cease. But
the days were gone by when the voice of the judges was taken
submissively for law by Englishmen. They had seen the dismissal of Coke
and of Crewe. They knew that in matters of the prerogative the judges
admitted a right of interference and of dictation on the part of the
Crown. "The judges," Sir Harbottle Grimston could say in the Long
Parliament, "the judges have overthrown the law, as the bishops
religion!" What Hampden aimed at was not the judgement of such judges,
but an open trial where England might hear, in spite of the silence of
Parliament, a discussion of this great inroad on its freedom. His wishes
were realized at last by the issue in May of a writ from the Exchequer,
calling on him to show cause why payment of ship-money for his lands
should not be made.

[Sidenote: Charles and Scotland.]

The news of Hampden's resistance thrilled through the country at a
moment when men were roused by news of resistance in the north. Since
the accession of James Scotland had bent with a seeming tameness before
aggression after aggression. Its pulpits had been bridled. Its boldest
ministers had been sent into exile. Its General Assembly had been
brought to submission by the Crown. Its Church had been forced to accept
bishops, if not with all their old powers, still with authority as
permanent superintendents of the diocesan synods. The ministers and
elders had been deprived of their right of excommunicating offenders,
save with a bishop's sanction. A Court of High Commission enforced the
supremacy of the Crown. But with this enforcement of his royal authority
James was content. He had no wish for a doctrinal change, or for the
bringing about of a strict uniformity with the Church of England. It was
in vain that Laud in his earlier days invited James to draw his Scotch
subjects "to a nearer conjunction with the liturgy and canons of this
nation." "I sent him back again," said the shrewd old king, "with the
frivolous draft he had drawn. For all that, he feared not my anger, but
assaulted me again with another ill-fangled platform to make that
stubborn Kirk stoop more to the English platform; but I durst not play
fast and loose with my word. He knows not the stomach of that people."
The earlier policy of Charles followed his father's line of action. It
effected little save a partial restoration of Church-lands, which the
lords were forced to surrender. But Laud's vigorous action made itself
felt. His first acts w