Final answer:
English kings increasingly allowed the Church to control ecclesiastical and civil matters, leading to complex power dynamics, especially during the investiture controversy, the Reformation, and the Civil Wars, ending with the English Toleration Act of 1689.
Step-by-step explanation:
Over the centuries, English kings allowed the Church to have an increasing amount of control in ecclesiastical and civil matters. This process involved complex power struggles between the monarchy and the religious institution, such as those during the investiture controversy in the 11th century where the Church sought to end the practice of simony and exert its authority over ecclesiastical appointments. Over time, the Church gained more leverage over monarchs, culminating in substantial protections against arbitrary kingly rule and gaining some influence over kings in most countries. Conflicts between secular rulers and the Church, especially notable during the periods of the English Reformation and the Civil Wars, meant that kings sought to assert more control over religious matters within their domains. However, various laws and acts such as the English Toleration Act of 1689 began to allow greater religious diversity and limited the Church's power within the state.