royal blazon or coat of arms HONI SOIT QVI MAL Y PENSE dieu ET MON DROIT  
❧ By the King.  
❧ A Proclamation for preventing the decays of Churches and chapels for the time to come.  
THe Kings most Excellent majesty having of late taken special notice of the general decays and ruins of Parish Churches and chapels in many parts of this kingdom, and that by Law the same ought to bee repaired and maintained from time to time, at the proper charge of the Inhabitants and occupiers of Lands within those Parishes and Chappelries respectively, who being altogether careless of their dueties therein, haue in many places wilfully neglected the same, when with a little charge seasonably bestowed in time, they might easily prevent those great ruins, which afterwards grow more heavy to be supported by their own defaults, and sometimes those Churches and chapels are by them purposely suffered to run into such extreme ruin and decay out of hope to obtain some general Collection, whereby to spare themselves, and to get the work, which they are bound to do by law, to bee done by the common purse of others, such Collections having been of late yeeres more frequently granted then heretofore.  
His majesty therefore taking this matter into His Princely consideration, and holding it a great dishonour to our Christian profession, that the consecrated places of Gods worship and divine service are no better looked unto, doth by this his Proclamation straitly charge& command all Archbishops, Bishops, Archdeacons, and others to whom it may appertain, That they take special care, each of them within his own limits and jurisdiction, that this point of keeping and upholding the Churches and chapels from time to time, in good, decent, and substantial repair, bee exactly and duly performed, and therein not to rely vpon the Churchwardens Presentments, who to save themselves and their neighbours from charge, will easily omit to make known the decay of their Churches and their own defaults, but either by themselves in person, or by their Officials, or other persons of worth and trust, to take view and survey of the Churches and chapels within their several jurisdictions, and where they find ought amiss, to cause the same to be speedily and carefully amended, and to limit and appoint set dayes for the doing thereof, that no needful work be deferred too long, and to use the power of the ecclesiastical Courts for putting the same in due execution. Willing and requiring also all His majesties Iudges of the Common Law, to be very careful and wary, that in these cases which concern the repair of Churches& chapels according to this His majesties Princely care, and royal commandement, the good work undertaken in the ecclesiastical Courts bee not interrupted, by their too easy granting of Prohibitions, which, as with other cases, so especially in this, would not be granted, but vpon weighty and great cause, and vpon strict and due examination.  
And to take away from the said Inhabitants and Land-holders of Parishes, the hope which they haue heretofore had to relieve themselves by public Collections, as also to prevent the causeless burdening of His loving Subiects, not liable by the Law to the said reparations, His majesty hereby doth further charge and command the Lord Keeper of the great seal of England, that from henceforth no Letters Patents be granted, nor suffered to pass the seal for any Collection for the repairing or new building of any Churches or chapels, or the Steeples of the same, excepting onely in case of casualty by fire, or extraordinary violence of Tempest, whereby the said Churches, chapels, or Steeples are suddenly, without the Parishioners default, so greatly decayed, as the Inhabitants and Land-holders are not able without help of others, to repair or new build the same.  
All which His majesty doth will and command to be from henceforth duly and strictly observed, aswell by the said Lord Keeper for his part, as by the said Archbishops, Bishops, Iudges, and others for their parts, as they tender His majesties good pleasure and royal Commandement, that the great inconvenience, and dishonour of suffering the houses of Gods worship and service, to run into ruin and decay amongst us, may bee hereafter carefully prevented.  
given at His majesties Honour of Hampton Court, the eleventh day of October, in the fift year of His reign, of Great britain, France, and Ireland.  
God save the King.   

¶ Imprinted at London by Bonham Norton and John Bill, Printers to the Kings most Excellent majesty. M.DC.XXIX.