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.