The wise Elizabethan compromise in matters of religion broke down with the accession of James I to the throne. The extremists- the Puritans and the Jesuits (extreme Catholics) – had never taken kindly to the Church of England, based largely on a compromise between the Catholic and Protestant claims.
But these extremists dared not raise their voice as long as the popular and tactful Queen ruled the destiny of the nation. But the extravagance and immorality of the Court under James I, his ignorance of the English tongue, and the consequent failure to communicate with the people, his uncouth appearance and awkward manners, his theory of the Divine Right of Kings advanced as a justification of his despotic rule, and the fact that his queen was a catholic, all contributed to his unpopularity and the antagonism of the people.