CHARLES, by the Grace of GOD, King of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, Defen­der of the Faith; To all and sundry Our good Subjects, Greeting: Forasmuch as Almigh­ty God, after a sinful abuse of the holy Gospel, and of the never to be forgotten Deliverance of this Our ancient Kingdom, from the Yoke of Bondage and Usurpation, and of Our Roy­al Person and Government, from the open Rebellions, and secret Plots and Conspiracies of Traiterous and Phanatical Enemies; and after a long and impious despising of Peace and Plenty, doth by his righteous Judgements, manifestly discover his Anger and Displeasure against the grievous sins of this Kingdom; and particularly, by the long continuance of the Rigor and Storms of the last Winter, and the severity and unnatural Coldnesse of the present Spring, whereby not only a great part of the Cattel and Bestial are already destroyed, and the remanent in apparent danger; but even the ordinary Season of Plowing and Sowing of the Ground, was in danger almost to be lost, thereby threatning the breaking [...] The Staff of Bread, and the dreadful Plague of Famine: Which Dispensation, doth invite persons of all Ranks, to sp [...]dy and true Repentance, and the National Expression thereof, by deep Mourning, and solemn Fasting an [...] Humiliation. Therefore We, with Advice and Consent of the Lords of Our Privy Council, Do appoint and ordain a Day of Humiliation to be observed by all Our Subjects of this Kingdom; strictly Commanding and Requiring them, upon that Day, to cease from all the Works of their ordinary Callings, and to repair to their re­spective Paroch Churches, and there, make solemn Confe [...]ion of their Sins, and Implore the Divine Mercy to Us, and Our Subject [...], by Praying, Mourning, Fasting, and su [...] [...]ther Devotions, as are usual upon such Dayes of publict Humiliation more particularly, contritely to Confess [...] Mourn for the great neglect and contempt of, and dis­obedience to the holy Gospel, for the sinful Separation from the Ordinances thereof, and for the great and lamen­table pre [...]alency of Atheism, Erro [...] Prophaness, and [...]igion occasioned thereby; and for the sinful underva­luing of the great Blessings of Peace and Plenty, so long [...]ontinued under Our Government: By all which, and many oth [...]r [...]rying Sins, the Lord Anger and Jealousie are kindled, and his Hand is stretched out to the Destructi­on of the Castel, and threatning the Fruits of the Ground, the necessary Provision for the Life of Man and Beast, that by s [...]ious Mourning, and sincere turning from these provocking Sins, the Lord may graciously pardon them, and repen [...] [...]im of the evil threatned, and most right [...]ously deserved. And for this end, We do require the Arch- [...]shops of St. Andrews and Glasgow, the Bishop of Edinburgh, Galloway, Dunkel, Aberdeen, Brichen, and Dumblan [...] [...] To cause it to be Intimated in the several Par [...]ch Churches of their Diocesses, upon Sunday the fourth day of M [...] and to be Celebrated and observed, on Wednesd [...] thereafter; and the remanent Bishops, whose Diocesses are more [...]ote, to cause it to be Intimated on Sunday the twenty fifth of May, to be observed the Wednesday thereaf­ter, by R [...]g the same from the Pulpit, after Divine [...]ervice, the Sabbath before the saids respective Dayes of Fasting a [...] [...]umiliation.