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<DATE>2008-09-06</DATE>
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<NAME>Mona Logarbo</NAME>
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<ITEM>Proofed and reviewed as part of batch B080721.pdcc.</ITEM>
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<VID>180179</VID>
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<DIV1 TYPE="synodal act">
<PB REF="1"><!-- PDF PAGE 9 -->
<HEAD><HI>ACT</HI> Of the Synod of <HI>Lothian</HI> and <HI>Tweeddale,</HI> Anent the Ob&s;ervation of a <HI>Fa&s;t,</HI> with the Cau&s;es thereof.</HEAD>
<OPENER><DATELINE>Edinburgh <DATE><HI>the &s;ixth day of</HI> May 1698 <HI>Years</HI> po&s;t Meridiem.</DATE></DATELINE></OPENER>
<P>THe Provincial Synod of <HI>Lothian</HI> and <HI>Tweddale</HI> met here, taking to their Con&s;idera|tion, the Di&s;pen&s;ations of God in his Providence, with re&s;pect to the Sea&s;on of the Year, in this cold and unkindly Spring; Did judge that God was thereby calling them, and the People under their Charge to &s;olemn Humiliation, for averting his threat|ned Judgements: And therefore Appointed <HI>Tue&s;day</HI> the Seventeenth day of this current Moneth of <HI>May,</HI> to be ob&s;erved as a Day of Solemn Fa&s;ting and Humiliation, in all the Churches within the Bounds of the &s;aid Synod, for the&s;e Cau&s;es following.</P>
<P N="1">1. That notwith&s;tanding the Light of the glorious Go&s;pel &s;hining among us, there is a great Contempt of the Go&s;pel, much Ignorance and Ungodline&s;s in the Land, and Self-&s;eeking, and Lukewarmne&s;s in the Matters of God among all Ranks of Per&s;ons, and Pro|fanene&s;s and Wickedne&s;s grow, the &s;hameful Sins of Drunkene&s;s and Uncleane&s;s, Swear|ing, Sabbath-breaking, the total Neglect by &s;ome, and &s;uperficial performing by others of the Wor&s;hip of God, both in Secret and in Families, abound in City and Countrey, and by frequent Murders Blood toucheth Blood.</P>
<P N="2">2. That notwith&s;tandidg of Vows and Engagements National and Per&s;onal, and after &s;evere Judgements, and &s;ignal Mercies, and after Solemn Humiliations People go on in their Sins and continue impenitent, hard Hearted and unreformed.</P>
<P N="3">3. That for the&s;e &amp; other Sins, the Wrath &amp; di&s;plea&s;ure of God is vi&s;ible again&s;t us in the unkind+ly cold &amp; winter-like Spring, whereby GOD threatnes to bla&s;t our Expectations and Hopes of the Fruits of the Earth, and cut off Man and Bea&s;t by Famine, and that already there is a great Dearth ari&s;en, and in many places of the Land they have great Want both of Food and Seed, and the Cattel and Sheep die in great Numbers, and yet we are not duely af|fected therewith, but there is generally a woful Stupidity and Security.</P>
<P N="4">4. The dangerous State of the Church both at Home and Abroad, through the &s;pread|ing of Athei&s;tical and Bla&s;phemous Opinions contrary to, and de&s;tructive of the Fundamental Principles of Religion, and the increa&s;e of Popery in diver&s;e Places, the Divi&s;ions in &s;ome, and De&s;olations in other parts of this Church, and that in diver&s;e Places Abroad, the&s;e of the reformed Religion are under Per&s;ecution, and others in Fear and Danger.</P>
<P>For the&s;e be&s;ide many other Cau&s;es mentioned in former Fa&s;ts, we have Cau&s;e to humble our &s;elves by Fa&s;ting and Prayer, and to be Afflicted, and Mourn, and Weep, and to turn unto the Lord, and to pray that He would turn us unto him, and pardon our Sins, and the Sins of the Land, and that he would turn from His Wrath, and &s;end kindly Weather, which may cheri&s;h the Fruits of the Earth for Food to Man and Bea&s;t, that he would heal our Breaches, plant our de&s;olate Places, &s;top the growth of Prophanene&s;s and Popery, and other corrupt Opinions, and grant Deliverance, and Re&s;t, and Safety to his &s;uffering People, and pre&s;erve his Church, and advance the Kingdom of the Lord Je&s;us, and that for His Churches &s;ake he would long pre&s;erve, and richly ble&s;s our King, direct and guide him in his Government, that under him the People may live a quiet and peaceable Life, in all Godline&s;s and Hone&s;ty.</P>
<BYLINE><HI>Extracted by</HI> JO. SANDILANDS. <HI>Cls. Syn. Pr.</HI></BYLINE>
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<P><HI>Edinburgh,</HI> Printed by the Heirs and Succe&s;&s;ors of <HI>Andrew Ander&s;on,</HI> Printer to the Kings mo&s;t Excellent Maje&s;ty, <HI>Anno Dom.</HI> 1698.</P>
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