James began his reign by declaring that kings rule not by the will of
the people, but by "divine right." "God makes the King," said he, "and
the King makes the law" (S419). For this reason he demanded that his
proclamations should have all the force of acts of Parliament.
Furthermore, since he appointed the judges, he could generally get
their decisions to support him; thus he made even the courts of
justice serve as instruments of his will. In his arrogance he
declared that neither Parliament nor the people had any right to
discuss matters of state, whether foreign or domestic, since he was
resolved to reserve such questions for the royal intellect to deal
with. By his religious intolerance he maddened both Puritans and
Catholics, and the Pilgrim Fathers fled from England to escape his
tyranny.
But there was a limit set to his overbearing conceit. When he
dictated to the Commons (1604) what persons should sit in that body,
they indignantly refused to submit to any interference on his part,
and their refusal was so emphatic that James never brought the matter
up again.
The King, however, was so determined to shut out members whom he did
not like that he attempted to gain his ends by having such persons
seized on charges of debt and thrown into prison. The Commons, on the
other hand, not only insisted that their ancient privilege of
exemption from arrest in such cases should be respected, but they
passed a special law (1604) to clinch the privilege.
Ten years later (1614) James, pressed for money, called a Parliament
to get supplies. He had taken precautions to get a majority of
members elected who would, he hoped, vote for him what he wanted. But
to his dismay the Commons declined to grant him a penny unless he
would promise to cease imposing illegal duties on merchandise. The
King angrily refused and dissolved the so-called "Addled Parliament."[1]
[1] This Parliament was nicknamed the "Addled Parliament," because it
did not enact a single law, though it most effectually "addled" the
King's plans (S424).
Finally, in order to show James that it would not be trifled with, a
later Parliament (1621) revived the right of impeachment, which had
not been resorted to since 1450.[2] The Commons now charged Lord
Chancellor Bacon, judge of the High Court of Chancery, and "keeper of
the King's conscience," with accepting bribes. Bacon held the highest
office in the gift of the Crown, and the real object of the
impeachment was to strike the King through the person of his chief
official and supporter. Bacon confessed his crime, saying, "I was the
justest judge that was in England these fifty years, but it was the
justest censure in Parliament that was these two hundred years."
[2] See S13 of this Summary
James tried his best to save his servile favorite, but it was useless,
and Bacon was convicted, disgraced, and partially punished (S425).
The Commons of the same Parliament petitioned the King against the
alleged growth of the Catholic religion in the knigdom, and especially
against the proposed marriage of the Prince of Wales to a Spanish
Catholic princess. James ordered the Commons to let mysteries of the
state alone. They claimed liberty of speech. The King asserted that
they had no liberties except such as the royal power saw fit to
grant. Then the Commons drew up their famous Protest, in which they
declared that their liberties were not derived from the King, but were
"the ancient and undoubted birthright and inheritance of the people of
England." In his rage James ordered the journal of the Commons to be
brought to him, tore out the Protest with his own hand, and sent five
of the members of the House to prison (S419). This rash act made the
Commons more determined than ever not to yield to arbitrary power.
James died three years later, leaving his unfortunate son Charles to
settle the angry controversy he had raised. Macaulay remarks that
James seems to have been sent to hasten the coming of the Civil War.