• The Kings most Excellent Majesty
• His Highness Prince Rupert
• Lord Chancellor
• Lord Treasurer
• Duke of Monmouth
• Duke of Lauderdale
• Earl of Ossery
• Earl of Sunderland
• Earl of Peterborow
• Earl of Bath
• Earl of Craven
• Earl of Carbery
• Viscount Fauconberg
• Viscount Newport
• Lord Bishop of London
• Mr. Secretary Coventry
• Mr. Secretary Williamson
• Mr. Chancellor of the Exchequer
• Master of the Ordnance.

WHereas His Majesty and this Boord are informed of the bold and open repair made to several Places, and espe­cially to Her Majesties Chap­pel at Somerset-House, and the Houses of Foreign Ambassa­dors, Agents, and other Publick Ministers, for the hearing of Mass, and other Worship [Page 2] and Service of the Romish Church; and that the said Ambassadors, Agents and Mini­sters, do permit and suffer both daily Masses to be said, and other Worship and Service to be performed in their Houses, in a publick manner, by English, Scotish, and Irish Priests, and also Sermons in English to be Preached in their said Houses and Chappels, which the Laws and Statutes of this Kingdom do ex­presly forbid His subjects to frequent or do; His Majesty taking the same into serious Consideration, and being sensible thereof, as a matter highly tending to the violation of the Laws of the Realm, and the scandal of Religion and Government, and breach of good Order, and in His Princely Wisdom weighing the dangerous Consequence there­of, is Resolved to take strict Order for the stop­ping this Evil before it spread any further.

His Majesty therefore, by the Advice of his Council, doth hereby forbid any of His said Subjects hereafter to offend in the like kind, at their utmost perils; And straitly Commands, That no others presume to Re­sort to Her Majesties Chappel, but such as are Her Majesties Domestick Servants. And to the end this Provision and Order may be the more effectual, His Majesty doth Com­mand, That [...]a smuch as concerneth the re­mi [...] to the Houses of forreign Ambassa­dors, Agents and Ministers, at the time of Mass, or other Romish Worship or Service, some Messengers of the Chamber, or other Officers or persons fit for that Service, be appointed to Watch at the sever [...] Passages to their, Houses, and witho [...] [...]ring in [...] [Page 3] the said Houses, or invading the Freedom and Priviledges belonging unto them, ob­serve such persons as go thither at such times, without Stopping or Questioning any as they go thither, but at their coming from thence, they are to Apprehend and bring the said persons to the Boord, and such as they cannot Apprehend, to bring their Names. And that the Ambassadors and other Forreign Ministers may have no cause to Complain for this Proceeding, as if there were any Intention to wrong or disrespect them, His Majesty doth likewise Order, for the preventing of any such mistaking and sinister interpretation, That His principal Secretaries of State (according unto His Majesties express Commands now given unto them) should be hereby authorized and required forthwith to repair to the said Am­bassadors, Agents, and other Forreign Mi­nisters, to make known unto them His Majesties Pleasure concerning the same; And that as His Majesty is careful not to have any the just Priviledges and Immu­nities of the said Ambassadors, Agents, or Ministers, to be in any degreé infringed or violated, so in the aforesaid Particulars of permitting Masses or other Service to be said by any of the said Priests, or Ser­mons to be Preached in English in their Houses or Chappels (things never heard of or attempted by any precedent Ambassadors or Agents here) or in suffering His Sub­jects to resort unto them, His Majesty is no less careful of preserving His Laws, and conteining His Subjects in their due obedi­ence [Page 4] to the same; and doth therefore expect the said Ambassadors, Agents, and Mini­sters compliance accordingly. And hereof His Majesty thinks fit that Notice should be first given to the said Publick Ministers (ther rather to testifie His Respects unto them) before the Stricter Course His Ma­jesty hath Resolved, be taken with His own Subjects, by a Vigorous Prosecution, and infliction of Penalties and Punish­ments for the preventing and repressing the like hereafter.

And it is likewise Ordered, That the Mes­sengers of the Chamber, or others to be im­ployed in the Service before specified, shall be appointed, and receive their Charge from the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, the Lord Bishop of London, and the said Secretaries, or some of them, who are to take special care to see this put in due and effectual Execu­tion.