Brother John

I recd thy Letter of the 7th at portsmouth the 8th. Inst with Much Concern on thy Acct apprehendg the Measure of Sueing at this time would increas instead of Lessening thy Difficulties for the same Disposition that could Suspect thy purchasing flour on purpose to carry to Boston could evade the force of Such a Suit and even tum it against thee and thy friend at Newport that so kindly assisted in thy relief would take it Unkind at this time when they lay so Expos'd & Under Wallises Resentment which he doubtless would Manifest to them, the Custom House officers hitherto friendly to this work Would be influanc'd not only against thee but the Merchants in Providence, and thereby instead of Sattisfying them, when they felt the Consequences would throw the Whole upon thee, thy Vessels wherever found will be particularly Mark'd, & detaind to thy great Loss, on going to Newport and hearing a Vessel thou was Concernd was Stopt. I Sent for Nicholas Power & gave him my Sentiments and Advised that if he tho't with me that he Spoke with the Sherriff & Stopt the Writt till further Orders from thee but that I had no Authority & therefore of my Self would not Undertake it, what was done I know not, but if it is not Stopt its very Clearly My opinion it had better be for it can not be of the Least Service that I can See but Must Bring Distress if not Ruin on thee, as Thy Own friend, may be so far inducd to be thy Enemies at Newport & by Unguarded Expressions at Least Subject thee to the Strictest scrutiny which even Inocence itself can at this Confusd state of things Just carry itself through the Torrent of Censure So prevalent against Considerate Modest Men that dont Run with the Tides, this I Know by My self who am Much Censured with Hate in the Country but were I to go to Work to Reconcile & please these people I must do things worse then any thing Chargd on me or thee to the Loss of a Quiet & peaceful Mind which I am thankful at times I am favourd with from Consciousness of having as great a regard for My Countrys Rights Liberty & Happiness as the Most Sanguine Wigg ー and that I am Clear of having Enterd into any Engagement but such as if pursued by all would be Likely to Effect the Happiness of both Countries and of this Sentiment those who act fuly with me ー When I consider thy Engagements at parting with the Admiral thy Letter to [James] Wallace & thy Interest in a Settlement of the Difference with him I am induced to believe thou art Lead a Side from that Standard of Resignation to thy alotment which I was pleas'd to find thee in a degree Possess'd of at Boston a State of Mind Much safer than which is Drove & Hurried with the spirit of the Unhappy Times

When I came home from Newport and heard of a Vessel or Two being Armd & fitted & gone Out to Cruise for Vessels &c I feard whither thou Might not be Still led further a Side from thy Duty by the Same Delusive Spirit and have Sinse heard that thou hast been so far Concemd therein as greatly to Affect Me as well as thy Self which is the more Imediate Ocation of this Letter  As I have not claimd any Merrit to Myself thro My Journey to Boston, I will yet avoid it as far as Possible and only lay the Case before thee for Determination weither or know My Character as a person profesing Religion will not suffer and insted of that Sincerity & Honnesty thou knows I was tho't to have in Boston I shal not be thot to be a Deciver & Hippocrite if thy Conduct Tums out so Contrary to What thou Engaged and I was a Voucher & Surety for? this Hurt to me as a Man only I could bear, but my religious profession & faithful Brethren which are nearer than any thing in my Life to Me are by me in this View Reproachd allso and which at this time when We as a people can not Stand between the Violence of Two parties but by Our Sincerity and faithfulness to the Leadings of that Divine Principal of Truth which we profess to follow is truely a distressing Consideration to Me who am [undecipherable] that the Writt hath already so far Shut up the way of My Serving the Injured Innocent that I could not do any thing for our Numerous friends at Nantucket in the Case of Watermans Detention tho several times Applyd to, for I considered the Officers Must Suppose My at least consenting if not aiding in ye Writt

Add to these Considerations, the Scituation my Estate as well as Person & Character Stand in, Equaly Expos'd with thine at a Time when I am Retird from Business anq Made Content With what I have, Must it not bring an Additional Trial & an Increasd Mortification to have that Subject to the Pleasure & Will of an other by my Own Agreement Signd by My Own hand before Witnesses for the Redemption of him whose Conduct afterward Subjects me to such Tryal & Loss  However afflicting this Dispute to Me  I desire to be preserved in Resignation & to Act a Consistant part as far as in Me Lies and be as patient as I can under the Event, it is in vain for Any to think Such Negotiation & Agreements are Void in Law & therefore the parties May do as they please, If all Confidence is Once Lost by Solemn Engagements being Violated how will future Inocence suffer if there can be no Ransom Comply'd with,

Where an Error by any Inducement takes Place there is no ways I know of to Remedy it but to Leave of[f] Continuing in the Spirit or Disposition that Led to it, I have therefore now only to ask it of thee from the foregoing Considerations and from Every grateful Motive that thou Mannefest in all thy Future Conduct a Conformity to thy Solemn Agreement which will Stand thee in Stead before All Men if thou Conducts ー Carefully & peaceably. I have for Sometime back tho't it would be More agreeable to Me to go before the Committee of Correspondence in the Town & lay before them every Transaction Respecting the getting thy Liberty from the Admirals Ship and unless Matters are restord as far as may be that Violates or is Lead to Violate Our Engagement I must in Justice to My Self family & friends Make Known the Part Acted for thy Relief, which on thy Acct I at first feard would be to thy Disadvantage and am not yet clear weather it may not become my duty to lay before the Admiral my intire Disapprobation of Such Conduct for the Clearing My Self but I hope there may be no necessity for this  I fear having taken hold on My Mind at Seeing thee of Writing the address to the Assembly that those would be led through a desire of Popular Approbation (a Share I am not Unacquainted with) to Do something that would lay us under Difficulties to guard & prevent which, I gave them a Copy of what we both signd Mentioning at the same time we were bound in Honour to the Observance of it and for thy Conduct after & till I went from home I had no concern on that Acct  I have taken this Method of Writing in preference of an Interview Knowing it is Seldom Sollid Opportunities can be had from thy Hurry in Business & that thou Might Set down & Cooley Way the Steps that has been pursued and Make a stop for believe it as Necessary for thee at this Time of Tryal & Difficulty as it was for the Children of Israel  they came to the read Sea which Also Lays befor Thee, they Were Order'd to Stand Still & See the Salvation of God, they obeyed and the floods were Divided before them & then they past to Safety tho' no doubt fearfully on, May this be our Case Dear Brother and thou [ ] Arive at the Banks of Deliverance from not only Outward but Inward Troubles which the tinder in heart knows their travels remarkably Tipifye. Tis the Desire of thy friend & Brotherー