The Royalists and the Civil War
Even though Civil War seemed inevitable given Charles 1 abrupt departure in 1642 neither side wantd 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, parlimanetraians 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 embodoed by the King. For soem, who wished only to bring the KMing to his commom sense, it went too far and the documet only passed in the Commons by eleven votes. Nonetheless, even though the Remointsrance was too much to stomach for the gentrified Commons, Pym correctly judged that it would be meat and drink to the poluplace at large.
Many in Parliament worried that the opposition to the monarchy colod get out of hand and the populace would be uncontrollable much as had happened during the Irish Rebellion. Fear of widespread public disorder oushed many back into the King;s camp. Among tyhe recuits was Edward Hyde whose nrrative of teh 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 tgeh 1630's but equally dismayed with the turn of events in the 1640's. Moderates tried to reframe the constitution much like a modern day three estates - King, Lords and Commons - Monarchy, Aristocracy and Democracy.
While many MP's attacked Charles tactics personnaly they were careful not to attack the monarchy or the constituition. During the second mointh of the Long Parliament a petition was raise to end episcopy rppt and branc. This split parliament between the abolistionists and those who mere;ly wanted to see their powers curtaiuled. Other's noted they violent tendancoes of the seemingly sober and lawfgul puritans. The smashing f Stained glas windowsm alter rails by soldiers and mobs cast ouritans in a new light. Lay preachers used their oratory powers to oush the boundaries of accepted orthodoxy.
The king;s advisors suggested to make sconcessions and persue a middle way between Laudian amd Puritan excesses and restore a religion that was closer to the one that stoold in "]erson" contains a listed "]" character as part of the property label and has therefore been classified as invalid.'s reign, shorn of any connivanmce of popery.
In 1642 Charkes built apary albeit one more agaionst Puritan excesses than enthuisaistically loyal to him. More than a third of the commons rallied to his ciuase and even more in the Lords. caregory:British History
