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CHAPTER V.

ON the 3d of November, 1640, this famous parliament met, which has been called the long parliament, because it continued sitting with some little intermission for above eighteen years: it occasioned such extraordinary revolutions in church and state, as were the scandal of their own country, and the surprise of other countries.* On the day of opening the parliament, his Majesty declined the usual way of riding in state from Whitehall to Westminster, but went by water, accompanied with several peers of the realm. The king, in his speech from the throne, declared his readiness to redress all just grievances; but some offence was taken, by his Majesty calling the Scots, REBELS, when there was a pacification subsisting.

*

Heylin's Life of Laud, pp. 454-458. Neal's Hist, of the Puritans, vol. ii, p. 338. Dugdale's Short View, pp. 63, 64, 65. Harris' Life of Charles I, p. 360, &c. Ed. 1814. Warner's Eccles. Hist. of England, vol. ii, p. 533.

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Before the session of parliament "the principal members consulted measures for securing the frequency of parliaments; for redressing of grievances in church and state: and for bringing the king's arbitrary ministers to justice," in order to accomplish which, it was thought expedient to set some bounds to the prerogative, and to diminish the power of the bishops: probably they did not at first intend to overturn the civil and ecclesiastical constitutions, and that they would have been satisfied with a certain degree of reform in church and state; but in their proceedings, they went to such extremes as involved both in ruin.

At their first entrance upon business, four committees were appointed: the first to receive petitions about religious grievances; the second, for the affairs of Scotland and Ireland; the third, for civil grievances; and the fourth, concerning popery, plots, &c.* About the 9th of November,

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*Both houses petitioned his Majesty to appoint a fast for a divine blessing upon their councels, which was observed Nov. 17. Rev. Mr. Marshall and Mr. Burgess, two eminent puritan divines, preached before the Commons, the former on 2 Chron. xv, 2, “The Lord is with you, while you are with him; if you seek him he will be found of you, but if you forsake him he will forsake you," The latter on Jer. 1, 5, They shall ask the way to Zion with their faces thitherward, saying, Come, and let us join ourselves to the Lord in a perpetual covenant that shall not be forgotten." The sermons were long, but delivered, says Neal, with a great deal of caution: the house gave them thanks, and a piece of plate for their labors. The bishops of Durham and Carlisle preached before the House of Lords in the Abbey

"a great number of petitions was presented both from particular persons, and some from multitudes, and brought by troops of horsemen from several counties, craving redress of grievances in church and state."*

Among the grievances of religion, one of the first things that came before the house was the acts and canons of the late convocation. Several virulent speeches were made against the compilers. Neal says that no one stood up in the behalf of the canons but Mr. Holbourn, who is said to have made a speech of two hours in their vindication; but his arguments made no impression on the house, so that at the close of the debate it was unanimously resolved,

"That the clergy of England, convened in any convocation or synod, or otherwise, have no power to make any constitutions, canons, or acts

Church of Westminster. On the following Sunday all the members received the sacrament from the hands of Bishop Williams, Dean of Westminster. See Neal's Hist. of the Puritans, vol. ii, p. 348.

"The

* Walker's Sufferings of the Clergy, part i, p. 3. first step they made was the entertaining petitions of grievances from all parts of the realm, which made such a noise, as if the subjects of England had suffered under the greatest slavery and oppression that had ever been heard of; and, (being devised and framed by themselves,) were received with such great acceptance, as that the people began to shew no small expressions of joy in their new reformers." Dugdale's Short View of the Troubles in England, p. 66.

+ History of the Puritans, vol. ii, p. 350.

whatsoever, in matters of doctrine, discipline, or otherwise, to bind the clergy or laity of the land, without consent of parliament.

"That the several constitutions and canons ecclesiastical, treated and agreed upon with the king's licence, by the archbishops, bishops, and clergy of the provinces of Canterbury and York in their several synods in the year 1640, do not bind the clergy or laity of the land, or either of them.

"That the several constitutions or canons, made and agreed to in the convocations or synods above mentioned, do contain in them many matters contrary to the king's prerogative, to the fundamental laws and statutes of this realm, to the rights of parliament, to the prosperity and liberty of the subject, and matters tending to sedition, and of dangerous consequence.

"That the several grants of benevolences or contributions, granted to his most excellent Majesty by the clergy, in the several convocations or synods above mentioned, are contrary to the laws, and ought not to bind the clergy."

Upon the same day that the house of commons passed the above resolutions, of which it may be said, that they manifested more of anger and prejudice, than of law or reason, several warm speeches were made against the archbishop of Canterbury, as the chief author of them; and a

committee was appointed to enquire more particularly, how far His Grace had been concerned in the proceedings of the late convocation, and in the treasonable design of subverting the religion and laws of his country, in order to draw up articles or charge against him. At the same time a charge was laid against him in the house of peers by the Scots commissioners, which being read by Lord Paget, was then reported to the commons at a conference between the two houses. This charge consisted of divers grievances, which occasioned much disturbance in Scotland. When this charge was reported to the commons, the resentment of the house against the archbishop immediately broke out into a flame, and many severe speeches were made against his late conduct. Sir Harbottle Grimstone, speaker of that parliament which restored Charles II. moved that the charge of the Scots commissioners might be supported by an impeachment of their own; and that the question might now be put, whether the archbishop had been guilty of high treason? Which being voted, Mr. Hollis was immediately sent up to the bar of the house of Lords to impeach him in the name of all the commons of England. Afterwards the archbishop was delivered to the custody of the Usher of the Black Rod, till the house of commons should deliver in their articles of impeachment.

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