Chapter Charles and Parliament, 1625-29 of Age of Donne by History

In 1629 the second session of Parliament was dominated by Arminianism and tonnage and poundage. MPs were enraged that Charles had ordered the printer of the Petition of Right to distribute copies of Charles' original answer which had been unsatisfactory to the House of Commons. When Charles realised Parliament was not going to grant him the subsidy he resolved to dissolve Parliament. However, when the Speaker attempted to announce the dissolution of Parliament two MPs restrained him while a third, Sir John Eliot, called out his Three Resolutions.

Charles dissolved Parliament and imprisoned those involved in the three resolutions imprisoned. The third Caroline Parliament, like its forebears, had an extremely sour conclusion. Charles was now resolved to do without Parliament and The death of Buckingham had been perceived by many contemporaries as a precursor to improved relations between Charles and Parliament. They were to be disappointed. Though the assassination of the Duke removed the advocate of an expensive policy of foreign war, it became clear that the guiding hand of domestic policy was undeniably Charles'. In a matter of just four years on the throne Charles had managed to create an atmosphere of fear about arbitrary, even 'tyrannical' or 'absolute' government and popish innovation in the Church of England which threatened to decay the Protestant faith from within.

For the moment, the question remained - what difference would the absence of Parliament make to effective government? In the short term, the answer is very little. James I had ruled successfully during 1610-21 without parliaments (with the exception of the Addled Parliament in 1614). The most significant point was that Charles was abandoning an important 'safety valve' for the political nation to express provincial and national grievances. This proved crucial during the 1630s as Charles' governance of both the Church and State aroused opposition which, lacking an outlet, accumulated until in 1640 it was released.