THat flourishing Kingdoms have bin ruin'd by Impenitent going on in a course of Sinning, the Sacred Sto­ry doth plainly tell us; and how neere to such a Ruine our sinful Nation now is, the present lamentable Face of it doth too apparently shew. And though we should feele the heavy stroakes of God, yet seven times more, It is our duty to accept the punishment of our Iniquity, and to say, Righteous art thou O Lord, and just are thy Judgements.

Yet because the Lord who is just, is also Mercifull, and in his infinite Mercy hath left the excellent and successefull re­medy of Repentance to Nations brought neere to the Gates of destruction and despaire, O let not England be negligent in the application of it. Humble addresses of a penitent People to a mercifull God have prevailed with Him. They prevai­led for Nineveh when the sentence seemed to be gon out against her, and may also prevaile for England.

It is therfore thought most necessary by the Lords & Commons in Parliament, that all his Majesties Subjects in this Kingdom of England, be excited and stirred up, speedily to lay hold upon this only and unfailing Remedy of Repentance; freely acknowledging, and heartily bewailing even with the deepest humiliation, godly sorrow, and detestation, secretly and in Families, but especially publikely in Congregations, both their owne personall sins, and chiefly those sins that are and have bin the sins of this Nation: A confession of Nationall Sins being most agreeable to the Nationall Iudgments, under which the Land Groanes, and most likely to be effectual for the removing of them.

Neither ought this confession to sleight or light, when there is so heavy a weight of Sins, infinite in number, and hai­nous in nature, that lies upon this Nation. Such are the high Contempt of Gods holy Ordinances, and of Holinesse it selfe: Grosse and affected Ignorance, under the glorious light of the Gospell cleerely shining among us; unfruitfulnesse under the precious meanes of Grace, Ingratitude for Mercies, Incorrigiblenes under Iudgments, multitudes of Oathes, and Blasphemies, wicked Prophanations of the Lords Day, by Sports and Gamings, formerly encouraged even by Authority; All sorts of uncleannesse; Luxury, and Excesse in Eating and Drinking; Vanity, Pride, and Prodigality in Apparell; Envy, Contention, & unnaturall Divisions, Oppression, Fraud, and Violence; From diverse of which Sins, & many other, not one Person throughout the whole Nation, can say that he is wholy free; but all must confesse that they have contributed toward the great Stock of Nationall Sins; And so have increased the Treasure of Wrath, against these daies of Wrath; and therefore since, according to the Language of the Holy Ghost, we are a sinfull Nation, a People laden with Iniquity, and that from the sole of the Foot, to the Head, there is no soundnesse in Vs, we may justly expect the de­solations that are denounced against so great and generall a corruption.

And as it is our duty to humble our selves and to give glory to God, the searcher of all Hearts, by confessing all Sins; So ought we to be affected and humbled with deepest sence of sorrow, for those most crying Sins, which now we find, by too sad Experience, to have a more immediate Influence upon the Destruction of a Kingdome; some of which are Ido­latry and Bloodshed.

That of Idolatry, as it was the Sin of our Ancestors, so it is the spreading Sin of these latter times, while by a gene­rall connivence, and almost Tolleration, it hath beene severall wayes Fomented and encouraged: The grievous Effects whereof this Kingdome of England now begins to feele, from multitudes of Armed Papists and their Abettors, and the Kingdome of Ireland far more heavily hath felt, being brought almost to utter Ruine, by the Intestine Warres of Ro­mish Idolaters.

And for that other crying and cruell Sin of Bloodshed, that cals aloud for Vengeance (besides many Murders not expiated, and the blood-guilty pardoned) did it not goe hand in hand with that abhominable Idoll of the Masse, in the dayes of Queene Mary, and some of her Predecessors, when many hundreds of the deere Martirs and Saints of God lost their precious Lives in flames and prisons? And though severall Acts by which that Innocent blood was shed, have beene repealed by Parliament: yet to this very day, was never ordeined such a solemn Publique and Nationall acknow­ledgment of this Sin, as might appease the wrath of that Iealous God against whom, and against whose People, with so high a hand it was committed.

Now that all the Sin and Misery of this Polluted and Afficted Nation may be bitterly sorrowed for, with such griefe of heart, and preparednesse for a thorow Reformation, as God may be pleased graciously to accept: It is required and Ordeined by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, That every Minister and Preacher of Gods Word, in the King­dome of England and Dominion of Wales, in their severall Auditories and Congregations, especially upon the Fast daies, shall most earnestly perswade and Inculcate the constant practice of this publique acknowledgement and deepe humiliation, for these, and all our Nationall and crying sinnes, and likewise the necessity of a Personall and Nationall Reformation, and shall publish this Ordinance concerning the same: That so at length we may obtaine a firme and happy Peace both with God and man, That Glory may dwell in our Land, and the prosperity of the Gospell, with all the priviledges accompanying it, may Crown this Nation unto all succeeding Ages.