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They supported the Republic in the expectation that it was a preparation for the "fifth monarchy" - that is, the monarchy which should succeed the Assyrian, the Persian, the Grecian, and the Roman, and during which Christ should reign with his saints on earth for a thousand years.
The "fifth monarchy" is a biblical reference to a prophetic dream of Nebuchadnezzar in Daniel 2:44. The Fifth Monarchists saw the overthrow of Charles I as a divine sign of the second coming of Christ and the establishment of a thousand years of Christ's rule on earth.
Being disappointed at the delay in the fulfilment of their hopes, they attempted to foment political agitation against the government of Cromwell. They found considerable support amongst members of the New Model Army and The Levellers.
One of their leaders was Major-General Thomas Harrison, the son of a Newcastle-under-Lyme butcher. He was involved in the execution of Charles I, commanding the guards on the day of the royal execution in 1649. Other prominent members were Christopher Feake , Vavasor Powell , John Carew and John Rogers .
The arrest of Feake and Powell, two of the most violent of their number, was sufficient for a time to damp their ardour. They had supporters in the Barebones Parliament (July-December 1653) but their political power peaked in 1653Events February 2 New Amsterdam (later renamed New York City) is incorporated. April 20 Oliver Cromwell expels the Long Parliament May 24 Ferdinand IV is elected King of the Romans June 12 First Anglo-Dutch War: Battle of the Gabbard lasted until June 13. with the Nominated Assembly , where many of the delegates were from congregations with Fifth Monarchy sympathies. They were horrified at the establishment of Cromwell's Protectorate and plotted to overthrown the regime. Two plots were uncovered and broken up in 1657 and 1659.
After the RestorationThe English Restoration or simply Restoration was an episode in the history of Great Britain beginning in 1660, when the monarchy was restored under King Charles II after the English Civil War. Theatres reopened after having been closed during the protect on January 6January 6 is the 6th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. There are 359 days remaining (360 in leap years). Events 871 Alfred of England defeats the Danes in the Battle of Ashdown 1066 Harold Godwinson crowned King of England 1205 Philip of Swabia b, 1661, 50 of them, headed by a wine-cooper named Thomas VennerThomas Venner (died 19 January 1661) was a cooper who became the last leader of the Fifth monarchy men, who tried unsuccessfully to overthrow Oliver Cromwell in 1657, and subsequently led a coup in London against the newly-restored government of Charles I, made a mad effort to attain possession of London in name of "King Jesus." Most of the fifty were either killed or taken prisoner, and on January 19 and 21 Venner and ten others were executed for high treasonIn law, treason is the crime of disloyalty to one's nation. A person who reneges on an oath of loyalty or a pledge of allegiance, and in some way willfully cooperates with an enemy, is considered to be a traitor . Oran's Dictionary of the Law ( 1983) defi.
The failure of Venner's Rising led to repressive legislation to suppress non-conformist sects. The doctrine of the sect then either died out, or became merged in a milder form of MillenarianismMillenarianism or millenarism is the belief in a future second coming of Jesus Christ, coinciding with certain number of millennia after his life. Or more generally an apocolyptic fatalism about the approaching close of a millennium. This pattern of behav.