le by any maxims of reason or politics: and in this instance,
as in many others, it is easy to see how inaccurate the English
constitution was, before the parliament was enabled, by continued
acquisitions or encroachments, to establish it on fixed principles of
liberty.

* Journ. 28th May, 1610.

** Parliament. Hist. vol. v. p. 241.

*** See note YY, at the end of the volume.

**** Parliament. Hist. vol. v. p. 250.

v Journ. 12th May, 1624.

Upon the settlement of the reformation, that extensive branch of power
which regards ecclesiastical matters, being then without an owner,
seemed to belong to the first occupant; and Henry VIII. failed not
immediately to seize it, and to exert it even to the utmost degree of
tyranny. The possession of it was continued with Edward, and recovered
by Elizabeth; and that ambitious princess was so remarkably jealous of
this flower of her crown, that she severely reprimanded the parliament
if they ever presumed to intermeddle in these matters; and they were
so overawed by her authority as to submit, and to ask pardon on these
occasions. But James's parliaments were much less obsequious. They
ventured to lift up their eyes, and to consider this prerogative. They
there saw a large province of government, possessed by the king alone,
and scarcely ever communicated with the parliament. They were
sensible that this province admitted not of any exact boundary or
circumscription. They had felt that the Roman pontiff, in former ages,
under pretence of religion, was gradually making advances to usurp the
whole civil power. They dreaded still more dangerous consequences from
the claims of their own sovereign, who resided among them, and who, in
many other respects, possessed such unlimited authority. They
therefore deemed it absolutely necessary to circumscribe this branch of
prerogative; and accordingly, in the preceding session, they passed
a bill against the establishment of any ecclesiastical canons without
consent of parliament.[*] But the house of lords, as is usual, defended
the barriers of the throne, and rejected the bill.

In this session, the commons, after passing anew the same bill, made
remonstrances against the proceedings of the high commission court.[**]
It required no great penetration to see the extreme danger to liberty,
arising in a regal government, from such large discretionary powers
as were exercised by that court. But James refused compli