Enclosures continued.

Social reform was not contemplated by Cromwell nor by Councils of State; democracy was equally outside the political vision of government.

Church of England ministers were dispossessed in favour of Nonconformists, Puritanism became the established faith, Catholicism remained proscribed.
The interest in ecclesiastical and theological disputes was considerable, and Puritanism was popular with large numbers of the middle-class.

But to the mass of the people Puritanism was merely the suppression of further liberties, the prohibition of old customs, the stern abolition of Christmas revels and May-day games.
Lilburne did his best to get Cromwell to allow the people some responsibility in the choice of its rulers.

Winstanley proposed a remedy for the social distress.