A DECLARATION From the Kingdom of SCOTLAND Concerning The apparent danger of his Majeſties Royall perſon, and the preſent proceedings of the Parliament and Army in order to the depoſing of Charles King of great Brittain, their native and law­full Soveraign.

THE Parliament of Scotland, are conveened at E­denburgh, and begin to debate and conſult much upon the tranſaction of affaires in the kingdome of England, divers preſſing hard for unity & concord between the two Nations; others, That their Native Soveraign may2 be inthroned, and his juſt Rights and priviledges confirmed and eſtabliſhed; and to that end, forthwith ſent poſt to their Commiſſioners reſident at London, purporting the ſenſe & deſires of that kingdom, requiring them to negotiate with the two Houſes of Parliament, and his Excellency the Lord Gen. Fairfax, in behalf of their dread Soveraign, to the end, that no proſecution ſo tryall, may bee put in execution a­gainſt his royal perſon, without the advice and concurrence of the Nation thereto, and that nothing be done or acted, contrary to the Solemn League and Covenant between the two Kingdoms. Our intelligence from thence further ſaith, That divers of the Scottiſh peers have tranſmitted a Meſ­ſage to the Kings Majeſty, intimating, Their loyalty and affe­ction to his Royall perſon, and their Reſolution to leave no means unaſsayed, for the advancing his Honour and Great­neſſe. But notwithſtanding their great forwardneſſe, to make the Royal party glorious, yet there are many diſſenting Bre­thren amongſt them, who are reſolved to confide with the parliament of England and the Army. The revolutions and tranſactions of affairs in this kingdom, now give a caution to all the well affected in our Neighbour Nation, to carry a ſtrong hand, and an Eagles eye, over the proceedings of the Adverſe party. We hear of a new ſtorme ariſing in Lanca­ſhire, and of great under-hand liſting there; but the well-affected are putting themſelves in a poſture to receive them and have in readineſſe 4000 Horſe and Foot to attend their motion. We hear that the honeſt party in the Weſt of England have alſo put themſelves into a poſture of defence, and have raiſed and liſted 12000 Horſe and Foot, to ingage with the parliament and army (upon any occaſion) for com­mon Juſtice, Freedom, and Safety, and for promoting the Remonſtrance of the Army, to the end, that impartiall Ju­ſtice3 may be executed upon the capitall Enemy of this Na­tion, viz. Charles Stuart, for the high crimes and miſdemea­nours committed by him againſt his ſubjects of England, in levying war, maſſacring, and ſpilling the bloud of neer upon 400000 ſoules, within the Bowels of theſe his Realms and Dominions.

Hallifax6 Jan: 1648:

A Declaration of the proceedings of the high Court of Iustice, againſt the ſaid Charles Stuart.

Munday the 8 of this inſtant, the Lord Gen. Fairfax, and the reſt of the Commiſſioners appointed for the tryall of Charles Stewart king of England, met in the painted Cham­ber at Weſtminſter, about 3 of the clock in the afternoon, and after ſome debate touching the tryall of his Majeſty, they came to this Reſolution, viz. That on Wedneſday mor­ning a Herauld ſhould be appointed to make proclamation, and proclaime throughout City and Country, That the Commons of England aſſembled in Parliament, and the Com­miſſioners for tryall of the King, Do (in the name of themſelvs, and the free-born people of this Nation) declare, That all per­ſons whatſoever, who have any matter of Fact, againſt Charles Stuart, King of England, are deſired, and invited, to bring in their Charges, on VVedneſday the 10 of this inſtant January, to the ſaid Commiſſioners ſitting in VVeſtminſter-Hall, for tri­all of the King, to the end, that Iuſtice may be executed, and peace and Righteouſneſse eſtabliſhed.

Having thus named the time and place, his Majeſty is ex­pected to be ſent for from Windſor, this preſent Thurſday, and to be guarded to St. James'es, by two Regiments of Aorſe, there to remaine during the pleaſure of the High Court of Juſtice.

The presbyterians Declaration touching the King.

AFter mature deliberation upon the proceedings of the Lord Generall Fairfax, and the General councel of Officers, in relation to the eſtabliſhing of a firm and laſting peace within this bleeding, torne, and tottering kingdom, and the erecting of a pure and ſound Government according to the Law of Nature, and the fundamental laws of this Realm, and after ſeveral conferences and diſputa­tions in order thereunto, divers of the Presbyterian party frequented to Weſtminſter, and other places, where they had ſeverall diſputations and conferences with the Officers, and other members of the Army; and after ſome debate upon the Foundation, of the grounds and principles of the Agreement of the People, the Presbyterians declared a great diſlike thereof, remonſtrating, That it was not founded upon a firm Rock; to which objections, ſeverall anſwers were made, for cleering ſuch ſcruples and cautions, as ſeemed dif­ficult to many; And as for the perſon of the King, they further declared, that notwithſtanding the preſent Ordnance of Attainder againſt his Maj. yet they conceived it requiſite and lawfull, that the prayers of the Miniſtery bee ſtill conti­nued in every Congregation throughout his Maj. Realmes and Dominions; deſiring, that he may have a legal tryall, and that Hee may not be degraded of his Titles and Honours: Concerning which, be pleaſed to peruſe this enſuing Letter from Holland, touching the degrading of his Majeſty.

Sir; We are here in a kind of amazement, to hear that your King ſhould be deſigned for the grave before his time: Be­lieve it, there's nothing more characterizes men wiſe in the opinion of the wiſeſt meer man, then that they ſee a far off, not the plague of the body only, though that, but judgments ſomtimes for evildoing, ſomtimes for acting indiſcreetly in5 matters that may be done. That which may lawfully bee done, it may be abſurd to do at ſome time: The taking away life, which is that prized above all, by him that all account wiſe, is not juſt (ſay ſome) at any time, unleſſe there be a law that makes the thing done death, and death to him that doth it: The ſupream power of England that forbids any to judge of treaſon in a conſtructive way, but themſelvs have retaind in themſelvs a power to judge ſuch and ſuch practiſes and endeavours to amount to treaſon or death. In particular, ſupoſe there were law, or it were in the power of the Lords and Commons to take awoy the life of the preſent King, yet if England, Scotland, and Ireland ſhalbe made more miſera­ble thereby in reaſon, and the waas renewed, to the probable ruine of the Nations, and chiefly to thoſe who pretend moſt to piety and juſtice therein, it were better not. That it's dan­gerous this may be ſaid: If you cut off, you muſt ſet up, va­cuities of that nature ſuddainly introduce confuſion: If you ſet up, it muſt either be a new King, or a new Government; if a new King, then the next of kinne, and if him, then let his complyance be what it will, his Fathers death cannot bee forgot: no, the danger of his mothers influence, who will re­main in baniſhment, be eaſily got over, refuſe he to come in, as it's moſt like, he hath the afore-named written upon his breſt, heſides his hereditary claim, his marriage, which no man that hath a purſe, but will endowry with a daughter, raiſe an army of 20000 to reſtore a ſon in law, and make his daughter Queen of 3 kingdoms, which by reaſon of ſci­tuation, and inherent accommodations may (well managed) be the ballancing power of Chriſtendom. If any other, or a new Government, the objections are the ſame, & all the line & that ſucceſſively are made enemies to boot; beſides hath the Parl. or army yet got ſo much love? are they ſo deep in6 the hearts of the people, that they can aſſure them ſelves the newtrals, or thoſe who have gone farre with them will quieſce? But the anſwer is ready, we have an Army that can not be overcome, neither by what can riſe here, or come from a­broad. So had Alexander, but Alexander was poyſoned, and what then became of his Army? ruin approached. &c.

CopenhagueJan: 4. 1648.

Sir, Yeſterday in the evening, here arrived a meſſenger from London, who ſecretly conveyed a Letter to his Maj. hands, purporting, That the Commiſſioners for his tryall, had (by an Act of the Commons aſſembled in Parliament) made proclamation throughout the City of London, for the ſpeedy bringing of him to tryall, and executing of Juſtice and Judgment upon his perſon, proclaiming him by the name of Charles Stuart, &c. And after ſerious meditation upon the ſaid lines, It is given out, by ſome Gentlemen reſi­dent with his Majeſty, That (after reading the ſame) Hee declared, That if his Charge and Tryall were legall, and accor­ding to the known Laws of the Realm, He feared not what man could do against Him; but if they acted contrary, He was re­ſolved not to make any anſwer thereunto, not doubting but Hee ſhould have a time of redemption, and that with honour and freedome. Thus confident is He of reſtauration; For, not long ſince. He publikely declared, That He had a new and latter Game to diſpute with the Army, which might prove more fatall then all the former.