A DECLARATION From his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, And the General Council of the ARMY, Of their Resolutions to adhere to the PARLIAMENT, in their Proceed concerning the KING. Presented to the Honourable House of Commons, by Col. Sir Hardres Waller, Col. Whaley, Col. Baxter, and Col. Okey, January 11. 1647. Together with the Parliaments Answer thereunto. And Ordered to be forthwith printed and published. Hen. Elsing Cler. Parl. D. Com. BY the Appointment of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, and the General Council of the Army. JOHN RUSHWORTH Secretary LONDON. Printed for George Whittington, and are to be sold at his Shop at the Blue Anchor in Cornhill; near the Royal Exchange. A DECLARATION From his Excellency; Sir THOMAS FAIRFAX, And the General Council of the ARMY, etc. NOtwithstanding the high violations of the Kingdom's Rights and Liberties, and the endeavours to swallow up the whole interest of the Kingdom into the power and will of a King, which the present King's Reign hath afforded; we have observed, That the Parliament was (through his necessities,) and against his declared intentions to the contrary, called and put into a condition of vindicating the Kingdom in those things, hath yet and acted with that tenderness towards the King, (as to any thing of right that might be in him, or duty towards him) as that in the Protestation, Covenant, and many Declarations published by them; They have held forth a careful regard to the preservation of the King's Person, and just Rights with, and in the preservation and vindication of the public interests and safety of the Kingdom. And by the whole series of their actions, and their manifold humble addresses to him, for the preservation and settlement of all, They have, we conceive, abundantly demonstrated the realty and innocency of their intentions towards him: In all which; we have still understood, the sense and intention to be no other than that the preservation of the King's Person, and particular Rights, should be so endeavoured as it might be consistent with, & not destructive to those great & more obliging public interests of Religion, and the rights, liberties, and safety of the Kingdom, and not otherwise. And accordingly, in the late Declarations and papers that have occasionally passed from this Army, as to our desires of settlement to the Kingdom, we have expressed our real wishes, that if the King would in things necessary, and essential to the clearing, settling, and securing of those public interests, give his concurence to put them past future disputes, than his rights should be considered, and settled, so far as might be consistent with those superior interests of the public, and the security thereof for future. And that by an address to the King upon things so purely essential to those public ends it might once more come to a clear Trial; whether we could with the preservation of the King's Person, and particular interests have a security to the other, hath been our earnest desire, our great expectation, and our endeavour that we and others might be kept in a patiented waiting for such an issue. Now in the Parliaments last address to the King, we find they have insisted only upon some few things so essential to that interest of the Kingdom, which they have hitherto engaged for, as that without betraying the safety of the Kingdom and themselves, and all that had engaged with them in that Cause; without denying that which God in the issue of the War hath borne such Testimony unto; they could not go lower, and (those things granted,) they have offered to treat for all the rest. Thus we account, That great business of a settlement to the Kingdom, and security to the public interest thereof, by and with the King's Concurrence, to be brought to so clear a Trial as that (upon the King's denial of those things) we can see no further hopes of settlement or security that way. And therefore understanding, that upon the consideration of that denial, added to so many other. The Honourable House of Commons, by several votes on Monday last, have resolved not to make any further address or application to the King, nor receive any from him, nor to suffer either in others. We do freely and unanimously declare, for ourselves and the ARMY; that we are resolved through the Grace of God, firmly to adhere with, & stand by the Parliament in the things voted on Monday last concerning the King, and in what shall be further necessary for prosecution thereof, and for the settling and securing of the Parliament and Kingdom, without the King & against him, or any other that shall hereafter partake with him. Windsor jan. 9 1647. By the Appointment of his Excellency Sir Thomas Fairfax, and the General Council of the Army. john Rushworth Secretary