To
His
Grace
,
His
Majesties
High
Commissioner
,
and
to
the
Right
Honourable
,
The
Estates
of
Parliament
,
The
humble
Address
of
the
Presbyterian
Ministers
,
and
Professors
of
the
Church
of
SCOTLAND
,
Sheweth
,
THat
as
we
cannot
but
acknowledge
and
adore
the
holy
and
righteous
Dispensation
of
the
Lord
,
in
all
the
great
and
long
continued
afflictions
,
wherewith
he
hath
afflicted
us
for
our
sins
;
So
we
are
not
a
little
filled
with
admiration
at
the
great
and
wonderful
Providence
of
our
most
gracious
God
,
who
alone
doth
great
wonders
,
for
his
mercy
endureth
for
ever
;
That
at
such
a
time
,
when
our
strength
was
gone
,
and
there
was
none
to
deliver
,
He
mercifully
stirred
up
that
Pious
and
Magnanimous
Prince
William
,
then
Prince
of
Orange
,
now
,
by
the
good
Hand
of
God
,
our
Gracious
Soveraign
,
to
Espouse
the
Interest
of
the
Protestant
Religion
,
and
of
the
afflicted
Ministers
and
Professors
thereof
in
these
Kingdoms
,
and
hath
blessed
him
in
so
Heroick
and
Noble
an
undertaking
with
agreeable
success
:
As
also
,
hath
raised
up
your
Lordships
,
our
most
Noble
and
Honourable
Patriots
,
to
joyn
heartily
with
His
Majesty
,
in
appearing
zealously
for
securing
of
the
Protestant
Religion
in
this
Kingdom
,
and
for
what
may
tend
to
the
better
establishment
thereof
in
all
its
concerns
;
And
in
evidencing
your
just
Indignation
against
the
corruptions
of
Church
and
State
in
your
Lordships
Claim
of
Right
:
And
particularly
,
by
freeing
us
of
the
Yoke
of
Prelacy
,
and
of
the
undue
Power
,
and
●●●lesiastical
Supremacy
in
Church-matters
,
formerly
established
in
the
Supreme
Magistrat
.
●●d
as
these
your
Lordships
zealous
beginnings
of
appearing
for
the
interest
of
the
Pro●●●●ant
Religion
,
&
Professors
thereof
,
have
been
,
and
are
great
matter
of
joy
to
our
Hearts
,
and
of
blessing
and
magnifying
our
Lord
and
Master
in
your
Lordships
behalf
;
So
they
are
a
Door
of
Hope
to
us
,
and
to
all
that
love
the
true
reformed
Protestant
Religion
in
this
Land
;
That
His
Grace
,
His
Majesties
High
Commissioner
,
and
this
Honourable
Court
of
Parliament
,
will
in
your
Station
,
go
on
zealously
in
your
begun
Work
of
purging
this
poor
oppressed
Church
,
from
all
Corruptions
brought
into
it
,
by
Ambitious
and
Covetous
Church-men
,
who
sought
their
own
things
,
but
not
the
things
of
Jesus
Christ
;
And
from
all
the
sad
Consequences
,
which
have
followed
upon
the
Erecting
of
Prelacy
;
Such
as
were
,
the
driving
several
hundreds
of
Ministers
,
all
at
one
time
,
out
of
their
Churches
,
without
either
Accusation
or
Citation
,
and
the
filling
of
their
places
with
Ignorant
and
Scandalous
Persons
(
which
His
Majesty
is
graciously
pleased
to
notice
in
His
Declaration
for
Scotland
,
as
an
occasion
of
all
this
poor
Churches
miseries
,
and
from
which
insupportable
Sufferings
,
He
declared
His
resolution
to
relieve
and
rescue
us
)
:
And
we
may
add
,
with
many
also
Erroneous
,
and
unsound
in
the
Faith
,
enemies
to
the
Reformation
,
and
who
have
now
appeared
disaffected
to
the
present
Civil
Government
;
As
also
the
framing
of
a
numerous
Train
of
severe
Laws
,
severely
executed
both
on
Ministers
and
People
of
all
Degrees
,
so
far
,
that
even
while
we
were
counted
and
treated
as
sheep
for
the
slaughter
,
we
might
not
Petition
nor
Complain
,
without
rendering
our selves
highly
Criminal
by
the
Laws
and
Acts
then
made
.
All
which
,
we
hope
,
The
Commissioner
His
Grace
,
and
your
Lordships
in
this
present
Parliament
,
will
take
to
your
serious
Consideration
,
and
will
free
this
poor
Oppressed
Church
from
such
Oppressors
and
Oppressions
,
and
settle
it
again
upon
the
right
Foundations
of
Government
and
Discipline
,
agreeable
to
the
Word
of
God
,
and
established
in
this
Church
by
Law
,
near
an
hundred
years
ago
.
Which
settlement
,
we
are
confident
,
will
prove
the
best
Remedy
of
all
our
otherways
incurable
Distractions
,
and
the
mean
of
quieting
and
uniting
the
whole
Countrey
,
in
a
joynt
and
firm
opposition
against
all
His
Majesties
,
and
your
Lordships
Enemies
.
We
,
therefore
His
Majesties
most-Loyal
Subjects
,
and
your
Lordships
most
humble
●●d
dutiful
Servants
in
Christ
,
Humbly
beseech
,
The
Commissioner
his
Grace
,
and
the
●onourable
Estates
of
Parliament
,
Seing
The
King's
Majesty
hath
Declared
,
and
your
●ordships
with
him
,
have
Zealously
Appeared
for
the
Protestant
Religion
,
You
●ould
be
Graciously
pleased
,
by
your
Civil
Sanction
,
to
Establish
and
Ratifie
the
late
●onfession
of
Faith
,
with
the
Larger
and
Shorter
Catechisms
(
which
contain
the
●mm
and
Substance
of
the
Doctrine
of
the
Reformed
Churches
)
The
Directory
of
Worship
,
and
Presbyterial
Church-Government
and
Discipline
,
all
agreeable
to
the
Word
of
GOD
,
and
formerly
Received
by
the
General
Consent
of
this
Nation
.
And
●ing
Prelacy
,
and
all
who
have
entered
under
Prelacy
,
have
been
Imposed
upon
the
●hurch
,
without
her
Consent
,
in
any
of
her
Free
General
Assemblies
,
and
that
Pres●yterian
Government
,
cannot
be
Secure
in
the
Hands
of
them
,
who
are
of
Contrary
●rinciples
;
Therefore
we
humbly
Petition
,
That
the
Church-Government
may
be
●stablished
in
the
Hands
of
such
only
,
who
,
by
their
former
Carriage
,
and
Sufferings
,
●ave
evidenced
,
that
they
are
known
sound
Presbyterians
,
and
well
affected
to
His
Ma●esties
Government
;
or
who
,
hereafter
shall
be
found
to
be
such
,
(
which
we
are
hope●ull
,
by
the
Grace
of
God
,
shall
be
managed
with
such
Christian
Prudence
,
Moderation
and
Tenderness
,
(
as
shall
leave
no
Just
Matter
of
Complaint
to
any
)
And
that
not
only
these
Ministers
yet
alive
,
who
were
Unjustly
thrust
from
their
Churches
,
may
be
Restored
thereto
,
and
these
Parishes
,
and
Flocks
,
at
that
time
,
no
less
violently
Im●osed
upon
,
may
be
freed
from
Intruders
;
But
also
,
all
other
Presbyterian
Ministers
,
who
either
are
already
,
or
may
be
,
by
respective
Flocks
orderly
called
hereafter
,
day
have
access
to
be
settled
in
Churches
,
after
the
Presbyterian
way
,
as
they
shall
be
Ecclesiastically
approved
and
Appointed
,
And
may
have
your
Lordships
Civil
Sanction
added
thereunto
.
And
we
also
Request
,
that
the
Church
thus
Established
,
may
be
allowed
by
your
Lordships
Civil
Sanction
,
to
Appoint
Visitations
for
Purging
out
Insufficient
,
Negligent
,
Scandalous
,
and
Erroneous
Ministers
.
And
seing
Patronages
,
which
had
their
Rise
in
the
most
Corrupt
and
Latter
Times
of
Antichristianism
,
have
always
been
a
great
Grievance
to
this
Church
,
as
the
Source
and
Fountain
of
a
Corrupt
Ministry
,
That
these
may
be
Abolished
;
And
that
the
Church
may
be
Established
upon
its
former
Good
Foundations
,
Confirmed
by
many
Acts
of
Parliaments
,
since
the
year
one
thousand
five
hundred
and
sixty
.
And
that
all
Acts
contrair
to
this
Government
,
that
Ratifie
Ceremonies
,
and
Impose
Punishments
on
Presbyterians
,
for
Non-conformity
,
and
for
Worshipping
GOD
according
to
their
Principles
,
may
be
Abrogat
.
And
as
a
good
and
necessary
Mean
,
for
preserving
the
Purity
of
the
Church
,
your
Lordships
take
Care
,
that
Learned
,
Sound
,
and
Godly
Men
be
put
in
Universities
,
and
Seminaries
of
Learning
(
humbly
submitting
to
your
Lordships
Wisdom
,
the
Method
of
Considering
,
and
Effectuating
these
our
desires
)
Thus
all
things
being
done
for
the
House
of
the
God
of
Heaven
,
according
to
the
Commandment
of
the
God
of
Heaven
,
by
your
Lordships
pious
and
wise
managing
these
Affairs
of
the
Church
of
Christ
,
This
Poor
long
oppressed
and
tossed
Church
,
may
at
length
,
through
Gods
Blessing
,
Arrive
at
a
safe
and
quiet
Harbour
,
And
the
True
Honour
and
Happiness
of
His
Majesty
,
and
your
Lordships
,
as
the
signal
Nursing
Fathers
of
the
Church
of
Christ
in
this
Land
,
may
be
advanced
,
and
continued
to
future
Generations
;
And
so
the
Blessing
of
the
Church
that
was
ready
to
perish
,
may
remain
still
upon
His
Majesty
,
and
your
Lordships
.
And
your
Lordships
Petitioners
shall
ever
pray
,
that
God
may
bless
and
protect
the
Persons
of
their
Majesties
KING
WILLIAM
,
and
QUEEN
MARY
,
long
to
Rule
,
and
Govern
this
Nation
,
and
your
LORDSHIPS
under
them
.