The Declaration and Apology of the Protestant People, Declaration 2
THE DECLARATION of ARCHIBALD Earl of ARGYLE, Lord Kintyre, Cowall, Campbel and Lorn, Heritable Sheriff and Lieutenant of the Shires of Argile and Tarbett, and Heritable Juſtice General of the ſaid Shires, and of the Weſt Iſles, and others. With his Order to his Vaſſals and others in the ſaid Shires, and under his Juriſdiction, to Concurr for Defence of their Religion, Lives and Liberties.
I shall not mention my Caſe, published in Print in Latine and more largely in English, nor mean I to repeat the Printed Declaration emitted by ſeveral Noblemen, Gentlemen, and others of both Nations now in Arms, but becauſe the Sufferings of me and my Family are therein mentioned, I have thought it fit for me, to declare for my ſelf; That as I go to Arms with thoſe who have appointed me to Conduct them, for no private, nor perſonal end, and only for thoſe contained in the ſaid Declaration, which I have concerted with them and approve of, ſo I do claim no intereſt, but what I had before the pretended Forfeiture of my Family, and have ſufficient right to.
And that I do freely, (and as a Chriſtian) forgive all Perſonal Injuries againſt my Perſon or Family to all, that shall not oppoſe, but Join and Concur with us in our pre, ſent Undertaking, for the ends mentioned in the ſaid Declaration. And hereby I oblidge me never to purſue them in Iudgement; nor out of Iudgment; And I do further declare, That obtaining the peaceable and quiet Poſſeſſio… of what belonged to my Father and my ſelf before our pretended Forfeitures. I shall ſatisfie all Debts due by my Father and my ſelf, as any Heir or Debitor can be obliged.
And as my Faithfulneſs to his late Majeſty and his Government, hath ſufficiently appeared to all unbiaſſed Perſons, void of Malice, ſo I do with Grief acknowledge my former too much complying with, and connyving at the methods that have been taken to bring us to the ſad condition we are now in, though God knows never concurring in the deſign.
I have now with Gods ſtrength ſuffered patiently my unjuſt Sentence and Banishment three years and a half, and have never offered to make any Uproar or defence by Ar… to diſturb the Peace upon my private Concern; But the King being now Dead, and the Duke of York having taken off his Mask, and having abandoned and invaded our Religion and Liberties; Reſolving to enter into the Government and Exerciſe it contrary to Law; I think it not only Juſt, but my Duety to God and my Country, to uſe my outmoſt endeavors to oppoſe and repreſs his Uſurpation and Tyranny.
And there fore being aſſiſted and furnished very nobly by ſeveral good Proteſtants, and invited and accompanied by ſeveral of both Nations to lead them, I reſolve, as God shall enable me, to uſe their aſſiſtance of all kinds, towards the ends expreſt in the ſaid Declaration.
And I do hereby earneſtly invite and obteſte all honeſt Proteſtants, and particularly all my Friends and Blood Relations, to concur with us in the ſaid Declaration; And as I have written ſeveral Letters, ſo having no other way fully to intimate my mind otherwiſe, I do hereby require all my Vaſſals any where, and all within my ſeveral Juriſdictions with their Fencible Men within their Command, to go to Arms, and to join and concur with us according to the ſaid Declaration, as they will be anſwerable on their peril; And that they obey the particular Orders they shall receive from me from time to time.
End of the text · Archibald Argyll, The Declaration and Apology of the Protestant People (1685)