From the outset parliament was determined to be rid of the Major Generals. The army who had influenced Cromwell into calling parliament did not seem to realise its unpopularity. Many of the Major Generals never realised the deep loathing that they had created among the gentry. Butler for example had allied himself with sir Gilbert Pickering in Northamptonshire to pressurise the voters to return them both into parliament. In the event, Butler only narrowly escaped being legally tried by parliament for corruption and Cromwell hastily abandoned the Major Generals.
With the fall of the Major Generals, Cromwell began moving in a conservative direction while trying to save the gains, as he saw them, of the republican years including religious tolerance. A case in point was that of James Naylor.
Over 100 MPs had been excluded from the first session of the parliament as being opponents of the Instrument of Government and the Protectorate. It was the conservatives in parliament, now in the majority, who came up with obvious move towards the old constitutional ways, they offered Cromwell the crown. This offer was contained in a constitutional plan known as the Humble Petition and Advice. The main movers of this scheme were Broghill (Cromwell’s ally in Ireland), Sir Richard Onslow (a Surry MP). Cromwell was after some thought to refuse this offer of the crown.
Cromwell seemed to waver. One side of his nature had always wanted the old constitution with safe guards and reforms and, if the evidence of Bulstrode Whitelocke, a man of changing principles, is to be relied on, Cromwell had as early as 1652 proposed the question ‘ What if a man should take it on himself to be king’. Kingship was the known traditional form of government. Gentry who were not fanatical Royalists attached to the House of Stuart would probably accept King Oliver. Edward Hyde, later the earl of Clarendon, Charles 2nd closest adviser abroad, actually thought that If Cromwell accepted the Crown, Stuart Royalism would be doomed. There were also however some strong reasons both personal and political behind Cromwell’s refusal. The army had elements in it that would never accept kingship again; it would have been ultimate betrayal of the ‘Good Old Cause’. Cromwell would face a revolt from the army if he accepted the agreement of taking the Crown. Personally, Cromwell had been the prime mover behind the execution of the king so it would be an act of total hypocrisy to accept the crown. Cromwell seems to have decided that kingship was a form of government, which God, by granting him all his victories, had ‘Witnessed against’. It was a corrupt form of government ‘I would not build Jericho again’ he said. Cromwell also feared that by taking the Crown he would be pushed in too conservative a direction and therefore departs from his radical religious views. Cromwell also saw that accepting would be a sign of personal ambition and glorification, Cromwell did not want to be viewed as using this opportunity to his own benefit. Cromwell therefore refused the Crown.
When Cromwell refused the Crown, the Humble Petition and Advice was revised and the right of the Protector to name his successor was submitted. Cromwell accepted the revised scheme in March 1657, although the Humble Petition was not popular with some elements in the army.
