How Richard Overton tried to change government and church is not known by many people today. In the early part during the struggle, he tried to reform the doctrines of Catholics, Laudian principles and change the ruling party of his time. Although a famous advocate for new church doctrines and government laws, it was not known what transpired in his early years before and after the struggle.
He wrote a pamphlet expressing his belief concerning the body and soul of man after death. His conviction was that after death, the soul dies and the body will rise on the judgment day. Not all denominations agreed with his arguments and while the Baptist agreed, the Presbyterians were suspicious and refused to accept his reasoning.
In 1645, he continued publishing and published ‘Martin-Mar Priest’, which won him acceptance with soldiers and citizens alike. However, this did not go down well with the Presbyterian Church. In the same year, he published ‘Remonstrance of Many Thousands Citizens’, thus, winning him further respect among many people. His latest publication was seen by many as a starting point for the Levellers movement as well as how the movement should be governed.
When the authorities imprisoned John Lilburne one of his associates, he took up his friend’s defense and wrote a pamphlet condemning the arrest titled, ‘An Alarm to the House of Lords’. This pamphlet resulted in his imprisonment also. While in Newgate Prison, he continued his writings by proclaiming the rights and liberties of the nation’s citizens.
Due to a number of petitions by citizens, he and his associate Lilburne were released in 1646 and with the help of others, tried to convince the army to join forces with the Levellers against the government. In that same year, civil war broke out between agitators and government in Corkbush Field of London. On their arrival, both men were alarmed to find that the rebellion was squashed.
The Grandees used the opportunity to held talks with the leaders of the Leveller movement and was successful in getting a meeting going. At the meeting, the Grandees laid down certain laws of how everyone should be governed. He and Lilburne did not agree and so they walked out of the meeting in disgust. Later, King Charles was executed by soldiers and he lauded those soldiers for their stance against injustice in the government. In an attempt to show Cromwell of his mistrust in his ruling against five soldiers charged with outspokenness against the government, he printed the pamphlet, ‘The Hunting of the Foxes’.
With one of his last publications, ‘England’s New Chains Discovered’, he criticized the authorities harshly. Due to the printing of this pamphlet, again he and Lilburne along with two other Leveller leaders found themselves in problems with the law. When questioned as to the publication of the pamphlet, all denied ever having anything to do with it. All four men were sent to prison. Cromwell eventually got the upper hand and finally silenced the Levellers political voice.
There was no evidence to condemn the four Leveller leaders and so the authorities were forced to release them. His convictions led him to befriend Edward Sexby and together they concocted a plan to terminate the rule of the government, but the plan never got off the ground. Richard Overton and his struggles to bring about changes will always make its mark in the history books of the world. richard overton
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