Proclamation creating a day of fasting and rest in the province of Rhode Island - American History 1493-1945 - Adam Matthew Digital

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Field name	Value
Collection Reference Number	GLC01412.11
From Archive Folder	Documents Relating to 1754-1764
Title	Proclamation creating a day of fasting and rest in the province of Rhode Island
Date	12 May 1756
Author	Hopkins, Stephen (1707-1785)
Document Type	Government document
Content Description	Countersigned by Thomas Ward as Secretary. Signed by Hopkins as colonial Governor of Rhode Island. Extols religious reform and repentance of sins. Notes the calamities of the French and Indian War. Proclaims that Thursday, 20 May 1756 will be a day of fasting and prayer throughout the colony. Directs that no labor will be done and the people should pray at places of public worship. This same document was probably later printed. "God Save the King" is written at the bottom of the page.
Subjects	American Indian History Religion Military History Holidays and Celebrations Government and Civics France Global History and Civics French and Indian War
People	Hopkins, Stephen (1707-1785) Ward, Thomas (1711-1760)
Place written	Providence, Rhode Island
Theme	Government & Politics; Religion
Sub-collection	The Gilder Lehrman Collection, 1493-1859
Additional Information	In 1756, the French and their Indian allies won a series of military victories in what is now upstate New York and southern Ontario. Following the British and colonial defeats in the early stages of the conflict, Governor Stephen Hopkins of Rhode Island issued this proclamation calling for a day of fasting and repentance.
Copyright	The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History
Module	Settlement, Commerce, Revolution and Reform: 1493-1859
Transcript	Show/hide All who acknowledge God's moral Government of the World, believe that the Sins of Mankind draw down his Judgments upon them. And as the English Colonies on the Continent are fallen under the Chastising hand of Heaven who has permitted the barbarous and cruel Savages of the Wilderness to spoil and destroy their Borders to murder their young Men and to carry their Sons and Daughters into the most Calamitous Captivity and are threatened with Wars Still more General and Judgments which portend their utter Extirpation Under such Circumstances Reason Suggests and Revelation Demonstrates that our whole Safety depend on deeply humbling ourselves before God Sincerely repenting of our Sins and religiously resolving to reform our Lives and Actions for the Time to come. Such Considerations have moved the General assembly of the said Colony to direct Me to proclaim Thursday the Twentieth Day of this Instant May to be observed as a Day of Fasting and Prayer throughout the Colony and that no Servile Labor be done on that Day but that all Societies of Christians within the Same Assemble themselves together at their Several usual Places of public Worship and there humbly address the Throne of Grace for the Preservation of George the Second our present King of his Royal Family and of the British Constitution and for the Peace and Safety of all his Colonies. And principally that we may break off from our Sins by hearty Repentance and may avert the Judgments of God and obtain his Favor by true Amendment of Life.

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