Two Views of Monarchy: Divine Right vs. Tyranny

Distinct from other European countries in the seventeenth century, England was ruled by a monarch but considerable power lay with the Parliament. Religiously, Queen Elizabeth I had established England as independent of Roman Catholicism, but with a single, Anglican Church that resembled Catholicism in structure but Calvinism in doctrine.

However, in 1603, Elizabeth died, leaving no direct heirs in her Tudor family. The throne passed to the nearest relative, the king of Scotland, James Stuart, who became king of England as well. The Stuarts had ruled Scotland for several generations and were strong supporters of the Divine Right of Kings theory, so they were not used to sharing power with a Parliament.

Moreover, even though James became an Anglican, members of his family remained Catholic. This worried the majority of the Parliament that was not only Protestant, but Puritan -- that is hard-line Calvinists, who thought the Anglican Church was too close to Catholicism. Thus, the Puritans in Parliament and their followers across English society questioned the authority of the new king, both as political leader and as head of the Anglican Church.