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 1647 and 1648 in trying to make some sort of treaty with Charles so that the government of the country might continue under a King; Charles argued each point, and was ready to promise, now this, now that, but never anything sincerely. All the time he was trying to get help from France, or from Scotland or from Ireland.

Meanwhile the Parliamentary leaders had to try to fulfil their treaty with the Scots. They could abolish bishops, sell all the lands of the Church of England, turn out all the Royalist parsons, and forbid the use of the Prayer Book; but they found it almost impossible to establish a Presbyterian Church in England. In reality few Englishmen wanted this. Even those who had most wanted to pull down bishops began to see that ‘ministers and elders’ might try to force men’s consciences quite as much as bishops had done. No one felt this more than Cromwell; and what Cromwell thought, his army, which had finished the war, thought also. This army began to growl against its masters the Parliament. It also began to growl for the punishment of ‘Charles Stuart, that man of blood’. When Charles did at last persuade the Scots, who were by this time very cross with the Parliament, to come in again on his behalf, this growl became an open cry; the Army duly went and smashed the Scots at Preston, and then came back to London resolved on the King's death.

Cromwell hesitated long; he was a merciful man, and he saw what a terrible thing he had to do—to kill a king! But he believed that the Lord guided his mind, and that there could be no peace while Charles lived. Parliament was utterly horrified at this suggestion, but it was at the mercy of the Army which it had