Read in this Image him, whose dearest blood  
Is thought no price to buy his country's good,  
Whose name shall flourish, till the blast of Fame  
Shall want a Trumpet, or true Worth, a name.   Edw. Bower pinxit G. glover fecit  

THE SPEECH OR DECLARATION OF JOHN PYMM, Esquire, To the LORDS of the upper House, upon the delivery of the Articles of the Commons assembled in Parliament, AGAINST WILLIAM Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury, in maintenance of their Accusation, whereby he stands charged of High Treason.  
TOGETHER With a true Copy of the said ARTICLES.  
London, printed for Ralph Mabb, 1641.   

A true COPY OF THE Articles of the Commons assembled in Parliament, against WILLIAM Laud Archbishop of Canterbury in maintenance of their Accusation, whereby he stands charged with HIGH TREASON.  
TOGETHER With a true Copy of the Speech or Declaration of John PYMM, Esquire, upon the same.  
My Lords,  
I Am commanded by the Knights, Citizens, and Burgesses now assembled for the Commons in Parliament, to deliver to your Lordships these Articles, in maintenance of their Charge against the Archbishop of Canterbury. Their desire is, that first your Lordships would be pleased to hear the Articles read, and then I shall endeavour to present to you the sense of the Commons concerning the nature of the Charge, and the order of their proceedings.   

Articles of the Commons assembled in Parliament, in maintenance of their Accusation against WILLIAM Laud, Archbishop of Canterbury: Whereby he stands charged with high treason:  

I.  
THat he hath traitorously endeavoured to subvert the fundamental laws and Government of this kingdom of England, and instead thereof to introduce an Arbitrary and tyrannical Government against Law; and to that end, hath wickedly and traitorously advised his Majesty, that he might at his own will, and pleasure, leavie, and take money of his Subjects, without their consent in Parliament; and this he affirmed was warrantable by the Law of God.   

II.  
He hath for the better accomplishment of that his traitorous design, advised, and procured sermons, and other discourses to be preached, printed, and published, in which the authority of Parliaments, and the force of the laws of this kingdom, have been denied; and, absolute and unlimited Power over the persons and estares of his majesty's subjects maintained, and defended, not only in the King, but himself, and other Bishops, against the Law: And he hath been a great protector, favourer, and promoter of the publishers of such false and pernicious opinions.   

III.  
He hath by Letters, Messages, Threats and Promises, and by divers other ways to judges, and other ministers of justice, interrupted and perverted, and at other times by means aforesaid, hath endeavoured to interrupt, & pervert the course of justice in his majesty's Courts at Westminster, and other Courts, to the subversion of the laws of this kingdom, whereby sundry of his majesty's subjects have been stopped in their just suits, deprived of their lawful rights, and subjected to his tyrannical will, to their ruin and destruction.   

VI.  
That the said Archbishop hath traitorously and corruptly sold justice to those who have had causes depending before him, by colour of his ecclesiastical jurisdiction, as Archbishop, High Commissioner, Referee, or otherwise, and hath taken unlawful gifts and bribes of his majesty's subjects, and hath (as much as in him lies) endeavoured to corrupt the other Courts of justice, by advising and procuring his Majesty to sell places of judicature, and other offices, contrary to the laws and Statutes in that behalf.   

V.  
He hath traitorously caused a book of Canons to be composed, and published without any lawful warrant and authority in that behalf; in which pretended Canons, many matters are contained contrary to the King's Prerogative, to the fundamental laws and Statutes of this realm, to the right of Parliament, to the propriety, and liberty of the subject, and matters tending to sedition, and of dangerous consequence, and to the establishment of a vast, unlawful, and presumptuous power in himself, and his successors; many of which Canons, by the practice of the said Archbishop, were surreptitiously passed in the late Convocation, without due consideration and debate; others by fear and compulsion, were subscribed by the Prelates and clerks there assembled, which had never been voted and passed in the Convocation, as they ought to have been.  
And the said Archbishop hath contrived and endeavoured to assure & confirm the unlawful and exorbitant power, which he hath usurped & exercised over his majesty's Subjects, by a wicked and ungodly oath in one of the said pretended Canons, enjoined to be taken by all the Clergy, and many of the Laity of this kingdom.   

VI.  
He hath traitorously assumed to himself a papal & tyrannical power, both in Ecclesiastical & temporal matters, over his majesty's subjects in this realm of England, & in other places, to the disherison of the Crowns, dishonour of his Majesty, & derogation of his supremeauthority in ecclesiastical matters; & the said Archbishop claims the King's ecclesiastical jurisdiction as incident to his Episcopal and Archiepiscopal office in this kingdom, and doth deny the same to be derived from the crown of England, which he hath accordingly exercised, to the high contempt of his royal Majesty, and to the destruction of divers of the King's liege people, in their persons and estates.   

VII.  
That he hath traitorously endeavoured to alter and subvert God's true Religion, by Law established in this Realm, and in stead there of to set up popish superstition and Idolatry. And to that end hath declared and maintained in Speeches and printed books, divers popish doctrines, and opinions contrary to the Articles of Religion established by Law. He hath urged and enjoined divers popish and superstitious ceremonies, without any warrant of Law, and hath cruelly persecuted those who have opposed the same, by corporal punishments, & Imprisonments, and most unjustly vexed others, who refused to conform thereunto by ecclesiastical censures of Excommunication, Suspension, Deprivation, and Degradation, contrary to the Laws of this kingdom.   

VIII.  
That for the better advancing of his traitorous purpose and design, he did abuse the great power, and trust his majesty reposed in him, and did intrude upon the places of divers great officers, and upon the right of other his majesty's Subjects, whereby he did procure to himself the nomination of sundry persons to ecclesiastical Dignities, Promotions, and Benefices, belonging to his majesty, and divers of the Nobility, clergy, and others; and hath taken upon him the commendation of chaplains to the King, by which means he hath preferred to his majesty's service, and to other great promotions in the Church, such as have been Popishly affected, or otherwise unsound, and corrupt both in doctrine, and manners.   

Ix..  
He hath for the same traitorous and wicked intent, chosen and employed such men to be his own domestical chaplains, whom he knew to be notoriously disaffected to the reformed Religion, grossly addicted to Popish superstition, and erroneous and unsound both in judgement and practice, and to them, or some of them, hath he committed the licencing of books to be printed; by which means divers false and superstitious books have been published, to the great scandal of Religion, and to the seducing of his majesty's subjects.   

X.  
He hath traitorously and wickedly endeavoured to reconcile the Church of England, with the Church of Rome; and for the effecting thereof, hath consorted, and confederated with divers popish Priests, and Jesuites; and hath keptsecret intelligence with the Pope of Rome, and by himself, his Agents, and Instruments, treated with such, as have from thence received Authorty, and instruction, he hath permitted, and countenanced a popish hierarchy, or ecclesiastical government to be established in this kingdom, by all which traitorous and malicious practices this Church and kingdom hath been exceedingly endangered, and like to fall under the Tyranny of the Roman Sea.   

XI.  
He in his own person and his Suffragans, Visitors, Surrogates, Chancellors, and other Officers by his command, have caused divers learned, pious, and Orthodox Ministers of God's word to be silenced, suspended, deprived, degraded, excommunicated, and otherwise grieved, without any just and lawful cause: and by divers other means he hath hindered the preaching of God's word, caused divers of his majesty's loyal Subjects to forsake the kingdom, and increased and cherished Ignorance, and profanesle amongst the people, that so he might the better facilitate the way to the effecting of his own wicked and traitorous design, of altering, and corrupting the true Religion here established.   

XII.  
He hath traitorously endeavoured to cause division, and discord betwixt the Church of England, and other Reformed Churches; and to that end hath suppressed, and abrogated the privileges, and Immunities, which have been by his Majesty, and his royal Ancestors granted to the Dutch, and French Churches in this kingdom; and divers other ways hath expressed his malice and disaffection to these Churches, that so by such disunion, the Papists might have more advantage for the overthrow, and extirpation of both.   

XIII.  
He hath maliciously and traitorously plotted, and endeavoured to stir up war and enmity betwixt his majesty's two kingdoms of England, and Scotland, and to that purpose hath laboured to introduce into the kingdom of Scotland, divers Innovations both in Religion, and government, all or the most part of them tending to Popery, and superstition, to the great grievance, and discontent of his majesty's Subjects ofthat Nation: And for their refusing to submit to such Innovations, he did traitorously advise his Majesty to subdue them by force of arms, and by his own Authority, and Power, contrary to law, did procure sundry of his majesty's Subjects, and enforced the clergy of this kingdom to contribute towards the maintenance of that war, and when his Majesty with much wisdom and justice had made a Pacification betwixt the two kingdoms, the said Archbishop did presumptuously censure that pacification, as dishonourable to his Majesty, and by his counsels, and endeavours, so incensed his Majesty against his said Subjects of Scotland, that he did thereupon (by advice of the said Archbishop) enter into an offensive war against them, to the great hazard of his majesty's person, and his Subjects of both kingdoms.   

XIIII.  
That to preserve himself from being questioned for these, and others his traitorous courses, he labou●ed to subvert the rights of Parliament, and the ancient course of Parliamentary proceeding, and by false and malicious slanders to incense his Majesty against Parliaments.  
By which words, counsels, and actions, he hath traitorously and contrary to his allegiance laboured to alienate the hearts of the King's liege people from his Majesty, and to set a division between them, and to ruin and destroy his majesty's kingdoms; for which they do impeach him of high Treason, against our sovereign Lord the King his crown and dignity.  
The said Commons do further aver that the said William Archbishop of Canterbury, during the times that the crimes aforementioned were done, and committed, hath been a Bishop, or Archbishop of this realm of England, one of the King's Commissioners for ecclesiastical matters; and one of his majesty's most honourable Privy council, and hath taken an Oath for his faithful discharge of the said Office of councillor, and hath likewise taken an oath of supremacy, and allegiance.  
And the said Commons by protestation saving to themselves the liberty of exhibiting at any time hereafter, any other Accusation or Im●peachment against the said Archbishop, and also of replying to the Answers, that the said Archbishop shall make unto the said Articles, or to any of them, and of offering further proof also of the Premises, or any of them, or of any other impeachment, or Accusation that shall be exhibited by them, as the cause shall according to the course of Parliament require, do pray that the said Archbishop may be put to answer to all and every the Premises, and that such proceedings, examination, trial, and judgement may be upon every of them, had and used, as is agreeable to law and justice.    

The Articles being read; he proceeded as followeth.  
My Lords,  
THERE is an expression in the Scripture, which I will not presume either to understand, or to interpret; yet to a vulgar eye it seems to have an aspect something suitable to the Person and Cause before you: It is a description of the evil Spirits, wherein they are said to be spiritual wickednesses in High Places. Crimes acted by the spiritual faculties of the soul, the Will and the Understanding, exercised about spiritual matters, concerning God's Worship, and the Salvation of Man, seconded with power, authority, learning, and many other advantages, do make the party who commits them, very suitable to that description, spiritual wickednesses in high places.  
These Crimes (my Lords) are various in their Nature, heinous in their quality, and universal in their Extent. If you examine them Theologically, as they stand in opposition to the truth of God, they will be found to be against the rule of Faith, against the power of godliness, against the means of Salvattion.  
If you examine them Morally, as they stand in opposition to the light of Nature, to right, reason, and the principles of human satiety, you will then perceive pride without any moderation; such a Pride as that is which exalts itself above all that is called God. Malice without any provocation; Malice against virtue, against innocency, against piety: Injustice without any means of restitution; even such injustice as doth rob the present times of their possessions; the future, of their possibilities.  
If they be examined (my Lords) by legal Rules in a civil way, as they stand in opposition to the public good, and to the laws of the Land, He will be found to be a traitor against his majesty's crown, an Incendiary against the Peace of the State; he will be found to be the highest, the boldest, the most impudent oppressor, that ever was an oppressor both of King and People.  
This Charge (my Lords) is distributed and conveyed into fourteen several Articles, as you have heard; and those Articles are only general: It being the intention of the House of Commons (which they have commanded me to declare) to make them more certain and particular by preparatory Examinations to be taken with the help of your lordship's house, as in the Case of my Lord of Strafford.  
I shall now run through them with a light touch, only marking in every of them some special points of venom, virulency, and malignity.  
1 The first Article (my Lords) doth contain his endeavour to introduce into this kingdom an Arbitrary power of Government, without any limitations or Rules of Law. This (my Lords) is against the safety of the King's person, the honour of his crown, and most destructive to his people.  
Those Causes which are most perfect have not only a power to produce effects, but to conserve and cherish them. The Seminary virtue, and the Nutritive virtue in vegetables, do produce from the same principles. It was the defect of Justice, the restraining of oppression and violence that first brought government into the World, and set up Kings, the most excellent way of Government. And by the maintenance of Justice all kinds of government receive a sure foundation and establishment. It is this that hath in it an ability to preserve and secure the royal power of Kings, yea, to adorn and increase it.  
2. In the second Article, your Lordships may observe absolute and unlimited power, defended by Preaching, by Sermons, and other discourses, printed and published upon that subject. And truly (my Lords) it seems to be a prodigious crime, that the truth of God, and his holy Law should be perverted to defend the lawlessness of men. That the holy and sacred function of the ministry, which was ordained for instruction of men's souls in the ways of God, should be so abused, that the Ministers are become the trumpets of sedition, the promoters and defenders of violence and oppression.  
3 In the third Article (my Lords) you have the Judges, who under his Majestic are the dispersers and distributers of Justice, frequently corrupted by fear and solicitation; you have the course of justice in the execution of it, shamefully obstructed. And if a wilful Act of injustice in a Judge be so high a crime in the estimate of the Law, as to deserve death; under what burden of guilt doth this man lie, who hath been the cause of great numbers of such voluntary and wilful Acts of unjustice.  
In the fourth Article, he will be found in his own Person to have sold Justice in Causes depending before him. And by his wicked counsel, endeavouring to make his Majesty a Merchant of the same commodity, only with this difference, that the King by taking money for places of Judicature, should sell it in gross; whereas the Archbishop sold it by retalle.  
5 In the fifth Article, there appears a power ufurped of making Canons; of laying obligations on the Subjects in the nature of laws: and this power abused to the making of such Canons as are in the matter of them very pernicious, being directly contrary to the Prerogative of the King, and the liberty of the People. In the manner of pressing of them, may be found fraud and shuffling: in the conclusion, violence and constraint; Men being forced by terror and threatening to subscribe to all: which power thus wickedly gotten, they laboured to establish by perjury, enjoining such an Oath for the maintenance of it, as can neither be taken nor kept with a good conscience.  
6 In the sixt Article, you have the King robbed of his Supremacy: you have a papal power exercised over his majesty's Subjects in their consciences, and in their persons: You have ecclesiastical jurisdiction claimed by an Incident right, which the Law declares to proceed from the crown.  
And herein your Lordships may observe that those who labour in civil matters to set up the King above the laws of the kingdom, do yet in ecclesiastical matters endeavour to set up themselves above the King. This was first procured by the Archbishop to be extrajudicially: declared by the Judges, and then to be published in a Proclamation. In doing whereof he hath made the King's Throne but a footstool for his own and their pride.  
7 You have (my Lords) in the seventh Article, Religion undermined and subverted: you have Popery cherished and defended: you have this seconded with power and violence, by severe punishment upon those which have opposed this mischievous intention: and by the subtle and eager prosecution of these men, hath the power of ecclesiastical Commissioners, of the star. Chamber and council Table been often made sub servant to his wicked design.  
My Lords,  
8 You may observe in the eight Article great care taken to get into his own hand the power of nominating to ecclesiastical Livings and promotions: you have as much mischievous, as much wicked care taken in the disposing of these preferments, to the hindrance and corruption of Religion. And by this means (my Lords) the King's sacred Majesty, instead of Sermons, fit for spiritual inftructors, hath often had invectives against his people, encouragement to injustice, or to the overthrow of the laws. Such chaplains have been brought into his service, as have as much as may be laboured to corrupt his own household, and been eminent examples of corruption to others; which hath so far prevailed, as that it hath exceedingly tainted the Universities, and been generally dispersed to all the chief Cities, the greatest Towner and Auditories of the kingdom. The grievous effects whereof is most manifest to the Commons House, there being divers hundred complaints there depending in the House against scandalous Ministers; and yet (I believe) the hundred part of them is not yet brought in.  
9 The ninth Article sets out the like care to have chaplains of his own, that might be promoters of this wicked and traitorous design: Men of corrupt judgements, of corrupt practice, extremely addicted to superstition: And to such men's cares hath been committed the Lycensing of books to the press; by means whereof many have been published that are full of falsehood, of scandals; such as have been more worthy to be burnt by the hand of the Hangman in Smithfield (as I think one of them was) then to be admitted to come into the hands of the King's people.  
10 In the tenth Article it will appear, how he having made these approaches to Popery, comes now to close and join more nearly with it; he confederates with Priests and Jesuits; he, by his instruments negotiates with the Pope at Rome, and hath correspondence with them that be authorized from Rome here. He hath permitted a Roman hierarchy to be set up in this kingdom. And though he hath been so careful that a poor man could not go to the neighbour parish to hear a Sermon, when he had none at home; cou● not have a Sermon repeated, nor prayer used in his own Family, but he was a fit subject for the High Commission Court, yet the other hath been done in all parts of the realm, and no notice taken of it, by any ecclesiastical Judges or Courts.  
My Lords,  
11 You may perceive Preaching suppressed in the eleventh, divers godly and orthodox Ministers oppressedin their persons and Estates: you have the King's loyal Subjects banished out of the kingdom, not as Elimeleck, to seek for bread in foreign Countries, by reason of the great scarcity which was in Israel; but travelling abroad for the bread of life, because they could not have it at home, by reason of the spiritual Famine of God's Word, caused by this man and his partakers. And by this means you have had the trade, the manufacture, the industry of many thousands of his majesty's subjects carried out of the Land.  
It is a miserable abuse of the spiritual keys, to shut up the doors of heaven, and to open the gates of hell; to let in profaneness, ignorance, superstition, and error. I shall need say no more: These things are evident, and abundantly known to all.  
12 In the twelfth Article (my Lords) you have a division endeavoured between this and the foreign reformed Churches. The Church of Christ is one Body, and the Members of Christ have a mutual relation, as members of the same body. Unity with God's true Church everywhere is not only the beauty, but the strength of Religion: of which beauty and strength he hath sought to deprive this Church by his manifold attempts to break this union. To which purpose he hath suppressed the privileges granted to the Dutch and French Churches. He hath denied them to be of the same Faith and Religion with us; and many other ways hath he declared his malice to those Churches.  
13 In the thirteenth Article, as he hath sought to make an ecclesiastical division, or religious difference between us and foreign Nations, so he hath sought to make a civil difference between us and his majesty's subjects of the kingdom of Scotland. And this he hath promoted by many innovations, there pressed by himself and his own authority, when they were uncapable of such alterations. He advised his majesty to use violence. He hath made private and public Collections towards the maintenance of the war; which he might justly call his own war. And with an impudent boldness hath struck Tallies in the Exchequer for divers sums of money, procured by himself, pro defension Regni; when by his counsels the King was drawn to undertake not a defensive, but an offensive war.  
14. He hath lastly, thought to secure himself and his party, by seeking to undermine Parliaments; and thereby hath laboured to bereave this kingdom of the Legislative power, which can only be used in Parliaments: and that we should be left a kingdom without that which indeed makes and constitutes a kingdom; and is the only mean to preserve and restore it from distempers and decays. He hath hereby endeavoured to bereave us of the highest Judicatory; such a Judicatory, as is necessary and essential to our government. Some Cases cannot be tried in any inferior Court; as divers Cases of Treason, and others concerning the Prerogative of the crown, and liberty of the People. It is the supreme judicatory to which all difficult Cases resort from other Courts. He hath sought to deprive the King of the Love and council of his People, of that assistance which he, might have from them; and likewise to deprive the People of that relief of grievances which they most humbly expect from his Majesty.  
My Lords,  
The Parliament is the cabinet wherein the chiefest lewels both of the crown and kingdom are deposited. The great Prerogative of the King, and the liberty of the People are most effectually exercised and maintained by Parliaments. Here (my Lords) you cannot pass by this occasion of great thanks to God and his Majesty for passing the Bill whereby the frequent course of Parliaments is established; which I assure myself, he will by experience find to be a strong foundation both of his honour, and of his crown.  
This is all (my Lords) I have to say to the particulars of the Charge. The Commons desire your Lordships that they may have the same way of Examination that they had in the Case of the Earl of Strafford: That is, to examine members of all kinds, of your lordship's House and their own, and others, as they shall see cause. And those Examinations to be kept secret and private, that they may with more advantage be made use of, when the matter comes to trial.  
They have declared that they reserve to themselves the power of making Additionall Articles; by which they intend to reduce his Charge to be more particular and certain, in respect of the several times, occasion, and other circumstances of the Offences therein Charged. And that your Lordships would be pleased to put this Cause in such a quick way of proceeding, that these great and dangerous Crimes, together with the offenders, may be brought to a just Judgement.  
FINIS.