The English murdered their King today and there is a lesson in it for America.
The English Civil War was a bloody mess where no side was particularly “good” and no side was utterly evil. The wealthy wanted to run things through their tool, parliament, and the King was determined not to let them. Like the Tudors and his father before him, Charles was determined to govern as much as possible by the old traditions of England. The Civil War became a fight against the newly rich and the urban populations that supported them fighting the King and the old aristocracy joined by the poorest of the Kingdom who knew the King was their friend.
As usual money won against chivalry.
Even worse, a form of Puritanism seized power. These zealous men, led by Oliver Cromwell, wreaked havoc on Catholic Ireland, oppressed Catholic and high church Englishmen, but also ruled efficiently and increased the power of England. Cromwell found that the rich in parliament were no more cooperative with him than they had been with Charles and so he became dictator of England.
He was good at his job and for his lifetime he made England rich, powerful, and cheerless. Like all would be philosopher-kings, Cromwell wanted what was “best” for “his” people and Christmas and other foolishness was not best.
Cromwell got the words right to British power, but lost the music.
The worst mistake he made was to cooperate in the execution of the old King: Charles. Whatever his demerits as ruler, Charles was a gentleman and he died better than he lived. He conducted his own defense with wit and dignity until the show trial was over. On January 30, he wore double clothing to avoid shivering, the King did not wish anyone to think him afraid, laid his head on the block without a tremor, and died like a man. He said one word: “Remember!” and England remembered.
In death, Charles defeated Cromwell and guaranteed his sons would rule England.
So what can we learn? First, any “Christian party” generally isn’t very Christian the more partisan it becomes. The psalm singers of Cromwell’s army might not go whoring like the Royalists were apt to do, but they were also likely to destroy beautiful works of art, murder sinners with a holy zeal, and generally become insufferable prigs.
Milton made the best he could of them, but even he could not save them from centuries of literary shudders. The forces of Parliament had reasonable men, but the revolution drove them out of power. The radicals took over who could see no goodness in the “other side.”
I always fear the man who cannot understand why his neighbor might vote for Trump, or Hillary, or Jeb.
We need not compromise our values, but we must avoid extremism in defense of those values. Charles was a Christian king, but he was also a human king. He did not try to build the New Jerusalem in London or bring on Puritan Paradise.
Second, revolutionary change almost always makes things worse. We kill Charles for overreaching and ignoring Parliament and then Cromwell rules more despotically (even if more effectively) than any Stuart could dream. Kill Louis XIV, get Napoleon. Murder Nicholas II, and Stalin follows.
Americans are discouraged with good reason. Vice has been declared a right. Abortion is legal. African-Americans are murdered in our streets and racial justice is still a dream. And yet. And yet revolutionary change, a radical movement away from our time honored republican constitution of 1789, will almost surely make things worse.
We have sworn an oath to the Constitution and breaking that oath comes with consequences. England came to know this truth, repented, and just perhaps learned a valuable lesson.
If England did not know the even worse carnage that inflicted Russia when men in their arrogance decided that nothing could be worse than what they had, then perhaps it is because for hundreds of years, each Charlesmas, January 30, they would pray:
O Lord, our heavenly Father, who didst not punish us as our sins have deserved, but hast in the midst of judgement remembered mercy; We acknowledge it thine especial favour, that, though, for our many and great provocations, thou didst suffer thine anointed blessed King Charles the First (as on this day) to fall into the hands of violent and blood-thirsty men, and barbarously to be murdered by them, yet thou didst not leave us for ever, as sheep without a shepherd; but by thy gracious providence didst miraculously preserve the undoubted Heir of his Crowns, our then gracious Sovereign King Charles the Second, from his bloody enemies, hiding him under the shadow of thy wings, until their tyranny was overpast; and didst bring him back, in thy good appointed time, to sit upon the throne of his Father; and together with the Royal Family didst restore to us our ancient Government in Church and state. For these thy great and unspeakable mercies we render to thee our most humble and unfeigned thanks; beseeching thee, still to continue thy gracious protection over the whole Royal Family, and to grant to our gracious Sovereign Queen Elizabeth, a long and happy Reign over us: So we that are thy people will give thee thanks for ever, and will alway be shewing forth thy praise from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.
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