226 Proceedings of the Council of Maryland, 1753-1761.

Lib. J. R.

& U. S.

Sins and Wickedness that by a true Repentance and Ref-
ormation of our Manners, and a close and strict Obedience
to his Laws and Observance of his holy Will for the future
we may avoid that Vengeance and disarm that Justice too
strictly due to the Number and Weight of our Offences, And
Whereas such a Duty seems at present to be required of us,
as our Mother Country is involved in a calamitous War and
we are now in Danger of losing both our Religion and Liber-
ties by the Attacks of a perfidious, merciless and savage
Enemy.
I have therefore thought fit with the Advice of his Lord-
ships Council of State to appoint Friday the seventh Day of
August next to be set apart and observed throughout this
Province, as a Day for a General and public Fast Humilia-
tion and Prayer to the Divine Majesty to avert those Judg-
ments we from our Offences against him have most justly
deserved lo continue his Mercies, to perpetuate the Enjoy-
ment of our Religion and Liberties amongst us, to secure the
Happiness and Prosperity of our most gracious Sovereign,
our Mother Country, and all her Colonies, and to implore
the almighty Protection and Blessings upon the Fleets and
Armies employed in her and our Service especially those in
the Expedition under his Excellency the Earl of Loudoun,
and I do hereby recommend to the several Ministers of the
Gospel within this Province to compose Prayers and Ser-
mons adapted to the Occasion to be used on that Day in their
respective Churches, and that they publish this my Procla-
mation to their several Congregations immediately after
Divine Service on the Sunday next preceeding that Day.
And I do hereby strictly charge and require the several
Sheriffs of this Province to make this my Proclamation
public in their respective Counties in the usual manner as
they will answer the Contrary at their Peril: Given at the
City of Annapolis the twelfth Day of June in the seventh

p. 193

year of his Lordships Dominion Annoq Domini 1757:

At a Council held at the City of Annapolis on Saturday
the eighteenth Day of June in the seventh year of his Lord-
ships Dominion, Annoque Domini 1757 —

Present
His Excellency Horatio Sharpe Esq^r Governor

The honourable Benjamin Tasker Esq^r Col: Charles Ham-
mond and Col: Benjⁿ Tasker.

His Excellency is pleased to lay before this Board the
following Letters.