IntroductionIn this essay I will discuss what Archbishop William Laud did wrong when he tried to impose order and unity on the English religion and how his efforts contributed to the civil war and the collapse of the United Kingdom. Church of England. Harbottle Grimston referred to Laud as “the pigsty of all pestilential filth.” (Hirst, 167) Other historians had similar opinions about Archbishop William Laud. Robert Ashton writes “if there is one person to whose actions and policies the fall of the Stuart monarchy can be attributed, that person is William Laud”. He further expresses his opinion by stating “the style of all the pestilential filth that has infected the state and government of this church and the Commonwealth.” (White, 34) Archbishop William Laud was wrong in his aggressiveness and need to impose his ideas and views on the British people. Laud was also known for his persecution and humiliation of the Puritans. His actions and influence on King Charles I would play a role in starting the English Civil War. Archbishop Laud was adamant in getting Scotland to conform to the use of the English prayer book. AggressionArchbishop William Laud had a significant impact on the history of Britain during the reign of King Charles I. Archbishop Laud had his own agenda while serving the king. Many thought Laud's plan had gone very wrong. One aspect of Archbishop Laud's plan was to better establish the church and clergy of England, Laud's downfall was his desire to promote the churchmen. Laud wanted to see the clergy return to political power. To many people in this period, the promotion of clergymen seemed to contradict the triumph that the Protestant community had over the clergy. This control is what the English Reformation was...at the heart of the paper...religion and politics and since his death has figured prominently in historians' explanations for the collapse of consensus and the advent of civil war ." (Mason, 1095) The Archbishop made many enemies and was hated by many during his period of influence. Laud's views can be understood through Mr. Grymston's speech to Parliament on the impeachment and prosecution of the Archbishop of Canterbury. "Mr. Speaker, he has been and is the common enemy of all goodness and all good men, and it is not safe that such a viper should be near the person of His Majesty, to distil its venom in his Sacred ears, nor is it safe to the Commonwealth, that HEE should fit such an eminent place of government... this man is the corrupt fountain that has infected all the streams and until the source can be eliminated, he cannot expect to have Cleere channels. ”(Grymstons, 5)