The author examines the ecclesiastical state of England from the opening of the Long Parliament to the death of Oliver Cromwell, setting the stage with the complex interaction between Church and State. The narrative explores the deep-seated divisions within the National Church, focusing on the two main antagonist groups: the Anglo-Catholics, who exalted episcopal authority, ceremonial worship, and patristic tradition, and the Puritans, who championed the exclusive authority of Scripture, predestination, and the simplicity of worship.
As the ecclesiastical courts, the Star Chamber, and the High Commission grew increasingly oppressive, they forged an unholy alliance with civil despotism under the leadership of King Charles, the Earl of Strafford, and Archbishop Laud. Ritualism ran riot, Sabbath observance was undermined by official pastimes, and the clergy frequently sank into ungodliness, alienating the middle and lower classes of England.
The narrative follows the opening of the Long Parliament, the bold and decisive impeachment of Strafford by John Pym, and the gradual dismantling of arbitrary tribunals and unconstitutional canons. The author details the rising tide of Presbyterian influence, reinforced by the Scotch Covenant, and the emergence of early Independents and Separatists who sought to break away from the established order.
Through detailed examinations of parliamentary debates, petitions, and religious pamphlets, the book retells the struggles over deans and chapters, episcopacy, and the prayer book. The narrative portrays the ultimate failure of attempts at compromise and reconciliation, illustrating how corruption and intolerance in the Church kindled a blazing war-torch that eventually levelled both the temple and the throne.
