Additions to Bunyan/Butler's historical context

Janika Mohan
Section 1H

Because there are already postings on Butler's Hudibras(1662) and Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress(1678-79) as well as a very complete one about levelers I am just going to try to expand a little for IDs.
These two texts ( Hudibras and Pilgrim;s Progress) relate directly to the period from which they emerged.
Consider the time line surrounding the texts:
--England comes out of war at the end of the 17th century. Tension between the forces of parliament vs, the forces of nobility and aristocracy. 2008--> power lies with aristocracy as the "landed gentry" Prof. Makdisi spoke about now drives around in Land Rovers and shows up on cover of OK! magazine.
--There are new daring experiments in politics
- Levelers, the Ranters and the Diggers.--> and flourishing of different religious sects.
-Cromwell's army is a great democratic experiment and ideas emerged from the army. It was a people's army, normal everyday people.
--Cromwell proposed the restriction of monarchy while maintaining the House of Lords.This concession lead to anger from the soldiers .
--As stated the levers did not want total equality but equal political rights such as universal manhood suffrage.
** Must own property to be involved in Parliament
** 1st time normal men were given the chance to voice ideas and practice religious freedom with the mindset " Every man is a prophet" leads us to the idea of
"ANTINOMIANISM" "against the law" " we are free from god's punishment"which my peers have once again defined beautifully in other posts.
--THEN!! In 1660s political and religious freedoms discussed were suppressed by new acts and laws-Act against petitioning--> " Act of Incorporation", AND everything become regulated again. This brief surge of experimentation seen through Cromwell's army, The Levelers and Antinomianism should be kept in mind however when reading/discussing Bunyan and Bulter.