A DECLARATION OF THE Presbiterians; Concerning His Majesty's Royal Person, And the Government of the CHURCH of ENGLAND. WITH Several Propositions touching the Solemn League and Covenant, and the setting up of Bishops.  
LONDON: Printed for T. Dacres, 1660.   

A DECLARATION OF THE Presbyterians, CONCERNING His Majesty's Royal Person, and the Government of the Church of ENGLAND.  
WHereas there hath arose several Disputes touching the great and weighty Concern of the Discipline of the Church of England, upon the sense and solution of the Solemn League and Covenant, so far as it relates to the Government of the Church by Episcopacy: And whereas the sense and very Letter of the Covenant is clear against the unjust and Anti-christian frame of Government; so are they not against the absolute extirpation of Prelacy; but it is the abuse, not the thing; the adjuncts, hot the subject; the defects and excesses, not its Fabric, is covenanted against; but that they are willing to become instrumental, to cement the sad differences in the Church; desiring all such who have adhered thereto to produce those clear, pregnant, and constant beams of right reason, and true Religion, which shineth in the brightness and stability of Divine and humane Laws, which may be the Pillars of this truth, firm supports of duty, sure bounds of obedience, and safe repose of Conscience in this point; greatly darkened by the many disputes of Bishops and presbyters, Papists and Protestants: nay by the positive assertions of both Papists and Protestant Divines, and determinations of Schoolmen, who have concluded Bishops and Presbyters to be Ministers ejusdem ordinis, equal in Office and Authority, and in this very case of Government.  
And we doubt not, but all on the contrary shall find every conscientious Covenanter enjoy the comfort of his accomplished Oath, when ●n his place he hath seasonably advised, humbly petitioned, and lawfully endeavoured, to remove England's old Hierarchy; and to restore such an Episcopacy, to be exercised by the Officers of the Church in common and good order, as is nearest the Scripture, primitive practice and persuasion of sober, grave, pious, and learned men, such as was the late Primate of Armah; but if either his most sacred Majesty, or any other in Authority fail in the exercise of their capacity to effect the ends of the Covenant, we hope it shall be no offence to mourn for their iniquity, and the iniquity of the Land; nor will it be inconsistent to that humble submission, a●●ive or passive, we confe●s we all own unto his most sacred Majesty: what ever shall be the establishment in the Church (though never so corrupt, yet) whilst consistent with Salvation, though it may occasion to my suffering, and a suspense of my Ministry, by God's grace it shall not effect in me, or such on whom I have an influence, Schism from the Church, or resistance of his Majesties just Right and Authority; for whom as we have not suffered the lest, so if God should so fare leave him (which God forbidden) we are ready by him to suffer the utmost, in adherence to the Solemn League and Covenant, until it be discovered a band of iniquity, a snare and gin for Schism and Sedition to act by, to the dishonour of God, and reproach of reformed Religion: Yet we cannot but most hearty pray for the honest and ingenuous reformation of Episcopacy beyond the former defective or excessive constitution or execution of it; which I doubt not will satisfy the expectations of all that Covenanted.  
We confess every conscientious Covenanter oweth his Justice and Duty;  
1. To God, to approve, love, desire, and use what is good, not being within his own power, and excluded by his Oath or Covenant; may, and must, are things very indifferent.  
2. To obey the King as chief Governor of Church and State enjoining things lawful and honest (so not covenanted against) though not the very best.  
3. To pity the Bishops and Fathers of the Church who have been there too injurious, or injuriously used, and pull down all proud Prelates, and paternal Authority over Presbyters, which abuse their Brethren, and debase their Ministry because in a Black Coat.  
4. To encourage Ministers, and endeavour the rescue of them from dividing Factions, and popular insolences which have befallen them for want of the King, and Ecclesiastical Order, but may be enjoyed without a Bishop advanced in power above his Brethren.  
5. Love to the Church, in endeavouring its unity, peace, and prosperity in the ruin of Prelacy and Establishmen of an Episcopacy and oversight duly constituted and carefully executed.  
6. Care to his own soul, inward and eternal peace, not to be cozened by glones, courted by Rhetorical flourishes, no●●udgelled out of his Covenant by most bitter sufferings, but to ●leave unto it with care, constancy, and diligence, and take heed of all sophistical solutions, and subtle reconciliations, which endeavour to baffle the Covenant, and break in pieces the very power of Religious Bonds. And we can not but further declare, That Covenant-breaking is so direful a God-provoking sin, that we tremble to think of England's least tendency to it; whatever men fancy to themselves of the Covenant being the Rock of his late Majesty's shipwreck, it is visible that the violation of it hath been the destruction of our late Usurpers, who laid it aside that they might leap into the Chair of State; and it cannot be denied to have been the chief and only means of his Majesty's most just and honourable Restitution; and an adherency to it (We doubt not) will prove the establishment of his Royal Throne.  
And to the end, that the Cause of the Covenant may be pleaded, We desire it may be weighed in the balance of Reason and Religion, whilst we are resolved to approve ourselves no less zealous in the Religious than he hath appeared in the Political or Civil part of the Solemn League and Covenant; and make it his care to give God the things that are Gods, as Caesar the things that are Caesar's.  
And so  
God save the KING.   
FINIS.