AN ACT For Keeping and Celebrating the Twenty third of October AS AN ANNIVERSARY THANKSGIVING IN THE KINGDOM OF IRELAND.  
Together with A FORM OF DIVINE SERVICE, To be used there on the same Day.  
THese are to give notice, That the Protestants of Ireland, at present in and about the City of London, intent to meet (at the Church of St. Marry le Bow) upon Wednesday the Twenty third day of this Instant October, at Ten of the Clock in the Morning, in pursuance of an Act of Parliament in that Kingdom, to give Thanks to Almighty God for the Deliverance from the Bloody Massacre and Rebellion begun by the Irish Papists the Twenty third day of October, 1641.  
LONDON, Printed for Robert Clavell at the Peacock in St. Paul's Churchyard. 1689.   

An ACT for Keeping and Celebrating the Twenty third of October, as an Anniversary THANKSGIVING in this Kingdom.  
WHereas many malignant and rebellious Papists and Jesuits, Friars, Seminary Priests, and other Superstitious Orders of the Popish pretended Clergy, most disloyally, treacherously, and wickedly conspired to surprise His Majesty's Castle of Dublin, His Majesty's Principal Fort of this Kingdom of Ireland, the City of Dublin, and all other Cities and Fortifications of this Realm, and that all the Protestants and English throughout the whole Kingdom, that would not join with them, should be cut off; and finally, by a general Rebellion to deprive our late Sovereign Lord of ever Blessed Memory, King Charles the First, of this His Ancient and Rightful Crown and Sovereignty of this Kingdom, and to possess themselves thereof: All which was by the said Conspirators plotted and intended to be acted on the Twenty third of October, in the Year of our Lord God 1641. A Conspiracy so generally inhuman, barbarous, and cruel, as the like was never before heard of in any Age or Kingdom; and if it had taken effect in that fullness which was intended by the Conspirators, it had occasioned the utter Ruin of this whole Kingdom, and the Government thereof: And however it pleased Almighty God, in his unsearchable Wisdom and Justice, as a just Punishment, and deserved Correction unto his People for their Sins, and the Sins of this Kingdom, to permit then and afterwards the effecting of a great part of that Destruction complotted by those wicked Conspirators, whereby many thousand British and Protestants have been massacred, many thousands of others of them have been afflicted and tormented with the most exquisite Torments that Malice could suggest; and all men's Estates, as well those whom they barbarously murdered, as all other Good Subjects, were wasted, ruined, and destroyed: Yet as his Divine Majesty hath in all Ages shown his Power and Mercy, in the miraculous and gracious deliverance of his Church, and in the Protection of Religious Kings and States; so even in the midst of his Justice, he was graciously pleased to extend Mercy to His Majesty and to this His Kingdom, and good Subjects therein, not only in mercifully discovering to the then Lords Justices, by one Owen O Connelly, a mere Irishman, but trained up in the Protestant Religion, who out of a sense of his Duty and Loyalty to His Majesty, and for the preservation of his good People, and as an Effect of that Religion he was trained up in, revealed that hideous and bloody Treason, not many Hours before the appointed time for the execution thereof; but also in preserving the said Castle and City of Dublin, and some other Cities, Towns, and Castles in the Kingdom, from the bloody Hands of the barbarous Conspirators, as also in thereby rendering deliverance of the Lives of the said Lords Justices and Council, and of all the British and Protestants in Dublin, and in the said other Cities, Towns, and Castles preserved, and of sundry other British and Protestants, fallen into the Hands of those rebellious Conspirators, and likewise in sending us Succours out of England hither, by the Piety, Care, and Wisdom of our late Sovereign Lord King Charles the First, whereby, with God's Blessing, the good Subjects of this Kingdom have hitherto continued safe under His mighty Protection, notwithstanding the unexampled Rage and implacable Malice of those merciless Rebels. Wherefore as we do most humbly and justly acknowledge God's Justice in our deserved Punishments in those Calamities, which from the Counsels and Actions of those Conspirators, and their Adherents have fallen upon us in this Kingdom in general; so we do in like manner acknowledge, that even in exercising of that his Justice, he remembered Mercy also, and magnified his Mercies to us, in those great Blessings which we humbly confess to have proceeded merely from his infinite Goodness and Mercy; and therefore to his most holy Name we do ascribe all Honour, Glory, and Praise; and to the end this unfeigned Thankfulness may never be forgotten, but may be had in a perpetual remembrance, that all Ages to come may yield Praises to his Divine Majesty for the same, and have in Memory that joyful Day of Deliverance; Be it therefore Enacted by the King's most Excellent Majesty, with the Assent of the Lords Spiritual and Temporal, and Commons in this present Parliament assembled, and by Authority of the same, That the Twenty third day of October shall be kept and celebrated as an Anniversary Holiday in this Kingdom for ever; and that all Persons do at that Day forbear all Bodily Labour, and the Exercise of their Trades; and that all and singular Ministers in every Cathedral and Parish-Church, or other usual Place for Common-Prayer within this Realm of Ireland, shall always upon the Twenty third Day of October say Morning-Prayer, and give Thanks to Almighty God for that most happy and miraculous Deliverance and Preservation, far above the Expectations of those wretched Conspirators; and that all and every Person and Persons inhabiting within this Realm of Ireland, shall yearly upon the Twenty third of October diligently and faithfully resort to the Parish-Church or Chapel accustomed, or to some usual Church or Chappel where the said Morning-Prayer, Preaching, or other Service of God shall be used, and then and there abide orderly and soberly during the time of the said Prayers, Preaching, or other Service of God there to be used and ministered. And because all and every Person may be put in mind of his Duty, and be then the better prepared to the said Holy Service, Be it enacted by the Authority aforesaid, That every Minister shall give warning to his Parishioners publicly in the Church, at Morning-Prayer, the Lordsday next before every such Twenty third of October, for the due Observation of the said Day; and that after Morning-Prayer or Preaching upon every such Twenty third of October, they read publicly, distinctly, and plainly this present Act.   

A Form of Divine Service to be used October 23. appointed by Act of Parliament Anno Regni Car. 2.14. die 27 Sept. 1662. to be Kept and Celebrated as an Anniversary Thanksgiving in this Kingdom of Ireland.  
THe heginning of the Service to be according to the Form of the Common-Prayer: 

Then Proper Psalms, as 3, 9, 12, 46, 144.  
Proper Lessons; for the first, 2 Chron. 13. or Jer. 30.  
For the second Lesson, Mat. 9 or Acts 5. or Acts 23.  
And after the Collect for the Sunday, this following Collect.    
ALmighty God and heavenly Father, who out of thy most wise and watchful Providence, and tender Mercies towards us thine unworthy Servants, hast been pleased, as at all other times, so on this day, to prevent the extreme malice, mischievous imagination, and bloody intention of our Enemies, die revealing so wonderfully and opportunely their Rebellion, and cruel Enterprises, plotted against our dread Sovereign Lord the King, and the whole State of this Realm, for the Subversion of this Government, and the utter Extirpation of the Truth of thy Gospel; and pure Religion professed amongst us. We most humbly praise and magnify thy glorious Name for thine infinite Goodness in this our marvellous Deliverance. We confess it was thy mercy, thy mercy alone (most merciful Father) that we were not consumed. And therefore not unto us, not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy Name be ascribed all honour and glory, in all Churches of the Saints, throughaut all Generations. For thou, Lord, didst discover unto thy Servants the snares of Death; thou didst break them, and we were delivered. Be thou still our mighty Protector, and scatter our Enemies that delight in Blood; infatuate their Counsels, enféeble their Strength, put Fear in their Hearts, and accomplish this thy Mercy in our safety and future deliverance. And to that end, strengthen the Hands of our gracious King, the Lord Lieutenant, the Nobility, and Magistrates of the Land, with judgement, justice, and Power to restrain such workers of Iniquity, who pretend Religion and practice Rebellion, and devour thine Inheritance. This, Lord, we crave at thy merciful hands, together with the continuance of thy powerful Protection over our dread Sovereign, the whole Church, and these Realms, and the speedy Conversion of all our Enemies, and that for thy dear Son's sake, jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advecate. Amen.  

After the Litany, this Prayer for the Second Collect.  
O Eternal God, in whom we live, move, and have our Being, and by whom alone we are protected in all our Dangers and Distresses; we thy People, and Sheep of thy Pasture, do acknowledge ourselves above all others infinitely bounden unto thy heaven●● Majesty, for thy many unspeakable Benefits daily conferred and heapen upon us; especially for the enlightening us with thy heavenly Truth, and planting thy Gospel amongst us; for placing over us a most gracious King, a faithful Professor and Defender of the same, a wise and vigilant Lieutenant. And as at this time especially we praise thee for the discovery and prevention of the bloody and treacherous Designs of the Enemies of thy Truth and People: We laud and magnify thy glorious Name for these thy Mercies, and will ever show forth thy Praise from Generation to Generation: For it was thy Goodness alone that we were not delivered over for a Prey unto their Tooth. Thy Prudence, not our Foresight; thy Love, not our Merit, that we appear this day before thee, that the Enemy did not triumph in our utter Destruction, nor root up the Vine which thy Right hand had planted. O Lord God of Hosts, look down from Heaven, and behold, and visit this thy Vine; water it with thy Blessing, and make it to fill the Land, to the astonishment of our Enemies, but unto the joy of all that wish well unto our Zion: So will we not go back from thee, but will serve thee in fear and holiness all the days of our lives, through jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.   

The Third Collect after the Litany.  
O Most gracious Lord God, we of this Nation, whom thou didst snatch as a Brand out of the Fire of the late horrid Massacre, we this day assembled before thee, do with shame and sorrow acknowledge and confess, That our Sins had most justly provoked thee to wrath, when thou didst suffer those Men of Blood to make their Sword fat with the Slaughter of so many thousand Innocents'. And we may as justly fear, that our not being made better by thy former judgements, thou mayest be compelled to make thy Sword sharper, and return upon us in greater fury, because our Sins are greater, more bold, more provoking: in particular, our neglect and contempt of thy sacred Ordinances, our vain and false swearing (for which the Land mourns) our unchristian uncharitableness, and shameful Intemperance, our Sacrilege, and Covetousness, Hypocrisy, Slandering, and deep Security in the midst of all our Sins and Dangers. These, together with a glorying in our Impieties, might in justice have brought upon us a sudden and horrible Destruction. But, contrary to the method of thy Proceed against others, thou hast spared us, thereby wooing us to return unto thee by unfeigned Repentance. Thou hast magnified thy Mercy towards us, that we may magnify thee, as we do this day, this memorable day, O Lord, for thy Patience and Long-suffering, notwithstanding all our Provocations: We repent, O pardon; we return, O vouchsafe to receive us, and enable us to walk worthy of thy great past Deliverance, by a more strict and holy future Obedience, for the Merits of jesus Christ, our only Saviour and Redéemer. Amen.   

At the Second Service, this Fourth Collect to be said after the Collect for the King.  
MOst merciful and bountiful Lord God, seeing thou hast been graciously pleased to preserve thy most unworthy People from total Desolation, and daily to follow us with the Blessng of Peace and good Government: make us therefore, O Lord, in all thankfulness to be obedient to thy Will in all things; to be faithful and constant in our Duty to the King, and to all that are in Authority under him; to be sincere in thy Worship, zealous of Good works, of one Faith, and one Mind, studying to be quiet, forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven us: so that when every one in his several place shall labour to advance the good both of Church and State, and by a through Reformation of our Lives, shall become a People whom thou mayest take delight to bless; then thy judgements which we have deserved, and therefore fear, may be averted, and our sinful Souls saved in the day of the Lord jesus: Then with one heart and voice we may all praise thee in thy Church, and always sing joyfully, that thy Lovingkindness is ever more and more towards us, and the Truth of the Lord endures for ever. These Mercies we most unworthy to ask, humbly beseech thee to grant, for the benefit of this Church and Nation, and glory of thy Name, through jesus Christ our only Saviour and Redéemer. Amen.  
For the Epistle, Mehem. 4. from ver. 7. to ver. 16. or 2 Cor. 1. from ver. 3. to ver. 11.  
For the Gospel, Mat. 14. from ver. 23. to ver. 34. or Mat. 15. from ver. 1. to ver. 13. or Mat. 5. from ver. 1. to ver. 14.  
And then proceed as in the Book of Common-Prayer.   
FINIS.