royal blazon or coat of arms Dieu ET MON DROIT ΒΆ By the Lords justices and council. W. Parsons. Io. Borlase. WHereas many malignant and devilish Papists, and Jesuits, Friars, Seminary prfests, 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 in this kingdom, the city of Dublin, and all other cities and Fortifications in this Realm, to massacre us the Lords justices and council, to destroy and root out all the Protestant British, and all other Protestants in this Realm; and finally, to deprive His majesty 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 23. day of October in the year of our Lord God 1641. A conspiracy so 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 howsoever it pleased Almighty God in his unsearchable wisdom and justice, as a just punishment and deserved correction to us for our sins, and the sins of this Nation, 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 the malice of the devil could suggest to the mischievous rebels, and all men's estates (as well those whom they traitorously slew, as all others) are utterly 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 miraculously discovering to us the Lords justices, 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 to the Lives of us the 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, fall'n even into the hands of those Rebellious Conspirators, and likewise in sending us succours, (whereby with God's blessing) We have hitherto continued safe under his mighty protection, notwithstanding the unexampled rage and implacable fury and malice of those merciless enemies of God's truth. 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 & their Adherents, are fall'n upon us, and this Nation in general, so We do in like manner acknowledge, that even in exercising of that his justice, he remembered mercy also, and magnified his mercy 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 This joyful day of Deliverance. We do ordain and establish by this Our Act of council (in the mean time until by Authority of Parliament it shall be made a Law to be delivered over to posterity) 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 23. day of October say Morning Prayer, and give thanks unto Almighty God for this most happy and miraculous Deliverance, and for our preservation hitherto, far above the expectation of those wretched Conspirators. And that all, and every person and persons, inhabiting within this realm of Ireland, shall always upon that day diligently and faithfully resort to the Parish Church or chapel accustomed, or to some usual Church or chapel where the said Morning Prayer, Preaching, or other service of God shall be used, and then and there to 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 better prepared to the said holy service: We do ordain and establish by this Our Act of council, that every Minister shall give warning to his Parishioners publicly in the Church at Morning Prayer, the Sunday before every such 23. day of October for the due observation of the said day. And that after Morning Prayer, and Preaching upon the said 23. day of October, they read publicly, distinctly and plainly this Our Act of council. Given at His majesty's Castle of Dublin the 14. day of October. 1642. Ormond. Ad. Loftus. Geo. Shurley. Gerrard Lowther. I. Temple. Tho. Rotherham. Fr. Willoughby. Ia. Ware. G. Wentworth. Rob. Meredith.