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

And therefore I desire it may be considered, whether we shall not really sin against God, in refusing to comply with their Proposal and Request,or in neglecting it, and turning it by, with but little Notice and Attention; therein disregarding that which is truly a Call of God to us.

The Ministers that make this Proposal to us, are no Separatists or Schismatics, Promoters of no public Disorders, nor of any Wildness or Extravagance in Matters of Religion; but are quiet and peaceable Members and Ministers of the Church of Scotland, that have lamented ⟨p. 183⟩the late Divisions and Breaches of that Church. If any shall say, that they are under no Advantage to judge of their Character, but must take it on Trust from others, because they conceal their Names; in Answer to this, I would say, That I presume that no sober Person will say that he has any Reason to suspect 'em, to be any other than Gentlemen of honest Intention. Be-sure there is no Appearance of any Thing else, but an upright Design in their Proposal: And that they have not mentioned their Names, is an Argument of it. It may well be presumed, from the Manner of their expressing themselves, in the Memorial it self, that they concealed their Names from that, which perhaps may be called an Excess of Modesty; choosing to be at the greatest Distance from appearing to set forth themselves to the View of the World, as the Heads of a great Affair, and the first Projectors and Movers of something extraordinary, that they desire should become general, and that God's People in various distant Parts of the World should agree in. And therefore, they are moreover careful to tell us, that they don't propose the Affair, as now setting it on Foot, but as a Thing already set on Foot; and don't tell us who first projected and moved it. The Proposal is made to us in a very proper •nd prudent Manner, with all Appearance of Christian Modesty and Sincerity, and with a very prudent Guard against any Thing that looks like Superstition, or whatsoever might entangle a tender Conscience; & far from any Appearance of a Design to promote any particular Party or Denomination of Christians, in Opposition to others; but will all Appearance of the Contrary, in their charitable Request, that none would by any Means conceive of any such Thing