ABSTRACT
Early in 1664, William Legge, MP and former active Royalist, wrote that the king's wisest course would be to rely on 'the old royal party', who were more numerous than their opponents. Former Parliamentarians now in office, with a few exceptions, favoured their former allies, who were still contriving mischief. The old Cavaliers watched the behaviour of the king and his ministers with a mixture of anger and bewilderment: the ascendancy which Charles allowed Buckingham defied rational analysis. Preachers were not to teach sedition or to attack the Church of England, which was to 'be preserved and remain entire in its doctrine, discipline and government'. The Declaration was based on 'that supreme power in ecclesiastical matters which is not only inherent in us but hath been declared and recognised to be so by several statutes and Acts of Parliament'. Reactions to the Declaration were mixed. Reports suggested that nonconformist numbers grew rapidly, especially Presbyterians and Quakers.
