JAMES the Second, By the Grace of God, King of England, Scotland, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith, etc. TO ALL and Singular Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacon's, Deans, and their Officials, Parsons, Vicars, Curates, and all other Spiritual Persons: And also to all justices of the Peace, Mayor, Sheriffs, Bailiffs, Constables, Churchwardens, Chappelwardens, Headboroughs, Collectors for the Poor, and their Overseers: And also to all Officers of Cities, Boroughs, and Towns Corporate, and to all other Our Officers, Ministers and Subjects whatsoever they be, as well within Liberties as without, to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting.  
WHEREAS by Our Letters Patents, bearing date the fifth day of March, in the second year of Our Reign, We were pleased to signify Our Royal Pleasure, to all Our loving Subjects, on the behalf of the distressed French Protestants, in these words following; viz.  
WHEREAS it is the highest Prerogative, and most desirable Advantage of Kings and Sovereign Princes, to have it in Their Power and Will to do Acts of Public Clemency and Beneficence; And since nothing makes Them more to resemble the Great God of Heaven, from whom only They derive Their Authority, than to imitate the Divine Goodness in the Works of Universal Mercy and Compassion: We being informed, that great Numbers of French Protestants have lately taken Refuge in this, and Our other Kingdoms, whereof divers being Persons of good Birth and Quality, having formerly lived in Plenty and Prosperity, are now reduced to extreme Wants and Necessities; And many others that are bred up and well skilled in useful Crafts and Mysteries, are, by reason of their present Poverties and Distresses, utterly disabled, as yet, to exercise the same, either for the Support of themselves and their Families, or for the public Benefit of this Our Kingdom: We have thought Ourselves obliged by the Laws of Christian Charity, and common Bonds of Humanity, to take their deplorable Condition into Our tender Care and Princely Compassion. And to this end We have resolved to receive into Our Gracious Protection as many of them as shall live in entire Conformity and orderly Submission to Our Government. And besides other Testimonies of Our Royal Pity and Bounty towards them, We have condescended to Grant them these Our Letters Patents under Our Great Seal of England, to Licence and Authorize them to Ask and Receive the Alms and Charitable Contributions of all Our loving Subjects within Our Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed. Which Letters Patents so given and granted, were to continue in force one whole year from the date thereof, and no longer.  
AND whereas since the expiration of the Term of the said Letters Patents, We have been informed, that although all the several Sums of Money which were Collected by Virtue thereof, have been faithfully expended and applied to the Uses and Purposes within that Brief specified, and by that means a very considerable Number of those French Protestants have been put into a Condition of exercising the Arts and Mysteries they were skilled in, or otherwise providing for themselves and Families, without being any longer burdensome to any: Yet nevertheless a great many others, who are altogether uncapable of getting their own Livelihood, are still under pressing Necessities, and as yet remain utterly unprovided for, (the Public Stock of Charity upon which they subsisted now failing.) And not only so, but, as We are informed, great Numbers of distressed French Protestant's have, since that time, come over into this Our Kingdom, and do still daily come over, so that, without the continuance of Our Royal Grace and Compassion, and the further Supplies and Charitable Contributions of Our loving Subjects, a great many of those miserable People must inevitably perish.  
UPON these Considerations, and for the setting an Example to all Our Subjects of Kindness and Humanity to all Persons in Distress and Affliction, of what Persuasion soever, We have condescended to renew, and now again to grant, Our Letters Patents, under the Great Seal of England, to all these distressed French Protestants, without any distinction, in as full and ample manner as We did before; being very desirous that they should not only find all kind Reception here, but also that Benevolence and Charity which We doubt not all Our loving Subjects will, in a bountiful manner, contribute toward their present Relief and Comfort in this their Affliction.  
KNOW YE THEREFORE, That of Our Especial Grace and Princely Compassion, We have Given and Granted, and by these Our Letters Patents under Our Great Seal of England, do Give and Grant unto the said distressed Protestants, and to their Agents, who shall be lawfully Authorized on their behalf, full Power, Licence and Authority, to Ask, Gather, Receive and Take (according to the Rules specified in these Presents) the Alms and Charitable Benevolence of all Our loving Subjects, not only Householders, but Servants, Strangers and Others, within all and every the Counties, Cities, Boroughs, Towns Corporate, Privileged Places, Parishes, Chapelries, Towns, Villages, Hamlets, and all other places whatsoever in Our Kingdom of England, Dominion of Wales, and Town of Berwick upon Tweed.  
WHEREFORE We Require and Command all and singular the Archbishops and Bishops of all the Provinces and Dioceses within Our Kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, (unto whose Paternal Care and Inspection We chief recommend the pursuit of these Our Letters Patents,) That they, and every of them, do give a particular Recommendation and Command to all the Parsons, Vicars and Curates of all and every the Parishes, and other places, as well within Liberties as without, within their respective Dioceses, for the Advancement of this so pious and Charitable a Work. And the said Parsons, Vicars and Curates, upon the first Lordsday, or second at farthest, after that the true Copies of these Our Letters Patents shall be delivered to them, shall deliverately and affectionately publish and declare the Tenor of the same to all Our said loving Subjects; and earnestly persuade, exhort and stir them up, to contribute freely and cheerfully towards the Relief of these distressed Christians, by such Motives and Inducements only as in these Our Letters Patents are contained. And the Churchwardens are also hereby required upon the Weekdays next following the said Lordsday, to go from house to house, to Ask and Receive from all the Parishioners, as well Masters, Mistresses and Servants, as others in their Families, their Christian and Charitable Contributions, and to take the Names in Writing of all such as shall Contribute thereunto, and the Sum or Sums by them respectively given. And after such Collection made, they are, in the presence of the respective Inhabitants, on the next Lordsday following, to subscribe the whole Sums upon the said Briefs, under their hands, and also to enter them into Books of Accounts, for the said Parishes and Chapelries respectively, and the Places where, and the Times when, such Sums were Collected: And they are also to deliver the same to the said Parsons, Vicars and Curates respectively, and the said Parsons, Vicars and Curates are to send the said Moneys, together with the said Briefs, unto their respective Archdeacon's: Or if the Parish be exempt, to the Archdeacon within the compass of whose Archdeaconry the said Parish lies; And the said several Archdeacon's into the Chamber of Our city of London, as herein after is declared and directed. And for the better performance of this so pious and charitable a Work, the said Parsons, Vicars and Curates respectively are required (where conveniently they may) to accompany the Churchwardens in Ask and Receiving the Contributions, or procure some other of the chief of the Inhabitants in the said Parishes respectively to do the same.  
AND Our further Will and Pleasure is, and We do hereby, for the better Advancement of these Our pious Intentions, Will, Require and Command the Bishops, and all other Dignitaries of the Church, That they make their Contributions distinctly to be returned in the several Provinces to the respective Archbishops of the same. And also that all Our loving Subjects of this Kingdom, of what Dignity, Degree or Quality soever, may manifest their Zeal in so good a Work, We do Recommend it to all Heads and Governors of Colleges and Halls in both Our Universities, and also to the judges and Officers of all and every Our respective Courts at Westminster, and the Professors of the Law, both Common and Civil, and to all Students of the several Inns of Court and Chancery, by their several Bodies and Societies, That they, and every of them, will Contribute their free and charitable Benevolence herein.  
AND LASTLY, Our Will and Pleasure is, That the Churchwardens of every Parish, where these Our Letters Patents shall be read, do Collect the Charity of each Parishioner in manner aforesaid, and do pay the same within ten days unto the Parson, Vicar or Curate of their respective Parishes; which said Parson, Vicar or Curate, shall, within ten days next after the Receipt of the said Money, make return thereof, together with the printed Briefs, to his respective Archdeacon as aforesaid: And where there is no Incumbent, the Collector or Collectors shall pay the said Money to the respective Archdeacon: And that the Archdeacon's of the several Archdeaconries do likewise return the said Collections within twenty days next following into the Chamber of Our City of London: From whence We do hereby Authorize, Nominate and Appoint the most Reverend Father in God, the Lord Archbishop of Centerbury, the Lord High Chancellor of England, the Lord Precedent of Our Council, the Lord Privy Seal, the Duke of Ormond, the Duke of Beaufort, the Lord Chamberlain, the Earl of Huntingdon, the Earl of Peterborough, the Earl of Bridgwater, the Earl of Craven, the Earl of Berkley, the Earl of Nottingham, the Earl of Middleton, the Lord Viscount Fauconberge, the Right Reverend Fathers in God the Bishop of Durham, the Bishop of Winchester, the Bishop of Ely, the Bishop of Gloucester, the Bishop of Rochester, and the Bishop of Peterborough; the Lord Preston, the Lord Dartmouth, the Lord Godolphin, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, the Lord Chief justice Wright, the Lord Chief justice Herbert, the Lord Chief Baron Atkyns, Sir Job Charleton, Our Attorney General, and Our Solicitor General, the Lord Mayor of London for the time being, Sir William Turner, Sir William Prichard, Sir Robert Geoffrey, Sir John Holt, Sir William Gostling, Sir Peter Vandeput, Sir John Mathews, Sir John Tate Recorder, Sir Jonathan Raymond, Sir Thomas Kensey, Sir William Ashurst, Sir John Bauden, Sir John Isles, Sir Bartholomew Shore, Sir Basil Firebrace, Sir John Parsons, Sir Thomas Fitch, John Jeffreys Esq Charles Duncombe Esq Alderman Kiffin, Alderman St. Amand, the Dean of St. Paul's, the Dean of Canterbury, the Dean of Norwich, the Dean of Peterborough, the Dean of Windsor, the Dean of Worcester, the Dean of St. Asaph, Dr. Jeffreys, Dr. Tenison, Dr. Sherlock, Dr. Scott, Dr. Dove, Dr. Cave, Dr. Horden, Sir Thomas Exton, Dr. Raines, Dr. Edisbury, Samuel Pepys, William Bridgman, and William Blaithwaite Esquires, and Thomas Firman Gent. and they, or any five or more of them, are to dispose and distribute the Money which shall be Collected by Virtue hereof, in such manner as may best answer those Ends for which these Letters Patents were intended. AND We do hereby Direct and Command, That the said several Archdeacon's shall and do make Returns unto the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, of what Sums they have received, at the time when they shall pay the same into the Chamber of Our City of London: And that their respective Accounts be stated in Words at length, and not in Figures only, and subscribed with their own hands; Any Law, Statute, Act, Ordinance or Provision heretofore made to the contrary hereof in any wise notwithstanding. IN WITNESS whereof, We have caused these Our Letters to be made Patents, and to continue for one whole Year from the Date hereof, and no longer. WITNESS Ourselves at Westminster, the One and thirtieth day of January, in the third Year of Our Reign.  
FALL.  
GOD SAVE THE KING.   

In the Savoy: Printed by THOMAS NEWCOMB, One of His MAJESTY'S Printers. 1687/8.