Editing Long Parliament (section)

==Second English Civil War==
Many Parliamentarians had assumed military defeat would force Charles to compromise, which proved a fundamental misunderstanding of his character. When Prince Rupert suggested in August 1645 the war was lost, Charles responded he was correct from a military viewpoint, but 'God will not suffer rebels and traitors to prosper'. This deeply-held conviction meant he refused any substantial concessions.{{sfn|Royle|2004|pp=354-355}} Aware of divisions among his opponents, he used his position as king of both Scotland and England to deepen them, assuming that he was essential to any government; while this was true in 1646, by 1648 key actors believed it was pointless to negotiate with someone who could not be trusted to keep any agreement.{{sfn|Wedgwood|1958|pp=546-548}}

Unlike in England, where Presbyterians were a minority, the Bishops' Wars resulted in a [[Covenanters|Covenanter, or Presbyterian]] government, and Presbyterian kirk, or [[Church of Scotland]]. The Scots wanted to preserve these achievements; the 1643 [[Solemn League and Covenant]] was driven by their concern at the implications for this settlement if Charles defeated Parliament. By 1646, they viewed Charles as a lesser threat than the Independents, who opposed their demand for a unified, Presbyterian church of England and Scotland; Cromwell claimed he would fight rather than agree to it.{{sfn|Rees|2016|pp=118-119}}

In July, the Scots and English commissioners presented Charles with the Newcastle Propositions, which he rejected. His refusal to negotiate created a dilemma for the Covenanters. Even if Charles agreed to a Presbyterian union, there was no guarantee it would be approved by Parliament. Keeping him was too dangerous; as subsequent events proved, whether Royalist or Covenanter, many Scots supported his retention. In February 1647, they agreed to a financial settlement, handed Charles over to Parliament, and retreated into Scotland.{{sfn|Wedgwood|1958|pp=603-605}}    
[[File:Carisbrooke Castle from south.jpg|thumb|right|[[Carisbrooke Castle]], on the Isle of Wight, where Charles was held in December 1648]]
In England, Parliament was struggling with the economic cost of the war, a poor 1646 harvest, and a recurrence of the plague. The Presbyterian faction had the support of the London Trained Bands, the Army of the Western Association, leaders like [[Rowland Laugharne]] in Wales, and parts of the [[Royal Navy]]. By March 1647, the New Model was owed more than £3 million in unpaid wages; Parliament ordered it to Ireland, stating that only those who agreed would be paid. When their [[Agitators|representatives]] demanded full payment for all in advance, it was disbanded.{{sfn|Rees|2016|pp=173-174}}

The New Model refused to be disbanded; in early June, Charles was [[George Joyce|removed from his Parliamentary guards]], and taken to [[Thriplow]], where he was presented with the [[Heads of Proposals|Army Council's terms]]. Though they were more lenient than the Newcastle Propositions, Charles rejected them; on 26 July, pro-Presbyterian rioters burst into Parliament, demanding he be invited to London. In early August, Fairfax and the New Model Army took control of the city, while on 20 August Cromwell went to Parliament with a military escort, and forced the passing of the [[Null and Void Ordinance]] annulling all Parliamentary proceedings since 26 July, leading to the withdrawal of most of the Presbyterian MPs and presaging [[Pride's Purge]] the following year. The [[Putney Debates]] attempted to address radicals' objectives, but the return of royalist threats in November led to Fairfax demanding a declaration of loyalty; this re-established command authority over the rank and file, completed at [[Corkbush Field mutiny|Corkbush]].{{sfn|Grayling|2017|p=23}}

In late November, the king escaped from his guards, and made his way to [[Carisbrooke Castle]]. In April 1648, the [[Engagers]] became a majority in the [[Parliament of Scotland|Scottish Parliament]]; in return for restoring him to the English throne, Charles agreed to impose Presbyterianism in England for three years, and suppress the Independents. His refusal to take the Covenant himself split the Scots; the [[Kirk Party]] did not trust Charles, objected to an alliance with English and Scots Royalists, and denounced the Engagement as 'sinful.'{{sfn|Mitchison|Fry|Fry|2002|pp=223-224}}

After two years of constant negotiation, and refusal to compromise, Charles finally had the pieces in place for a rising by Royalists, supported by some English Presbyterians, and Scots Covenanters. However, lack of co-ordination meant the [[Second English Civil War]] was quickly suppressed.