When Christians of
various denominations meet in prayer, how it melts down their sectarian
bitterness. In this controversy, mention is made of a total abstinence movement
in the time of the Commonwealth, a germ that has put forth its mighty efforts
in our more peaceful and happy times. A cloud now hovered over Bunyan and
threatened him with troubles of a very different kind to those of religious
controversy. It will startle many of our readers to hear that, under the
government of Cromwell, Bunyan was persecuted for his religious opinions and
practices. Mr. Jukes, in his exciting History of Bunyan's Church, thus
refers to it: 'Soon after he had resigned the office of deacon in 1657, the
hand of persecution was raised against him; for at a meeting of the church,
held on the 25th day of the twelfth month, in the same year (Feb. 1658), it was
agreed that the 3d day of the next month be set apart to seek God in the behalf
of our brother Wheeler, who hath been long ill in body, whereby his ministry
hath been hindered; and also about the church affairs and the affairs of the
nation; and for our brother Whitbread, who has long been ill; and also for
counsel what to do with respect to the indictment of brother Bunyan at the
assizes, for preaching at Eaton.'
Although persecution
for religious opinions assumed a milder form under the Commonwealth, the great
principles of religious freedom and equality were neither known nor practiced.
The savage barbarities perpetrated upon Prynne, Bastwick, Burton, Leighton, and
others, by Charles I and his archbishop, Laud, were calculated to open the eyes
of the nation to the wickedness and inutility of sanguinary or even any laws to
govern the conscience or interfere with Divine worship. Alas! even those who
suffered and survived became, in their turn, persecutors. The great object of persecution
was the book of Common Prayer, which was rigorously prohibited. The
clergy was placed in an extremely awkward predicament. No sooner was the Act
of Parliament passed ordering the Directory to be used and the Prayer-book to
be laid aside, than the king, by his royal proclamation, issued from Oxford,
November 13, 1645, ordered the Directory to be set aside, and the Common Prayer
to be used in all the churches and chapels. Both these orders were under very
severe penalties.
The Act against
atheistic opinions, which passed on August 9, 1650, illustrates the
extraordinary state of the times. The preamble states that 'Divers men and
women have lately discovered themselves to be most monstrous in their opinions,
and loose in all wicked and abominable practices.' It then enacts that—' Anyone, not being mad, who pretends to be God Almighty, or who declares that
unrighteousness, uncleanness, swearing, drunkenness, and the like filthiness
and brutishness, or denying the existence of God, or who shall profess that
murder, adultery, incest, fornication, uncleanness, filthy or lascivious
speaking, are not wicked, sinful, impious, abominable, and detestable, shall be
imprisoned, and, for a second offense, be transported.'
One of the Acts that
affected Bunyan was passed on April 26, 1645, cap. 52—' None may preach but
ordained ministers, except such as intending the ministry, shall, for the trial of
their gifts, be allowed by such as be appointed by both houses of Parliament.'
This was amended by 'an ordinance appointing commissioners for the approbation of
public preachers,' March 1653. In this Dr. Owen, Goodwin, Caryl, and many
others are named, who judged the candidate's fitness to preach. The Act which more seriously touched Bunyan was that of May 2, 1648, which enacts
that any person saying, 'that man is bound to believe no more than by his
reason he can comprehend, or that the baptizing of infants is unlawful, or such
baptism is void and that such persons ought to be baptized again, and, in pursuance
thereof, shall baptize any person formerly baptized, shall be imprisoned until
he gives security that he will not publish or maintain the said error anymore.' It was these intolerant proceedings that led Milton to publish a poem On
the New Forcers of Conscience, beginning with these lines—
'Dare
ye, for this, adjure the civil sword,
To force our consciences that Christ set free.'
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