James' attitude toward Parliament was clear. The Puritans also favoured thrift, education, and individual initiative, therefore they found great support among the new middle class of merchants, the powers in the Commons. The powers of the church and king were too closely linked. Puritans wanted to "purify" the church by paring down church ritual, educating the clergy, and limiting the powers of bishops. (See our in-depth examination of the Gunpowder Plot here).ĭuring James' reign radical Protestant groups called Puritans began to gain a sizeable following. Most of the plotters were captured and executed. However, an anonymous letter betrayed the plot and one of the plotters, Guy Fawkes, was captured in the cellars of the Houses of Parliament with enough gunpowder to blow the place sky high. A group of Catholic plotters planned to blow up Parliament when it opened on November 5. This was one of the factors which led to the Gunpowder Plot of 1605. James was a firm protestant, and in 1604 he expelled all Catholic priests from the island. Parliament was a forum for the interests of the nobility and the merchant classes (not unlike today, some would say). It would be a mistake to think of Parliament as a democratic institution, or the voice of the common citizen. James believed in the absolute power of the monarchy, and he had a rocky relationship with an increasingly vociferous and demanding Parliament.
Elizabeth was followed to the throne by James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England.
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