3. That they excepted against him for these 2. doctrins raised from 2. Sam: 12. 7. First, that ministers must sume times perticulerly apply their doctrine to spetiall persons; 2^ly, that great men may be reproved as well as meaner. A. Their answer was, that both these were without either truth or colour of y^e same (as was proved to his face), and that they had taught and beleeved these things long before they knew M^r. Liford. 4. That they utterly sought y^e ruine of y^e perticulers; as appeareth by this, that they would not suffer any of y^e generall either to buy or sell with them, or to exchaing one co[=m]oditie for another. Ans: This was a most malicious slander and voyd of all truth, as was evidently proved to him before all men; for any of them did both buy, sell, or exchaing with them as often as they had any occation. Yea, and allso both lend & give to them when they wanted; and this the perticuler persons them selves could not deney, but freely confest in open court. But y^e ground from whence this arose made it much worse, for he was in counsell with them. When one was called before them, and questioned for receiving powder and bisket from y^e gu[=n]er of the small ship, which was y^e companys, and had it put in at his window in the night, and allso for buying salt of one, that had no right to it, he not only stood to back him (being one of these perticulers) by excusing & extenuating his falte, as long as he could, but upon this builds this mische[=c]ous & most false slander: That because they would not suffer them to buy stolne goods, ergo, they sought their utter ruine. Bad logick for a devine. 5. Next he writs, that he chocked them with this; that they turned [122] men into their perticuler, and then sought to starve them, and deprive them of all means of subsistance. A. To this was answered, he did them manifest wrong, for they turned none into their perticuler; it was their owne importunitie and ernest desire that moved them, yea, constrained them to doe it. And they apealed to y^e persons them selves for y^e truth hereof. And they testified the same against him before all present, as allso that they had no cause to complaine of any either hard or unkind usage. 6. He accuseth them with unjust distribution, and writeth, that it was a strang difference, that some have bene alowed 16^li. of meale by y^e weeke, and others but 4^li. And then (floutingly) saith, it seems some mens mouths and bellies are very litle & slender over others.