(April 25, 1599–September 3, 1658), was the Lord-Protector of the Commonwealth of England, Scotland and Ireland from 1653–58. He was offered the title of King of England by the Parliament, but declined. A strong supporter of religious freedom, he had at one time considered emigrating to the Puritan Colony in America.
A minor landowner, he rose to leadership in Parliament during the early days of the English Civil War. He formed and was commander of the “Ironsides” cavalry regiment, renown as the most powerful and best drilled regiment in England. Largely responsible for the victory at Marston Moor, 1644, he became lieutenant general of the New Model Army. His troops were victorious at Naseby and Langport in 1645. Cromwell chose soldiers for their religious enthusiasm as well as for there military forcefulness, and never lost a battle.
Oliver Cromwell initially desired to negotiate with Charles I, but became infuriated at the king’s untrustworthiness, later insisting on the king’s trial and execution. As lord lieutenant of Ireland, he led a campaign there in 1649, and as captain general and commander-in-chief he defeated the Scots at Dunbar in 1650. He dissolved the Rump Parliament in 1653, and was offered the crown and title of King of England in 1657, but refused. His son Richard, who became lord protector of England after Oliver’s death, was deposed in 1659 by a military coup, and in 1660 the monarchy was restored with Charles II taking the throne.
The persecuted Christian movement known as the Society of Friends, or Quakers, grew rapidly in England during Cromwell’s rule; even William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania, became a Quaker. George Fox, founder of the Society of Friends, befriended Cromwell. When the Puritan movement within the Anglican Church split into the Presbyterian and Independent, Cromwell became an Independent.
On August 3, 1650, in his Letter to the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, Oliver Cromwell wrote:
I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken.223
On September 12, 1654, in a message to Parliament, Cromwell asserted:
Necessity hath no law. Feigned necessities, imaginary necessities … are the greatest cozenage that men can put upon the Providence of God, and make pretenses to break rules by.224
Oliver Cromwell prayed:
Lord, though wretched and miserable, I am in covenant with Thee through grace, and I will come unto Thee for my people. …
Make the name of Christ glorious in the world. Teach those who look too much on Thy instruments to depend on Thyself more. Pardon such as desire to trample on the dust of a poor worm, for they are Thine too, and pardon the folly of this short prayer, for Jesus Christ, His Sake.225