"DEAR SIR,--The sovereign Lord of life and death having called to rest from his labours and affliction here our late dear pastor, the Rev. and worthy Mr. Benjamin Glandfield, the Congregational Church of Christ at Ipswich are thereby left as sheep without a shepherd. We, the members of the said Church, have humbled ourselves before the Lord by fasting and prayer, imploring his direction under this solemn dispensation, and do think our present duty is, the endeavouring to fill up that relation by calling one duly qualified for the pastoral office; and having several times had experience of the excellent gifts and graces God in his mercy hath bestowed on you, we cannot but acknowledge how generally acceptable they are to this Church and auditory; and having had several informations of your present circumstances at Kettering, and the way plain and easy for a removal; and considering that your settlement with us in the pastoral office is likely to be of great service to the interest of Christ in these parts, and for the uniting and settling of this Church, which otherwise is like to fall into great confusions--therefore, we, the brethren of the Church aforesaid, at a meeting this 26th of October, 1720, do hereby call and desire you to take the pastoral office in this Church, praying the Lord, the great Shepherd of the sheep, to direct, incline, and settle you with us, unto whose divine providence we commit this great affair, trusting the Lord will enable us to perform those duties required of us. We desire you at a convenient time as possible to return answer to our desires and call, which will greatly oblige, dear Sir, your most affectionate friends and servants in one Lord, (Signed) "Thos. Wyneall, } "Joseph Wyatt, } Deacons. "With many others, brethren of the Church." In another page, in Mr. Milway's own handwriting, there are the names of the 41 brethren and the 79 sisters who joined in the call of Thomas Milway to the pastoral office. "All these distinctly," he observes, "and one by one, gave their consent to my taking the pastoral office. The 10th of August, 1721, was a day set apart for solemn prayer to implore a blessing upon my pastoral labours," when he records the names of the ministers who engaged and were present, and adds, "We have good grounds to hope the Lord was with us, and did assist in the work; and that a spirit of supplication was poured out upon us. For which, his abundant mercy, may we bless him for ever; and may a gracious God say to pastor and people, 'From this day will I bless you.' Amen and amen."