WHereas there is nothing more evident in holy Scriptures, than when a Nation or People do with-draw their Affections from God and his holy Ordinances, and suffer themselves to be mis-guided by their wild and natural Appetites, that Religion and Government becomes Contemptible, and the People degenerate into Looseness and Prophaneness, blaspheming the holy Name of God, and speaking evil of Dignities and Powers. And whereas it is observable, that of late years the People of this Province not having a due regard to those holy Duties which are required of them by Almighty God, in the holy Scriptures, have fallen into grea [...] Divisions, Striffes, Dissentions and Uncharitableness, encourageing amongst themselves Back-biting, false Rumors, Enmity, Variance want of Love, and all sorts of immoralities and Prophaneness, to the great Scandal of the holy Christian Religion, and the endangering of the Peace of his Majesties Government, thereby provoking the Almighty God to Anger, & justly bringing upon this Province those Judgments of his Wrath which have lately attended us in the grievous and afflictive Changes of the Seasons, by which much of the Fruit of the Earth are blasted, and rendered unserviceable to Man. And whereas Almighty God hath at all times signified his great & unexpressible Love unto Mankind, by with-drawing the Rod of his Judgments upon a Nation & People, from them, when such People have with contrite hearts and unfeigned Repentance, humbled themselves before him, acknowledging his infinite Power and holy Name, and have also with fasting and Prayer supplicated his gracious favour for the removing of all those Judgments where-with he hath afflicte [...] his People. To the end therefore that the Wrath of God may be appeased, and that these Judgments which are now upon this Land and Province, and daily threaten the same, may be removed, and that the People thereof may be no longer divided, seperated and disunited [...] their Affections unto God, and to his Majesty, our most gracious Soveraign, and to one another, I have therefore thought fit, by & wit [...] the advice of his Majesties Council, to publish & proclaim a solemn Day of Fast and Prayer. And by these Presents I do Publish an [...] Declare, That a solemn Day of Fast & Prayer shall be kept and observed by all and every Person & Persons within this Province upon Wednesday the 26th of this Instant October, for the imploring of Almighty God to pardon the sins of the People, & the with-drawing of his Judgments from this Land; and that by his signal Providence he would take our most gracious Soveraign Lord King William into h [...] special Protection, and preserve his Royal Person from all Perils and Dangers, & bless all the Kingdoms & Dominions under his Majesti [...] Government with his long & prosperous Reign, to the extirpation of Popery, and suppression of A [...]bitrary Power, and the preserving of h [...] Subjects [...] just Rights & Liberties; & that the most benign God by his divine Grace & Spirit would be graciously pleased to [...] the Minds of the People, that all strife, heart-burning & discord may pass away, and in lieu thereof they may be inspired with a Spirit [...] Love, Charity and Concord, so that with one heart and one mind God may be glorified, the King honoured, & all those in Authority unde [...] him Reverenced, to the [...] of a perfect Peace throughout this Province, to the general Satisfaction, & to the Tranquility of Mind of all his Majesties good Subjects within the same. And I do, by and with the advice of h [...]s Majesties Council aforesaid, Charge and Command that the said Wednesday, being the 26th Instant, shall be strictly kept and observed as a solemn Day of publick Fast and Prayer, and that all servile Labour shall cease upon the said Day, hereby requiring all Mini [...]ters of the Gospel within their respecti [...]e Parishes and Precincts to give timely Notice thereof, that the same may be duely and religiously observed in the [...]r respective Churches [...] Meetings with Preaching and Prayer. And by and with the Advice of his Majesties Council aforesaid, I do strictly Charge & Command all Mayors, Justices of the Peace, Sherrifs, Constables, and all others concerned, that they do take effectual care that the said Day of solem [...] Fast and Prayer be strictly observed accordingly, in their several and respective Cities, Counties, Jurisdictions and Precincts, as they will answer the contrary at their Peril.

God Save the KING.