X. Cromwell’s Clash With Fifth Monarchy Extremists

OLIVER CROMWEI.I. (1599-1658), greatest of the Independents, formed his original army of “Ironsides” from one thousand pious, resolute men who longed to see the age of Christ’s kingdom ushered in. His favorite doctrine was the second coming of Christ and the reign of His saints. ^{29John Lord, Beacon Lights of History, vol. 4, p. 99.} By 1648 the leaders and most of the officers of the army were Independents. This resulted in a definite split and controversy with the Presbyterians. In the crisis of 1649 the Rump Parliament put Charles I to death, and Cromwell took over the reins of government as lord protector of England—and in turn persecuted the Catholics and Anglicans.PFF2 568.1

A petition was once presented to the council of officers “‘by many Christian people dispersed abroad throughout the county of Norfolk, and City of Norwich,’ ” asking for the establishment of the Fifth Monarchy, that is, the reign of Christ and His saints, which, according to Daniel 7:27, was to supersede the four monarchies of the ancient world. ^{30Samuel Rawson Gardiner, History of the Commonwealth, vol. 1, p. 29.} In 1653 Cromwell dissolved the Rump Parliament and created a new one from the Independents, who considered themselves the saints called of God to establish His kingdom. The speeches of the new Parliament were enriched with Scripture, often resembling sermons. At the opening of Parliament, Cromwell reminded the members:PFF2 568.2

“Why should we be afraid to say or think, That this may be the door to usher—in the Things that God has promised; which have been prophesied of; which He has set the hearts of His People to wait for and expect? ... We are at the threshold.... And we have thought, some of us, That it is our duties to endeavour this way; not merely to look at that Prophecy in Daniel, ‘And the Kingdom shall not be delivered to another people.’ ^{31Oliver Cromwell’s Letters and Speeches, part 7, speech 1, p. 356 (2nd pagination).}PFF2 568.3

In 1653 a majority of the Little Parliament set themselves, under the leadership of General Harrison, to carry out reforms, preparatory to the divine reign. These included dissolving universities, confiscating church tithes, and superseding all other laws by the laws of Moses. But this was interrupted by the resignation of Parliament. Certain preachers, however, kept teaching that Christ was setting up the Fifth Monarchy. They believed that the Spirit of prophecy had been vouchsafed to them, enabling them to see future events, and that it was Christ’s design to destroy all antichristian forms. ^{32John Stoughton, Ecclesiastical History of England, vol. 2, pp. 63-72.}PFF2 569.1

Cromwell reprimanded the monarchy men for planning to overthrow the government, particularly while the Jesuits were trying to regain favor for the pope. But they called him a usurper, whose usurpation of the government was the only hindrance to the reign of Christ. Cromwell sought to instill religious tolerance. At his right hand in this effort was the renowned Baptist poet, John Milton. The renewal of censorship by Parliament in 1643, requiring that no book, pamphlet, or paper should be henceforth printed, unless first approved and licensed by such as should be thereto appointed, occasioned Milton’s great address to Parliament for freedom of the press, which reviewed the history of censorship. ^{33John Milton, Areopagitica: A Speech for the Liberty of Unlicens’d Printing, to the Parliament of England, in The Works of John Milton, vol. 4, pp. 293-354. The Westminster Assembly attempted to persuade Parliament to enforce the licensing ordinance against John Goodwin, Roger Williams, Milton, and others (Ibid., notes, pp. 366, 367).}PFF2 569.2

Cromwell also tacitly permitted the return of the Jews to England, from which they had been officially excluded for three hundred years. ^{34See chapter eleven under Manasseh ben Israel.} He and his followers were responsible for a marked increase in personal piety, as well as for constitutional reforms. He is also to be given credit for bringing the cessation of the terrible Waldensian persecution of 1655. ^{35Discussed in Volume I of Prophetic Faith}PFF2 569.3

We now note leading Fifth Monarchy expositors.PFF2 570.1