Letter of complaint against Rev. Timothy Harrington, 17 August 1779

To the first chh of Christ in Lancaster we the Subscribers Members of said chh offer the following Articles as as agrievances we labour under which greatly impede our comfort and Edification in the Chh and has been so great stumblling to some of us that we could not comfortably commune and are therefore the reasons of our withdraw in such of us have absentd. We are agrieved with the Revd Timothy Harrington the Pastor for many things in his conduct which appear to us grossly contrary to Gods word & tending to destroy our constitution and subvert our privileges both ecclesiastical and civil As to ecclesiastical matters; His endeavoring to prevent the People at Bolton from having the Gospel admini= =stred to them both in wrd & ordinances; protesting against them, all candidates that should presume to preach to them and against Gentlemen in the Ministry which had been helpful to them in the settlement of the Gospel Ministry among them. Which conduct appears to us to come expressly ^under the censure of our Savr Mat. 23:13 Ye shut up the Kingdom of heaven against Men &c It appears to us that his conduct has the greatest tendency To subvert our Religious constitution & the faith of Our Chh in his saying that the Quebeck Bill was just That he would have done the same if he had been one of the Parliament, and also saying that he was in charity with a professed Roman Catholick whose principles are so repugnant to these chhs that for a man to be in Charity with them we conceive that it is impossible he should bein charity with professed New England chh it therefore appears to us that it can be no better