Whereas, it hatli been represented to me by some of the gentlemen of her Majesty's Council of the Province of New York, that in tlie night between tiie ninth and tenth days of February last^ Trinity Church in tliat City was broke open, the booJis of divine Service, and the vestments dedicated to that use carried out, tore to pieces, and grossly defiled : And whereas, such an impious outrage cannot be supposed to have been perpetrated by any but such as are avowed enemies of religion in general, or to the civil and religious constitution of England in particular, or such as for filthy lucre^ or worse purposes^ may have in ajjpearance conformed to, or complied with either, hut by their unchristian and lewd conversation, and their disloyal and seditious conduct, sufficiently manifest their aversion to loth : to tlie end, therefore, that the actors, abettors, or contrivers of such an unexampled affront to religion and the Church of England may be detected, {md the hellish devices of those who may have endeavoured to load

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the innocent with their own guilt may be disappointed, I have thoiiglit fit by virtue of tlie powers and autliorities granted to me by lier Majesty's letters patent under the broad seal of Great Britain, to make, and order to be published, this Proclamation, promising a reward of fifty five pounds to any person or persons not guilty of the above recited atrocious crime, who shall make such discovery of tlie same as may be suthcient for the conviction of the authors or contrivers of that impiety in a due course of law, and if any person guilty of the same, shall make such discovery of his accomplices as is above said, such person is hereby entitled to and promised the reward above mentioned, besides indemnity and pardon for himself and one more, such as he shall name, if more than two were guilty of, or privy to the fact.