AN ORDINANCE OF THE Lords and Commons Assembled in Parliament.  
BEING An Exhortation to all His majesty's good Subjects in the kingdom of England, and Dominion of Wales, to the duty of Repentance and Humiliation, with an earnest confession of particular and national sins. For the obtaining a firm and happy Peace, now in agitation. To be used privately in Families, but especially publicly in Congregations.  
THat flourishing Kingdoms have been ruined by Impenitent going on in a course of Sinning, the Sacred Story doth plainly tell us; and how near to such a ruin our sinful Nation now is, the present lamentable Face of it doth too apparently show. And though we should feel the heavy strokes of God, yet seven times more, It is our duty to accept the punishment of our Iniquity, and to say, Righteous art thou O Lord, and just are thy Judgements.  
Yet because the Lord who is just, is also merciful, and in his infinite Mercy hath left the excellent and successful remedy of Repentance to Nations brought near to the Gates of destruction and despair, O let not England be negligent in the application of it. Humble addresses of a penitent People to a merciful God have prevailed with Him. They prevailed for Nineveh when the sentence seemed to be gone out against her, and may also prevail for England.  
It is therefore thought most necessary by the Lords & Commons in Parliament, that all his majesty's Subjects in this Kingdom of England, be excited and stirred up, speedily to lay hold upon this only and unfailing Remedy of Repentance; freely acknowledging, and heartily bewailing even with the deepest humiliation, godly sorrow, and detestation, secretly and in Families, but especially publicly in Congregations, both their own personal sins, and chiefly those sins that are and have been the sins of this Nation: A confession of national Sins being most agreeable to the national judgements, under which the Land groans, and most likely to be effectual for the removing of them.  
Neither ought this confession to slight or light, when there is so heavy a weight of Sins, infinite in number, and heinous in nature, that lies upon this Nation. Such are the high Contempt of God's holy Ordinances, and of holiness itself: gross and affected Ignorance, under the glorious light of the gospel clearly shining among us; unfruitfulness under the precious means of Grace, Ingratitude for Mercies, incorrigibleness under judgements, multitudes of oaths, and Blasphemies, wicked profanations of the Lord's Day, by Sports and Gamings, formerly encouraged even by Authority; All sorts of uncleanness; Luxury, and excess in Eating and Drinking; Vanity, Pride, and Prodigality in apparel; Envy, Contention, & unnatural Divisions, Oppression, Fraud, and Violence; From diverse of which Sins, & many other, not one Person throughout the whole Nation, can say that he is wholly free; but all must confess that they have contributed toward the great Stock of national Sins; And so have increased the Treasure of Wrath, against these days of Wrath; and therefore since, according to the Language of the Holy Ghost, we are a sinful Nation, a People laden with Iniquity, and that from the sole of the Foot, to the Head, there is no soundness in us, we may justly expect the desolations that are denounced against so great and general a corruption.  
And as it is our duty to humble ourselves and to give glory to God, the searcher of all Hearts, by confessing all Sins; So ought we to be affected and humbled with deepest sense of sorrow, for those most crying Sins, which now we find, by too sad Experience, to have a more immediate Influence upon the Destruction of a kingdom; some of which are Idolatry and Bloodshed.  
That of Idolatry, as it was the Sin of our Ancestors, so it is the spreading Sin of these latter times, while by a general connivance, and almost toleration, it hath been several ways Fomented and encouraged: The grievous Effects whereof this kingdom of England now begins to feel, from multitudes of Armed Papists and their Abettors, and the kingdom of Ireland far more heavily hath felt, being brought almost to utter ruin, by the Intestine wars of Romish Idolaters.  
And for that other crying and cruel Sin of Bloodshed, that calls aloud for Vengeance (besides many Murders not expiated, and the blood-guilty pardoned) did it not go hand in hand with that abominable idol of the mass, in the days of Queen Mary, and some of her Predecessors, when many hundreds of the dear martyrs and Saints of God lost their precious Lives in flames and prisons? And though several Acts by which that Innocent blood was shed, have been repealed by Parliament: yet to this very day, was never ordained such a solemn public and national acknowledgement of this Sin, as might appease the wrath of that jealous God against whom, and against whose People, with so high a hand it was committed.  
Now that all the Sin and Misery of this Polluted and Afficted Nation may be bitterly sorrowed for, with such grief of heart, and preparedness for a thorough Reformation, as God may be pleased graciously to accept: It is required and ordained by the Lords and Commons in Parliament, That every Minister and Preacher of God's Word, in the kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales, in their several Auditories and Congregations, especially upon the Fast days, shall most earnestly persuade and Inculcate the constant practice of this public acknowledgement and deep humiliation, for these, and all our national and crying sins, and likewise the necessity of a personal and national Reformation, and shall publish this Ordinance concerning the same: That so at length we may obtain a firm and happy Peace both with God and man, That Glory may dwell in our Land, and the prosperity of the gospel, with all the privileges accompanying it, may Crown this Nation unto all succeeding Ages.  

ORdered by the Lords and Commons assembled in Parliament, that this Ordinance shall be forthwith Printed and published, and read in all Parish Churches and chapels throughout the kingdom of England and Dominion of Wales, by the Parsons, Vicars, and Curates of the same.  
John Brown, Cler. Parliamentorum.    

London, Printed for John Wright in the Old-bailey. Febr. 11. 1644.