THE IMPEACHMENT AGAINST THE Bishops.
Sent up by Serjeant Wylde, and delivered at the Barr in the Lords house by order of the House.
August the 4. 1641.
LONDON Printed by I. N. for Henry Twyford, and are to be sold at the three Daggers in Fleet-street. 1641.
August 4. 1641.
The impeachment against the Bishops, sent up by Serjeant Wylde, and delivered at the B [...]rr in the Lords house verbally, by order of the House.
THe Knights, Cittizens, and Burgesses of the Commons house of Parliament, being sensible of the great Infelicities and Troubles which the Cō mon-wealth hath sustained by the exorbitant courses of the Bishops, and knowing well what the wiseman saith, That if sentence be not speedily executed against an evill work, the hearts of the sonnes of men [Page 2] are set upon further mischiefe. The timely redresse whereof doth better become the wisedome of Parliament, then a too-late wofull Repentance, Have commanded me to represent unto your Lordships, That
- Walter Bishop of Winchester.
- Robert Bishop of Coventry and Leichfield.
- Godfry Bishop of Gloucester.
- Ioseph Bishop of Excester.
- Iohn Bishop of Asaph.
- William Bishop of Bath and Wells.
- George Bishop of Hereford.
- Mathew Bishop of Ely.
- William Bishop of Bangor.
- Robert Bishop of Bristoll.
- Iohn Bishop of Rochester.
- Iohn Bishop of Peterborough.
- Morgan Bishop of Landaffe.
Together with William Archbishop of Canterbury, and others of the Clergie of that Province, at a Convocation or Synod for the same Province begun at London in the yeare 1640, did contrive, make, and promulge severall Constitutions and Canons Ecclesiasticall, containing in them divers [Page 3] matters contrary to the Kings Prerogative, To the fundamentall Lawes and Statutes of the Realme, To the Rights of Parliament, To the Propriety and Liberty of the Subjects, and matters tending to sedition, and of dangerous consequence.
And to add the more weight and efficacie to this their monstrous designe, They did at the same Synod under a specious and faire Tytle grant a Benevolence or Contribution to his Majesty, to bee paid by the Clergie of that Province, contrary to Law: It rested not there, for though this had been enough to have affrighted and terrified the Kings People with strange apprehensions and feares, yet that these might not seeme to be contrivancies of the Braine or Fancies onely, They were put in Execution, and were executed upon divers with animosity and rigour, to the great oppression of the Clergie of this Realme, and other his Majesties Subjects, and in contempt of the King, and of the Law.
Whether these persons, my Lords, that are culpable of these Offences, shall be thought [Page 4] fit to have an Interest in the Legislative power your Lordships wisedome and Iustice is able to judge.
But for these matters and things, The Knights, Cittizens, and Burgesses of the Commons house in Parliament, in the name of themselves, and of all the Commons of England, doe impeach the said Bishops before-named of the Crimes and Misdemeanours before expressed, and doe therefore pray that they may bee forth-with put to their Answers in the Presence of the Commons, and that such further Proceedings may be had against them as to Law and Iustice shall appertaine.