ENGLAND. , fm 
of thofe times, we find the great caufe of contention be- 
tween the king and his people arofe not front civil but 
religious motives ; not from a defire on the one hand of 
extending power, and on the other hand of promoting 
liberty ; but merely from tbe ardour of the king in fup- 
porting bilhops and ceremonials of the church, and the 
fury of the puritans in aboliflting thofe diftin&ionsi as 
remnants of popifh idolatry. 
Orders were now given that the communion-table 
fhould be removed from the middle of the church to the 
.eaft end ; where it fhould be railed in, and denominated 
the altar. The kneeling at the altar, and the ufing of 
copes or embroidered veftments, as ufed in popifh coun¬ 
tries, were alfo introduced, to the great diflatisfadfion of 
the people. Pictures and images were again admitted 
into the churches, by Laud’s command. All fuch clergy 
as negledted to obferve every ceremony, were fufpended, 
and deprived by the high commiilion court. And to 
mortify the puritans, orders were ifTued from the council, 
forbidding any controverfy, either from the pulpit or the 
prels, on the points in difpute between them and their 
opponents, concerning free-will and predeflination. The 
king’s divine, hereditary, and indefeafible, right, was the 
• theme, of every fermon ; and thofe who attempted to 
queflion fuch doftrines, were confidered as making an at¬ 
tack upon loyalty and religion. The king, who had 
.made a refolution of calling no more parliaments, and 
which refolution he adhered to for the fpac'e of eleven 
years, was highly gratified with thefe dotlrines, as they 
were the means of facilitating his meafures, and of pro¬ 
curing thofe pecuniary fupplies which he had no legal 
means of obtaining. While Laud, therefore, ruled the 
church, the king and Strafford undertook to manage the 
temporal interefts of the nation. A proclamation was 
iffued, in which Charles declared, “That whereas, for 
feveral ill ends, the calling again of a parliament is di¬ 
vulged ; yet the late abufes, having for the prefent un¬ 
willingly driven him out of that courfe, he will account 
it prefumption for any one to prefcribe to him any time 
.for calling that airembly.” This was conftrued as a de¬ 
claration, that,, during his reign, no more parliaments 
would be fummoned ; and every meafure of the king 
ferved to confirm the fufpicion. 
It was now that the people began to think themfelves 
at the uncontrouled difpofal of an arbitrary monarch, 
who, though good and gentle in his own nature, might 
at any time change his conduit, by ill-advifers. They 
now faw the conftitution at one blow diffolved ; and the 
executive power, with that which is hereditary in the no¬ 
bility, wholly affumed by the king. Tonnage and pound¬ 
age were continued to be levied by royal authority alone : 
-cuftom-houfe officers received orders from the council to 
enter any houfe whatever, in fearch of contraband goods ; 
.'compofitions were openly made with papifts; and the 
• toleration of their religion was become a regular part of 
the revenue. The high-commifTion court of Star-cham¬ 
ber exercifed its power, independent of any law, upon 
feveral bold and refolute perfons, who had the temerity 
to oppofe thefe meafures ; and who gloried in their fuf- 
ferings, and contributed to render government odious 
and contemptible. The rigours, however, which they 
underwent, gave general offence ; and the patience, or 
rather alacrity, with which they fuffered* increafed ftill 
further the public indignation. 
The puritans, thus perfecuted in England, fhipped 
themfelves off for America, where they laid the foun¬ 
dations of a new government, agreeable to their own 
-fyftem of political freedom. But the king, unwilling 
that the nation Ihould be deprived of its members, or 
dreading the unpopularity of thefe emigrations, was 
prevailed upon to iffue a proclamation, debarring thefe 
devotees accefs even to thofe diftant regions. Eight 
•Ihips, lying in the Thames, and ready to fail, were de¬ 
tained by order of council; and in thefe were embarked 
fir Arthur Hazelrig, John Hampden, and Oliver Crom- 
Vol. VI. No. i%i. 
well, who had refolved for ever to abandon their native 
country. This may (land as a proof of the fm'eerily 
thefe men afterwards teftified in the caufe for which they 
fought; and is a clear proof that hypocrify, with which 
they were certainly tinflured, was not, at leaft in the 
beginning, among the motives of their oppofition. 
The levying of fhip-money was the next thing com¬ 
plained of as a national grievance. This was a tax 
which had, in former reigns, been levied without the 
confent of parliament; but then the exigency oi the 
ftate demanded fuch a fupply. As the neceffity at pre¬ 
fent was not fo apparent, and might excite murmurs 
among the people, a qtteftion was propofed by the king 
to the judges, whether, for the defence of the kingdom, 
he might not impofe this tax ? and whether he was not 
foie judge of this neceffity ? To this queftion the judges 
concurred in opinion that*he might ; yet John Hampden, 
a gentleman of Buckinghamlhire, refufed to comply 
with the tax, and refolved to bring it to a legal invefti- 
gation. The cafe was argued twelve days in the exche¬ 
quer chamber, before all the judges of England. The 
nation regarded, with the utmoft anxiety, the refult of 
a trial that was to fix the limits of the king’s power; 
but after the former opinion of the judges had been 
given, the event might have been eafily forefeen. All 
the judges, except four, gave fentence in favour of the 
crown ; while Hampden, who loft his caufe, afte&ed to 
be more than recompenfed by the applaufes of the peo¬ 
ple. Nothing was heard but murmurs againft govern¬ 
ment, and encomiums on him who had withftood its 
ufurpations. It was now alleged that tyranny was con¬ 
firmed into fyftem ; and that there was no redrefs except 
in fallen patience or contented flavery. Ecclefiaftical 
tyranny was thought to give aid to political injuftice ; 
and all the rights of the nation, tranfmitted through fo 
many ages, fecured by fo many laws, and purchafed by 
the blood of fo many heroes, lay proftrate at the feet of 
arbitrary authority. 
The Scots had, during the reign of James I. ftiewn a 
ftrong attachment to puritanical principles ; and though 
they ftill continued to allow of bilhops, yet they were 
reduced to poverty, and treated with contempt. James, 
indeed, had feen the low eftate of epifcopacy in that 
kingdom, and had endeavoured once more to exalt and 
eftablifh it; but he died in the midft of his endeavours. 
It was the fate of Charles for ever to aim at projects 
which were at once impracticable and unneceffary ; he 
refolved therefore to complete what his father had be¬ 
gun. This ill-judged attempt ferved to alienate the af- 
fedtions of his Scottifh fubjefts, as much as his encroach¬ 
ments on liberty had rendered him unpopular in England. 
The flame of (edition in Scotland puffed from one city 
to another, while the puritans formed a covenant, to flip- 
port and defend their opinions ; and refolved to eftablifh 
their doctrines, or overturn the ftate. On the other 
hand, the court was determined to eftablifii the liturgy 
of the church of England; and both fides being obfti- 
nate in opinion, thofe fanguinary meafures were foon be¬ 
gun in Scotland, which had hitherto been only talked of 
among the Englifh. Charles, finding them in arms, and 
that they infilled on difplacing the bifhops, confidered 
their demands as an open declaration of war ; and ac¬ 
cordingly fummoned fuch of the nobility of England 
as held lands of the crown, to furnifh him with a proper 
number of forces to oppofe them. He demanded alfo a 
voluntary contribution from the clergy, as he was, in 
fa< 5 t, fighting their caufe ; and, by means of his queen, 
the catholics were alfo called upon for their afliftance. 
By thefe methods he foon found himfelf at the head of 
twenty thoufand men ; but commanded by generals lefs 
willing to fight than to negociate. His fuperiority in 
numbers, however, gave him a manifeft advantage over 
the rebels, who were not flow in marching to give him 
battle. But Charles, who inherited the peaceable dif. 
polition of his father, was unwilling to come to extre- 
8 H mities, 
