Act, 27 December 1694, Edinburgh

Att Edinburgh the second day of May J^aj vi^c nyntie four years

A1694/5/12

A1694/5/12¹

Proclamation

Proclamation for a solemn nationall fast

The Follouing proclamation being read was approven and signed and ordered to be recorded wherof the tenor folloues
William By the Grace of God King of Great Brittaine France and Ireland defender of the faith To our Lyon King at arms and his Brethren Heraulds Macers of our privie Councell pursevants messengers at arms our shirreffs in that part Conjunctlly and severallie speciallie Constitut Greeting Forasmuch as albeit ther hath been for some years past many solemn nationall fasts and at some of these a very particular Enumeration of the nations sins yet few Have been duely humbled for them or joyned suitable reformatione uith their professed humiliatione and Litle of the success of the preached gospell doeth appear in this Land But as their is a Great decay of piety so Impiety abounds wickedness groues profanes and debauchrie over spreadeth in City and Countrey and is too much Increased in our armies at home and abroad And albeit in the Late Revolutione God did wunderfullie appear for us and our poeple in rescuing them their religion and Libertie when In Great dainger to be Lost yet that Goodnes of God hath not Led to suitable repentence And tho these nationes have been Engaged in a daingerous and bloody war for severall years past yet few have turned to the Lord or sought him with all their heart all which uith the sad divisions of the Land doe Call for deep humiliation before God so we out of a pious and religious dispositione are resolved a day for a Generall fast and humiliation shall be sett a pairt and Keeped through this whole kingdome for the same And for which also the Commissioners appointed to meet at Edinburgh by the Late Generall assembly of this nationall Church Have humbly addressed themselves to the Lords of our privie Councell Therfore we uith advyce of the Lords of our privie Councell Requyre and Command a solemn and publict fast and day of humiliatione to be religiously and sincerely observed throughout this kingdome both in Churches and meeting houses for the causes forsaids And for pouring out fervent prayers to god to Give repentance to all ranks of persons so as they may obtaine remission of sin and reconciliation uith god That he uould keep off deserved wrath and Bless us and our poeple uith all spirituall and temporall blessings And particularly that god uould bless the preaching of the gospell uith success Advance the Life and pouer of godlines remove Impiety from among our poeple heall the breaches and unite them more to god and to ane another And that god uould Bless our royall persone and all in authority under us And Bless the means of our poeples defence by sea and Land uith success And now when we are to Goe to the field in a daingerous uarr That the Lord of Hosts uould be pleased to Goe uith us And Grant success to our forces and these of our alleyes against the Commone enemy And that God uould mercifullie preserve our royall persone while often exposed to Great daingers for the defence of our poeple and the protestant religione And that God uould be Gracious to the persecuted and scattered protestant churches abroad cheiffly by the French King And that it may please God to Gather them from all places wher they have been dispersed and build them up againe and give them peace and rest in their oune Land And that God of his goodnes would aluayes bless this Land uith seasonable weather and in due tyme Give this our poeple the appointed ueeks of the harvest And ue uith advyce forsaid requyre and Command the said solemne fast and day of Humiliatione to be religiously keeped and observed by all ranks and degrees of poeple uithin this Kingdome both in Churches and meeting houses upon teusday being the Last day of may Current Certifying all these who shall Contemne or neglect such a religious and necessary duety They shall be proceeded against and punished as Contemners of our authority neglectors of religious services and as persons disaffected to the protestant religione and our royall persons and Government Our will is heirfore And ue Charge yow strictly and Command That Incontinent These our Letters seen ye pass ye pass² to the mercat Cross of Edinburgh and to the remanent mercat Crosses of the head burghs of the severall shires and steuartries uithin this kingdom And In our name and authority make publication of the premisses That none pretend ignorance And we ordaine our sollicitor to dispatch Coppies heirof to the shirreffs of the severall shires and steuarts of the steuatries or their deputs or Clerks To be by them published at the mercat Crosses of the head burghs upon recept therof and Immediatly sent to the severall ministers both in kirks and meeting houses To the effect they may read and Intimat the same from their pulpits upon the sunday before the said Last of may and seriously exhort all persons to a sincere and devote observance therof as they regaird the favour and blessing of almighty god the safety and preservation of both church and state and uould avoyde the wrath of god upon themselves and their posterity and as they uill be ansuerable at their perrill And ordaines these presents to be printed and published In manner forsaid Given under our signet at Edinburgh the second day of May and of our reigne the sixth year 1694 sic subscribitur ut sederunt