WILLIAM by the Grace of GOD, King of Great-Britain
France and Ireland,
Defender of the Faith, to
Macers of Our Privy
Coun-
cil, Messengers at Arms, our Sheriffs in that Part, Conjunct-
ly and
Severally, Specially Constitute, Greeting; Forasmuch as the Commis-
sion of the
General Assembly of this Church in Consideration of the
Judge-
ments of Almighty GOD already inflicted, and
more and more threatened
Upon this Our Kingdom, for Our manifold
and heinous Sins and Provocati-
ons, still continued in, and encreaseing, not
withstanding, of the foresaids
Judgements, and Our protessed Repentances for the
same, Have addressed to
the Lords of our Privy-Council,
that a Day be set apart for Solemn Fasting
And Humiliation,
for the Reasons and Causes contained in their Act and
Addresses thereanent.
Therefore, We with the Advice of the Lords of Our Pri-
vy
Council, have Commanded and hereby Command and Appoint the
Twenty ninth Day of this Moneth of August Instant, being the last
Thursday
thereof, to be keeped and observed in all the Churches of this Kingdom, as a
Day of Solemn Fasting
and Humiliation before GOD, by all Persons with seri-
ous and unfeigned Repentance of Sins, & Resolution of Amendment, & earnest
And fervent Prayers and Supplications for the obtaining of GOD’s Mercy,
Grace and Peace, as it is more fully
contained in the fresaid Act and Ad-
dress of the Commission hereto subjoyned, and
which Act, together
with this Proclamation, We hereby ordain to be publickly Read by all
Ministers in
all Churches the
LORDS Day immediately preceeding the said Thursday. And
We do again Require and Command all Ministers and People to be careful
Of
the observation of the Premisses, as they will be answerable to GOD and
Us on the Pains formerly Ordained and Statute
against the not due observing
of the Day of Fasting. OUR WILL IS HEREFORE, and We
charge
you strictly, and Command, that incontinent these Our Letters seen, ye
pals
to the Mercat-Crols of Edinburgh, and to the
remanent Mercat-Crosses of the
haill Head Burghs of the
several Shires and Stewartries within this Our anci-
ent
Kingdom, and thereat in our Name and Authority by open
Proclama-
tion make Intimation of the Premisses, that none pretend to Ignorance.
And
appoints Our Solicitor to transmit Copies of this Proclamation, and of the
a-
bove Act and Address of the General Assembly to the
Clerks of the several
Ministers of the several Paroch
Churches, and by these Ministers intimate upon
the Sabbath-Day immediately preceeding the Day appointed for keeping
thereof. And Ordains these presents to be Printed
Given under Our Signet at Edinburgh the second day of August, and of
Our Reign the twelfth year, 1700.
Per Actum Daminorum Secreti. Concilii.
GILB. ELIOT. Cls. Sti. Concilii.
GOD save the KING.
Edinburgh Printed by the Heirs and Successors of Andrew Anderson Printer
to the King's Most Excellent Majesty