I receyved yours bearing date the 1 octo: wheareby I perceiue that myne had much distasted you (which much greeved me) to thinke that you should so misconstuer my meaning and to conceyve the worst of me in all things for for my owne parte I never questioned your loue or conceyved ill of you but allways accounted you my Cheifest freind and still doe howsoever you conceyve of me neyther can I tell why you should conceyve me to be resolued never to see N: E: I am suer it haue allwayes beene and still is my desyer and should think my selfe happy to inioye both yours and others sweete sosietie whom I truly and dearely loue neyther to my knowledg did I ever Charge you with vnkindenesse or offended with you for not taking off sum of my Children but only thought that God had not apoynted my cominge thether because I Could never finde an opertunitie to send any of my Childrin (hauing many) beforehand, having much desyered it. I must confess your last but one did much trouble me. whearfor neglecting, once writing to you, you censored me to be alltogether regardles of you and one that was alltogether taken up with the world and therfor would (as I conceyved) leve me to the world which did much greeue me neyther did we ever doubt of our owne or our Childrins wellcom to you for yf ever we could haue found an opertunite fitting we had exercised your loue therin neyther have we so set vp our rest in ould En: but yf it would please God to make a waye for vs we should be as glad to intertayne such an opertunitie as ever we weare of any and yet to deale playnely ther is something that hath and still doeth much discoureg me and that is in keepeing diuers from being of your congrigation and such as be of good iudgment and conversation (as we have relation) and not admitting ther yong Children the sacrement of babtisme seing Christ would not haue such forbidden to be brought to him. and grant that the Father and mother be not beleevers (and yet desyer to haue ther Children babtized) happely it may be that the Grandfather or Grandmother or ther predecessors maye have beene beleevers. then are not such the seede vnto whome the Couenant apperteine or belonge? I desyer herein to be satisfied. for I will assuer you rather would I liue with breade and water wheare I am (inioying that meanes I yet doe) then to liue elsewheare delissiousely not being admitted in to the Congregation and com­212munion of saynts. I thanke our good lord I yet liue vnder a faythfull minister one that faythfully labours and earnestly desyers to enlarge his masters kingdome the Lord giue vs grace to bring forth frute in some measuer answarable to that cost he hath bestowed vpon vs that when our change shall be we maye be counted worthy through Christ Jesus to reigne with God for ever more for the attayning wheareof we humbly and earnestly intreate you to solicite the Lord for vs That he would lead and gide vs by his counsell untill he bringe vs to glory. And now my deare and loving Brother I hartely thanke you for all your loue shewed to me and mine, and am hartely sory you should conceiue or once think that we should slight your good will which I allwayes highly prised and doe earnestly still desyer to haue it and that at any time you shall heare any ill of vs spare not to admonish vs or to quicken vs vp in the waies of holynes (for I confesse we are too remisse therin the Lord forgiue vs) for I acknowledge the reproofe of a freind is better then the kisse of an enemie and hope we shall be willing to lissin to good counsayle at all times and seeing you would not haue vs scrupulous in frequenting your loue or acquainting you with what you might doe vs good you shall vnderstand that we have a greate desyer to send you your godson our Sonn John to be imployed by you and indeed we had sent him now but for want of meanes (for we weare never worse for monyes then now for I know not well what shift to make. formerly I had Freinds heere as your selfe and brother Downing who haue lent me 50li at a time but now haue none so to pleasuer me I thanke God for it I haue good store of good Corne but monyes being scarse and Corne plentifull it will now yeald me noe mony to speake of I haue oft wished J. and our selues with you but wishes and teares haue both one propertie they shew ther loue but want the remedye) and to deale truly with you it is that that have beene the only cause of our staying I have wished a hundred times that I had gone with my Sister Winthrop for I see the longer the worser but formerly my wife was very backward when we might better have gone and now having less means and more Charge she is very desierous of goeing I praye God direct vs and giue vs grace to submit to his blessed will in all things heer have bin and still are troubellsome times the Lord helpe vs heere is now in all likelyhood to be a parlement I praye God prosper it and cause some good efect by it otherwise I see nothing but all wilbe nought but the Lord can doe what it pleaseth him the Lord giue vs fayth to rely wholy vpon him and allwayes to stand vpon our watch that come lyfe come death Christ maye be to vs advantage I praie remember our best respects to our good Sister your wife and to my Cozen John and his wife and I praye excuse me for not writing to him and 213tell him yf I could as easely wright to him as he can to me he should have twoe for one but never was Beare draune to stake with more vnwillingness than I to wrighting of letters whear it not so I would wery you with letters and never vndergoe any more such censures for that Commend me allso to my Cosen Pheakes and tell her she haue still an Ante in ould E: though I think she haue quite forgotten her for she promised that she would wright and we should haue all the nuse from her but I am suer it is longe when it come I hope it wilbe large for as yet we never had one word from her remember our loue to my Cosen Dudly and his wife and I praye tell her as much also Commend vs allso to Stephen Addam Deane Samuell and all the rest of our Cosens and freinds and thus with our kinde salutations to your selfe we leve you to the good blissing of God and ever remayne your assured loving brother