y in his time as in any age heretofore under the
best of our kings; and whether you shall think fit to secure ourselves
herein, by way of bill or otherwise, so as it be provided for with due
respect to his honour and the publick good whereof he doubteth not
that you will be careful, he promiseth and assureth you that he will
give way to it.'

This is indeed a very important message. The King approves of an
inquiry into the violations of old English right and prescription,
which had taken place in his reign. He consents that a bill to secure
their observance should be drawn up, and gives hopes beforehand of its
ratification. Charles I, like James, had constantly been anxious to
prevent grants from being made dependent on conditions; but something
very like this occurs when he backs his invitation to a speedy grant
of subsidies by a promise to approve of the petition submitted to him
for certain objects.

On this five subsidies were without delay unanimously granted to the
King, with the concurrence even of members like Pym, who
systematically opposed him. It was now only necessary that both sides
should agree on the enactments for doing away with the abuses which
had been pointed out.

The principal grievance arose from the conduct of the King, who in his
embarrassments had imposed a forced loan at the rate fixed on the
occasion of the last subsidies, and had sent commissioners into the
counties in order to exact payment, just as if he had been armed with
the authority of Parliament for this object. Many had submitted: but
not a few others high and low had refused to pay, not from want of
means but on principle. The King had thought this behaviour a proof of
personal disaffection, and had had no hesitation in arresting those
who refused: he had even taken steps to assert his right to do so as a
matter of principle. Much notice was attracted at that time by a
sermon preached by one Sibthorp, in which plenary legislative
authority was ascribed to the King, and unconditional obedience was
demanded for all his orders if they did not contradict the divine
commands. Archbishop Abbot had steadfastly refused to allow the
printing of this sermon, which he regarded as an attack upon the
constitution: eighteen times in succession an intimate friend of the
King went to him to urge him to give leave.[474] As the Archbishop
refused to comply, he received orders to leave London, and was struck
out of the High Commission: the sermon