The Royalists and the Civil War

Even though Civil War seemed inevitable given Charles 1 abrupt departure in 1642 neither side wanted to be seen to land the first blow. After Charles had unsuccessfully tried to arrest the ring leaders fermenting dissent in the Commons, the House awarded itself command of the armed forces in February 1642. Since the king, not surprisingly refused to sign it was called an ordinance and not an act. With the king out of the way, parliamentarians such as John Pym felt increasingly emboldened and the current unity in the Commons started to be strained after the summer of 1641. The Grand Remonstrance written by Pym was a laundry list of neo-republican faults embodied by the King. For some, who wished only to bring the King to his common sense, it went too far and the document only passed in the Commons by eleven votes. Nonetheless, even though the Remonstrance was too much to stomach for the gentrified Commons, Pym correctly judged that it would be meat and drink to the populace at large.

Many in Parliament worried that the opposition to the monarchy could get out of hand and the populace would be uncontrollable much as had happened during the Irish Rebellion. Fear of widespread public disorder pushed many back into the King;s camp. Among the recruits was Edward Hyde whose narrative of eh time called the History of the Great Rebellion shaped Tory tradition for many years ahead. He was someone who was dismayed by Charles' Personal Rule of the 1630's but equally dismayed with the turn of events in the 1640's. Moderates tried to re-frame the constitution much like a modern day three estates - King, Lords and Commons - Monarchy, Aristocracy and Democracy.

While many MP's attacked Charles tactics personally they were careful not to attack the monarchy or the constitution. During the second month of the Long Parliament a petition was raise to end episcopacy root and branch. This split parliament between the abolitionists and those who merely wanted to see their powers curtailed. Others noted they violent tendencies of the seemingly sober and lawful puritans. The smashing f Stained glass windows alter rails by soldiers and mobs cast puritans in a new light. Lay preachers used their oratory powers to push the boundaries of accepted orthodoxy.

The king;s advisers suggested to make concessions and pursue a middle way between Laudian and Puritan excesses and restore a religion that was closer to the one that stood in Elizabeth 1's reign, shorn of any connivance of popery.

In 1642 Charles built a party albeit one more against Puritan excesses than enthusiastically loyal to him. More than a third of the commons rallied to his cause and even more in the Lords.