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and altho’ he durſt not anſwer it to the State, he gave ⟨me⟩ the book of ordination, and deſired that any thing I ⟨ſeruples⟩ at, I ſhould draw a line over it on the margin, and that Mr Cunningham ſhould not read it: but I found that it ⟨had⟩ been ſo marked by ſome others before, that I needed ⟨not⟩ mark any thing: ſo the Lord was pleaſed to carry ⟨that⟩ buſineſs far beyond any thing that I had thought or ⟨almoſt⟩ ever deſired. That Winter following I was often in ⟨great⟩ heavineſs, for altho’ the people were very tractable, ⟨yet⟩ they were generally very ignorant, and I ſaw no ⟨appearance⟩ of doing any good among them, yet it pleaſed the ⟨Lord⟩ that in a ſhort time ſome of them began to ⟨underſtand⟩ ſomewhat of their condition. The biſhop of Down ⟨had⟩ an ill eye upon me becauſe I had gone elſewhere to ⟨receive⟩ ordination, and at a viſitation at Down, in the ⟨Spring⟩ following, whither I went much againſt my will, but ⟨Mr.⟩ Blair and Mr. Cunningham drew me, ſaying, my ⟨ſtaying⟩ away would procure more trouble. The biſhop aſked ⟨me⟩ in preſence of all the miniſters, what was my ⟨judgment⟩ of the ſervice-book? my anſwer ſo diſpleaſed him, ⟨that⟩ there was ſome appearance I might ſhortly be ⟨cenſured,⟩ but my lord Clannihoy prevailed with him that I ſhould ⟨be⟩ forborn, the pariſh of Killinchie being looked upon ⟨by⟩ as a pendicle of another pariſh, viz. Killileach, ⟨there⟩ was never any official court kept in it all the while I ⟨was⟩ there. Not only had we publick worſhip free of ⟨any⟩ inventions of men, but we had alſo a tolerable ⟨diſcipline⟩ for after I had been ſome while among them, by ⟨the⟩ advice of the heads of families, ſome ableſt for that ⟨chance⟩ were choſen elders, to overſee the manners of the ⟨rest⟩ and ſome deacons to gather and diſtribute the ⟨collection.⟩ We met every week, and ſuch as fell into notorious ⟨publick⟩ ſcandals, we deſired to come before us, ſuch as came w(illegible text) dealt with both in publick and private to confeſs th(illegible text) ſcandal, in prefence of the congregation, at the ⟨Saturday⟩ ſermon before the communion, which was celebrated ⟨twice⟩ in the year: ſuch as after dealing would not come ⟨before⟩ us, or coming would not be convinced to ⟨acknowledge⟩ their fault before the congregation, upon the ⟨Saturday⟩
