The King determined to force the use of a prayer book, similar to that
used in the English Church (S381), on the Scotch Puritans. But no
sooner had the Dean of Edinburgh opened the book than a general cry
arose in the church, "A Pope, a Pope! Antichrist! Stone him!" When the
bishops endeavored to appease the tumult, the enraged congregation
clapped, stamped, and yelled.
Again the dean tried to read a prayer from the hated book, when an old
woman hurled her stool at his head, shouting, "D'ye mean to say
mass[1] at my lug [ear]?" Riots ensued, and eventually the Scotch
solemnly bound themselves by a Covenant to resist all attempts to
change their religion. The King resolved to force his prayer book on
the Covenanters[2] at the point of the bayonet.
[1] Mass: here used for the Roman Catholic church service.
[2] The first Covenanters were the Scottish leaders, who, in 1557,
bound themselves by a solemn covenant to overthrow all attempts to
reestablish the Catholic religion in Scotland; when Charles I
undertook to force the Scotch to accept Episcopacy the Puritan party
in Scotland drew up a new covenant (1638) to resist it.
But he had no money to pay his army, and the "Short Parliament," which
he summoned in the spring of 1640, refused to grant any unless the
King would redress the nation's grievances.
439. The "Long Parliament," 1640; Impeachment of Strafford and Laud;
the "Grand Remonstrance."
In the autumn Charles summoned that memorable Parliament which met in
November of 1640. It sat almost continuously for thirteen years, and
so got the name of the "Long Parliament."[3] This new Parliament was
made up of three parties: the Church of England party, the
Presbyterian party, and the Independents (S422). The spirit of this
body soon showed itself. John Pym (S432), the leader of the House of
Commons, demanded the impeachment of Strafford (S435) for high treason
and despotic oppression. He was tried and sentenced to execution.
The King refused to sign the death warrant, but Strafford himself
urged him to do so in order to appease the people. Charles,
frightened at the tumult that had arisen, and entreated by his wife,
finally put his hand to the paper, and thus sent his most faithful
servant to the block.
Parliament next charged Archbishop Laud (S435) with attempting to
overthrow the Protestant religion. It condemned him to prison, and
ultimately to death. Next, it abolished the Star Chamber and the High
Commission Court (S435). It next passed the Triennial Act,[1] a bill
requiring Parliament to be summoned once in three years, and also a
statute forbidding the collection of "ship money" unless authorized by
Parliament.
[1] The Triennial Act was repealed (in form only) in 1664; it was
reenacted in 1694; in 1716 it was superseded by the Septennial Act
(S535).
Under the leadership of Pym, it followed this by drawing up the "Grand
Remonstrance,"[2] which was printed and circulated throughout the
country. The "Remonstrance" set forth the faults of the King's
government, while it declared utter distrust of his policy. Cromwell
did not hesitate to say that if the House of Commons had failed to
adopt and print the "Remonstrance," he would have left England never
to return. The radicals in the House next made an ineffectual attempt
to pass the "Root and Branch Bill," for the complete destruction--
"root and branch"--of the Established Church of England. Finally, the
House enacted a law forbidding the dissolution of the present
Parliament except by its own consent.
[2] See Summary of Constitutional History in the Appendix, p. xvii,
S19.