Speech Concerning the Charge of Treason
The source for this document is https://quod.lib.umich.edu/e/eebo2/A59785.0001.001
Project Note
This is licensed under Creative Commons CC BY-NC-ND. This license allows reusers to copy and distribute the material in any medium or format in unadapted form only, for noncommercial purposes only, and only so long as attribution is given to the creator.
The source of this document is the Early English Books Online (EEBO-TCP) website. Those books were transcribed in a character for character manner and can be very cumbersome to read since there was no standard spelling during that time. Many spelling variations such as "unlesse", "vnlesse", and "vnles" regularly appear.
This project was conceived to clean up those books as much as possible and make them more accessible to the interested reader, leading to the creation of a massive list of variant spellings and their corrections. This was used to clean up the text, but is of course only as complete as the list itself. Because of the nature of the original transcription, some words have missing characters or places where the original language (e.g., Greek) was not transcribed. This effort does not change that. Be aware that the original transcription can also be faulty and in some cases entire sentences may be missing.
Although this is no substitute for a properly compared, proofed, and scholarly edition, I believe that the result is a document which is far more accessible, particularly for searching for terms using standard spelling. The document has been cleaned and presented in what I hope is a pleasing and useful format for the vast majority of Christian brothers and sisters who just want access to read these spiritually nourishing works.
However, a word of warning: The Puritans were a very diverse group of people and their age was characterized with godliness, but also much upheaval, disputation and strife. They disagreed on many doctrines and some of these works contain less orthodox or Scriptural views than others. The reader is strongly advised to read with discernment, particularly if it is unknown whether author is trustworthy.
This project took a huge amount of time and skill to bring to fruition. I would particularly like to thank David Jonescue for the initial list of Puritans he found on EEBO and the concept behind this project as well as the continuous, unceasing efforts toward seeing this complete. Without his labor, this would not be available. Alex Sarrouf was invaluable in providing the initial list of over 7,000 spelling variations he had identified and corrected, as well as continuing to review more than 16,000 additions to that list for any typos.
Logan West
(with David Jonescue and Alex Sarrouf)
www.puritansearch.org
MASTER S t . JOHN HIS SPEECH IN PARLIAMENT On Monday, the 17 th . of January.
CONCERNING The Charge of Treason then exhibited to the BISHOPS, Formerly accused by the House of Commons, Anno Domini, 1641.
LONDON, Printed for R. B. in the Yeare, 1641.
M r . S t . JOHN HIS SPEECH IN PARLIAMENT.
Mr. SPEAKER,
THis Charge of Treason which hath been now read unto these Persons accused, is (as I conceive) a sufficient Confirmation of our former Accusation; not only their endeavors to procure their own desires in an unlawful and irregular manner but the very Action of their Attempt proves them guilty of treason: this treason wherewith they stand charged is matter of Fact not to be answered by witnesses or circumstances, but by answering guilty or not; and being proved against them, to receive their sentence: This manner of proceeding is congruent to the Common Laws of this Land; from which Parliamentary proceedings in such cases never derogates.
These Persons some of them have wisely recanted their Fact, and submitted themselves to this House representing the whole Body Politic of this Kingdom, and the rest doth yet stand in thei error presuming to undertake to justify their Actions: and the chiefest inducer of these to continue their Resolutions, is generally conceived to •• the now Bishop of York, late Bishop of Lincoln. This man Master Speaker, hath been well reputed and thought of by most of this Kingdom and by this Honorable House enlarged from his long imprisonment formerly endured in the Tower, restored to his former Dignity and Honor, admitted to his place in the Lord's House; what good then might this Prelate have done to his Country so well respected & favored by most of the Lord's, and his vote with them well esteemed, by his endeavors to avert the intentions of the rest of the Bishops, for putting in execution their future wicked Actions, by endeavoring to setlle true Reliction and punish delinquents in the same, he always seeming to be the best affected of any in these times of that function, in places of authority and jurisdiction in the Church. And by endeavoring rightly to inform His Majesty and his Lord's, that did but a little disfavor the same, concerning the Antiquity and purity of the true Protestant Religion, the danger and sin in innovating the same, and not the Antiquity of Bishops and their power in Ecclesiastical causes, nay in civil as well as Ecclesiastical, that in the first their jurisdictiō was the chiefest & highest, yea above the Kings; that in the second they were in Courts of civil judicature, if by the King called thereunto, of equal power with the Privy Counsel and Judges of the Land, nay their Votes must be above & against them all to pass for sentences and right judgments; no opposition or contradiction must be against them by any of what degree soever; nay so high and proud were these Prelates grown that they dare advēture to abridge & abrogate the Kings royal prerogative in issuing forth warrants & process in their several Courts, which ever was used to be read, Carolus Dei Gratia &c. Now must be read, Gulielmus Divina providentia Dei, Archiepistopus &c. In their names must writs amd process issue, and not in the Kings. I say these things should not have been by this Prelate defended and maintained, but rejected & detected; Voted against as well by himself as the rest of the Lord's of that House, and the offenders herein as well by his endeavors as other the faithful Counselors of the State, brought to deserved punishment: but contrariwise this Bishop hath not only refused to consent to the rectifying things amiss in the Clergy, but opposed the same; hath not only been retrograde in voting for their punishment that have abused both themselves, professions and power, but obstinately Voted against their punishment, hath not only refused to assent to regulate the office of Episcopacy; but likewise opposed the same, and in persuance of these his Actions hath as it is strongly to be presumed, drawn many of the other Bishops to be of his resolution and evil opinion, that the Parliament cannot consist of the House of Lord's temporal and Commons: although they cannot produce any Presidents or Act of Parliament, that there was ever four degrees congruent to the holding of a Parliament, as of necessity since we professed the Protestant Religion, and admitted of a Reformation in this Kingdom, but only in the time of Superstition; in which time the Clergy increased to that height and Dignity they are now attained unto, and procured to themselves the denomination of Lord's spiritual; but neither of late, nor ( ab initio ) it was so, only three degrees of Counselors have been sufficient in Parliament to regulate the Affaires of this Kingdom, and make Laws for the good government thereof. Indeed, I confess that it may be as necessary for Bishops to sit in Parliament to give their advice in Points of Divinity concerning Religion, as Judges sit there to give their opinions in Points of Law concerning judicature; but otherwise it is no way expedient, but altogether unnecessary, (as I under favor conceive) either to have their Votes concerning Religion, or any ways to intermeddle, or give advice touching temporal Affaires. And thus having shown you the first step to this Treason, their opinion of the inconsistency of Parliament, without their assistance; I come to the second Step; That a Parliament is forced and illegally assembled, if the same doth continue to agitate or determine of anything whatsoever in the absence of the Bishops. And lastly, which completes and makes up the whole Treason, their protestation against the proceedings of the Parliament in their absence: These things have been sufficiently already debated on, and concluded by general vote to be high Treason. Therefore I conclude, having only shown you in what manner I conceive is best to proceed to their trial (by the rules of the Common Law joined with the power and wisdom of the Parliament for this their Fact of Treason;) and also shown you divers of their enormous and wicked Actions, making much for proof of their Ambitious and treacherous intentions from the beginning; humbly leaving the same to the further consideration of this Honorable House, and desire we may prefix a certain day within some short time, for the final determination of their trial.