Fifth Monarchists

Fifth Monarchists. The Fifth Monarchists were a radical Puritan millenarian movement active during the English Civil War and the Interregnum. They believed in the imminent establishment of a literal, earthly "Fifth Monarchy" of Jesus Christ, succeeding the four empires described in the Book of Daniel. The group exerted significant political pressure through pamphleteering and armed rebellion, seeking to reshape the Commonwealth of England and later the Protectorate according to their Mosaic and prophetic interpretations.

Origins and beliefs

The movement emerged from the fervent eschatological expectations among some Puritan factions following the execution of Charles I in 1649, seen as the fall of the fourth monarchy. Their theology was rooted in a specific interpretation of the Book of Daniel, particularly chapter 2, which outlines four successive world empires—Babylon, Persia, Macedonia, and Rome—to be followed by the everlasting kingdom of God. They identified the Church of England and the remnants of feudalism with the corrupt fourth monarchy. Core beliefs included the imminent Second Coming, the necessity of implementing biblical law in civil governance, and the conviction that saints—meaning the truly godly—should hold political power. This often put them at odds with more conservative Presbyterians and even other Independents within the New Model Army.

Major figures and leaders

Key leaders included the fiery army officer and preacher Thomas Harrison, who was a prominent early advocate and a signatory of the death warrant of Charles I. The most influential theologian was perhaps John Rogers, a vocal pamphleteer known for his sermons at St. Thomas Apostle. The radical visionary Anna Trapnel gained notoriety for her prophetic trances and poetic pronouncements against the Protectorate. Military leadership was provided by men like John Carew, another regicide, and the incendiary preacher Vavasor Powell in Wales. Later, figures such as Thomas Venner, a cooper, would lead the group's final desperate uprising in London.

Political activities and uprisings

Initially supportive of the Rump Parliament after the regicide, they quickly became disillusioned by its failure to enact sweeping religious and legal reforms. Their primary activities involved intense pamphleteering and preaching to mobilize the "saints". Their first significant rebellion was Venner's Rising in 1657, a failed attempt in London to overthrow Oliver Cromwell. The more serious and violent Venner's Rising of 1661, after the Restoration of Charles II, was their last gasp. This armed insurrection, led by Thomas Venner and his followers who seized weapons in St. Paul's, was brutally suppressed by the London militia and Coldstream Guards, leading to the execution of the ringleaders at Tyburn.

Relationship with the Commonwealth and Protectorate

Their relationship with the governments of Oliver Cromwell was one of rapid disillusionment and bitter opposition. While some Fifth Monarchists like Thomas Harrison initially held positions in the Council of State, they grew hostile to the Commonwealth for not being sufficiently radical. The establishment of the Protectorate under the Instrument of Government in 1653, which made Cromwell Lord Protector, was viewed as a blasphemous usurpation of Christ's rightful kingship. They denounced Cromwell as the "little horn" of the Book of Daniel and opposed the Major-Generals as tyrannical. This opposition led to the imprisonment of key leaders like John Rogers in the Tower of London and constant surveillance by Cromwell's intelligence network headed by John Thurloe.

Decline and legacy

The movement declined precipitously after the failure of the 1661 Venner's Rising, which provided the Royalist government with a pretext to harshly suppress all dissenting groups. The subsequent Act of Uniformity 1662 and the Conventicle Act 1664 further crippled their ability to organize. While their political influence faded, their radical millenarianism influenced later Nonconformist and evangelical thought. Their emphasis on biblical law and the tension between religious zeal and civil authority presaged debates in later revolutionary contexts, such as the American Revolution and the rise of Christian Zionism. The Fifth Monarchists remain a significant case study in the history of radical politics and religious extremism in the early modern period.

Category:Christian millenarianism Category:17th-century Protestantism Category:English Dissenters Category:Radicalism (historical)