CR   royal blazon or coat of arms  
A PROCLAMATION, Indicting a solemn and religious Fast, to be keeped and observed throughout the whole Kingdom of Scotland  
CHARLES, by the Grace of GOD, King of Great-Britain, France and Ireland, Defender of the Faith; To all and sundry Our good Subjects, Greeting: Forasmuch as Almighty God, after a sinful abuse of the holy Gospel, and of the never to be forgotten Deliverance of this Our ancient Kingdom, from the Yoke of Bondage and Usurpation, and of Our Royal Person and Government, from the open Rebellions, and secret Plots and Conspiracies of Traitorous and Fanatical Enemies; and after a long and impious despising of Peace and Plenty, doth by his righteous Judgements, manifestly discover his Anger and Displeasure against the grievous sins of this Kingdom; and particularly, by the long continuance of the Rigour and Storms of the last Winter, and the severity and unnatural Coldness of the present Spring, whereby not only a great part of the cattle and Bestial are already destroyed, and the remanent in apparent danger; but even the ordinary Season of Ploughing and Sowing of the Ground, was in danger almost to be lost, thereby threatening the breaking ● The Staff of Bread, and the dreadful Plague of Famine: Which Dispensation, doth invite persons of all Ranks, to speedy and true Repentance, and the National Expression thereof, by deep Mourning, and solemn Fasting an● Humiliation. Therefore We, with Advice and Consent of the Lords of Our Privy Council, Do appoint and ordain a Day of Humiliation to be observed by all Our Subjects of this Kingdom; strictly Commanding and Requiring them, upon that Day, to cease from all the Works of their ordinary Callings, and to repair to their respective Paroch Churches, and there, make solemn Confe●●ion of their Sins, and Implore the Divine Mercy to Us, and Our Subjects, by Praying, Mourning, Fasting, and su●●●ther Devotions, as are usual upon such Days of public Humiliation more particularly, contritely to Confess ● Mourn for the great neglect and contempt of, and disobedience to the holy Gospel, for the sinful Separation from the Ordinances thereof, and for the great and lamentable prevalency of Atheism, Erro● Profaneness, and 〈…〉 igion occasioned thereby; and for the sinful undervaluing of the great Blessings of Peace and Plenty, so long continued under Our Government: By all which, and many other ●rying Sins, the Lord Anger and Jealousy are kindled, and his Hand is stretched out to the Destruction of the castle, and threatening the Fruits of the Ground, the necessary Provision for the Life of Man and Beast, that by s●●ious Mourning, and sincere turning from these provocking Sins, the Lord may graciously pardon them, and repen●●im of the evil threatened, and most righteously deserved. And for this end, We do require the Arch-●●●shops of St. Andrews and Glasgow, the Bishop of Edinburgh, Galloway, Dunkel, Aberdeen, Brichen, and Dumblan● 〈◊〉 To cause it to be Intimated in the several Par●ch Churches of their Dioceses, upon Sunday the fourth day of M●●●● and to be Celebrated and observed, on Wednesd●● thereafter; and the remanent Bishops, whose Dioceses are more ●●●ote, to cause it to be Intimated on Sunday the twenty fifth of May, to be observed the Wednesday thereafter, by R 〈…〉 g the same from the Pulpit, after Divine ●ervice, the Sabbath before the said's respective Days of Fasting a●●●umiliation.  
●●●en under Our Signet ●t Edinburgh, the seveteenth day of April, One thousand six hundred eighty four. And of Our Reign, the threttieth and six Year. Per actum Dominorum Secreti Concilij. WILL. PATERSON, Cls. Sti. Concilij. 
 GOD save the KING.   

Edi●●●●gh, Printed by the 〈◊〉 of And●●w Anderson, Printer to His most Sacred Majesty, Anno Dom. 1684.