Petition to the Parliament of Scotland
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A75562.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
THE Marquess of Argyle HIS PETITION TO THE PARLIAMENT OF SCOTLAND; Craving a Precognition of his Case, Containing many weighty Reasons urging the necessity thereof.
Presented to the Parliament February 12. 1661.
LONDON, Printed in the Year 1661.
〈1 page duplicate〉To my Lord Commissioner his Grace, and Honorable Estates of Parliament.
The Humble Petition of Archbald Marquess of Argyle.
T HAT for as much as the Petitioner can with a safe conscience affirm, and solemnly protest, that whatever his actings or accession has been in relation to public business since the beginning of the troubles, till his Majesty's departure hence in the year 1651. though he will not purge himself of errors, failings, and mistakes, both in judgment and practice incident to human frailty, and common to him, if not with the whole, at least with the greatest part of the Nation; yet in one thing, though he were to die, he would still avouch and retain his innocence, that he never intended anything treasonably, out of any pernicious design against his Majesty's late Royal Father of ever glorious memory, or his present Majesty, (whom God may long preserve) their Persons or Government; but endeavored always to his uttermost for settling the differences betwixt their Majesty's and the people: And as to any actings before the year 1641. or from the said year, till his Majesty's being in the Parliament at Perth and Sterling, your Petitioner did with a full assurance rely upon his gracious Majesty, and his Royal Father, their Treaties, Approbation, Oblivion, and Indemnity for what was past, and firmly believed lieved that the same should never have risen in judgment, or that the Petitioner should have been drawn in question therefore; and during his Majesty's absence, and being forced from the exercise of his Royal Government by the late Usurpers, and long after that the Nation by their Deputies had accepted of their authority and government, and they in possession, the Petitioner was forced to capitulation with them, being in their hands, and under sickness, and the same was after all endeavors used, according to the duty of a good subject, and upon the Petitioners part, so innocent and necessary for self preservation, without the least intention, action, or effect to his Majesty's prejudice; That albeit upon mis-information (as the Petitioner humbly conceives) his actings and compliance both in their designs and quality have been mis-represented, as particularly singular and personal, stating the Petitioner in a degree of guilt beyond others, and incapable of pardon, the same have so far prevailed upon his Majesty, as to cloud and damp the propitious and comfortable rays of his Royal Grace and Favor, and have strained his gracious Inclination beyond its natural disposition of clemency expressed to his other subjects, to commit the Petitioners person, and give way to the trial of his carriage and actings; yet so firmly rooted is the Petitioners persuasion of his Majesty's Justice and Clemency, and that He intends the reclaiming, and not the ruin of the meanest of his subjects, who retain their loyalty, duty, and good affection to his Person and Government, that upon true and right representation of the Petitioners carriage and actings, he shall be able to vindicate himself of these aspersions, and shall give his Majesty satisfaction, at least so far, to extenuate his guilt, as may render him a fit object of that Royal Clemency, which is of that depth, that having swallowed and past by not only Personal, but National guiltiness, of much more deep a die as any the Petitioner can be charged with, or made out against him; and so will not strain to pass by and pardon the faults and failings of a person who never acted but in a public joint way, without any sinistrous or treasonable defigne against his Majesty, or his Royal Father, and against which he can defend himself either by acts of approbation and oblivion in verbo principis, which he conceives to be the supreme, sacred, and inviolable security, or which he was forced to much against his inclination, by an insuperable necessity. And albeit his Majesty's grace and favor is strictly tied to no other rule but his Royal Will and pleasure, yet his Majesty's so innate, essential and inseparable a quality of his Royal nature, that the Petitioner is persuaded in all human certainty, that the leaving and committing to his Parliament (as is expressed in his Majesty's Declaration of Octob. 12. last by past) the trying and judging of the carriage of his subjects during the late troubles, as indeed it is in its own nature, and ought to be so accepted of all, as an undoubted evidence of his Majesty's affection to, and confidence in his people; so no other trial or judging is therein meaned, but a fair, just, legal, and usual trial, without any prejudice, passion, or prelimitation, or precipitation; like as by the said Declaration there was a freedom for all the people interested, to make their application to the Parliament, or in the mean time to the Committee, from whom only his Majesty is pleased to declare he would receive address & information: And seeing it was the Petitioners misfortune during the sitting of the said Committee, to be prisoner in England, whereas if he had been prisoner here in Scotland, he would have made application to them, and would have craved, and in justice expected that precognition might have been taken by them, to whom the preparing and ordering of that affair (to wit, anent the trial of the subjects carriage during the troubles) was recommended, that the Petitioners absence, which was his punishment, not his fault, may not be prejudicial, seeing the Petitioner has lately received two several ditays wherein there be many crimes grossly false, with all the aspersions and aggravations imaginable laid to his charge, importing no less then the loss of his life, fame, and estate, and the ruin of him and his posterity, which he is confident is not intended by his Majesty; and that by the law and practice of this Kingdom, consonant to all reason and equity, the Petitioner ought to have upon his desire a precognition for taking the deposition of certain persons, which being frequently and usually practiced in this Country, when any person is defamed for any crime, and therefore incarcerate before he was brought to a trial, at his desire precognition was taken in all business relating thereto, which the Petitioner in all humility conceives ought much more not to be denied to him, not only by reason of respect to his quality, and of the importance and consequence thereof to all his Majesty's subjects of all quality in all time coming, but also, in regard it has been so meaned and intended by his Majesty's Declaration foresaid, like as the manner of the crimes objected being actings in times of wars and troubles, the guilt thereof was not personal and particular, but rather National and universal, and veiled and covered with acts of indemnity and oblivion, and so tender and ticklish, that if duly pondered after a hearing allowed to the Petitioner, in prudency and policy will not be found expedient to be tossed in public, or touched with every hand, but rather to be precognosced upon by some wise, sober, noble, and judicious persons, for their and several others reasons in the paper hereto annexed; nor does the Petitioner desire the same animo pro telandi, nor needs the same breed any longer delay, nor is it sought without an end of zeal to his Majesty's power, and vindication of the Petitioners innocence, as to many particulars wherewith he is aspersed; and it would be seriously pondered that seeing Cunctatio nulla longa ubi agitur de vita hominis, far less can this small delay, which is usual, and in this case most expedient, if not absolutely necessary, be refused, ubi agitur non solum de vita, sed de fama, and of all worldly interests that can be dear or of value to any man.
Upon Consideration of the Premises, it is humbly craved, That your Grace, and the Honorable Estates of Parliament, may grant the Petitioners desire, and to give Warrant to cite persons to Depone before your Grace, and the Estates of Parliament, upon such interrogators as your Petitioner shall give in, for clearing of several things concerning his intention and loyalty during the Troubles; And for such as are out of the Country, and Strangers, residentars in England, Commissions may be directed to such as your Grace and the Parliament shall think fit, to take their Depositions upon Oath, and to return the same;
Edinburgh, Febr. 12. 1660.
This Petition being read, was refused.