from the Refufers thereof their Horfes and Arms, and use their Endeavours to confine them to their ufual Habitations, in fuch Manner as by the faid Laws is directed; and that they do also put strictly in Execution all other Laws made against Papists, reputed Papists, and Nonjurors. And we do further strictly charge and command all Popish Recufants, Natives, and Denizens, who fhall be above the Age of fixteen Years, that they do, according to the Statute in that Behalf made, repair to their respective Places of Abode, and do not thence remove, or pafs above the Distance of five Miles, unless thereunto licens'd according to Law; and the refpective Juftices of the Peace, and others concern'd to execute our Commands herein, are hereby requir'd to certify an Account of what they fhall do, pursuant to the fame, to us in our Privy Council. Given at our Court at St. James's the 6th Day of December, 1714, in the First Year of our Reign. The other two Proclamations were for a publick Thanksgiving, to be obferv'd in England and Scotland; the first of which was as follows: GEORGE R. WH 7 Hereas we have receiv'd an humble Application from the Archbishops and Bifhops of England, that a Day may be appointed for a publick Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for his great Goodnefs in bringing us to a peaceable and quiet Poffeffion of the Throne of Great Britain, and thereby disappointing the Designs of the Pretender, and the wicked Contrivances of his Adhes rents, to defeat us of our undoubted Right to the Imperial Crown of this Realm, and to fubvert the establish'd Constitution in Church and State: We being well pleas'd with this Inftance of the good Affections of our People, and deeply fenfible of this fignal Providence of God, which calls for the moft thankful and folemn Acknowledgments both from us and our Subjects, have thought fit, by the Advice of our Privy Council, to iffue this our Royal Proclamation, hereby appointing and commanding, that a General Thanksgiving to Almighty God, for thefe his Mercies, be obferv'd throughout England, Wales, and the Town of Berwick upon Tweed, on Thursday the Twentieth Day of January next. And for the better and more orderly folemnizing the fame, we have given Directions to the Moft Reverend the Archbishops, and Right Reverend the Bishops of England, to compose a Form of Prayer fuitable to this Occafion, to be ufed in all Churches and Chapels, and other Places of publick Worhip, and to take Care for the timely difperfing of the fame throughout their refpective Diocefes. And we do ftrictly charge and command, that the faid Publick Day of Thanksgiving be religiously obferv'd by all our loving Subjects, as they tender the Favour of Almighty God, and upon Pain of fuffering fuch Punishment, as we can juftly inflict upon all fuch who fhall contemn or neg lect the fame. Given at our Court at St. James's the 6th Day of December, 1714, in the First Year of our Reign. The Proclamation for a Thanksgiving in Scotland was to the fame Effect, Mutatis Mutandis, particularly the mentioning the Commiffion of the General Affembly of the Church of Scotland, instead of the Archbishops and Bishops of England, &c. On the 11th of December the King fign'd the following Directions to the Clergy, for the Unity of the Church, and the Peace and Quiet of the State. Directions to our Archbishops and Bishops, for the preferving of Unity in the Church, and the Purity of the Chriftian Faith, concerning the Holy Trinity; and also for preferving the Peace and Quiet of the State. GEORGE R. M OST Reverend and Right Reverend Fathers in God, we greet you well: Whereas we are given` to understand, that there have of late been great Differences among fome of the Clergy of this our Realm, about their Ways of expreffing themselves in their Sermons and Writings, concerning the Doctrine of the Bleffed Trinity: And whereas alfo unusual Liberties have been taken by feveral of the faid Clergy, in intermeddling with the Affairs of State and Government, and the. Conftitution of the Realm, both which may be of very dangerous Confequence, if not timely prevented; we therefore, out of our princely Care and Zeal for the Prefervation of the Peace and Unity of the Church, toge ther with the Purity of the 'Chriftian Faith, and also for preferving the Peace and Quiet of the State, have thought fit to fend you these following Directions, which we ftraitly G 2 ftraitly charge and command you to publish, and to see that they be observ'd within your feveral Dioceses. I. That no Preacher whatsoever, in his Sermon, or Lecture, do prefume to deliver any other Doctrine concerning the Blessed Trinity, than what is contain❜d in the Holy Scriptures, and is agreeable to the Three Creeds, and the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion. II. That in the Explication of this Doctrine they carefully avoid all new Terms, and confine themselves - tò fuch Ways of Expreffion as have been commonly used in the Church. III. That Care be taken in this Matter, efpecially to obferve the Fifty Third Canon of this Church, which forbids publick Oppofition between Preachers; because (as that Canon exprefles it) there groweth thereby much Offence and Difquietnefs unto the People: And that above all Things, they abftain from bitter Invectives, and fourrilous Language against all Perfons whatsoever. IV. That none of the Clergy, in their Sermons or Lectures, prefume to intermeddle in any Affairs of State or Government, or the Conftitution of the Realm, fave only on fuch fpecial Feafts and Fafts as are or fhall be appointed by publick Authority; and then no farther than the Occafion of fuch Days fhall ftrictly require ; provided always, that nothing in this Direction fhall be understood to discharge any Perfon from preaching in Defence of our Regal Supremacy eftablish'd by Law, as often, and in fuch Manner, as the First Canon of this Church doth require. V. That the foregoing Directions be alfo observ'd by those who write any Thing concerning the said Subjects. VI. Whereas alfo we are credibly inform'd, that it is the Manner of fome in every Diocese, before their Sermon, either to use a collect and the Lord's Prayer, or the Lord's Prayer only, (which the Fifty Fifth Canon prefcribes as the Conclufion of the Prayer, and not the whole Prayer) or at least to leave out our Titles, by the faid Canon requir'd to be declar'd and recogniz'd; we do farther direct, that you require your Clergy, in their Prayer before Sermon, that they do keep ftrictly to the Form in the faid Canon contain'd, or to the full Effect thereof. VII. And VII. And whereas we alfo understand, that divers Perfons, who are not of the Clergy, have of late prefumed, not only to talk, and to difpute against the Chriftian Faith, concerning the Doctrine of the Bleffed Trinity, but alfo to write and publish Books and Pamphlets against the fame, and induftriously spread them thro' the Kingdom, contrary to the known Laws in that Behalf made and enacted; and particularly to one Act of Parliament -made in the ninth Year of King William the Third, entitled, An Act for the more effectual Suppressing of Blasphemy and Prophaneness: We taking all the Matters above-mention'd into our Royal and Serious Confideration, and being desirous to do what in us lies, to put a Stop to these Disorders, do ftrictly charge and command you, together with all other Means fuitable to your holy Profeffion, to make Use of your Authority according to Law, for the repreffing and restraining of all fuch exorbitant Practices. And for your Affistance, we will give Charge to our Judges, and all other our Civil Officers, to do their Duty herein, in execuring the said Act, and all other Laws, against all fuch Perfons as fhall by thefe Means give Occafion of Scandal, Difcord, and Difturbance, in our Church and Kingdom. Given at our Court at St. James's, the 11th Day of December, 1714, in the First Year of our Reign. By His Majefty's Command, Townshend. Mean while the Earl of Strafford, his Majefty's Embassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary with the States-General, having received his Letters of Revocation, and notify'd the fame to their High Might ineffes, the laft Day of December, N. S.-(the 20th 0. S.) was appointed for his Excellency's publick Audience of Leave. Accordingly, on that Day, Meff. Renswoude and du Tour, their High-Mightinesses Deputies, went to his Excellency's Houfe, and from thence conducted him, with a prodigious Train of Coaches, with 8, 6, 4, or 2 Horfes each, thro' the Houtftraet, Voorhout, Vyverberge, the Square, Hoogftraet, Veneftraet, Spuytract, Hofftraet, and fo to the Court where their High-Mightineffes were assembled; and being feated in an Elbow-Chair, oppofite to the Prefident Velters, his Excellency firft deli ver'd the King his Mafter's Letter, which was immediately read; and them he took his Leave of them, by the following Speech, which he made in French, vix High and Mighty Lords, Efides, what you have just heard, in the King my Mafter's Letter, I have Orders from his Majefty, now that I am taking my Leave of your High-Might ineffes, to repeat the Affurances of his firm and inviolable Friendfhip for this Republick, which he gave you himself as he pafs'd thro' this Country, and which I have had an Opportunity of repeating to you more than once, fince the Death of that most excellent, most pious, and moft glorious Princefs, the late Queen, The King my Mafter is fo fenfible of the Proofs your High-Mightineffes have given him of your Affection and Attachment to his Intereft, that his Majefty will never be wanting in Point of a juft Acknowledgment. His Majefty's illuftrious and fhining Qualities joined to his Power, will ferve you as a Security, that having once that Prince's Good Will and Royal Word, your Republick may rely upon it, as upon the moft folid Support. It is not of this Day, but from the very firft of my Embaffy to your High-Mightineffes, that I have endeavour'd to confirm you in the Opinión, that a strict Union with the Crown of Great Britain, could not but be very advantageous, and even neceffary to you. Your Republick has too often reap'd the good Effects thereof, to leave any Room to doubt of this Truth. Your High-Mightineffes will eafily perceive, that after about thirteen Years employ'd in Embaffies, which I began in the Reign of the late King William of glorious Memory, it must be a great Pleasure to me (having always met with the entire Approbation of my Sovereigns) that I can now return home, and enjoy the prefent Happiness of my Country. But I return with fo much the more Satisfaction, because I have that of feeing the fuccefsful Iffue of my Negociations. It is true, there yet remains the Signing of the Peace between Spain and Portugal, to make the Peace altogether compleat; which obliges me to inform your High Mightineffes, that it is brought fo near, that in a Conference lately held at my Houfe, between the Plenipotentiaries of both thofe Crowns, there was no other Difference than of about 1300000 Crowns, without which that Treaty had been then fign'd; which it certainly will be, upon the Return of the Expreffes, which thofe Minifters then thought themselves oblig'd to fend about it to their respective Courts; for the Sum is too inconfiderable to give any confiderable Delay to an Affair of so much |