12. Charles simultaneously tolerated Catholics and tried to whip the Church of England into shape, which understandably angered many of his subjects.
Charles’s religious policy was utterly ham-fisted. For whilst he allowed his wife and her retinue to practice Catholicism – formerly an offence punishable by death – he simultaneously attempted to standardise the moderate devotional practices of the Church of England, thus restricting the religious freedom of the majority of his subjects. The changes he proposed were unpopular. Charles was sympathetic to Arminian theology, which many believed was closer to Catholicism than Protestantism and hence a potential threat to the Church of England. All the while, Charles was accused of failing to help Protestant nations at war in Europe whilst supporting Catholic concerns.
There were certain people who felt that the Church of England was already not Protestant enough, and wanted change: the Puritans. The Church of England was something of a compromise to keep both Protestants and Catholics (to a lesser degree) happy, but the Puritans wanted all traces of the old faith eradicated. They also opposed exactly the sort of unchecked royal authority Charles believed in. Charles further angered the Puritans by employing Richard Montagu, a cleric argued against some of their core beliefs, as royal chaplain. Unfortunately for Charles, the Puritans included many prominent and powerful MPs among their number.