THE PETITION AND PROtestation of twelve Bishops for which they were accused of High Treason by the House of Commons and Committed by the Lords to the black Rod.  
THat whereas the Petitioners are called upon by several, and respective writs, under great penalties to attend in Parliament, and have a clear and indubitable right to vote in bills, and all other matters whatsoever debated in Parliament, by the ancient customs, laws and Statutes of this realm, and are to be protected by your Majesty quietly to attend that great service.  
They humbly remonstrate and protest before God, your majesty and the noble peers now assembled in Parliament, that as they have an indubitable right to sit and vote in the House of Lords, so they, if they may be protected from force & violence, are most ready & willing to perform that duty accordingly, & that they do abominate all actions and opinions tending to Popery, or any inclination to the Malignant party, or any other side and party whatsoever, to the which their own reasons & consciences shall not adhere. But whereas they have been at several times violently menaced, afronted, & assaulted by multitudes of people, in coming to perform their service to that Honourable House, and lately chased away and put in danger of their lives, and can find no redress or protection upon sundry complalnts made to both Houses in that particular. They likewise protest before y●ur majesty and that noble House of peers, and saving to themselves all their rights and interests of sitting and voting in your house at other times, they dare not sit to vote in the House of peers unless your majesty shall further them from all affronts, indignities and danger in the premises.  
Lastly, whereas their fears are not built upon fancies and conceits, but upon such grounds & objects as may well terrify men of great resolution and much constancy, they do in all humility and duty protest before your majesty and the peers of this most honourable House of Parliament, against all votes, resolutions and determinations, and that they are in themselves nul, and of no effect, which in their absince the twenty seven of December 1641. have already passed, and likewise against all such as shall hereafter pass in that most Honourable assembly, during such time of their forced and violented absence from the said most honourable House.  
Not denying, but if their absenting of themselves were wilful and voluntary, that most noble House might proceed in all these premises, their absence and Protestation notwithstanding.  
And humbly beseecheth your most excellent majesty to Command the Lords of the House of peers to enter this their Petition and protestation in their Records.  
They will ever pray God to bless and preserve &c.   

Printed for T. banks 1641.  
FJNIS.