Section 19

Keel. Justice Keelin called this pedler's French, saying, that I must leave off my canting. The Lord open his eyes !
Bun. I said that we ought to exhort one another daily, while it is called to-day, etc.
Keel. Justice Keelin said that I ought not to preach ; and asked me where I had my authority ? with other such like words.
Bun. I said that I would prove that j said j would it was lawful for me, and such prove it was
i_ i_ TTT j f lawful for me to
as I am, to preach the Word or preach the Word God.
Keel. He said unto me, By what Scripture ?
Bun. I said, By that in the first epistle of Peter, chap. iv. 10, n, and Acts xviii., with other Scriptures, which he would not suffer me to mention. But said, Hold ; not so many, which is the first?
Bun. I said this : As every man hath received the gift, even so let him minister the same unto another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God, etc.
Keel. He said, Let me a little open that Scripture to you : As every man hath received the gift ; that is, said he, as every one hath received a trade, so let
205
GRACE ABOUNDING
him follow it. If any man have received a gift of tinkering, as thou hast done, let him follow his tinkering. And so other men their trades. And the divine his calling, etc.
Bun. Nay, sir, said I, but it is most clear, that I would have ^e aPostle speaks here of preaching fKedin") wSuld6 the W°rd ' if ^ d° but comPare
not give me both the verses together, the next
leave , . r- -r i
verse explains this gift what it is, saying, if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God. So that it is plain, that the Holy Ghost doth not so much in this place exhort to civil callings, as to the exercising of those gifts that we have received from God. I would have gone on, but he would not give me leave.
Keel. He said, We might do it in our families, but not otherways.
Bun. I said, If it was lawful to do good to some,
I said if it was ^ was ^aw^u^ to d° good to more. If
lawful to do good it was a good duty to exhort our
to some, it was ,,....' .- .
lawful to do good families, it was good to exhort others ;
but if they held it a sin to meet to- gether to seek the face of God, and exhort one another to follow Christ, I should sin still; for so we should do.
Keel. He said he was not so well versed in Scripture as to dispute, or words to that purpose. And said, moreover, that they could not wait upon me any longer ; but said to me, Then you confess
206
A VINDICTIVE SENTENCE
the indictment, do you not ? Now, and not till now, I saw I was indicted.
Bun. I said, This I confess, we have had many
meetings together, both to pray to
~ , D, v i This Iconfessed,
God, and to exhort one another, and we had many
that we had the sweet comforting
presence of the Lord among us for prayer and
,°, TT. hortation
our encouragement; blessed be His
name therefore. I confessed myself guilty no
otherwise.
Keel. Then, said he, bear your judgment. You must be had back again to prison, and there lie for three months following ; and at three months' end, if you do not submit to go to church to hear Divine service, and leave your preaching, you must be banished the realm: and if, after such a day as shall be appointed you to be gone, you shall be found in this realm, etc., or be found to come over again without special licence from the king, etc., you must stretch by the neck for it, I tell you plainly : and so he bid my jailor have me away.
Bun. I told him, as to this matter, I was at a point with him ; for if I were out of prison to-day, I would preach the Gospel again to-morrow, by the help of God.
Another. To which one made me some answer: but my jailor pulling me away to be gone, I could not tell what he said.
o 207
GRACE ABOUNDING
Thus I departed from them ; and I can truly say, My heart was * ^less the Lord Jesus Christ for it, sweetly re- that my heart was sweetly refreshed
returning to in the time of my examination, and
also afterwards, at my returning to the prison. So that I found Christ's words more than bare trifles, where He saith, I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay, nor resist. Luke xxi. 15. And that His peace no man can take from us.
Thus have I given you the substance of my examination. The Lord make this profitable to all that shall read or hear it. Farewell.
The Substance of some Discourse had between the Clerk of the Peace and myself; when he came to admonish me, according to the tenor of that Law, by which I was in prison.
WHEN I had lain in prison other twelve weeks,
and now not knowing what they The clerk of the
Peace comes to intended to do with me, upon the third of April 1661, comes Mr Cobb unto me (as he told me), being sent by the justices to admonish me ; and demand of me submittance to the church of England, etc. The extent of our dis- course was as followeth.
Cobb. When he was come into the house he sent for me out of my chamber ; who, when I was come
208
ON MEETING WITH OTHERS
unto him, he said, Neighbour Bunydn, how do you do?
Bun. I thank you, Sir, said I, very well, blessed be the Lord.
Cobb. Saith he, I come to tell you, that it is desired you would submit yourself to the laws of the land, or else at the next sessions it will go worse with you, even to be sent away out of the nation, or else worse than that.
Bun. I said that I did desire to demean myself in the world, both as becometh a man and a Christian.
Cobb. But, saith he, you must submit to the laws of the land, and leave off those meetings which you was wont to have; for the statute-law is directly against it; and I am sent to you by the justices to tell you that they do intend to prosecute the law against you if you submit not.
Bun. I said, Sir, I conceive that that law by which I am in prison at this time, doth not reach or condemn either me, or the meetings which I do frequent; that law was made against those, that being designed to do evil in their meetings, making the exercise of religion their pretence, to cover their wickedness. It doth not forbid the private meetings of those that plainly and simply make it their only end to worship the Lord, and to exhort one another to edification. My end in meeting with others is simply to do as much good as I can, by exhortation and counsel,
209
GRACE ABOUNDING
according to that small measure of light which God hath given me, and not to disturb the peace of the nation.
Cobb. Every one will say the same, said he ; you see the late insurrection1 at London, under what glorious pretences they went ; and yet, indeed, they intended no less than the ruin of the kingdom and commonwealth.
Bun. That practice of theirs, I abhor, said I ; yet
I look upon it as k doth nOt follow that> because the7 my duty to be- did so, therefore all others will do so.
under the King's I look upon it as my duty to behave myself under the King's government, both as becomes a man and a Christian, and if an occasion were offered me, I should willingly mani- fest my loyalty to my Prince, both by word and deed.
Cobb. Well, said he, I do not profess myself to be a man that can dispute ; but this I say, truly, neigh- bour Bunyan, I would have you consider this matter seriously, and submit yourself; you may have your liberty to exhort your neighbour in private discourse, so be you do not call together an assembly of people ; and, truly, you may do much good to the church of Christ, if you would go this way ; and this you may do, and the law not abridge you of it. It is your private meetings that the law is against.
Bun. Sir, said I, if I may do good to one by my
1 The Venner insurrection is here referred to. 2IO
DOING GOOD TO ONE OR MANY
discourse, why may I not do good to two ? And if to two, why not to four, and so to eight ? etc.
Cobb. Ay, saith he, and to a hundred, I warrant you.
Bun. Yes, Sir, said I, I think I should not be for- bid to do as much good as I can.
Cobb. But, saith he, you may but pretend to do good, and instead, notwithstanding, do harm, by seducing the people ; you are, therefore, denied your meeting so many together, lest you should do harm.
Bun. And yet, said I, you say the law tolerates me to discourse with my neighbour ; surely there is no law tolerates me to seduce any one ; therefore if I may by the law discourse with one, surely it is to do him good ; and if I by discoursing may do good to one, surely, by the same law, I may do good to many.
Cobb. The law, saith he, doth expressly forbid your private meetings ; therefore they are not to be tolerated.
Bun. I told him that I would not entertain so much uncharitableness of that Parliament in the 35th of Elizabeth, or of the Queen herself, as to think they did, by that law, intend the Idefcndmyself oppressing of any of God's ordin- by explaining
°. . J . , and upholding
ances, or the interrupting any in the the law of the
way of God ; but men may, in the
wresting of it, turn it against the way of God ; but
211
GRACE ABOUNDING
take the law in itself, and it only fighteth against those that drive at mischief in their hearts and meeting, making religion only their cloak, colour, or pretence ; for so are the words of the statute : If any meetings, under colour or pretence of religion, etc.
Cobb. Very good ; therefore the king, seeing that pretences are usually in and among people, so as to make religion their pretence only ; therefore he, and the law before him, doth forbid such private meetings, and tolerates only public ; you may meet in public.
JBun. Sir, said I, let me answer you in a similitude :
Set the case that, at such a wood Sir, said I, let
me answer you corner, there did usually come forth in a similitude -, . j . -, . r ,
thieves, to do mischief ; must there
therefore a law be made, that every one that cometh out there shall be killed ? May not there come out true men as well as thieves out from thence ? Just thus is it in this case ; I do think there may be many that may design the destruction of the commonwealth ; but it doth not follow therefore that all private meetings are unlawful ; those that transgress, let them be punished. And if at any time I myself should do any act in my conversation as doth not become a man and Christian, let me bear the punishment. And as for your saying I may meet in public, if I may be suffered, I would gladly do it. Let me have but meeting enough in public, and I shall care the less to have them in private. I do not meet in private because I am afraid to have meetings
212
TO ERR OR TO BE A HERETIC
in public. I bless the Lord that my heart is at that point, that if any man can lay any thing to my charge, either in doctrine or in practice, in this particular, that can be proved error or heresy, I am willing to disown it, even in the very market-place ; but if it be truth, then to stand to it to the last drop of my blood. And, Sir, said I, you ought to com- mend me for so doing. To err and
to be a heretic are two things : I am proved I am
guilty of error no heretic, because 1 will not stand or heresy, I will
refractorily to defend any one thing disown lt that is contrary to the Word. Prove any thing which I hold to be an error, and I will recant it.
Cobb. But, goodman Bunyan, said he, methinks you need not stand so strictly upon this one thing, as to have meetings of such public assemblies. Cannot you sub- mit, and, notwithstanding, do as much good as you can, in a neighbourly way, without having such meetings ?
Bun. Truly, Sir, said I, I do not desire to com- mend myself, but to think meanly of myself; yet when I do most despise myself, taking notice of that small measure of light which God hath given me, also that the people of the Lord (by their own saying), are edified thereby. Besides, when I see that the Lord, through grace, hath in some measure blessed my labour, I dare not but exercise that gift which God hath given me for the good of the people. And I said further, that I would willingly speak in public if I might.
213
GRACE ABOUNDING
Cobb. He said, that I might come to the public assemblies and hear. What though you do not preach? you may hear. Do not think yourself so well enlightened, and that you have received a gift so far above others, but that you may hear other men preach. Or to that purpose.
Bun. I told him, I was as willing to be taught as to give instruction, and I looked upon
I said I was as. , jiir -IT
willing to be it as my duty to do both ; for, said 1, SslucSn0give a man that is a teacher, he himself may learn also from another that teacheth, as the apostle saith, We may all prophesy one by one^ that all may learn, i Cor. xiv. 31. That is, every man that hath received a gift from God, he may dispense it, that others may be com- forted ; and when he hath done, he may hear and learn, and be comforted himself of others.
Cobb. But, said he, what if you should forbear awhile, and sit still, till you see further how things will go?
Bun. Sir, said I, Wickllffe saith, that he which lsaid,'Wickliffe leaveth off preaching and hearing of
saith, he who the Word of God for fear of excom-
leaveth off
preaching for mumcation of men, he is already ex-
communicated of God, and shall in the da7 of j^gment be counted a God' traitor to Christ.1
1 Bunyan here refers to a translation of Wickliffe's doctrines in John Foxe's Martyrology, a favourite book of his.
214
PROOF BY THE BIBLE
Cobb. Ay, saith he, they that do not hear shall be so counted indeed ; do you, therefore, hear ?
Bun. But, Sir, said I, he saith, he that shall leave off either preaching or hearing, etc. That is, if he hath received a gift for edification, it is his sin, if he doth not lay it out in a way of exhortation and counsel, according to the proportion of his gift ; as well as to spend his time altogether in hearing others preach.
Cobb. But, said he, how shall we know that you have received a gift?
Bun. Said I, Let any man hear and search, and prove the doctrine by the Bible.
Cobb. But will you be willing, said he, that two indifferent persons shall determine the case ; and will you stand by their judgment?
Bun. I said, Are they infallible?
Cobb. He said, No.
Bun. Then, said I, it is possible my judgment
may be as good as theirs. But yet I
.„ . , i • i • I am willing to
will pass by either, and in this matter be judged by the
be judged by the Scriptures; I am cnPtures sure that is infallible, and cannot err.
Cobb. But, said he, who shall be judge between you, for you take the Scriptures one way, and they another ?
Bun. I said the Scripture should : and that by comparing one Scripture with another ; for that will open itself, if it be rightly compared. As
215
GRACE ABOUNDING
for instance, if under the different apprehensions
of the word Mediator, you would
tw« wiiieopenlp" know the truth of it, the Scriptures
°Pen h> and tel1 US that he that is a mediator must take up the business
between two, and a mediator is not a mediator of one, — but God is one, and there is one Mediator between God and men, even the man Christ Jesus. Gal. iii. 20 ; i Tim. ii. 5. So likewise the Scripture calleth Christ a complete, or perfect, or able high priest. That is opened in that He is called man, and also God. His blood also is discovered to be effectually efficacious by the same things. So the Scripture, as touching the matter of meeting to- gether, etc., doth likewise sufficiently open itself and discover its meaning.