CHARLES, by the providence of Almighty God King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, Defendor of the Faith &c. To all thoſe who profeſſe the true Reformed proteſtant Religion, of what Nation, degree, and condition ſo ever they be to whom this preſent Declaration ſhal come, Greeting

WHereas We are given to vnderſtand that many falſe rumors, and ſcandalous letters are ſpred up & downe amongſt the Reformed Churches in forren parts by the politique or rather the pernicious induſtry of ſome ill-affected perſons, that We have an inclination to recede from that Orthodox Religion which We were borne, baptized, and bred in, & which We have firmely profeſſed & practis'd throughout the whole cours of Our life to this moment, and that We intend to give way to the introduction and publike exerciſe of popery againe in Our Dominions: which conjecture or rather moſt deteſtable calumny, being grounded upon no imaginable foundation hath rais'd theſe horrid tumults, and more then barbarous warrs throughout this flouriſhing Iſland under pretext of a kind of Reformation which would not only prove incongruous, but incompatiable with the fundamentall lawes and goverment of this Kingdome, We deſire that the whole Chriſtian world ſhould take notice and reſt aſſured, that We never entertaind in our imagination the leaſt thought to attempt ſuch a thing, or to depart a jot from that holy Religion, which whē We receaud the Crowne and ſcepter of this kingdome, We tooke a moſt ſolemne ſacramentall Oath to profeſſe and protect. Nor doth Our moſt conſtant practiſe and quotidian viſible preſence in the exerciſe of this ſole Religion, with ſo many Aſſeuerations in the head of our Armies, & the publique atteſtation of our Barons, with the circumſpection us'd in the education of our royal ofpring, beſides divers other undeniable arguments, only demonſtrat this; But also that happy Alliance of Mariage, We contracted twixt Our eldeſt Daughter, & the Illuſtrious Prince of Orenge, moſt clearly confirmes the reality of Our intentions herein; by wch Nuptiall engagement it appeares further. that Our endeavours are not only to make a bare profeſſion therof in our owne dominions, but to inlarg & corroborat it abroad as much as lieth in Our power: This moſt Holy Religion of the Anglican Church ordaind by ſo many Convocations of learned Divines, confirm'd by ſo many Acts of Nationall Parliaments, and ſtrenghned by ſo many Roiall Proclamations, together with the Eccleſiaſtique diſcipline, and Liturgie therunto appertaining, which Liturgie & diſcipline the moſt eminent of proteſtant Authors, as wel Germanes as French; as well Danes, as Sweds and Swittzens; as well Belgians as Bohemians do with many elogies (and not without a kind of Envie) approve and applaud in their publique writings, particulaly in the tranſactions of the Synod of 〈◊〉 , wherein beſides other of Our Divines (who afterwards were prelats) one of Our Biſhops aſſiſted, to whoſe dignity all due reſpects and precedency was given: This Religion We ſay, which Our Royall father of bleſſed memory doth publiquely aſſert in that His famous Confeſsion addreſſd (as We alſo do this Our proteſtation) to all Chriſtian Princes; This, this moſt Holy Religion, with the Hierarchy and lyturgie thereof, We ſolemnly proteſt, that, by the help of Allmighty God, We will endeavour, to Our vttmoſt power, and laſt period of Our life, to keepe entyre and inviolable, and will be carefull, according to Our duty to Heaven, and the renor of the foreſaid moſt ſacred Oath at Our Coronation, that all Our Eccleſiaſtiques in their ſeverall degrees and incumbences ſhal preach and practiſe the ſame. Wherefore We enjoyne and commanal Our Miniſters of State beyond the Seas aſwell Ambaſſadors as Reſidents, Agents, and Meſſengers, And We deſire all the reſt of Our loving ſubjects that ſojourne either for curioſitie or Comerce in any forren parts, to communicat, uphold and aſſert this Our ſoleme and ſincere proteſtation when oportunity of time and place ſhall be offered.