An humble attempt to promote explicit agreement and visible union of God's people in…

OBJECT. I. Some may be ready to say, That for Christians, in such a Manner to set apart certain Seasons, every Week, and every Quarter, to be religiously observed and kept for the Purposes proposed, from Year to Year, would be in Effect to establish certain periodical Times of human Invention and Appointment, to be kept holy to God; and so to do the very Thing, that has ever been objected against, by a very great Part of the most eminent Christians and Divines among Protestants, as what Men have no Right to do; it being for them to add to God's Institutions, and introduce their own ⟨p. 86⟩Inventions and Establishments into the stated Worship of God, and lay unwarrantable Bonds on Men's Consciences, and do what naturally tends to Superstition.

OBJECT. I. Some may be ready to say, That for Christians, in such a Manner to set apart certain Seasons, every Week, and every Quarter, to be religiously observed and kept for the Purposes proposed, from Year to Year, would be in Effect to establish certain periodical Times of human Invention and Appointment, to be kept holy to God; and so to do the very Thing, that has ever been objected against, by a very great Part of the most eminent Christians and Divines among Protestants, as what Men have no Right to do; it being for them to add to God's Institutions, and introduce their own ⟨p. 86⟩Inventions and Establishments into the stated Worship of God, and lay unwarantable Bonds on Men's Consciences, and do what naturally tends to Superstition.

Ans. To this I would say, There can be no Justice in such an Objection against this Proposal, as made to us in the forementioned Memorial. And indeed that Caution and Prudence appears in the Projection it self, and in the Manner in which it is proposed to us, that there is not so much as any Colour for the Objection. The Proposal is such, and so well guarded, that there seems to be no Room for the weakest Christian that well observes it, so to mistake it, as to understand those Things to be implied in it, that have indeed been objected against, by many eminent Christians and Divines among Protestants, as entangling Mens Consciences, and adding to divine Institutions, &c.—Here is no Pretence of establishing any Thing by Authority; no Appearance of any Claim of Power in the Proposers, or Right to any Regard to be paid to their Determinations or Proposals, by virtue of any Deference due to them, in any Respect, any more than to every individual Person of those that they apply themselves to. So far from that, that they expressly mention that which they have thought of, as what they would propose to the Thoughts of others, for their Amendments and Improvements, declaring that they choose rather to receive and spread the Directions and Proposals of others, than to be the first Authors of any.—No Times, not sanctified by God's own Institution, are proposed to be observed more than others, under any Notion of such Times being, in any Respect, more holy, or more honourable, or worthy of any Preference, or distinguishing Regard; either as being sanctified, or made honourable,