Editing Oliver Cromwell (section)

== Establishment of Barebone's Parliament: 1653 ==
After the dissolution of the Rump, power passed temporarily to a council that debated what form the constitution should take. They took up the suggestion of [[Thomas Harrison (soldier)|Major-General Thomas Harrison]] for a "[[sanhedrin]]" of [[saint]]s. Although Cromwell did not subscribe to Harrison's [[apocalypse|apocalyptic]], [[Fifth Monarchists|Fifth Monarchist]] beliefs—which saw a sanhedrin as the starting point for Christ's rule on earth—he was attracted by the idea of an assembly made up of men chosen for their religious credentials. In his speech during the assembly on 4 July, Cromwell thanked God's providence that he believed had brought England to this point and set out their divine mission: "truly God hath called you to this work by, I think, as wonderful providences as ever passed upon the sons of men in so short a time."{{Sfn|Roots|1989|pp=8–27}} The Nominated Assembly, sometimes known as the Parliament of Saints, or more commonly and denigratingly called [[Barebone's Parliament]] after one of its members, [[Praise-God Barebone]], was tasked with finding a permanent constitutional and religious settlement (Cromwell was invited to be a member but declined). However, the revelation that a considerably larger segment of the membership than had been believed were the radical Fifth Monarchists led to its members voting to dissolve it on 12 December 1653, out of fear of what the radicals might do if they took control of the Assembly.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Woolrych |first=Austin |title=Commonwealth to Protectorate |date=1982 |publisher=Clarendon Press |isbn=0-19-822659-4 |at=chs. 5–10 |author-link=Austin Woolrych}}</ref>