The problem of church government and emergent presbyterianism in the Long Parliament, 1640 – 1643

The early years of the Long Parliament saw MPs seized with the issue of church
government. What began as an attack on the worst excesses of the Laudian
church quickly escalated into a wholesale assault on episcopacy itself. Taking
the opportunity to ‘reform the reformation’ MPs decided to abolish
episcopacy, and in 1643 they called in the experts to advise them on what form
of church government should take its place. Two years later the Westminster
Assembly put forward a presbyterian system of church government which the
following year parliament would set out to erect with the Erastian
modifications parliament desired.
The reasons why MPs chose presbyterianism have been little studied, many
historians accepting the traditional view that it was as a result of pressure from
the Scots. Through an examination of parliamentary debates in the years 1640
– 1643 this thesis will identify and trace an emerging English presbyterian
position in the Long Parliament to demonstrate that the MPs’ choice was
proactive rather than reactive and resulted from religious, political and social
ideas distinctive to England.