He changed his life and he told that he is a man waiting for God to show him the right way. The Puritan religion of Olive Cromwell was really very serious, but it was not absolutely pure. Cromwell was very often commanded by strong melancholy and therefore he often surprised to a terrible thoughts and he spent big part of his life in the states of mystic raptures. His sentimental moods much more than other Anglican man influenced him and tears very often covered his eyes. (Each evening before the battle he run out from all people and he spent a very long time with a Bible in his hands.)
The links between Cromwell and Cambridge were limited until to 1640 when he started to represent the town in a Short Parliament in April 1640 (as a well-known local puritan and more as a man with connections with Earl of Warwick and his brother Earl of Holland) and in a Long Parliament from August 1640 to April 1660. It was interesting, that he was again one of the poorest members in the House of Commons (he had to take care of widowed mother, wife and eight children!). From the beginning of the Long Parliament he was a firebrand. He was an outspoken critic of Bishops then he wanted to establish churches, which would be pulled up to roots and branches. He also proposed, that Parliament would appoint army generals and not the King.
The years of war were for the mad and agitated soul of Oliver Cromwell very lucky season, because in his zealous activity he founded the rest for his soul. At the beginning of the Civil war Cromwell fought with Roundheads against Cavalier. But when Cavaliers defeated them, Cromwell decided to create his own and better army-Ironsides. There could be Puritans and also Presbyterians; poor farmers or nobles, but they had to be willing to fight for a good thing:"I HAD RATHER HAVE A PLAIN RUSSET-COATED CAPTAIN THAT KNOWS WHAT HE FIGHTS FOR, AND LOVES WHAT HE KNOWS, THAN THAT WHICH YOU CALL A GENTLEMAN AND IS NOTHING ELSE."ă Cromwell imposed to the army the most strict discipline so on the fighting field as during the rest. In the army of Ironsides, there was no gambling or drinking and the villages were not afraid of them. With this army and his great talent and abilities, Cromwell was ready to fight against Cavaliers.