The preceding chapter argued for a necessary distinction between radicalism and more moderate forms of nonconformity in Restoration apocalyptic expression. While radicals voiced, and at times acted upon, aspirations to bring down the re-established monarchy and Church of England in order to set up Christ's kingdom on earth, moderate nonconformists turned their attention to the significance of the Restoration religious and civil settlement in the apocalyptic scheme, spurning violent, aggressive sentiments, and actions in an effort to avoid association with sedition or rebellion. Although moderate nonconformists did confront and defy the policies of civil and ecclesiastical authorities, their opposition advocated non-violence and passive defiance.

Apocalyptic convictions within moderate nonconformity in the later seventeenth century demonstrate that the Restoration did not stifle the articulation of those principles, and that acquiescence to existing political and ecclesiastical conditions did not necessitate the abandonment of such earnestly held beliefs. Nonconformist authors were the most productive source of apocalyptic commentary during the Restoration, and their writings developed explanations of prophecy that went beyond Fifth Monarchist radicalism. Their apocalyptic interpretations did display traditional Reformation anti-Catholic confessional arguments; however, a predominant theme of their interpretations – and one originating out of the particular circumstances of later seventeenth-century England – was directed at determining the appropriate response of the godly in themselves as a group, rather than turning outward to assail violently the church and government of England. Nonconformist apocalypticism focused on the role of the saints within prophecy, the appropriate response to civil authorities, the acceptable reaction to erroneous doctrinal and worship forms, and the censure of the ecclesiastical policies of spiritual and temporal governments.