Act for a Publick Thanksgiving (1605)
Sean B. Palmer
CAP. I.
An act for a publick thanksgiving to Almighty God every year on the
fifth day of November.
FORASMUCH as Almighty God hath in all ages shewed his power and mercy
in the miraculous and gracious deliverance of his church, and in the
protection of religious Kings and states; (2) and that no nation of
the earth hath been blessed with greater benefits than this kingdom
now enjoyeth, having the true and free profession of the gospel under
our most gracious sovereign lord King James, the most great, learned
and religious King that ever reigned therein, enriched with a most
hopeful and plentiful progeny, proceeding out of his royal loins,
promising continuance of this happiness and profession to all
posterity: (3) the which many malignant and devilish papists, jesuits
and seminary priests, much envying and fearing, conspired most
horribly, when the King's most excellent majesty, the Queen, the
prince, and all the lords spiritual and temporal, and commons, should
have been assembled in the upper house of parliament upon the fifth
day of November in the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and
five, suddenly to have blown up the said whole house with gun-powder:
(4) an invention so inhumane, barbarous and cruel, as the like was
never before heard of, and was (as some of the principal conspirators
thereof confess) purposely devised and concluded to be done in the
said house, that where sundry necessary and religious laws for
preservation of the church and state were made, which they falsly and
slanderously term cruel laws, enacted against them and their religion,
both place and persons should be all destroyed and blown up at once;
(5) which would have turned to the utter ruin of this whole kingdom,
had it not pleased Almighty God, by inspiring the King's most
excellent majesty with a divine spirit, to interpret some dark phrases
of a letter shewed to his Majesty, above and beyond all ordinary
construction, thereby miraculously discovering this hidden treason not
many hours before the appointed time for the execution thereof: (6)
therefore the King's most excellent majesty, the lords spiritual and
temporal, and all his Majesty's faithful and loving subjects, do most
justly acknowledge this great and infinite blessing to have proceeded
meerly from God his great mercy, and to his most holy name do ascribe
all the honour, glory and praise: (7) and to the end this unfeigned
thankfulness may never be forgotten, but 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;
II. Be it therefore enacted by the King's most excellent majesty, the
lords spiritual and temporal, and the commons, in this present
parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same, That all and
singular ministers in every cathedral and parish church, or other
usual place for common prayer, within this realm of England and the
dominions of the same, shall always upon the fifth day of November say
morning prayer, and give unto Almighty God thanks for this most happy
deliverance: (2) and that all and every person and persons inhabiting
within this realm of England and the dominions of the same, 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 ministred.
III. And because all and every person may be put in mind of this duty,
and be then better prepared to the said holy service, be it enacted by
authority aforesaid, That every minister shall give warning to his
parishioners publickly in the church at morning prayer, the Sunday
before every such fifth day of November, for the due observation of
the said day, and that after morning prayer or preaching upon the said
fifth day of November, they read publickly, distinctly and plainly
this present act.
[Repealed by Queen Victoria, 22 Vict. c. 2, 17th January 1859.]