Complex sentence: Wither had begun as a moderate in politics and religion, but from this time forward his Puritan leanings became more pronounced, and his later work consists of religious poetry, and of controversial and political tracts.
Split into simpler sentences: Wither had begun as a moderate in politics and religion, but from this time forward his Puritan leanings became more pronounced. His later work consists of religious poetry, and of controversial and political tracts.