C R  DIEV ET MON DROIT HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE  royal blazon or coat of arms  
¶ By the King.  
CHARLES by the grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, etc. To all to whom these presents shall come, greeting.  
WHEREAS We have received certain information, aswell by the Ministers and Elders of the Dutch Churches, both in parts beyond the Seas, and in Our City of London, as by the special and earnest recommendation of Our dearest Sister, and her Royal Consort, Our dear Brother the Prince Elector Palatine, of the most distressed and lamentable estate of the poor exiled Ministers of the Palatinate, their Wives and Children, who falling into the power of their cruel enemies, have been spoilt of all their Temporal estates, and exposed unto unexpressible miseries, and are now enforced, as Exiles, to retire and hide themselves from the violence of their adversaries, in several Cities, Towns, and other places, where they live in very great penury and want, most of them having formerly had plentiful and liberal means to sustain their own charge, and to be helpful to others, whose cases are the more to be deplored, for that this extremity is fallen upon them for their sincerity and constancy in the true Religion, which We, together with them, do profess, and which We are all bound in conscience to maintain, to the uttermost of Our powers, whereas these religious and godly persons, being involved amongst many others their Countrymen in the common calamitity, might have enjoyed their estates and fortunes, if with other backesliders, in the times of trial, they would have submitted themselves to the Antichristian yoke, and have renounced or dissembled the profession of the true Religion: WE taking these things in Our Princely consideration, and being moved with the bowels of compassion towards them, as feeling members of the same body, whereof Christ alone is the head, and being certainly informed, that those of the United Provinces, and diverse other Protestants in other places, have bountifully contributed towards their necessities, and being well assured, that all Our loving Subjects of this Our Kingdom, who have long enjoyed the freedom of the Gospel, and have tasted largely of the comfort thereof, will not be inferior to any, in work so full of piety and charity towards their distressed brethren, have resolved to commend the distressed estates of these poor souls unto charities of all the people of this Our Realm. KNOW ye therefore, That We, of Our Princely grace, do order and grant, that a general Collection the made of the charitable devotions, and liberalities of all Our loving Subjects throughout this Our Realm of England, and Dominion of Wales, in all places whatsoever, aswell within liberties as without, towards the relief and succour of the said poor Exiles, living now dispersed and distressed in such sort, as aforesaid, which Collection We will and command, shall be made and ordered in manner and form following: That is to say, We first will and grant, that by the discretion of the Lord Bishop of London, Our own Printer at Our own charge, shall forthwith print so many Briefs of these Our Letters Patents, as shall be sufficient to disperse them into every Church and Chapel, where public and Divine Service is usually celebrated, in, and throughout this Our whole Kingdom and Dominion: And that the Letters Patents themselves under Our great Seal, be left with the said Bishop of London; that the Lord Bishop of London do receive all these Briefs from Our Printer, that said Lord Bishop of London shall withal speed send so many of them unto every Archbishop and Bishop within this Realm and Dominion, as shall be requisite for every Church and Chapel within their several Diocese to have one of them; that every Archbishop and Bishop in every Diocese, do disperse them into every Parish Church and Chapel, to be delivered to the Minister of that place, that the Minister and Curate in every Church and Chapel receive them, and in the time of Divine Service on some Sunday publish them, with an exhortation to the stirring up of their Christian devotion to a work so full of charity, that the Churchwardens and Overseers of the poor make diligent collection of all the Parishioners, and persons present, that after the money shall be collected, the sum collected be endorsed on the back of the Brief, and that it be publicly declared unto the Congregation what that sum doth amount unto, which is there collected, that every Archbishop and Bishop do nominate in every Deanery within his Diocese, one able and fit Minister to be the Receiver of all the money collected within that Deanery, to whom the Churchwardens and Ourseers, of every Parish being within that Deanery, shall within three days after the Collection, pay over the money collected, and deliver the Brief endorsed, receiving from him a Note under his hand of the sum so paid, that every such Minister within six days after the receipt of the moneys within that Deanery, pay the over to the Lord Bishop of the Diocese, or his Official, that the Bishop of Diocese deliver or pay the same over to the hands of the Bishop of London, within fourteen days after, that the Bishop of London, as he shall receive any sum of one hundred pounds, or above, forthwith send and deliver the same to the Ministers and Elders of the Dutch Congregation in London, at their meeting in their Consistory, and receive from them a Note in writing, under the hands of four of them at the least; that the Ministers and Elders of the Dutch Congregation in London, on whose fidelities and honesties in this behalf We will trust, do with all convenient speed send, or by exchange make over the same into the parts beyond the Seas, and divide and distribute the same unto, and amongst these poor distressed souls for their relief and sustenance, in such manner as for their cares, faithfulness and discretions, they will be answerable to Us for the same: And to that end, that they keep a perfect account in writing of all their receipts, payments, and distributions of the said moneys, to be showed unto Us, whensoever, for Our satisfaction We shall call for the same. In witness whereof We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patents for the space two years now next ensuing the date hereof to continue.  
Witness Ourself at Westminster, the nine and twentieth day of january, in the third year of Our Reign. 
 God save the King.   

❧ Imprinted at London by BONHAM NORTON, and JOHN BILL, Printers to the Kings most Excellent MAJESTY. M.DC.XXVII.