To his Grace his MAJESTIE'S high Commissioner and the High Court of PARLIAMENT, The humble Address of the Synod of Aberdeen. THE various Dispensations wherewith the righteous and wise Lord of Heaven and Earth hath been exercising us these many years bygone, cries loud to all the Subjects in Scotland, who have not laid aside all sense of sin & duty, to reflect seriously upon the public Transactions of this Church & Nation; especially upon the deportment thereof to the KING and the Royal Authority: And while the Lord is pleased to fix such Thoughts upon our Spirits, we cannot, unless we would blindfold our own Consciences, stop the mouth thereof, hid our sin in our bosom with Adam, & keep fast Deceit under our Tongue, but give glory to God in an ane humble and ingenuous Confession, as of the National guiltiness of Scotland, so of our own iniquity, in so fare as we have been any way accessary to these sinful and rebellious affronts and wrongs which have been put upon Royal Authority, whether during the Reign of our late most Gracious Sovereign, that blessed Martyr CHARLES the I, or since his horrid Murder, to our Gracious King, who now in the Lords most wonderful and gracious Providence, reigns over us; and particularly we acknowledge these sad & grievous sins, to be lying on the Land, and upon us, according to the several Degrees and Measures of our accession, whether driven thereto by force and violence of a prevailing party, through humane weakness in that hour of Temptation, or by sinful silence and want of Courage to have plead it against such Courses, viz. the rising in Arms against the King, the preaching up the lawfulness of defensive Arms by Subjects against the Supreme Magistrate, which is contrary to Scripture, to all sound Antiquity, to the constant practice of the ancient primitive Church, to the Judgement of all sound Orthodox Divines, contrary to our National Confession of Faith, and to the Oath of Allegiance, popular Reformation without, much more against, the King's special Consent and Authority; The assisting the King's Enemies by joining our Forces with them, while as they were in Rebellion against their Sovereign lord and Master the preaching down the King's Cause & Interest, and preaching up the Interest of his Enemies; the giving out a Paper, called A seasonable warning for delivering up the King at Newcastle, and that without any Assurances either by Writ or Pledges for his Majesty's Security, safety, honour and freedom, although there was no sufficient Hostage in that Land to have been given for his sacred Person; The preaching against the intent it Relief of his Majesty of precious Memory, when he was a suffering Prisoner in the Isle of Wight, anno 1648, where he was detained till at last these Usurpers brought him to that fatal Block; The putting unjust Limitations and Restrictions upon out gracious King, who now reigns over us by God's blessing (in despite of all open and vailled Enemies, who of late have put on the Robe of Loyalty) before he was admitted to the Exercise of his Royal power; The indignities which were put upon his sacred Majesty, by a factious and treacherous party in that infamous and treasonable Remonstrance; The opposing of the public Resolutions, both of King, Church and State by that party for the just & necessary defence of King, Religion, Honour, Country & all which was dear to Men or Christians, the Land being invaded, & one half thereof being possessed by an Army of Sectaries, who by force & fraud had enslaved their own native Country, that ancient and famous Kingdom of England: And although these sins of the Remonstrance, opposing of, and protesting against the public Resolutions, be not a National guiltiness, both the one and the other being testified against and Condemned by the generality of the State, Church and Country: yet these being the guiltiness of a party in the Nation, we could not omit them as matters of just provocation against God Almighty: The excluding of the King's interest out of the state of the quarrel betwixt his Majesties own Army, and that Usurper and Tyrant, Oliver Cromwell, by that infamous Act of the west-Kirk: The forcing of the King's Majesty, being then in their power rather as a noble prisoner than a free King, sore against his Royal will to subscribe Declarations against himself and his Royal Family: The little sympathy with his Majesty in his sufferings abroad: The sinful neglect of Duty for fear of men in not praying for him in public, sinful silence in nor preaching absolutely against the Usurpers, too much at least passive compliance with them, sitting down like Issachar under the burden, and being like Ephraim a silly dove without a heart. For those, and sins of the like Nature done against the Royal authority, God in his Justice and Wisdom, brought and keeped us long under a sad Captivity and bondage. And have not all the Land and we according unto the measure of our accession more nor reason to confess guiltiness before God, Men and Angels, and to entreat earnestly for mercy therefore at the throne of Grace? And now since is hath pleased the Eternal God, by whom King's Reign, to bring back our native King, and to settle him upon his Royal Ancestors throne, for which we shall desire to bless the Lord while we live. We conceive that upon this signal Mercie God calls us to engage, likeas hereby we do in the strength of God, engage ourselves never to be accessary to any disloyal principle or practice, but declare our utter abhorrence thereof, and of every thing that may have any tendency that way, obliging not only ourselves to subjection, obedience and submission to the Royal Authority and Commands, but also to preach Loyalty, subjection, obedience and submission, and to press the samen from the word of God and according thereto upon all his Majesty's subjects under our Ministry. And that it is sinful and ungodly for subjects to resist the King's Authority but in case of dissatisfaction in any thing commanded by his Majesty, it is their duty to suffer: And because it hath pleased the King's Majesty and his high Court of Parliament for the over reaching of several ministers in Scotland, their outstreatching of Presbyterial Government by making it run in an excentick line in meddling with civil concernments and ●…o●…ng ●…i●h the supreme Authority, and upon other grave Considerations, known to themselves, which becomes us not to search unto, to take away and rescind the Laws and Acts of Parliament whereby the Government of this Church had any Civil Authority. That it would please the King's Commissioner's Grace, and the High Court of Parliament, to Join with us in this our earnest Petition, and to transmit the samen to his sacred Majesty. That he will allow us to be still under his Majesty's protection; and that he may be pleased in his Wisdom and Goodness, to settle the Government of this rend Church, according to the Word of God, the practice of the ancient primitive Church in such way as may be most consistent with Royal Authority, may conduce most for godliness, for unity, peace and order, for a learned, godly, peaceable, loyal Ministry, and most apt to preserve the peace of the three Nations: For doing whereof, we shall be earnest to supplieat God in his Majesty's behalf for Wisdom, Counsel and Direction. We have conceived this Emission to be a duty lying upon us, in reference to God, to the King, to this Church and Land, and for the exoneration of our own Consciences before the World. And although this has been our principal motives, yet it hath been no small encouragement to this Synod, that we have been put in remembrance by that Noble and worthy Lord the Earl of Marshell in his Letter to the Assembly to this effect And for which the Synod renders his Lordship hearty thanks, considering that he, having so great influence in this Corner of the Land, may be very instrumental for advancing Religion, Justice and Loyalty here. And this Paper we have ordained to be registered in our Synod Books ad futuram rei memoriam: And in testimony of our unanimity therein, We have all subscribed it with our Hands. At the King's College at Aberdeen the 18. of April 1661. years. Mr. Alex: Ross Minister of Monimusk and Moderator. Mr. Jo. Patersone Minister at Aberdeen Mr. John Menzies, Professor of Divinity and Minister at Aberdeen Mr. Geo: Meldrum, Minist: at Aberdeen: Mr: Wil: Douglas, Professor of Divinity in the King's College of old Aberdeen. Mr. Andr. Straughan Minister at Kintore Mr: Will. Cheyne Minister at Byce. Mr. Geo. Melvil Min. at Upper-Macher: Mr: Will: Chalmer, Min. at Skeene. Mr. Dau. lyel, Min: at Banchorie-deunie Mr: Dav: Lindsay. Min: at Drum-maag. Mr. Alex: Garioch, Min. at Peter-Coulter Mr. Jo. Seaton, Minister at Foverane. Mr Jo. Paterson, Minister at Eiloun: Mr: Gilb: Anderson, Minister at Crudan: Mr: Will Mushatt, Minister at Slaines: Mr: Wil: Seatone, Min. at Logiebuthan: Mr Rob: Ogilvie, Minister at Methluck: Mr. Will Keith Minister at Udny: Mr. Jo: Ross, Minister at Birss: M Geo. Burnett, Min, at Kineardin, Mr Wil Seatone, Min. at Lumphanan, Mr. Tho. Ross, Minister at Aboyne. Mr: Lod Dunl●…, Minist: at Tarlan. Mr Arth. R●ss, Min. at Kinarnie. Mr. An●. Skeene Min: at Clunnie. Mr Jo: Fergussone, Min: at Glenmuick Mr Rob: Forbes, minist: at Coldstone, Mr. Wil: Douglas, minist: at Middm●rr Mr Adam Barclay, minister at Towie, Mr Wil Duncan, minister at Kildrimmie Mr Ja, Gordon, minister at Touch Mr Wil Glass, minister at Cushnie, Me Geo. Garden, minister at Clatt. Mr Tho. Thores, minister at Daviot. Mr Wil Forbes minist: at Moeturie Mr Jo. Jelly, minister at kinkel Mr Alex: Middletone, min, at Rain Mr Ja. Willocks, minister at Kemnay Mr Geo: Milne, minister at Premnay, and Clerk to the Assembly. Mr Arthur; Over, minist. at Colsalmond Mr Wil: Burnett minister at In●…h Mr Jo. Strang, minister at Oyne Mr Will; Chalmer, minister at Boynlie Mr James Chalmer, minister at Culian Mr Wil Stevintone, minister at Fordyre Mr Jo, Watsone, minister at Ordefall Mr Andr: Hendersone. min: at Deskford Mr. Will, Jaffray, min: at King Edward Mr Alex; Garden, minister at Forgue Mr Will; Grace, minister at Aucterlesse Mr Ja; Moor minister at Rathen Mr. Jo; Robertson, min. at Langfergus.