THo' my Averseness from all appearance of Opposition to Our Most Re­verend Metropolitan, and the Reverend Bishop of this Diocess made me Resolve (as I acquainted a Learned man in Answer to a Letter I lately received from him) that I would not Publish any thing upon [...]ion of this Great Controversy; yet upon Second Thoughts of My Duty [...] Our Gracious Sovereign, and the Regard I ought to have to My own Reputation in reference to that Apostolical Injunction, Let no man Despise [...] I now Resolve to make known to the World what Reasons I had to [...] the DECLARATION.

I receiv'd it from the hands of the Totness-Apparitor, without the Least doubt or scruple but that it came from my Lord Bishop of Exeter: I read it the Sunday after I receiv'd it. The Saturday following I receiv'd a Letter from the Apparitor, acquainting me that it was my Lord Bishops Pleasure that I should not Read the DECLARATION. Since that time I have often said that I shall not make the least scruple to Read it again, if I shall receive an Order so to do from the KING, or the Bishops: And yet amongst a Multitude of the Foulest Calumnies imaginable that have been rais'd against [...]e upon this Occasion, this is one, that I am so vext and disquieted in mind for [...]aving read this DECLARATION that I am like to be quite Distracted [...]rough Anguish that ever I did such a thing. This is so Prodigious a Lye, at GOD is my Witness I never had the least Inclination to Repent of it. [...]ave written to several Learned men of the Church of England, that in a [...]ere Desire to keep a Conscience void of Offence both towards GOD, [...] towards Men, I resolv'd to submit to this Order, upon these, and the [...] Considerations, "That Our Sovereign Lord the King, has a Right to Declare or make known his Mind as to any Matter whatsoever, to every [...]e of his Subjects: And Consequently that he has a Right to Constrain [...]l Priests and Deacons to be his Instruments to make his Mind known by [...]eading any DECLARATION, &c. I was prompted to these thoughts my Remembrance of those words of St. Gregory, which I took special [...] of Twenty years since.

Since I am subject to Your Command, I caus'd the Law (you had sent me▪ [...] be dispers'd through diverse parts of the World; and, because the Law it self i [...] so agreeable to the Will of Almighty God, behold I have declar'd the same by [...] Paper which suggests my Reasons. And by doing so, I have in both regards pa [...] Duty I ow'd; while I both perform my Obedience to the Emperour, and [...] known my sentiments in relation to God.

I suppose all the Learned Clergy of the Church of England know w [...] saying this is: If the Exemption from Obedience be not as Eviden [...] [...] the Command to Obey, it must needs be Sin not to Obey. This I [...] fastly Believe; and therefore I am Resolv'd by the Help of God to do [...] thing that His Majesty shall Command Me, unless I find it to be of s [...] nature, that I shall be ready to Declare to His Majesty and All the W [...] that I am so Confident that the performance of such an Action wou [...] [...] Contrary to the Law of God, Declar'd in the Holy Scriptures, or to [...] Law of the Land, or to some Canon or Constitution Ecclesiastical, that I [...] be ready to lay down my Life in Testimony that my refusing to do▪ [...] the King Commands is not in Disobedience to Him, but in True [...] ­ence to the King of Kings: And with this Resolution I Pity all my [...] ­mies; and I Desire my Friends not to be Troubled when they hear M [...] Bitterly Censur'd, and Revil'd; but to Consider that some of the Rep [...] that are Dayly cast upon Me make Me expressly Conformable to th [...] [...] ­ferings of Our Blessed LORD, of whom it was said: He hath a Dev [...] [...] is MAD, why hear ye him?