The History of the Reformation of the Church of Scotland

Then the County of Kent, in its own name, and in the name of the whole Kingdom, declared, That neither Kent, nor any other of the Kingdom, was conquered, but in a peaceable way did submit to William the Norman, upon Condition, and with Proviso, That all their Liberties, and free Customs in use and practice, should be kept. If this was not accomplished afterwards, it was silliness of the People that suffered themselves to be abused, and the fault of misled Princes, that did not keep their promise whereunto they were tied: And sundry, for the breach of this promise, have had occasion to repent, when it hath been too late.

Then the County of Kent, in its own name, and in the name of the whole Kingdom, declared, That neither Kent, nor any other of the Kingdom, was conquered, but in a peaceable way did submit to William the Norman, upon Condition, and with Proviso, That all their Liberties, and free Customs in use and practice, should be kept. If this was not accomplished afterwards, it was sillinesse of the People that suffered themselves to be abused, and the fault of misled Princes, that did not keep their promise whereunto they were tyed: And sundry, for the breach of this promise, have had occasion to repent, when it hath been too late.

We shall add one example more, which is, of Henry the eighth; who, anno 1525, the seventeenth year of his Reign, by the advice of his Council, put a Tax upon the people; which the people did not only refuse to pay, but declared, That the thing was unjust and unlawful. Withal, wherever they met those whom the King had employed for the gathering the money, they used them so kindly, that they did never come twice to one place for the payment of the Tax. The King seeing this, he disclaims the Imposition of the Tax, and so do the Nobles that convened ⟨image 33⟩at London, by his Command, for that purpose, and lays all the fault upon ill counsel, namely, upon Wolsey. This was Henry constrained to do, notwithstanding his resoluteness against all foreign enemy, chiefly the Pope, with his shavelings. By this instance, Henry acknowledged his power to be limited, and no ways arbitrary: Against the doctrine of our now Court-parasites.