The Way

bunyans-imprisonment-1660s

4 min read

** The Treasure Valley Fox - The Wicket Gate**

Key Points: The Church of England in the 1660s and Bunyan’s Imprisonment

  • Restoration of the monarchy (1660) brought strict enforcement of the Book of Common Prayer and episcopal church government.
  • The Act of Uniformity (1662) required all ministers to conform or face ejection.
  • Bunyan, a Nonconformist Baptist preacher, refused to stop preaching without official license.
  • Imprisonment for 12 years (1660–1672) was for “unlawful” preaching outside the state church.
  • This persecution highlights the contrast between man-made religious systems and simple Gospel freedom.

Historical Context:

In the 1660s, England was recovering from the chaos of the Civil War and the Puritan Commonwealth under Oliver Cromwell. The monarchy was restored in 1660 with Charles II. This “Restoration” period saw a strong backlash against Puritan and Nonconformist groups. The Church of England was re-established as the official state church with bishops (episcopal structure), mandatory use of the Book of Common Prayer, and strict liturgical forms.

The Act of Uniformity (1662) was a key law. It required all clergy to:

  • Use only the prescribed Book of Common Prayer.
  • Be ordained by bishops.
  • Renounce the Solemn League and Covenant (a Puritan document).

Over 2,000 ministers who refused were ejected from their pulpits — the “Great Ejection.” Additional laws (the Clarendon Code) restricted Nonconformist worship, education, and public office. Dissenters (Baptists, Presbyterians, Independents, Quakers) faced fines, imprisonment, or worse for holding “conventicles” (unauthorized religious meetings).

John Bunyan, a tinker by trade and a fervent Nonconformist preacher, was arrested in November 1660. He refused to stop preaching the Gospel as he understood it from Scripture without the approval of the state church. He was tried and sentenced to prison for “teaching and preaching without a license” and for not attending the established church. Bunyan spent most of the next 12 years in Bedford County Gaol (with some brief releases). It was during this imprisonment that he wrote much of The Pilgrim’s Progress, including the famous opening scenes.

Bunyan’s conscience was bound by Scripture rather than the state church. He famously said he would rather be out of prison with God’s blessing than in it without. His writings reflect deep distrust of religious systems that prioritize human authority, ceremonies, and uniformity over personal faith in Christ.

Key Scriptures Bunyan Would Have Stood On Acts 5:29 — “We ought to obey God rather than men.” Galatians 1:10 — “For do I now persuade men, or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I still pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” 2 Timothy 4:2-4 — Preach the word… for the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine.

Bull’s Eye The Church of England in the 1660s enforced outward uniformity through state power, mirroring the legalism and false security Christian flees in The Pilgrim’s Progress. Bunyan’s imprisonment shows the cost of refusing to bow to man-made religious systems. His faithful suffering produced one of the greatest Gospel allegories ever written — a powerful reminder that the true Church is built on Christ alone, not bishops, prayer books, or royal decrees. Yeshua’s kingdom advances through free proclamation of the Gospel, even from prison cells.

Pilgrim’s Progress Reflection Bunyan himself lived the opening pages of his book. Like Christian fleeing the City of Destruction, Bunyan turned from the established religious order of his day and faced opposition from family, neighbors, and authorities. His time in prison parallels Christian’s trials and the Slough of Despond — yet it became the place where Help lifted him to write truth that has guided millions toward the Wicket Gate. The story itself was forged in the fire of persecution by a state church that demanded conformity over conscience.

Deep-Study Bunyan’s Imprisonment and the Act of Uniformity The Restoration Church of England 1660s Acts 5:29 – Obey God Rather Than Men Persecution of Nonconformists and Gospel Freedom

This historical context shows why Bunyan wrote with such urgency about the narrow way versus broad religious paths. It remains relevant when any system (state church, modern movements, or extra revelations) demands conformity over simple faith in Christ. Let me know if you want this expanded or tied to a specific chapter of The Pilgrim’s Progress. Yeshua is still building His Church.

Cross-References