He was as King of England, God's anointed, with responsibility for all classes of people and the Anglican[Catholic] Church in to which about ninety eight % of the inhabitants were baptised!
When it was decided to go to war against the Romanists in Europe an army was marshalled to go to the aid of the protestants in Bohemia, where Charles's sister was Queen Consort. It was a fiasco. Most people wanted to go to war, some of the younger ones might have even wanted to fight, but no one wanted to pay the financial cost! The English expedition to the Continent was a crass failure, there were no medicines, few trained men, little armament, including ammunition and the ships were rotten. Of the estimated 10,000 men who went few arrived, most dying of fever on the rotten ships, very few returned.
Initially, the King was expected to bear the immediate monetary burden out of his own income! He did, but the Calvinist led parliament refused to pay their share as was the tradition! Instead they used his financial embarrassment as a political tool! Even when taxes were raised the collection was fraudulent being in the hands of the local gentry, these quite often were suspected of freeing themselves their family and friends of any burden!
Also, the seas around Europe were constantly being,'hunted,' by Barbary Corsairs, ships taken and crews sent in to slavery unless ransomed! In Ireland the corsairs took practically the entire population of Baltimore as slaves for either work or ransome. There were landings on other coasts of Ireland as well as Cornwall. Still the protestant dominated Parliament preferred their own political adventures rather than pay their share of national welfare and defence! The French privateers from the bay of Biscay also played havoc with the English fishing fleet and traders whilst the English Calvinists preferred the excitement of politics.
Finally Charles took matter's in to his own hands and closing parliament down raised taxes by ,not illegal, but extra legal means. He raised Ship Money, first from the Coastal Counties, [a perfectly legal tax,] then from the inland counties. He raised money by using out of date laws and fines. All of which were legal, but unpopular. It lasted eleven years and by general consent these were ,Halcyon Times . There was peace whilst Europe tore itself apart in the 30yrs war. The poor were fed in the midst of an inflationery spiral and business prospered. There was certainly no revolution or even major outbreaks of rioting! They were happy days!
Charles's mistake was to go to war in Scotland over the religious attitude of the Scots ! He found he couldn't pay and finally had to call an English Parliament for money. His political will collapsed and he accepted the parliamentary demands, all but two that is. Charles as King was responsible for the Militia and as Chief Magistrate,"as far as the Law of God allows,' the Church!
Unfortunately, the Calvinists who were a majority in Parliament if not in the Country wanted to control the Church in England and turn it in to a copy of the Presbyterian Church then operating in Scotland.
The Church of England was a Church that, at that time, prided itself on its Catholicity,holding to the apostolic succession both in orders and theology. Charles believed that it was amongst the oldest and purest particular communions within the Catholic Church! He himself being anointed by God to strengthen and protect it. When in 1639/40 the parliament freed from its political struggle with the King attempted to destroy the Church in England by abolishing Episcopacy and the Prayer Book, Charles found himself at the head of a small opposition group of Anglicans who objected to the dismemberment of their Church by the Calvinists. The Parliament responded by passing a Bill for," The better regulating of Archbishops,Deans and Chapters, Canons and Prebends and for the better governing of the Courts Ecclesiastical." It was realised by all serious Anglicans that what was wanted was the abolition of the Church not its reform! Eliza had refused the Parliament any say in the business of the Church, saying quite rightly, it was the Bishop's concern. Now, however the threat of continental or Irish Romanism was not available, though this didn't stop the Parliament from waiving the Roman Terror in people's faces Instead they resorted to a local terror put forward and supported by themselves. Anglicans who defended the Prayer Book were put into prison, false petitions were circulated calling for action to , 'reform,' the Church. Mobs of youths ran amok around London and at least one Anglican Bishop was kicked to death out side of the House of Lords and no one prosecuted! The saintly Archbishop of Canterbury was arrested and imprisoned as were other Bishops such as Bishop Wren. The final straw was that in a campaign against Romanists the Protestants threatened the safety of Queen Mary! it was then that Charles attempted to arrest the five MPs whom he considered the ring leaders. He failed miserably and found himself forced to leave London for Queen Mary's sake!
It was to the Northern capital, York, that Charles sought safety from the rampaging protestants! He was supported by various groups, but the chief for numbers were the Anglicans such as James Stanley ,7th,Earl of Derby a staunch High Church Catholic, whose equally staunch wife, Henriette was a convert from Calvinism to the Anglican Church!
In the summer of 1641 the religious kettle boiled and simmered. With parliament trawling amongst Roman Catholics for armaments. An attempt was made to assassinate Derby in Manchester by two Calvinist militia captains. The militia was brought out against him and he was forced to retire from a private dinner he attended.
Charles was forced in to war, inspite of all we hear, it was not his doing, He had no money and was forced to borrow or pawn! he had no Army, at Nottingham in 1642 at the Raising of the Standard, he had no more than 700 regular troops with another 300 in Portsmouth protecting the port from overseas enemies. He moved down from York gainin supprt from Anglicans and Royalists, [by no means the same thing.] His first proclamation was at Selby in Yorkshire where he put it clearly, he was fighting for orthodox Anglican religion, this was reiterated three times, Selby, again at Warrington and then at Nottingham. Unfortunately, parliament held the centres of population, London and the Eastern Counties these were as well where the wealth was. Charles did well for a year, then numbers and wealth began to
take their toll,especially, when the navy that Charles had built, was bribed ,virtually, to take parliaments side. In 1643 Parliament banned the Prayer Book and witch hunts that had been going on for some years were stepped up with orthodox priests being driven out of their homes and churches along with their families! Church lands were confiscated to pay for parliaments oppression! In 1646 after the war had ended Parliament finally abolished the Church in England. Charles refused to agree till in September 1648 at a conference to discuss the matter Charles was given an ultimatum, sign or else! He would not abandon the Church and on January 30th, 1649 he died a martyr for the Church of England.
In 1662 he was Canonised by the Anglican Synod after the Protestant Republic collapsed and both the Church and monarchy were returned!
Was Charles the First a good king? I think so, it was unfortunate that he struggled against a stronger foe, who were more determined than his friends. He was honourable and kind, he was a good husband and father and a constant believer in God and the catholic faith . He didn't abandon either when he came to the end and in my opinion did indeed die a martyr for the People of England.