WHereas it hath pleaſed Almighty God, after many years of Health, and many great and miraculous Mercies afforded to this Kingdom, to viſit the Cities of London and Weſtminſter, and places adjacent with the Plague and Peſtilence, which by the ſpreading thereof into ſeveral Pariſhes, & other the more remote parts of this Kingdom, ſeems to threaten a general and moſt dreadful Viſitation: To the end therefore that Prayers and Supplications may every where be offered up unto Almighty God for the removal of this heavy Iudgement, and that ſome Solemn Days and Times may be ſet apart for the performance of theſe and other Religious Duties;

His Majeſty is pleaſed, by the Advice of His Privy Council, to Declare, and doth hereby publiſh and declare his Royal Will and Pleaſure, That Wedneſday next being the Twelfth day of this inſtant July, ſhall be obſerved and kept within the Cities of London and Weſtminſter, and places adjacent, as a Day of Faſting and Humiliation; And Wedneſday three Weeks after being the Second day of Auguſt, ſhall be obſerved and kept in like manner in all parts of this Realm; and ſo from thence forward every Firſt Wedneſday of every Moneth ſucceſſively, until it ſhall pleaſe God to withdraw this Plague and grievous Sickneſs.

And that the ſolemnization of theſe days may be with ſuch Order and Decency as is requiſite, His Majeſty by the Advice of His Reverend Biſhops hath directed to be Compoſed, Printed and Publiſhed the Form of ſuch Prayers as His Majeſty thinks fit to be uſed in all Churches and Chappels at theſe publick Meetings, and alſo upon Wedneſdays in every Week; And hath given charge to His Biſhops to diſperſe the ſame through the whole Kingdom. All which His Majeſty doth expreſly charge and command ſhall be reverently and devoutly performed by all His loving Subjects, as they will anſwer to God for the neglect of ſo great a Duty and Service, and upon pain of being proceeded againſt as wilful Breakers and Contemners of this His Royal Will and Command.

And His Majeſty doth further declare, That upon all and every the ſaid Days of Faſting and Humiliation, there ſhall be a Collection made of the Alms and Charitable Benevolence of the ſeveral perſons in the reſpective Churches and Chappels then Aſſembled: Which Collections ſhall be paid in to the Biſhops of the ſeveral Dioceſes wherein ſuch Collection ſhall be made, or to ſuch Perſons as the Biſhops ſhall appoint to receive the ſame.

And the Biſhops ſhall take care, That the Moneys ſo collected and paid in, be in the firſt place applyed to the Relief of ſuch places as ſhall be viſited with the Plague within the Dioceſe wherein ſuch Collections ſhall be made. And the Overplus, if any be, ſhall be paid in to the Biſhop of London, or ſuch as he ſhall appoint to receive the ſame, and be applyed to the Poor who are ſick and viſited with the Plague in London or Weſtminſter, or the parts adjacent.

And laſtly, His Majeſty doth Command, That the reſpective Preachers on the ſaid Faſt-days do earneſtly exhort the people in the ſeveral Pariſhes to a Free and Chearful Contribution towards the Relief of their Chriſtian Brethren, whom it hath pleaſed God to viſit with Sickneſs.