in the history of the Church of England. It is evident that those who contended for the altar-wise wiew, had on their side all the weight due to considerations of decency, fitness, and order.* The other side could merely allege some vague fears of Popery, an argument which might be used equally against any part of our church ceremonial. * "And being Ordinary of the place (Alresford), he removed the communion table to the east end of the chancel; the decency of which act he not only justified by reason, convincing the people how much it had been profaned by sitting on it, scribbling, and casting hats on it in sermon time, and at other times passing the parish accounts, and disputing business of like nature, &c."-Life of Dr. Heylin, p. 52. Chap. X. 1627. 1628. CHAPTER XI. Chap. XI. Parliament meets-Laud's sermon on unity-Religious grievances -Mainwaring censured-Recants-His after preferment and its bad effect-Attacks upon Neile, Laud, and the ArminiansParliament prorogued-Answer to the remonstrance-Laud and Montagu promoted-Death of the Duke of Buckingham -Laud's ascendency-His character-Suppression of booksDeclaration before the 39 Articles-The Parliament meets again in a very ill temper-Mr. Rouse, Mr. Pym, and Sir J. Eliot declaim against the Arminians-The " VOW " of the House of Commons in answer to Laud's declaration-Mr. Oliver Cromwell-Great excitement in the House-Parliament dissolvedDr. Leighton's barbarous punishment. Parliament meets. HE nation was now involved in war with both Spain and France. The expedient of the loan had failed to raise a sufficient sum for the King's necessities; the compounding with recusants, the tax upon coals, and other devices for procuring money, were all unequal to the crisis: it was evident that another Parliament must be summoned. But before this was done it was thought expedient to liberate all the gentlemen who had been imprisoned or confined to counties, on account of refusal to contribute towards the loan. "This, in effect," 1628. says Heylin, “was but the letting loose so many Chap. XI. hungry lions to pursue and worry the King."* Almost all these confessors in the cause of popular independence were, as might be expected, returned to the new Parliament. From all sides the members came together full of their grievances, and determined on redress. It cannot be supposed that the King and Laud, stout-hearted though they were, and, perhaps, little really alive to the intensity of the popular discontent, could contemplate the meeting of a new Parliament without considerable apprehension. Laud preached before Parliament on March 17, Laud's serand earnestly exhorted them to unity. "I press mon on unity. unity hard upon you," says he, "pardon me this zeal. O that my thoughts could speak that to you that they do to God; or that my tongue could express them but such as they are, or that there were an open passage that you might see them, as they pray faster than I can speak, for unity." Thursday, March 20, the House settled their committees for religion, grievances, courts of justice, and trade, and agreed upon a petition to the King for a fast. They soon began to show a very angry temper against the Court divines, and complained of what "those two sycophants had prated in the pulpit.”‡ They were also full of their usual grievances about the encouragement of Jesuits and recusants. It was Religious complained that "the Romanists now had in this grievances. *Heylin's Laud, p. 176. + Laud's Works, i., 160. Ang. Cath. Library. Speech of Sir R. Phillips, Rushworth, i., 503. Sibthorp and Mainwaring are meant. 1628. Chap. XI. country a bishop consecrated by the Pope; that the bishop hath his vicars-general, archdeacons, rural deans, apparitors, and such like; they all execute their jurisdictions and make their ordinary visitations through the kingdom, keep courts, and determine ecclesiastical causes."* The King, in his answer to their petition, promised, as he had done before, fully to carry out the wishes of the Parliament, and they soon after unanimously voted him five subsidies. Before, however, these were fully granted, they proceeded to the consideration of their grievances, and to the drawing up and passing of the famous Petition of Right. Mainwaring censured. About the end of May, Mr. Rouse brought in a charge against Dr. Mainwaring: (1.) For labouring to infuse into the conscience of his Majesty the persuasion of a power not bounding itself with law; (2.) For persuading the conscience of the subjects that they are bound to obey commands illegal "yea, he damns them for not obeying them;" (3.) For robbing the subject of the propriety of his goods; (4.) For branding those who will not lose this propriety with scandalous speech and most odious titles; (5.) For seeking to blow up Parliament and Parliamentary powers. Upon these charges being made and supported out of the published sermons of Dr. Mainwaring, the Commons voted that he had "most unlawfully abused his holy function, and grievously offended against the prosperity and good government of their State and Commonwealth," and they appointed Mr. † Ib., i., 594 *Rushworth, i., 514. The 1628. Pym to prosecute him before the Lords. This Chap. XI. congenial task Pym performed in a very powerful speech, in which he utterly crushed and annihilated the Doctor's unfortunate Court divinity. "All kings," exclaims the orator, "that are not tyrants or perjured, will be glad to bound themselves within the limits of their laws; and they that persuade them to the contrary are vipers and pests both against them and the Commonwealth." Lords shortly afterwards gave this sentence against the preacher: (1.) That Dr. Mainwaring shall be imprisoned during the pleasure of the House; (2.) That he be fined £1,000 to the King; (3.) That he shall make such submission and acknowledgment of his offences, as shall be set down by a committee in writing, both at the bar and in the House of Commons; (4.) That he shall be suspended three years from the exercise of his ministry; (5.) That he shall hereafter be disabled from any ecclesiastical dignity; (6.) That he shall be for ever disabled to preach at the Court hereafter; (7.) That his Majesty be moved to grant a proclamation for the calling in of his books, that they may be burnt in London and both the Universities.† This very severe sentence showed that Parliament was not to be trifled with. The high asserter of kingly power quailed before it. Only some few weeks before, he had justified the doctrine of his two printed sermons in a sermon preached at his own church, at St. Giles's in the Fields; yet now, frightened by the angry orators of the Commons, he has the infinite Rushworth, i., 602. + Ibid, i., 605. |