A COPPIE OF THE BILL Against the xiij. Bishops, presented to to the Lords, by the Commons, Octob. 25. 1641.
ENTITULED An Act for dissolving all persons in holy Orders to exercise temporall Jurisdiction and Authority.
With the Names of the XIII. Bishops lately Impeached.
Whereunto is added the substance of a Letter presented to Mr. PYM, containing very wicked and bloody Expressions.
LONDON, Printed for JOHN THOMAS, 1641.
A Copy of the Bill against the Xiij. Bishops, presented to the Lords by the Commons,
Octob. 25. 1641.
Being intituled an Act for dissolving all persons in holy Orders to exercise any Temporall Iurisdiction or Authority.
WHereas Bishops and other persons in holy orders, ought not to bee intangled with secular Iurisdiction, the offices of the ministery being of such great importance that it will take up the whole man, And for that it is found by long experience that their Intermedling with secular Iurisdiction hath occasioned great mischiefe & scandals both to Church and state, his Maiestie out of his Religious Care of the Church and the soules of his people is gratiously pleased, that it may be enacted, and by the authority of these presents, Be it enacted that Arch-Bishops or Bishops or any other person, that now is or hereafter shall be in the holy orders; shall at any time after the tenth day of November in the Yeare of our Lord God, 1641. have any suffrage or [Page 2]vote or use, or execute any power or authority in the Parliament of this Realme.
Nor shall be of the Privie Councell of his Maiesty, his heires or successors, or Iustices of the Peace of Oyre or Terminor, or Goale deliuery, or execute any temporall authority by vertue of any Commission, but shall be wholly disabled and be vncapable to have, receive, vse, or execute any of the said Offices, places, powers, authorities, and things aforesaid, and be it further enacted by the authority aforesaid; that all Acts from and after the said 10. day of November, which shall be done by any Arch-bishops, or Bishops, or other persons whatsoever in holy Order, and all and every sufferage or vote given or delivered by them, or any other thing done by them, or any of them, contrary to the purport or true meaning of this present Act, shall be uterly voyde to all intents, Constructions and purposes.
The Namet of the xiij. Bishops lately Impeached.
- VValter Bishop of Winchester.
- Robert Bishop of Coventry and Lichfield.
- Godfrey Bishop of Glocester.
- Ioseph Bishop of Excester.
- Iohn Bishop of Asaph,
- VVilliam Bishop of Bath and Welles.
- George Bishop of Hereford.
- Matthew Bishop of Ely.
- VVilliam Bishop of Bangor.
- Robert Bishop of Bristoll.
- Iohn Bishop of Rochester.
- Iohn Bishop of Peterborough.
- Morgan Bishop of Landaffe.
Together with VVilliam Arch-bishop of Canterbury, and others of the Clergie of that Province, at a Convocation or Synod for the same Province, begun at London, 1640. who contrived and made, and promulged, severall Constitutions and Canons, Ecclesiasticall, containing in them divers 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.
The Substance of a Letter presented to Mr. Pym, on the 26. of October, 1641. contai [...]ing very bloody and wicked expressions.
O Trayterous PYM, that betrayest thy King and Countrey, and subvertest the fundamentall Lawes of the Kingdome take this for thy reward, which if it doth not end thee, when God shall inable me to come abroad; without prejudice to honester men then thy selfe, my dagger shall dispatch.