ARTICLES of High Treason, and other high Misdemeanours, against the Lord Kemolton, Master Densill Hollis, Master Pym, Sir Arthur Hasilrige, Master Hamden, and Master Stroude.
WITH THE CHARGE OF THE IMPEACHMENT OF THE TVVELVE BISHOPS, Accused of High Treason, for preferring a Petition, and making a Protestation, to the subverting the Fundamentall Lawes and Being of Parliaments.
Printed for Iohn Hamond, 1641.
ARTICLES OF High Treason, and other high Misdemeanors, against the Lord Kemolton, Master Densill Hollis, Master Pym, Sir Arthur Hasilrige, Master Hamden, and Master Stroude.
I.
THat they have Trayterously endevoured to subvert the Fundamentall Lawes and Government of the Kingdome of England, to deprive the King of Regall Power, and to place in his Subiects an Arbitrarie and Tyrannicall Power over the Lives, Liberties, and Estates of his Maiesties Liege People.
II.
That they have Trayterously endevoured by many foule aspersions upon his Maiestie, and his Government, to alienate the affections of his People, and to make his Maiestie odious to them.
III.
They have endevoured to draw his Maiesties late Armie to disobedience of his Maiesties [Page]Commands, and to side with them in their Trayterous Designes.
IIII.
That they have Trayterously invited and encouraged a Forraine Power to invade his Maiesties Kingdome of England.
V.
That they have endevoured to subvert the Rights and very Being of Parliament.
VI.
That for compleating their Trayterous Defignes, they have endevoured, as farre as in them lay, by furce and terror to compell the Parliament to ioyne with them in their Trayterous Designes; and to that end, have actually raysed and countenanced Tumults against the King and Parliament.
VII.
That they have Trayterously conspired to levie, and have actually levied Warre against the King.
The Charge of the Impeachment of the Twelve BISHOPS.
THE House of the Lords was pleased, on the thirtieth of December, to send a Message to the House of Commons by Sir Iohn Banks, and Iudge Reeves, to desire a present Conference, by a Committee of both Houses, touching matters of dangerous and high consequence.
And at the Conference, the Lord Keeper, in the name of the House of Peeres delivered, as followeth:
That this Petition and Protestation of the twelve Bishops, containing matters of high and dangerous consequence, and such as my Lords are verie sensible of, and such as require a speedy and suddaine Resolution; it extending to the deepe entrenching upon the Fundamentall Priviledges and Being of Parliament.
Therefore the Lords have thought fit, that this matter, concerning the whole Parliament, may be communicated to the House of Commons; it being a thing of so great and so generall concernment.
This being thus communicated to the House of Commons, they came to this Resolution, To accuse these 12 Bishops of high Treason, for endeavouring to subvert the Fundamentall Laws, and Being of Parliaments.
And Master Glinne was ordered to goe to the Lords, and at their Barre, in the name of the House of Commons, and all the Commons of England, to accuse these twelve Prelates of High Treason, for endeavouring to subvert the Fundamentall Lawes of the Realm, and the very Being of Parliaments, manifested by preferring the Petition and Protestation; And to desire the Lords that they may be forthwith sequestred from Parliament, and put into safe custody; and that their Lordships would appoynt a speedy day for the Commons to Charge them, and they to answer, for that the Commons were ready to make good their Charge.
Hee was further ordered to give the Lords thanks, for communicating this Petition with so much affection and speed, and for expressing their sense thereof.
After Master Glin had delivered this at the Barre, the Lords sent the Black Rod instantly, to finde out these Bishop, and apprehend them: an by eight of the Clock at night they were all taken and brought upon their knees to the Bar, and ten of them committed to the Tower; and two (in regard of their Age, and indeed of the worthy parts of one of them, the learned Bishop of Durham) were committed to the Black Rod.