Chapter Prelude of Age of Milton and Marvell by History

in the Bishops' War put the political cards firmly in the hands of Parliament for the moment. The Long Parliament already had its agenda - Pym's speech to the Commons in the Short Parliament.

In December the Root and Branch Petition [5], drafted for London, was presented to the Commons. The decision to postpone the discussion of religion is an indicator of the deeply divisive nature of these issues not only between Charles and Parliament, but within the 'opposition' itself.

[5. Root and Branch Petition, 1640: A petition presented to Parliament in 1640 in which the 15,000 signatures demanded the abolition of bishops in the Church of England and other religious reforms. The issue of overhauling the Church was the most fragile political issue and thus discussion of the governmental form of the established Church should have was delayed, passed to an assembly - the Westminster Assembly of Divines - in order to preserve unity in Parliament against Charles I's arbitrary government.]