning whom Mr Eveleigh asked me whether I had any thing against him I answered that I had nothing and also that though he were a stranger unto me yet I had heard a good report of him upon which Ganicle said that I would take his Testimony for his man and not Mr Eveleighs for his maid yea said Mr Eveleigh that is the very thing because it is my Testimony therefore she will not take it adding farther that it was scandalous and that I was offensive or contentious and had hindred their proceedings for many yeares insomuch as he could not partake with me in the Ordinances untill he was satisfied I replyed that this would not be borne and that if my carriage had bin so offensive I should have heard of it in some other place and in some other manner and then I presently appealed to all the Congregation desiring them to be faithfull unto me as they would Answer it another day by declaring wherein my carriage had been offensive and what evils they had seen in me And when I perceived they were unwilling to meddle in it I told them plainly that I would come no more among them unless they would satisfie me herein At length Mr Stoneham began his prayer after this manner Lord we have waited for a prayer and now thou hast given us in a prayer it may be the returne of many prayers and then bewailed that the serpent was gotten into the garden After the prayer Mr. Eveleigh and my selfe were to withdraw but Mr Eveleigh before he went out told them he left it to the Church to determine whether I were not contentious Two things said he I have against her Contention and her going away to hear Mr Ford which the Church neither can nor will bear And he farther charged John Whitehorne the chiefest then in this businesse that he should insist upon Contention and if he wanted an Instance that he should name Agnes Pullen When we were withdrawne the generality of them said they did believe I was a good woman c. But then they were asked againe whether through a mixture of Corruption it might not tend to Contention to which this reply was made That they did not know but it might Mr. Stoneham told me that they would not for a world charge me with contention but did fear lest through a mixture of Corruption it might tend thereunto Many of them were offended with the Elders dealing so disorderly with me but knew not how to help it and desired me to take no notice of it By all which it appeares 1 That they were very much displeased with me for hearing others besides our own Officers though they were unwilling to quarrell with me openly about it Mr. Eveleigh t is true accused me thereof at this meeting but as I am informed some of them did very much dislike his mentioning of that particular and refused to medle with it because they thought it fitter to be concealed then that it should be publickly taken notice of 2 That it is very probable they had a resolution some of them to quarrell with me about Mr. Eveleigh's maid in case I could not be prevailed with to leave off hearing of other ministers why else should they be so earnest with me after I had given a sufficient Excuse for my absence to be present at the meeting why else should Mr. Stoneham use such expressions in his prayer 3 That although Mr Eveleigh at this time when the Quarrell brake out accused me of Contention yet that the Quarrell did not begin in my contentious spirit and sowing divisions is apparent 1 Because I did no more then Mr. Stoneham approved of and Mris. Stoneham desired me to do so that I could be no more contentious in opposing Mr. Eveleighs mayd then they 2. This businesse was ended in three daies they had nothing after this against me but my hearing other ministers as Mr. Eveleigh himselfe told me 4 And therefore notwithstanding the quarrell brake out at the time when I opposed Mr. Eveleigh's maid yet it is very apparent that it began was continued carried on and increased even to a breach only for my hearing of another minister for as to the charge of lying I never heard of it till my coming off as I have already declared In the next place he takes shame to himselfe that he did not sooner excite the church to their duty as to the last Remedy for the healing of this woman c. Resol I believe in the end he will see more cause to take shame to unto himselfe in that he hath so rashly excited them to this censure before he ever discharged the duty of admonition Let him consider whether