The Antipathy of the English Lordly Prelacy, Part 2 · Chapter 7 · Section 8
Articles of the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses in the Parliament Assembled, against Sir Richard Bolton Knight, Lord Chancellour of Ireland, Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry, and Sir Gerard Lowther Knight, Lord Chiefe Iustice of the Common Pleas, and Sir George Ratcliffe Knight in maintenance of the accusation, whereby they and every of them stand charged with High Treason.
FIrst, that they the sayd Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry, &c. intending the destruction of the Common-wealth of this Realme, have trayterously confederated and conspired together, to subvert the fundamentall Laws and government of this Kingdome, and in pursuance thereof, they and every of them, have trayterously contrived, introduced, and exercised an arbitrary and tyrannicall government against Law, throughout this Kingdome by the countenance and assistance of T…omas Earle of Strafford, then chiefe Governour of this Kingdome.
That they and every of them, the sayd Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry, &c. have trayterously assumed to themselves, and every of them regall power over the goods, persons, Lands, and liberties of his Majesties subjects of this Realme, and likewise have maliciously, perfidiously and trayterously given, declared, pronounced, and published many false, unjust, and erronious opinions, Judgements, Sen…ences, and Decrees, in extra judiciall manner against Law, and have perpetrated, practised, and done many other trayterous and unlawfull acts and things, whereby as well divers mutinies, seditions and rebellions have beene raised, as also many thousands of his Majesties Liege people of this Kingdome, have beene ruined in their goods, Lands, Liberties, and Lives, and many of them being of good quality and reputation have beene utterly defamed by Pillory, mutilation of members and other infamous punishments: By meanes whereof his Majesty and the Kingdome have beene deprived of their service in Juries, and other publique imployments, and the generall trade and traffique of this Island for the most part destroyed, and his Majesty highly damnified in his customes and other Revenues.
That they the sayd Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry, &c. and every of them the better to preserve themselves, and the sayd Earle of Strafford, in these and other trayterous courses, have laboured to subvort the rights of Parliament and the ancient course of Parliamentary proceedings: all which offences were contrived, committed, perpetrated, and done at such time as the sayd Sir Richard Bolton, Sir Gerard Lowther, and Sir George Radcliffe Knights, were Privie Counsellours of State within this Kingdome, and against their and every of their Oathes of the same, at such times as the sayd Sir Richard Bolton Knight, was Lord Chancellour of Ireland, or chiefe Baron of his Majesties Exchequer within this kingdome, and Sir Gerard Lowther Knight, was Lord chiefe Justice of the sayd Court of Common Pleas, and against their Oathes of the same, and at …uch time as the sayd Iohn Lord Bishop of Derry, was actuall Bishop of Derry within this Kingdome, and were done and speciated contrary to their and every of their allegiance, severall and respective Oathes taken in that behalfe.
For which the sayd Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses doe impeach …he sa…d Iohn Lord Bishop of Der…y, &c. and every of them of high Treason again…t our Soveraigne Lord the King his Crowne and dignity…
What proceedings will insue upon this accusation against this Prela…e, time will discover.
Not to mention …he lewd, beastly, Sodomiticall life and most detestable Actions of Aderton Bishop of Wa…e…ford …n Ireland, for which he was lately a…aigned, condemned and hanged as a Bishop without any preceding degradation, to the great dishonour of his Rochet; I shall close up this Historicall Epitome of the Irish Bishops, with a Petition and Remonstrance of many thousand Protestan… Inhabitants in severall Counties of Ireland, against Episcopacy, presented lately to the High Court of Parliament here in England; whe…ein the evill …ruites, and seditious, oppressive ungodly practises of the present Irish Prelates, are fully anatomized.