Speech Made in the Parliament of Scotland
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo/A75556.0001.001
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
AN HONORABLE SPEECH Made in the Parliament of Scotland by the Earl of ARGILE (being now Competitor with Earl MORTON for the Chancellorship) the Thirtieth of SEPTEMBER 1641.
Touching the prevention of National dissention, and perpetuating the happy Peace and Union betwixt the two Kingdoms, by the frequent holding of PARLAMENTS.
LONDON Printed by A. N. for I. M. at the George in FLEETSTREET, Anno 1641.
MY LORD'S,
W Hat was more to be wished on earth then the great happiness this day we enjoy, viz. To see his Royal Majesty our Native Sovereign and his loyal Subjects of both his Kingdoms so really united, That his Majesty is piously pleased to grant unto us his Subjects our lawful demands concerning Religion and Liberties, and we his Subjects of both Nations cheerfully rendering to his Majesty that duty, affection, and assistance, which he hath just cause to expect from good people, and each Nation concurring in brotherly amity, unity, and concord, one towards the other.
Oh, what tongue is able to express the honor and praise due to that great and good God, who in these late Commotions suffered not the counsels of either Kingdom to despair of the safety of either Common-wealth, but through his blessing to their painful and prudent endeavors hath wrought such an happiness for us, That now after the great toil and trouble which we have on both sides so long endured, we may each man with his wife, children, and friends, under his own Vine and Fig-tree (and all under his Majesty's protection) refresh himself, with the sweet fruits of peace, which I beseech the Lord of peace to make perpetual to both Nations.
And to that end my earnest desires are, that all our best studies and endeavors may be employed (for some time) in contriving and establishing such wholesome Laws in both Kingdoms whereby (as much as in us lies) the opportunity and occasion of producing the like calamities as lately threatened both Nations may for the future be prevented, if in any age hereafter such Miscreants shall go again to attempt it.
It is (my Lord's) notorious, that the late Incendiaries that occasioned the great differences betwixt his Majesty and his Subjects took much advantage & courage by the too long intermission of the happy constitution of Parliaments, In the vacancy of which they by false informations incensed his Majesty against his loyal Subjects, and by their wily insinuations extorted from his Highness Proclamations for to yield obedience to their innovations in the Church, and Patents for Projects, whereby the poor Subject was both polled and oppressed in his estate, and enthralled in his conscience: and thus by their wicked practices, his Majesty was distasted, and his Subjects generally discontented, in so much, that had not the great mercy of God prevented them, they had made an Obstruction betwixt his Majesty and his liege people, and had broken those mutual and indissoluble bonds of protection and allegiance, whereby, I hope, his Royal Majesty, and his loyal and dutiful Subjects of all his three Kingdoms, will be ever bound together. To which let all good Subjects say Amen.
My Lord's, the distaste of his Majesty, nor discontents of his Subjects, could never have come to that height they did (nor consequently have produced such effects) had not there been such an interposition, by these Innovators and Projectors, betwixt his Majesty our glorious Sun, and us his loyal Subjects, that his goodness appeared not (for the time) to us, nor our loyalty and obedience to him. For no sooner was that happy Constellation (the Parliament in England ) raised, and thereby those vaporous clouds dissipated, but his Majesty's goodness, his good Subjects loyalty, and their treachery, evidently appeared.
Our Brethren of England (my Lord's) finding the intermission of Parliaments to be prejudicial and dangerous to the State, have taken care, and made provision for the frequent holding of them: whose prudent example My Motion is may be our pattern forthwith to obtain his Majesty's Royal assent, for doing the like here in this Kingdom. By which means his Majesty may in due time hear and redress the grievances of his Subjects, and his Subjects (as need shall require) cheerfully aid and assist his Majesty, And nor only the domestic peace and quiet of each Kingdom be preserved, But likewise all National differences (if any happen) may be by the wisdom of the Assemblies of both Kingdoms, from time to time composed and reconciled to the perpetuating of the happy peace and union betwixt both Nations.