BY THE KING.
❧ A Proclamation for the further restraint of Prophane Swearing and Cursing, and the better observing of Prayer and Preaching in His Majesties Armies, and the City of Oxford, and in all other parts of the Kingdome.
WHEREAS, by our Proclamation dated the 13. day of June last past, We did strictly Charge and Command all the respective Officers of our Army, to cause all our Military Orders against Blasphemie, Oathes, and other scandalous Actions against the Honour and Service of God, to be duly and severely put in execution; which our Command, if it had been well observed and the Lawes of our Realm touching those offences duly executed, (as in duty to God and Us they ought to have been) there had not been that Liberty taken by those of our Army, and other persons in the Kingdome, of dishonouring the Sacred Majesty of God, by horrible Oathes and Execrations, to the high provocation of God's wrath against themselves and this whole Nation : We therefore out of our tender care of the honour of God (to whose glory we shall ever devote our Grown) and in token of our hatred and detestation of this monstrous impiety, do by this out Proclamation strictly charge all Commanders and Officers of our Armies, and of all our Garrison Townes, to see that all our Military Orders for the repressing of prophane. Swearing and Cursing by Souldiers, be duly and severely executed for the time to come, and exemplary punishment done upon offenders therein, to the terrour of others. Which that they may know is by Us expected at their hands, We do hereby require all Commanders and Officers in our Armies, and Garrison Townes, and all who do or shall attend Us in our Court, to be vertuous examples in their own persons to all Souldiers and others, by abstaining from all such prophanations, as they desire the blessing of God upon Us, upon themselves, and the whole Land; which if they shall neglect to perform, We do hereby Declare, That all such persons in our Court, Armies, or Garrison Towns as shall appear to Us to be notorious Offenders in this kind, We will in some publike way set a character of disgrace upon them, that they may appeare to the whole world to be offensive both to God and Us. And We do further hereby strictly charge and command all Justices of Peace, Bayliffs, and Head-officers in all Cities and Townes Corporate within the same, that they, cause the Statute made in the 21. yeare of the Raign of our late Father of blessed memory, for the prevention and Preformation of prophane Swearing and Cursing to be put in due execution and that the forfeiture of Twelve-pence for every offence be levied according to that Statute, and particularly in our City of OXFORD, where our Court now is, wherein We strictly charge and require the Major, and Justices of Peace of our said City (of whom We will require a strict account) to take especiall care of the punishment of all offenders in that kind, and that children and others, of whom the penalty of Twelve-pence cannot be Levied or had, be whipped, or set three houres in the Stocks, according to the forme of that Statute. And for the future prevention of these and the like offences so opposite to the glory of God by planting his true fear in the hearts of all men, We do lastly charge and command, That Divine Service and Sermons (according to the Doctrine and Liturgie of the Church of England established by Law) be duly and constantly used in all our Armies and Garrison Townes, and in all Churches and Chappells throughout this Realme. All these our commands We require forthwith to be printed, and published at the head of every Regiment of our Army, and in all Garrison Townes and in all Parish Churches within this our Realme.
Given at our Court at Oxford, the Eighteenth of April. 1644.
GOD SAVE THE KING.
Printed at Oxford, by Leonard Lichfield, Printer to the Ʋniversity, 1644.