MASSACHUSETTS BAY. By the Governor. — A Proclamation For the encouragement of Piety and Virtue In humble imitation of our most gracious Sovereign, George the Third, I, by and with the advice of his Majesty's Council, publish this Order and Proclamation, exhorting his Majesty's subjects to avoid all Hypocrisy, Sedition, Licentiousness, and other immoralities, and to adopt a grateful sense of obedience and duty to God and to Country. Good people, the infringements being committed upon the sacred rights of the crown and people of Great-Britain are too many to enumerate on one side, and are all too atrocious to be palliated on the other. The press, that distinguished appendage of public liberty, has been prostituted by fallacy upon fallacy to the most contrary purposes, in a perfidious conspiracy to confound the good works of Government. To complete the horrid profanation of terms and ideas, the name of the Almighty has been introduced in the pulpits by ill designing preachers to excite and justify revolt and treason. I therefore command all Judges, Justices, and Sheriffs to use their utmost endeavours to enforce the laws for promoting Religion and Virtue, and restraining all Vice and Sedition; and I earnestly recommend to all Ministers of the Gospel, that they be vigilant and active in inculcating a due submission to the laws of God and man. I further exhort the infatuated multitudes of this Province, who have long suffered themselves to be conducted by certain well known Incendiaries and Traitors, by every means in their power, to a general reformation of manners, restitution of peace and good order, and a proper subjection to the laws and orders of this Province. In this exigency, I avail myself of the last effort within the bounds of my duty, to spare the effusion of blood; to offer, in his Majesty's name, his most gracious pardon to all who shall forthwith lay down their arms, stand distinct and separate from the parricides of the constitution, and return to the duties of peaceable subjects, excepting only from the benefit of such pardon, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, whose offences are of too flagitious a nature to admit of any other consideration than that of condign punishments. May God in his Mercy restore to his creatures, in this distracted land, that system of happiness from which they have be seduced, the religion of peace, and liberty founded upon law. GIVEN at BOSTON, this day in the Reign of his Majesty GEORGE the Third, by the Grace of GOD, of Great Britain, France and Ireland, KING, Defender of the Faith, &tc THOMAS GAGE. By his Excellency' s command, THOMAS FLUCKER, Secretary. GOD save the King!