THe Kings most Excellent Majesty taking into His Pious and Princely consideration , that great and immoderate Rains and Waters have lately fallen in the Land , whereupon it may be feared , scarcity , and famine , and sickness and diseases will ensue , if Almighty God of his great Clemency be not mercifully pleased to avert those Iudgements and Punishments , which our many and manifold sins and provocations have justly deserved : And his Majesty having assembled His high Court of Parliament ( the Representative Body of this Kingdom ) which is now sitting , and being thereto moved by the Petition of both the Houses of Lords and Commons in Parliament , and out of His own Religious disposition readily inclined , hath resolved , and hereby doth Command a general and publick Fast to be kept throughout this whole Kingdom , in such manner as hereafter is directed and prescribed , that so both Prince and People , even the whole Kingdom , as one man , may send up their Prayers and Supplications to Almighty God , to divert those Iudgements which the sins of this Land have worthily deserved , and to continue the blessed change of wheather now begun , and to offer up to him their hearty and unfained thanks for this , and other abundant mercies formerly vouchsafed unto them , and to beseech his blessing upon that great Assembly of this Nation , and to prosper their actions and endeavours .

And to the end so Religious an Exercise may be performed with all Decency and Vniformity , His Majesty hath resolved upon a Grave and Religious Form of Solemnizing thereof , which His Royal Pleasure He doth hereby Publish and Declare to all His loving Subjects , And doth Streightly Charge and Command , that on Wednesday next being the Twelfth day of this instant June , this Fast be Religiously and Solemnly observed and celebrated in the Cities of London and Westminster , Burrough of Southwarke , and other Places adjacent , wherein His Majesty in his Royal Person and with His Royal Family and Houshold , will give Example to the rest of His People ; And that on Wednesday the Nineteenth day of the same Month of June , the like be kept and duly observed throughout the rest of This whole Realm of England and Dominion of Wales ; And for the more Orderly Solemnizing thereof without confusion , His Majesty by the Advice of His Reverend Bishops hath Directed to be Composed , Printed and Published , the Form of such Prayers and Publique Exhortations as He thinketh fit to be used in all Churches and places at these Publique Meetings , and He hath given Charge to His Bishops to Disperse the same throughout the whole Kingdom . All which His Majesty both expresly Charge and Command shall be Reverendly and Decently performed , by all His loving Subjects , as they tender the favor of Almighty God , and would avoid His just Indignation against this Land , and upon pain of such punishments as His Majesty can justly inflict upon all such as shall contemn or neglect so Religious a Work .