A MANIFEST published to their BRETHREN BY The General Chapter of the catholic English Clergy. IN Vindication of their Innocency from the false Calumnies laid upon them in a seditious Libel lately published by Dr. LEYBURN.  
We decree that those who shall be convicted to have charged their Brethren with false articles shall not communicate till their death,( as the great Synod formerly ordained) unless they repent with due satisfaction.  Conc. Arelat. 2. Can. 24. 
ALthough Christian Piety may induce a private man to suffer, without endeavouring to justify his innocency, such scandalous reports and false calumnies as unhappy tongues may throw upon him; yet a Body of men whose profession it is to teach the Divine truths of our catholic Religion both in belief and manners, and thereby to persuade and carry their Disciples to the blessed state of eternal felicity, ought not permit themselves to ly covered under the dark cloud of injurious slanders, which by blasting their name and reputation might obstruct the desired effects of their sacred functions.  
We therefore considering that divers infamous aspersions and foul Calumnies have been of late cast upon us and our whole Body in a seditious Pamphlet written and published by Doctor Leyburn, to the great scandal of Religion and to our no less grief then prejudice both at home and abroad; which, as it is unworthy of, so are we unwilling to give it an Answer, least the evidence of truth( consisting chiefly in matters of fact) should too too much exasperate the weak and passionate disposition of one singular man standing in opposition against all his brethren; yet, being he has peremptorily refused to give any satisfaction to those whom he has so highly wronged, that we might not seem wholly to neglect that duty and justice which we owe to ourselves, but principally to the public good, we find ourselves obliged to give this true and sincere Declaration of our innocency to all our Brethren throughout the kingdom; aswell for the better establishment of a perfect peace and union among us, as also to wipe away all mistakes, false conceits, and prejudicate opinions, wherewith the weaker sort of spirits may be imbu'd and poisoned by the too too boldly asserted untruths and maliciously forged relations frequently inserted into every leaf of his paper.  
First then, because he does seem chiefly to insist on and reproach some few wanton Clergy men( such is his ordinary language) with we know not what novelties and new notions in doctrine, especicially relating to Mr. Thomas White alias Blacklow, calling them Blackloists, we do here all of us to a man profess and declare before God and the world, as we have done several times heretofore by our General and Capitular Acts in the year 1653 and 1657, which are on record in our Registers, that we dislike disapprove and renounce all novelties belonging either to Religion or Government. And particularly, whereas some books written by Mr. Thomas White of Essex are already prohibited and condemned by the Pope, We, out of our duty and obedience to his Holinesse, do likewise hold them for prohibited and condemned, and do disclaim and disapprove them as such; and therefore, according to our charge and office, we declare to all our Brethren and lay catholics of the kingdom, that none shall or ought red them but those that have leave to red forbidden books.  
And further, we do from our hearts disclaim, disown, and utterly renounce what ever is contained in the said Mr. Whites book entitled The Grounds of Obedience and Government, which is any way offensive in the least to his Sacred Majesty, our sovereign Lord; or ill principled in order to his State and Government.  
Secondly, whereas Dr. Leyburn does calumniate us as being Enemies to our Mother-house the college of douai; We do here all of us religiously profess that we never had the least thought or intention of any such aversion. We have ever looked upon it as the first and chief Nurse of such pious Missionaries as must be sent to help and succeed us. Many of us have had our education there, and therefore it were an impossible ingratitude in us not to reverence such a Mother of Martyrs. Hence it was we made a Capitular Act in the year 1657, whereby we engaged ourselves and all our Brethren to be diligent solicitors for the recovery of all pensions, debts or other moneys due unto that house, nor have we ever transferred or employed to any other end the least gift or benevolence bestowed upon it. Tis true, we have thought fit to reserve within the kingdom such donations as might be given to be settled in rents for the use of that college, rather then let the principal be transported into a strange Country; which both grave persons of douai college itself have earnestly recommended to us,& we conceive no wise man can disapprove; being that if it should please Gods providence to suffer us to be brought up in our own Nation, what ever moneys were so transmitted and settled under a foreign Prince, would be most certainly lost and confiscate. Besides that college may fall into the hands of others, even Aliens, with whom we should have no power nor commerce.  
Thirdly, the Doctor slanders divers of us with disobedience and endeavouring to out our last and worthy Bishop of Chalcedon, and to deprive him of his Authority; wherein we need no other justification then to reflect how ridiculous it is to say or imagine it. First, we neither had nor could have any Authority during his life but by him and from him. Secondly, we have laboured by all means possible, both privately and publicly, both by writing and acting, to uphold and maintain his Lordships power and jurisdiction against too too many adversaries who did oppose it; clearly seeing, that, unless his Lordships Authority did stand and subsist, we must needs fall to the ground, as being but a Body of his creation. Thirdly, suppose we had been so unworthy and impertinent as to desire it, who does not know it was not in our power, nor in the power of any Chapter whatsoever to exauthorize their Bishop. So far have wee been from any such intention, as that nothing has been enacted and ordered by us during his Lps life, which we have not sent to his Lp to be approved and confirmed; nor did we or could we esteem it valid, till we had his Lps hand and Seal thereto. It is true we have sued with his express leave and order to get our Chapter confirmed by the Pope; as also we have been very wary to stand up for his Lordships return into England, understanding that our adversaries had made it highly displeasing to his then Majesty and the Court here. With which his Lordship was also well satisfied when he knew the occasion; his own safety being our main motive to do so; but we could never have the least thought of depriving his Lp of his Authority, without seeking our own destruction. We know and have too many evident proofs of it under the Doctor's own hand, that, not finding how to satisfy his own ambition, and to rule over us at his will and pleasure, he had endeavoured from time to time to beget a misintelligence betwixt our Bishop and us; wherein he sometimes prevailed for a while by false informations; but, so soon as his Lordship came to know the truth, he was always satisfied to the full, as several letters under his own hand yet to be seen do clearly testify.  
Lastly, as to the Doctors scornful and reviling language, his false reproaches, his scandalous calumnies, and his injurious untruths, wherewith he labours to brand our Brethren acting here in London by order from us; and these, both in general and particular; we have taken the pains to examine them all in order as they ly in his pamphlet. And first, we must needs aclowledge that what our Dean, Secretary, and the rest of our Brethren here have acted and ordered in our absence has not only been as impowred and authorised by us with our consent and approbation, but we likewise give them many thanks for the singular care and pains they have taken therein; and therefore we look on his ordinary and seditions phrase of a pack of Blacklowists, as an aspersion thrown upon us all.  
The rest of his untruths and calumnies which are too many to relate, whereof he brings no other proof for the most part, but some devout aspiration, or as 'tis signified to me, have been canonically and clearly proved to be false before us all; partly by letters under his own hand, and partly by juridical oaths and testimonies of several virtuous Priests, sometimes two, sometimes three, sometimes twenty or more, as appears on record in the examination of and Answer to all the particulars of his book, inserted together with a Copy of these presents into the Acts and Registers of our Chapter.  
One slander in particular we cannot omit, which is that he saith some of us have called the virtuous and learned Father Angelo Provincial of the Franciscans in England, Madman; which how false it is, we are confident the Gentleman himself does not doubt; being all of us ready to assure him of it, and of our respect on all occasions to his person and merit. Besides we ourselves incur the same reproach( if due for the reason the Dr. alleges, to wit, the disclaiming Mr. Blacklow's doctrine,) by this our Declaration.  
If the printing and publishing our Encyclical Epistle have perhaps any way been the occasion or cause of the doctor his scandalous answer( for also heretofore unprovoked by us in the least, he injured our credits in a printed Pamphlet) we are hearty sorry for it, being a thing we never intended; nay it was expressly ordered by us it should not be published. Our only aim was to prevent, by sending some private copies of it to our Officers, the dangerous dissensions which the doctor his factious gathering of hands and other sinister proceedings might possibly produce amongst our Brethren.  
Thus much, dear Brethren, we have thought fit, nay we have conceived ourselves obliged to signify to you; that, being advertised, you may be the more cautious lest such insolent and turbulent spirits should beget divisions amongst us. You know Omne regnum in se divisum desolabitur; that all Schism is destructive of Charity, especially amongst Apostolical Missionaries. And therefore the Apostle admonishes us, Etsi tradidero Corpus meam ita ut ardeam, charitatem autem non habuero, nihil mihi prodest. You know how scandalous all dissensions must needs appear amongst such as ought to govern and guide their flocks in the path of eternal salvation, and that again in the midst of a Nation overflowed with divers Heterodox opinions. Of which scandal as we have been far from giving the least occasion, so( God be blessed) we can with truth pretend to as great an union( excepting the turbulent endeavours of this one single person) as possibly any so great a community in the Christian world. Of which this General Assembly affords a most remarkable instance; wherein, though near thirty of our eminenrest Brethren voted and subscribed, gathered from several Districts in England and Wales,( and so representing the whole body of the Clergy) and the matters debated there were of several natures, some of them relating to divers more particular interests under the common, many of them also being subject to and so generally apt to beget( and possibly end) in dispute and controversy, yet no one point was either left undetermined, or determined with different votes; but all the Chapter men and Officers to a man were universally and unanimously either affirmative or negative; so unparallelled an harmony of mindes& hearts is there in the catholic English Chapter and Clergy. And what more becoming a Church, since we are not only Christs seamless garment, but even the sacred limbs and members of Christ himself; his mystical Body, whose inviolable union the Scriptures and Fathers particularly St. Paul and St. Austin, do so dearly recommend to us. We are all children of the same Parents, begotten by the same Father Jesus Christ, and brought forth by the same Mother, his dear Spouse, the catholic Church; so therefore Christ be preached and souls be gained, let it be all one to us, by whomsoever it is done. Let us still continue linked unanimously in the sacred bonds of Christian Charity, Cor unum& anima una, id ipsum sentientes. For which we beg you will join in your prayers and sacrifices with us, who are  
Your affectionate Brethren and Servants in Christ.  
We under written Apostolical Notaries attest that we saw the above written Copy signed in the Original by twenty five Officers and Canons of the English Chapter.  
In testimony whereof we have subscribed and set to our seals the 17. of Sept. 1661. 

Robert Chernock Apostolical Notary.  
Thomas Masey, Apost. Notary.    
Concordat cum originali.  
Ita Testor Gulielmus Byflete Protonot. Apost.