It was one of our petitions delivered at Oxfo to his Majesty that now is; but what lit moderation it hath produced is not unknown us all! Any other vice almost may be bet endured in a minister than inconformity. The unjust punishments and vexations sundry persons for matters required witho any warrant of law : as, for not reading the bo concerning recreation on the Lord's day for not removing the communion table to set altarwise at the east end of the chanc for not coming up to the rails to receive sacrament; for preaching the Lord's day the afternoon; for catechising in any ot words and manner than in the precise wo of the short catechism in the common pray book.

The fifth and last grievance concerning ligion, was the encroachment and abuse ecclesiastical jurisdiction. The particu mentioned were these: 1. Fining and impris ing in cases not allowed by law. 2. The c lenging their jurisdiction to be appropriate their order, which they allege to be jure div 3. The contriving and publishing of new artic upon which they force the churchwardens take oaths, and to make inquiries and pres

ments, as if such articles had the force of canons; and this was an effect of great presumption and boldness, not only in the bishops, but in the archdeacons, officials, and chancellors, taking upon themselves a kind of synodal authority. The injunctions of this kind might, indeed, well partake in name with that part of the common law which is called the extravagants!

Having despatched these several points, he proceeded to the third kind of grievances, being such as are against the common justice of the realm, in the liberty of our persons, and propriety of our estates, of which he had many to propound in doing whereof, he would rather observe the order of time, wherein they were acted, than of consequence; but when he should come to the cure, he should then persuade the House to begin with those which were of most importance, as being now in execution, and very much pressing and exhausting the commonwealth.

He began with the tonnage and poundage and other impositions not warranted by law; and because these burdens had long lain upon us, and the principles which produced them are the same from whence divers others are derived, he

He observed that those kings, even in the acts whereby they did break the law, did really affirm the subject's liberty, and disclaim that right of imposing which is now challenged: for they did usually procure the merchants' consent to such taxes as were laid, thereby to put a color of justice upon their proceeding; and ordinarily they were limited to a short time, and then propounded to the ratification of the Parliament, where they were cancelled or confirmed, as the necessity and state of the kingdom did require. But for the most part such charges upon merchandise were taken by authority of Parliament, and granted for some short time, in a greater or lesser proportion, as was requisite for supply of the public occasions -six or twelve in the pound, for one, two or three years, as they saw cause to be employed for the defence of the sea: and it was acknowledged so clearly to be in the power of Parliament, that they have sometimes been granted to noblemen, and sometimes to merchants, to be disposed for that use. Afterward they were granted to the King for life, and so continued for divers descents, yet still as a gift and grant of the Commons.

Betwixt the time of Edward III. and Queen

Mary, never prince (that he could remember) offered to demand any imposition but by grant in Parliament. Queen Mary laid a charge upon cloth, by the equity of the statute of tonnage and poundage, because the rate set upon wool was much more than upon cloth; and, there being little wool carried out of the kingdom unwrought, the Queen thought she had reason to lay on somewhat more; yet not full so much as brought them to an equality, but that still there continued a less charge upon wool wrought into cloth, than upon wool carried out unwrought; until King James' time when upon Nicholson's project, there was a further addition of charge, but still upon pretence of the statute, which is that we call the pretermitted custom.

In Queen Elizabeth's time, it is true, one or two little impositions crept in, the general prosperity of her reign overshadowing small errors and innovations. One of these was upon currants, by occasion of the merchants' complaints that the Venetians had laid a charge upon the English cloth, that so we might be even with them, and force them the sooner to take it off. But this being demanded by King James, was denied by one Bates, a merchant, and upon a