When Parliament was about to reinstate Charles as
king with weakened powers and establish a Presbyterian state
church, the soldiers, who were religious Independents and who
still had not been fully paid (the infantry pay was 18 weeks in
arrears and the cavalry 43 weeks) despite plans to disband them,
spontaneously took the King by force. They demanded liberty of
conscience to practice their own religion and their pay. Cromwell
sided with the army and then became leader of the House of
Commons. Charles dissembled in his negotiations with the army
generals. He felt freed from his promises as soon as the pressure
was removed. The army could not forgive Charles' duplicity and
deceitfulness and insisted upon his death as the only way to bring
peace. Cromwell gave up hope on negotiations with Charles when he
intercepted a letter by Charles to his Queen decreeing the final
doom of the army adherents in favor of the Scottish Presbyterians.
During protracted negotiations over months between the army and
Parliament over a new constitution, a renewed support for the
King, which was inspired by him, necessitated a second civil war
to put down this revolt and subdue its Scot supporters. Eventually
the army took control of Parliament by force, only allowing the
few members who agreed with them on the trial of the King into
Parliamentary meetings. So Charles was tried in 1649, found guilty
of "an unlimited and tyrannical power to rule according to his
will, and to overthrow the rights and liberties of the people .
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