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IntroductionFrom 1642 to 1648, a conflict was fought between the camps of King Charles I of England and a large body of his subjects, generally known as the Parliamentarians. The struggle culminated in the defeat and execution of the king, and the subsequent establishment of a republican commonwealth. This essay investigates the intellectual origins of the Revolution, concentrating on the religious and constitutional themes that later led to open hostility. These sources of conflict will be explored …

…I have suggested, remains real. This was a battle, as we have seen, over issues related predominantly to power: financial power, political power and power to determine religious questions. In effect, the Revolution helped to determine spheres of influence, and to entrench the role of religion in matters of politics. More broadly, it also helped to determine international power, particularly in matters of foreign policy and colonialism that would take off in the following century.