The Pilgrim's Progress - Historical Background Part 2

Tyndale laid the foundation for the Reformation in England through his English translation of the Bible. Henry VIII tore England away from the Catholic Church and created the Church of England, but then Mary I returned the country to Catholicism. Elizabeth I pulled it out again and insisted on uniformity amongst all the churches. James I and Charles I increased persecution of those who didn't conform, which helped lead the country into Civil War and a period of much greater religious freedom.