WHereas the Guide to the Inferiour Clergy, in his Observator, Num­ber 206, does insinuate as if the print on the back side of the Citizens just Protestation, did reflect on my Lord Mayor's Aldermen as Perjured, which nothing can be more Malicious, there being not one word that does in the least sound like it, but 'tis like him; Now Mr. Ob­servator, if I am not mistaken, I have found you in some of your Prints, if not expresly, yet implicitly declare, that any Subject (thô he pretends never so much Loyalty, and faithful performance of his Oath of Allegi­ance) that shall refuse when Legally qualified, to serve his Majesty in any Legal Office, when Legally called thereunto, doth not only forfeit his Loyalty, but break his Oath of Allegiance too; now Mr. Ralph Box having of late been by you in Print declared to be one most eminent for Loyalty and Allegiance, which is so great a Truth, that I affirm that none but the most malicious dare think to the contrary; he hath al­so been declared by my Lord Mayor and Court of Aldermen (that is his Party) to be Legally and duely Elected one of the Sheriffs for the Year ensuing, according to the Ancient Laws, Customs and Usa­ges of the City; and on Tuesday last the aforesaid Legality of his Electi­on was Confirmed by a hundred and odd Petitioners; now that Mr. Box after the missing the Office of Sheriff for two years last past, is this year declared Legally Chosen, and that Confirmed too by a Cloud of Loyal Witnesses, should after all refuse to hold, has put multitudes of Pople to inquire into the Cause.

For to question his Loyalty and faithfulness to his Oath of Allegiance, is to murder his Reputation, to question his Willingness is to give him­self the Lye, to question his Estate is to prejudice his Credit, and to que­stion his Judgment and Understanding, his natural and acquired qualifi­cations for such an Office, is to deny the experience of all that know him; Wherefore the most Judicious do conclude, that the true reason why he refused to hold, is from his being so faithful to his Oath as a Citizen, and from his so much Understanding and Experience of the Laws and Cu­stoms of the City, than to hold upon such an Election, which if true, as most certain it is, for I challenge you or any other to shew any reason for his not holding besides the Ilegallity of his Election, and then what is become of your reflection on the back side of the Protestation? for 'tis not the declaration of great men, nor a great number of men (without the greatest number) that can make a Legal thing Illegal, nor an Illegal Act Legal.