AN ANSWER TO THE City-Conformists Letter, FROM THE Country Clergyman, About Reading His Majesty's DECLARATION.  
With Allowance.  
LONDON, Printed by Mary Thompson, at the Entrance into the 〈…〉 near Charing-Cross, 1688.   

The Country Clergy-Man's Answer to the City Conformists Letter, etc.  
SIR,  
YOU tell me you do not wonder at my Concern for finding an Order of Council published in the Gazette for reading the King's Declaration for Liberty of Conscience. But I must assure you, that when I heard that the London Clergy refused to read it, I could not forbear Wondering.  
That there was an Order given for the Reading it, did at first surprise me; for the Reasons of it did not immediately occur to my Thoughts: But that any of the Clergy, especially the Right Reverend Fathers the Bishops, decline the Publishing of it, surprises me more; and the Reasons they give, most of all.  
There is (I confess) a great deal in what you have on the entrance of your Letter suggested. For to read the Declaration, is not to read the Mass, nor to profess the Romish Faith; and therefore no hurt in reading it; and to suffer for such a Refusal is not to fall like Confessors, but to suffer as Criminals, for disobeying the lawful Commands of our Prince. Thus much, you think, will be the sense of some: And there is so much cause to move the considering mind to conclude thus, that I think you right in your Notion of it: and do further believe, that not the Complying, but the Refusal to comply with this Order; on the Grounds you do, will provoke all Good Men to despise and hate us. For,  
1. Hitherto the Government has been a Screen between our Clergy and the Censures of the People. There are Laws against Dissenters, we could say, and Laws must be observed: We had no hand in the making of those Laws, and could wish 'em altered, but 'twas not in our power to do it. This has been the way we were forced to take, to the end we might be secured from the People's Rage and Clamour; which by this means always past over us, and lighted on the Government. But now the Government being for a Remove of those Laws, the Clergies stickling so very much for their Continuance, exposes us; and we shall not be able to say, it is the Government; but 'twill be said, it is the Clergy that were for the Making, as well as Execution of Penal Laws. Besides,  
2. You do hereby put us out of a Capacity of vindicating ourselves from the Reproach of being Persecutors. Hitherto we have been able with some plausibleness to say, That none were punished for their Religion, or their Consciences; but for their Faction, their Sedition and Rebellion. Our Laws declared the matters Religious for which any fell under their Lash, to be a Crime against the Civil State. And 'twas for that, the Papists and Phaenaticks suffered. His Majesty's Grandfather, of Blessed Memory, insists on this; and so did Sir Edw. Coke. But now His Majesty distinguishing between matters of mere Religion, and those other Religious matters that are so blended with the Civil State, that the Error in Religion is a Crime against the Government, is resolved to do his part, towards the separating the one from the other, and to extend Liberty to all in matters of mere Religion, but no further. Our opposition therefore unto this, will insinuate into the minds of the People, that we do in good earnest desire, that Laws may be continued in force against men for matters of mere Religion: whereby we shall be inevitably involved in the odious Reproach of being Persecutors of Godly Conscientious Men. But,  
3. The insisting on the Illegality of the Dispensing power, as a Reason of the Refusal, is one of the most impolitic things in the World. For,  
1. We have hereby lost that Interest we had all along in the favour of the Prince. If we will be just in our acknowledgements, we must confess that we had been long ago a lost Church, had we not the Crown on our side to support us. It is the Monarch that has been the Bulwark of the Church of England, and we by asserting the Prerogative, which comprehends within it the Dispensing power, gained an Interest in him, who on all occasions hazarded himself for our Defence. The Bishop asserted the Prerogative, and the Prerogative preserved the Bishop. And the Bishops by opposing Prerogative, have broke down the Bulwark of our Church. And tho' with Grief, yet in Truth, we may say: Our Glory is gone, our Strength is departed. You have now made a Divorce between the Crown and the Church of England-Mitre; and must never more expect to be the Darling of a Crown'd-Head. No Prince can take pleasure in those that have contrary to their avowed Principles, without any just provocation, as you have done, broke the Crown in pieces.  
2dly. We have Condemned ourselves, and justified the Dissenters in this. The Reason why we have for many years together Represented the Dissenters, even from the Pulpit, to be Men of Factious, Seditious and Rebellious Principles, was grounded on their Narrowing the Prerogative, and Limiting the Monarchy: which we said, they did, by refusing to Declare, that they would not value such Commissions as were granted by the Imperial Power, the Prorogative, more than the King's Authority, which is the Laws of the Land. We were sensible of the Mischief of the old Puritanick Doctrine, that made the Law to be the Mouth of the King, and held, that the King was Obeyed and Fought for, when 'twas against His Person, if 'twas in Defense of the Politic Laws. and we clearly saw, that there was no other way to obviate the Mischief of this their Seditious Doctrine; but by inventing and imposing the Declaration of Abborrence, which all the Clergy Subscribe, and in which they Declare: That those Commissions that are given out by the Imperial Power, contrary to the Law, must be much more deferred unto, than the Law of the Land; and that all those that hold the contrary, are for the Traitorous Position.  
But by this Opposition to His Majesty's Declaration, we regard not the Imperial Law; no, nor the Exercise of the Royál Power, tho' agreeable to our Laws: And contrary to our Solemn Vows and Declarations, have set up the King's Authority above His Regal Power; and as one of our Divines very lately, do make the Law, the Mouth of the King; and aver, That our Obedience must not be to the Private, but Public Declaration of His Will; whereby we run so far, as to justify that Parliament, which Fought against His Majesty's Royal Father; whom notwithstanding His engaging to the loss of His Life, in our Quarrel, we now condemn; and Publish to the World; That the Dissenters were all along in the right. We cannot now say, that the Dissenters were Factious, Seditious, and Rebellious heretofore, but by Condemning ourselves for such at this time.  
4ly. In a word, you have by this Act, exposed our Ministry to the greatest Scorn and Contempt. For how can any wise Man reflected on what has been the burden of our Preaching, for many years together, in the Defence of the Prerogative, and see how we have at once given the Lie to all, and regard us any more? That we have, as the Ambassadors of Christ, and in the Name of the Lord, Published so very much in the Exalting the Prerogative, under the Notion of Divine Truth; and now pretend, that we are bound in Conscience, boldly to contradict all; is such a Soliscim, as will render it impossible for Men of Candour and Integrity to entertain any tolerable Thoughts of us or our Ministry. And those very Gentlemen which have wheedled you into this Snare, will neglect and scorn you.  
The Reasons you give for your Refusal, make our Case the more deplorable. You in the first place, take it for granted, That no Church- of-England-Man can approve of the Declaration. And then add: That Reading it, is an Overt-Act of Approbation. And to declare otherwise, is, Protestatio contra Factum. And the very Reading it will influence the Multitude, to do their utmost that Penal Laws and Tests be taken off, and do what will Reflect on those Noblemen and Gentry, that have lost their Places for being against it. This is the Sum of what you say: To which I will distinctly Reply.  
1st. To what you take pro confesso: None of our Clergy approve of the Declaration. I Answer, That many sober Men amongst us do approve both of the Liberty of Conscience, and of the Dispensing-Power. And there is not that Clergyman this day in England, who has not Exalted the Regal Power much higher than the Law of the Land, and are bound to regard the King's Private Command, as they do His Private Commission, more than His Authority; or, (which is the same) the Law of the Land. Thus much all our Clergy, before their Institution and Induction, have solemnly declared. And no other Reason can be assigned for our dislike of the Declaration, but this; That we are against Liberty of Conscience. It is the King's Dispensing with those Laws that are made against Dissenters, that displeases you. And seeing, when a Law is made, it must be put in Execution, or there must be a Suspending the Execution by a Dispensing-Power, or a Repeal: Those who are against the Repeal, as you undoubtedly are, and also against the Dispensing with those Laws, must be for their Execution, i. e. for the filling of our Goals with Dissenters, Riffling their Houses, Ruining their Families, and destroying their Persons. This must be the thing aimed at by those who cannot approve of the King's Declaration for Liberty: And seeing this is the thing you would be at, how can you expect the Dissenters should trust you? Or how can you, without blushing say, you are for due tenderness to Dissenters, even when you will rather suffer yourselves, than that the Dissenters enjoy the least ease?  
2dly. To the Second, Reading is not an Overt-Act of Approving: Don't you remember, how many invidious Excommunications have been sent down unto us to Publish; which we have done, without making ourselves a Party: Or can you forget the Distinction we have used to escape the Censure of the fanatics, about being Consenters to every thing that we Subscribe unto? We consent to the Use, but not the Say. And if Using the Common-Prayer-Book, which is done by Reading, be not Consenting; how comes it to pass, that Reading, in the present Case, must be Consenting. Furthermore,  
3dly. To Read it, and at the same time to Dissent, is not Protestatio contra Factum. There is a difference between Reading, that is the Factum; and Consenting; and Protesting against Consenting, is not Protestatio contra Factum. To Read it, and Protest against Reading, is Protestatio contra Factum: But to Read, and Protest you do not Consent, is not such a Protestation. But,  
4ly. Reading the Declaration, will influence the People from taking off the Penal Laws and Tests: And I am of your Opinion in this: for, let the Multitude but understand, that the Test-Laws shall continue until we have better security for our Religion, our Civil Rights and Properties, which is the thing His Majesty declares, and it's not to be doubted, but every Man of Sense will be for taking off the very Tests. But you mistake, when you add; That the taking off the Test, is opening the door to let in Popery, to the Ruin of the Church of England. For we need not fear Popery, unless the Papists have Power enough to drive us to their Religion by Persecution. And the taking off the Tests, on the Terms His Majesty Proposes, will give us greater security against Persecution, than now we have. A Legal Establishment which His Majesty offers our Church, will give us such a Security, as will please this whole Nation. At present our Security is erected on the Spoils of a great part of the Kingdom; who are hereby disquieted. For, our Safety lies in this, That no one, but a Churchman be legally interested in the Favour of his Prince, or in the Advantages of the Government. All others must, for their Consciences be in constant Danger of inevitable Ruin. On which occasion, we have been looked on as the Common Enemy to their Peace. But let our Security be such, as hurts not the Consciences nor Estates of others, which may be, by taking off Penal Laws and Tests, the Bond of Contention will be removed, and what is frightful in our Church, will disappear. We shall be looked on as a Sister, and be Treated accordingly. And to the end that we may be Secured from any Dangers that may be supposed to arise from the Roman Catholics, we shall have a double Advantage. In the first place, we shall have a new Law, confirming us in the free Exercise of our Religion, and full Enjoyment of our Possessions. And in the next place, By putting it out of the Power of any one Party to Persecute the other, we shall be out of the Power of Popish Persecutions. And to prevent any change on this Law, we shall have the help of all the Dissenting-Protestants to join with us, who will be afraid any Alteration should be made on it, lest thereby they also lose their Security. Which Security, once obtained, will be most grateful unto the Nobility and Gentry you mention.  
Thus Sir, I have freely opened myself unto you; Praying Almighty God to give our Right Reverend Fathers more Wisdom, that They may not be imposed on by those who love 'em not, but may suddenly be brought to that Temper, which is necessary towards the Healing our Breaches, and the Establishing the Peace of our Israel.  
FINIS.