Without a hearing or witnesses, the judge sentenced John Bunyan to three months in prison for open air preaching. Bedford's prison conditions were the worst in England. There was little light and no bathing facilities. The place stank of unwashed bodies. "Prison fever," killed many prisoners. The cells were overcrowded. John's ration was one-quarter loaf of bread a day. Worst of all, he was separated from his family.
At the end of three months, John was offered freedom on the condition that he agree not to preach publicly anymore. Bunyan's reply was, "If I was out of prison today, I would preach the gospel again tomorrow by the help of God."
The months turned to years. All in all, he spent twelve years in prison. He was cheerful, believing he suffered for Christ. He had true freedom, he said. In prison, he could read the Bible, preach and sing hymns with no one to stop him. He was also allowed to write. While imprisoned he completed many of his sixty books, including the best known: The Pilgrim's Progress.
Pictured are depictions of Bunyan in prison