FOrasmuch As It Having Pleased Almighty God to set Our most Rightful, and Re-doubted So­veraign, JAMES the Seventh, by the grace of GOD, of Scotland, England, France and Ireland King, Defender of the Faith, &c. Peaceably upon the Throne of His Royal Ance­stors, our most August and Glorious Monarchs, Notwithstanding of the Hellish Plots and Ma­chinations against the Sacred Person of Our late King, (of ever blessed Memory,) and of our said present Soveraign (whom God long preserve) And als notwithstanding of the Desperat and Traiterous Endeavours of those who lately, by Armed Force. Invaded these Our So­veraign Lords Realms of Scotland and England, of Design, not only to have Subverted His Royal Government, but even to have embrewed their wicked Hands in the Sacred Blood of Our said Soveraign Lord the King, and utterly to have destroyed all His Majesties Faithful and Loyal Subjects; Which Traiterous Attempts, by so signal and remarkable Instances of the Divine Providence, have been so miraculously Defeated and Confounded; Of all which, His Majesties Privy Council being deeply sensible. They hereby, in His Maje­sties Royal Name and Authority, Ordain and Appoint the Fourteenth Day of October, being His Majesties Royal Birth-Day, to be Solemnly Kept and Observed throughout this Kingdom, for this Year, and Year­ly hereafter, as an Anniversary Day of Thanksgiving for His Majesties Happy Birth, and therein to Commemorat His most Au­spicious Entry to His Royal Government, and miraculous Deliverances aforesaid; And that all Signs and Demonstrations of Joy, on such Solemn Occasions accustomed, be performed by all His Majesties Subjects: And further Recommends to the right Reverend the Arch-bishops and Bishops, that they cause the Ministers in their respective Diocesses, for this Year, and Yearly hereafter, upon the said Fourteenth Day of October, with the People, at Divine Service in the Church, Devoutly give Solemn Thanks to Almighty God, and Celebrat His Holy Name, for His so Signal Goodness and Protection, to Our said Gracious Soveraign, and in Him, to these His Kingdoms; And that all His Majesties good Subjects may have notice, and be Certified hereof, His Majesties Privy Council doth hereby Require and Command His Majesties Lyon, King at Arms, and his brethren Heraulds, Macers of the Privy Council, Pursevants, and Messengers at Arms, forthwith to pass to the Mercat Cross of Edinburgh, and there, (having His Majesties Coat of Arms Displayed) by sound of Trumpet, and open Proclamati­on, in His Majesties Royal Name and Authority, make Publication of the Premisses; And Ordains the Sheriffs of the several Shires of this Kingdom, to cause Publish the same at the Mercat Crosses of the head Burghs of their Shires; And the Magi­strats of Burghs, at their Mercat-Crosses respectivè, as they will be answerable at their highest peril, that none may pretend Ignorance: And the Sheriffs aforesaid are hereby strictly Required to cause deliver to the Ministers within their Sheriffdoms respectivè, a Printed Copy of this Act, that they may from their Pulpitson the Lords Day, preceeding the said Day of publick Thanks­giving, after Divine Service in the forenoon, Read the same to the People, and give them the necessary. Exhortations upon this Oc­casion. Extracted furth of the Records of His Majesties Privy Council, by me Sir William Paterson, Clerk to His Majesties most Honourable Privy Council.