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A By J O H N.B U N Y A N. Published in conjunction with a later version of Grace Abounding. Unpublished until 1765. |
Chapter 3
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.
HEN I had lain in prison other twelve weeks, and now not knowing
what they 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 discourse was as followeth.
COBB. When he was come into the house he sent for me out of my chamber; who, when
I was come unto him, he said, Neighbour BUNYAN, 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, 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 insurrection 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 it doth not follow that, because
they did so, therefore all others will do so. 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 manifest 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, neighbour 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 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 forbid 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 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 oppressing of any of God's ordinances, or the interrupting any in
way of God; but men may, in the wresting of it, turn it against the way of God; but
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.
BUN. Sir, said I, let me answer you in a similitude: Set the case that, at such a
wood corner, there did usually come forth 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 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 commend me for so doing. To err and to be a heretic are two things;
I am no heretic, because I will not stand refractorily to defend any one thing 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 submit,
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 commend 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.
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 it as my duty to do both; for, said I, 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. 1 Cor. xiv. 31. That is, every man that hath received
a gift from God, he may dispense it, that others may be comforted; 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, WICKLIFFE saith, that he which leaveth off preaching and hearing
of the Word of God for fear of excommunication of men, he is already excommunicated
of God, and shall in the day of judgment be counted a traitor to Christ.
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
will pass by either, and in this matter be judged by the Scriptures; I am 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 for instance, if under the
different apprehensions of the word MEDIATOR, you would know the truth of it, the
Scriptures open it, and tell 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; 1 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 together, etc., doth likewise sufficiently open itself
and discover its meaning.
COBB. But are you willing, said he, to stand to the judgment of the church?
BUN. Yes, Sir, said I, to the approbation of the church of God; (the church's judgment
is best expressed in Scripture). We had much other discourse which I cannot well
remember, about the laws of the nation, and submission to governments; to which I
did tell him, that I did look upon myself as bound in conscience to walk according
to all righteous laws, and that, whether there was a king or no; and if I did any
thing that was contrary, I did hold it my duty to bear patiently the penalty of the
law, that was provided against such offenders; with many more words to the like effect.
And said, moreover, that to cut off all occasions of suspicion from any, as touching
the harmlessness of my doctrine in private, I would willingly take the pains to give
any one the notes of all my sermons; for I do sincerely desire to live quietly in
my country, and to submit to the present authority.
COBB. Well, neighbour BUNYAN, said he, but indeed I would wish you seriously to consider
of these things, between this and the quarter-sessions, and to submit yourself. You
may do much good if you continue still in the land; but alas, what benefit will it
be to your friends, or what good can you do to them, if you should be sent away beyond
the seas into SPAIN, or CONSTANTINOPLE, or some other remote part of the world? Pray
be ruled.
JAILOR. Indeed, Sir, I hope he will be ruled.
BUN. I shall desire, said I, in all honesty to behave myself in the nation, whilst
I am in it. And if I must be so dealt withal, as you say, I hope God will help me
to bear what they shall lay upon me. I know no evil that I have done in this matter,
to be so used. I speak as in the presence of God.
COBB. You know, saith he, that the Scripture saith, THE POWERS THAT BE, ARE ORDAINED
OF GOD.
BUN. I said, Yes, and that I was to submit to the King as supreme, and also to the
governors, as to them who are sent by Him.
COBB. Well then, said he, the King then commands you, that you should not have any
private meetings; because it is against his law, and he is ordained of God, therefore
you should not have any.
BUN. I told him that PAUL did own the powers that were in his day, to be of God;
and yet he was often in prison under them for all that. And also, though JESUS CHRIST
told PILATE, that He had no power against him, but of God, yet He died under the
same PILATE; and yet, said I, I hope you will not say that either PAUL, or Christ,
were such as did deny magistracy, and so sinned against God in slighting the ordinance.
Sir, said I, the law hath provided two ways of obeying: the one to do that which
I, in my conscience, do believe that I am bound to do, actively; and where I cannot
obey actively, there I am willing to lie down, and to suffer what they shall do unto
me. At this he sat still, and said no more; which when he had done, I did thank him
for his civil and meek discoursing with me; and so we parted.
O! that we might meet in heaven!
Farewell. J. B.
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