IMprimis , That the said Iohn Lord Finch Baron of Fordwich , Lord Keeper , &c. hath traiterously , and wickedly , endeavoured to subvert the fundamentall Lawes , and established government of the Realme of England , and in stead thereof to introduce an arbitrary tyrannical government against Law , which hee hath declared by traiterous and wicked words , counsells , opinions , judgements , practices , and actions .

II. That in pursuance of those his traiterous and wicked purposes , he did in the third and fourth year of his Majesties reigne , or one of them , being then speaker of the Commons house of Parliament , contrary to the commands of the house then assembled , and sitting , denied and hindred the reading of some thinges which the said house of Commons required to be read for the safety of King , and Kingdome , and preservation of the religion of this Realme ; and did forbid all the members of the house to speake , and said that if any did offer to speake , hee would rise and goe away , and said nothing should bee then done in the house , and did offer to rise and goe away , and did thereby and otherwise , in as much as in him lay , endeavour to subvert the ancient and indoubted rights and course of Parliaments .

III. That he being of his Majesties Councell at the Justice seat held for the County of Essex in the moneth of October , in the 10. year of his now Majesties reigne , at Strafford Langton in the same County , being then of his Majesties Councell , in that service did practise by unlawfull meanes , to enlarge the Forest of that County , many miles beyond the knowne bounds thereof , as they had beene enjoyed neare 300. yeares , contrary to the Law , and to the Charter of the liberties of the Forest , and other Charters , and divers acts of Parliament , and for effecting the same , did unlawfully cause and procure undue returns to be made of Jurors , and great numbers of other persons who were unsworn to be joyned to them of the Jury , and threatned and awed the said Jurors to give a verdict for the King , and by unlawfull meanes did surprise the County that they might not make defence , and did use severall menacing wicked speeches , and actions , to the Jury , and others , for obtaining his unjust purpose aforesaid , and after a verdict obtained for the King in the moneth of Aprill following ( at which time the said Justice seat was called by adjornment ) the said Iohn Lord Finch then Lord chiefe Justice of his Majesties Court of Common Pleas , and was one of the Judges assistants for them , he continued by further unlawfull and unjust practices , to maintaine and confirme the said verdict , and did then & there being assistant to the Justice in eyre , advise the refusall of the traverse offered by the County , and all their evidences , but onely what they should verbally deliver , which was refused accordingly .

IV. That he about the moneth of November , 1635. he being then Lord chief Justice of the Court of Common Pleas , and having taken an oath for the due administration of Justice to his Majesties liege people , according to the Laws and Statutes of the Realm , contrived in opinion in haec verba , ( when the good and safety , &c. ) and did subscribe his name to that opinion , and by perswasions , threats , and false suggestions , did sollicite , & procure Sir Iohn Bramston Knight , then and now Lord chiefe Justice of England , Sir Humfrey Davenport Kt. Lord chief Baron of his Majesties Court of Exchequer , Sir Richard Hutton Knight , late one of the Justices of his Majesties Court of Common Pleas , Sir Iohn Denham Knight , late one of the Barons of his Majesties Court of Exchequer , Sir William Iones Knight , late one of the Justices of the said Court of Kings Bench , Sir George Crook then and now one of the Judges of the said Court of Kings Bench , Sir Thomas Trevor Knight , then and now one of the Barons of the Exchequer , Sir George Vernor Knight , late one of the Justices of the said Court of Common Pleas : Sir Robert Barkley Knight , then and now one of the Justices of the said Court of Kings Bench , Sir Francis Crawly Knight , then and now one of the Justices of the said Court of Common Pleas , Sir Richard Weston Knight , then and now one of the Barons of the said Court of Exchequer , some or one of them to subscribe with their names the said opinion presently , and enjoyned themseverally some or one of them secrecy upon their allegiance .

V. That he the day of _____ then being Lord chiefe Justice of the said Court of Common Pleas , subscribed an extrajudiciall opinion in answer to questions in a letter from his Majesty , in haec verba , &c.

And that hee contrived the said questions , and procured the said letter from his Majesty ; and whereas the said Justice Hutton and Justice Crooke declared to him their opinions to the contrary ; yet he required and pressed them to subscribe , upon his promise that hee would let his Majesty know the truth of their opinions ; notwithstanding such subscriptions which neverthelesse hee did not make knowne to his Majesty , but delivered the same to his Majesty as the opinion of all the Judges .

VI. That hee being Lord chiefe Justice of the said Court of Common Pleas , delivered his opinion in the Chequer Chamber against Master Hampden in the case of Shipmony ; that hee the said Master Hampden upon the matter and substance of the case was chargeable with the money then in question : a coppy of which proceedings the Commons will deliver to your Lordships , and did sollicite and threaten the said Judges some or one of them to deliver their opinions in like manner against Master Hampden : and after the said Baron Denham had delivered his opinion for Master Hampden , the said Lord Finch repaired purposely to the said Baron Denhams Chamber in Serjants Inne in Fleet-street , and after the said Master Baron Denham had declared and expressed his opinion , urged him to retract the said opinion , which he refusing , was threatned by the said Lord Finch , because he refused .

VII . That he then being Lord chiefe Justice of the Court of Common Pleas , declared and published in the Exchequer Chamber , & westerne circuit where hee went Judge , that the Kings right to Shipmoney as aforesaid , was so inherent a right to the Crowne , as an Act of Parliament could not take it away ; and with divers malicious speeches enveighed against and threatned all such as refused to pay Ship-money ; all which opinions contained in the foure , five , and sixth Articles , are against the law of the Realme , the subjects right of property , and contrary to former resolutions in Parliament , and to the petition of right : which said resolutions and petition of right , were well knowne to him and resolved and enacted in Parliament when he was Speaker of the commons house of Parliament .

VIII . That he being Lord chiefe Justice of the Court of Common Pleas , did take the generall practise of that Court , to his private Chamber ; and that he sent warrants into all or many Shires of England to severall men , as to Francis Giles of the County of Devon , Robert Benson of the County of Yorke Attorneyes of that Court , and to divers others , to release all persons arrested on any utlawry about 40. shillings fees whereas none by law so arrested , can be bayled or released without supersedeas under seale or reversall .

IX . That he being Lord chiefe Justice of the Court of Common Pleas , upon a pretended suit begunne in Michaelmas Terme in the 11. yeare of his Majesties Reigne , although there was no plaint or declaration against him , did notoriously and contrary to all law and justice , by threats , menaces and imprisonment , compell Thomas Laurence an executor , to pay 19. pound 12. shillings , and likewise caused Richard Barnard , being onely overseer of the last will of that Testatour , to bee arrested for the payment of the said money , contrary to the advice of the rest of the Judges of that Court , and against the knowne and ordinary course of justice , and his said Oath and knowledge , and denyed his Majesties subjects the common and ordinary justice of this Realm , as to Master Limericke , and others , and for his private benefit endamaged and ruined the estates of very many of his Majesties subjects , contrary to his oath and knowledge .

X. That hee being Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England , and sworne one of his Majesties Privy Counsell , did by false and malicious slanders labour to incense his Majesty against Parliaments , and did frame and advise the publishing the declaration after the dissolution of the last Parliament .

All which Treasons and misdemeanours above mentioned , were done and committed by the said Iohn Lord Finch Baron of Fordwich , Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England , and thereby he the said Lord Finch hath trayterously and contrary to his allegiance laboured to lay imputations & scandals upon his Majesties governement , and to alienate the hearts of his Majesties liege people from his Majesty , & to set a division between them , and to ruine and destroy his Majesties Realme of England , for which they doe impeach him the said Lord Finch , Baron of Fordwich , Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England , of high Treason against our Soveraigne Lord the King , his Crowne and dignity , of the misdemeanours above mentioned . And the said Commons by protestation , saving to themselves the liberty of exhibiting at any time hereafter , any other accusation or impeachment against the said Lord Finch , and also of replying to the answer : that the said Iohn Lord Finch shall make unto the said Articles or to any of them , and of offering proofe of the premises , or any of their impeachments or accusations that shall be exhibited by them as the case shall according to the course of Parliaments require , doe pray that the said Iohn , Lord Finch , Baron of Fordwich , Lord Keeper of the great Seale of England , may bee put to answer to all and every the premises , and such proceedings , examinations , tryalls , and judgements , as may be upon every of them , had and used as is agreeable to Law and Justice .