THE FOURTH PERIOD.
BUNYAN ENTERS INTO CONTROVERSY—BECOMES
AN AUTHOR—OFFENDS A PERSECUTING MAGISTRACY, AND IS PROCEEDED AGAINST AT THE
SESSIONS UNDER AN ACT OF THE COMMONWEALTH—IS ACCUSED OF REPORTING A STRANGE
CHARGE OF WITCHCRAFT—PUBLICLY DISPUTES WITH THE QUAKERS.
Bunyan's conversion
from being a pest to the neighborhood to becoming a pious man, might have been
pardoned had he conformed to the Directory; but for him to appear as a
Dissenter and a public teacher, without going through the usual course of
education and ordination, was an unpardonable offense. The opinions of man gave
him no concern; all his anxiety was to have the approbation of his God, and
then to walk accordingly, braving all the dangers, the obloquy, and contempt
that might arise from his conscientious discharge of duties, for the
performance of which he knew that he alone must give a solemn account at the
great day.
He entered upon the
serious work of the ministry with fear and trembling, with much
heart-searching, earnest prayer, and the advice of the church to which he was
united, not with any pledge to abide by their decision contrary to his own
conviction, but to aid him in his determination. His own account of these
important inquiries is very striking:—' After I had been about five or six years
awakened, and helped myself to see both the want and worth of Jesus Christ our
Lord, and also enabled to venture my soul upon him, some of the ablest among
the saints with us, for judgment and holiness of life, as they conceived, did
perceive that God had counted me worthy to understand something of his will in
His holy and blessed Word, and had given me utterance, in some measure, to
express what I saw to others for edification; therefore they desired me, and
that with much earnestness, that I would be willing at some times to take in
hand, in one of the meetings, to speak a word of exhortation unto them. The
which, though at the first it did many dashes and abash my spirit, yet being
still by them desired and entreated, I consented to their request, and did
twice, at two several assemblies in private, though with much weakness and
infirmity, discover my gift amongst them; at which they did solemnly protest,
as in the sight of the great God, they were both affected and comforted, and
gave thanks to the Father of mercies for the grace bestowed on me.
'After this,
sometimes, when some of them did go into the country to teach, they would also
that I should go with them; where, though as yet I did not, nor durst not, make
use of my gift in an open way, yet more privately, as I came amongst the good
people in those places, I did sometimes speak a word of admonition unto them
also, the which they, as the other, received with rejoicing at the mercy of God
to me-ward, professing their souls were edified thereby.
'Wherefore at last,
being still desired by the church, after some solemn prayer to the Lord, with
fasting, I was more particularly called forth, and appointed to a more ordinary
and public preaching of the word, not only to and amongst them that believed,
but also to offer the gospel to those who had not yet received the faith thereof.'
The ministry of
Bunyan's pastor, whom he affectionately called holy Mr. Gifford, must have been
wonderfully blessed. In 1650 only twelve pious men and women were formed into a
Christian church, and, although subject to fierce persecution, they had so increased
that in 1672 ten members had been solemnly set apart for the work of the
ministry, and they became a blessing to the country round Bedford. The
benighted state of the villages was a cause of earnest prayer that men might be
sent out, apt to teach, and willing to sacrifice liberty, and even life, to
promote the peaceful reign of the Redeemer. The names of the men who were thus
set apart were—John Bunyan, Samuel Fenn, Joseph Whiteman, John Fenn, Oliver
Scott, Luke Ashwood, Thomas Cooper, Edward Dent, Edward Isaac, and Nehemiah
Coxe. Four of these were permitted to fulfill their course without notoriety;
the others were severely persecuted, fined, and imprisoned, but not forsaken.
Encouraged by the
opinion of the church which had been so prayerfully formed, that it was his
duty to proclaim the glad tidings of salvation, Bunyan entered upon his
important work and was soon encouraged by a hope that his labours were useful
to his fellow men. 'About this time,' he narrates, 'I did evidently find in my
mind a secret pricking forward thereto, though, I bless God, not for the desire of
vain glory, for at that time I was most sorely afflicted with the fiery darts
of the devil concerning my eternal state. But yet I could not be content unless
I was found in the exercise of my gift; unto which also I was greatly animated,
not only by the continual desires of the godly, but also by that saying of Paul
to the Corinthians, "I beseech you, brethren [ye know the household of
Stephanas, that it is the first-fruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted
themselves to the ministry of the saints], that ye submit yourselves unto such,
and to everyone that helped with us, and laboureth" (1 Cor 16:15,16).
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