familiar with the horrid cruelties practiced upon Dr. Leighton by that
fiend in human shape, Archbishop Laud. The pious and learned doctor was
caught in Bedfordshire; and the story of his unparalleled sufferings
strengthened the Roundheads to deeds of valour, in putting an end to
such diabolical cruelties. The spirit of the charges against him were
his saying that no king may make laws in the house of God; and that the
bishops were ravens and magpies that prey upon the state. His
sufferings are narrated in Brooke’s Puritans, vol. ii. p. 478.—Ed.
73. ‘Tuition’ was altered to ‘care’ in later editions.—Ed.
74. i.e., My profession—the soul, shrinking from pain, moving him one
way, and his profession another.—Ed.
75. ‘To scrabble,’ to go on all fours—‘to move along on the hands and
knees, by clawing with the hands.’—Blackie’s Imperial Dictionary.—Ed.
76. This is the language of a heaven-born soul, which sees such beauty
and excellency in Christ, that it would not part with him for a
thousand worlds; if there were no heaven hereafter, his delight in the
ways of God renders his service preferable to all the wealth, grandeur,
and vain pleasures of the ungodly.—Mason.
A RELATON OF THE IMPRISONMENT OF MR. JOHN BUNYAN, MINISTER OF THE
GOSPEL AT BEDFORD, IN NOVEMBER 1660. HIS EXAMINATION BEFORE THE
JUSTICES; HIS CONFERENCE WITH THE CLERK OF THE PEACE; WHAT PASSED
BETWEEN THE JUDGES AND HIS WIFE WHEN SHE PRESENTED A PETITION FOR HIS
DELIVERANCE, ETC.
WRITTEN BY HIMSELF, AND NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED.
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye when men shall revile
you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you
falsely, for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your
reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before
you.” Matthew 5:10-12
London: Printed for James Buckland, at the Buck, in Paternoster Row,
MDCCLXV.
The relation of my imprisonment in the month of November 1660.
When, by the good hand of my God, I had for five or six years together,
without any interruption, freely preached the blessed gospel of our
Lord Jesus Christ; and had also, through his blessed grace, some
encouragement by his blessing thereupon; the devil, that old enemy of
man’s salvation, took his opportunity to inflame the hearts of his
vassals against me, insomuch that at the last I was laid out for by the
warrant of a justice, and was taken and committed to prison. The
relation thereof is as followeth:
Upon the 12th of this instant November 1660, I was desired by some of
the friends in the country to come to teach at Samsell, by Harlington,
in Bedfordshire. To whom I made a promise, if the Lord permitted,
to be with them on the time aforesaid. The justice hearing thereof,
whose name is Mr. Francis Wingate, forthwith issued out his warrant
to take me, and bring me before him, and in the meantime to keep a
very strong watch about the house where the meeting should be kept,
as if we that were to meet together in that place did intend to do
some fearful business, to the destruction of the country; when, alas,
the constable, when he came in, found us only with our Bibles in our
hands, ready to speak and hear the Word of God; for we were just about
to begin our exercise. Nay, we had begun in prayer for the blessing
of God upon our opportunity, intending to have preached the Word of
the Lord unto them there present;[1] but the constable coming in
prevented us; so that I was taken and forced to depart the room. But
had I been minded to have played the coward, I could have escaped,
and kept out of his hands. For when I was come to my friend’s house,
there was whispering that that day I should be taken, for there was a
warrant out to take me; which when my friend heard, he being somewhat
timorous, questioned whether we had best have our meeting or not; and
whether it might not be better for me to depart, lest they should take
me and have me before the justice, and after that send me to prison,
for he knew better than I what spirit they were of, living by them;
to whom I said, No, by no means, I will not stir, neither will I have
the meeting dismissed for this. Come, be of good cheer, let us not be
daunted; our cause is good, we need not be ashamed of it; to preach
God’s Word is so good a work, that we shall be well rewarded, if we
suffer for that; or to this purpose; but as for my friend, I think
he was more afraid of [for] me, than of himself. After this I walked
into the close, where, I somewhat seriously considering the matter,
this came into my mind, That I had showed myself hearty and courageous
in my preaching, and had, blessed be grace, made it my business to
encourage others; therefore, thought I, if I should now run, and make
an escape, it will be of a very ill savour in the country. For what
will my weak and newly converted brethren think of it, but that I was
not so strong in deed as I was in word? Also I feared that if I should
run, now there was a warrant out for me, I might by so doing make
them afraid to stand, when great words only should be spoken to them.
Besides, I thought, that seeing God of his mercy should choose me to
go upon the forlorn hope in this country; that is, to be the first,
that should be opposed, for the gospel; if I should fly, it might be a
discouragement to the whole body that might follow after. And further,
I thought the world thereby would take occasion at my cowardliness,
to have blasphemed the gospel, and to have had some ground to suspect
worse of me and my profession than I deserved. These things with others
considered by me, I came in again to the house, with a full resolution
to keep the meeting, and not to go away, though I could have been gone
about an hour before the officer apprehended me; but I would not; for
I was resolved to see the utmost of what they could say or do unto
me. For blessed be the Lord, I knew of no evil that I had said or
done. And so, as aforesaid, I began the meeting. But being prevented
by the constable’s coming in with his warrant to take me, I could not
proceed. But before I went away, I spake some few words of counsel
and encouragement to the people, declaring to them, that they saw we
were prevented of our opportunity to speak and hear the Word of God,
and were like to suffer for the same: desiring them that they should
not be discouraged, for it was a mercy to suffer upon so good account.
For we might have been apprehended as thieves or murderers, or for
other wickedness; but blessed be God it was not so, but we suffer as
Christians for well doing: and we had better be the persecuted than the
persecutors, &c. But the constable and the justice’s man waiting on
us, would not be at quiet till they had me away, and that we departed
the house. But because the justice was not at home that day, there was
a friend of mine engaged for me to bring me to the constable on the
morrow morning. Otherwise the constable must have charged a watch with
me, or have secured me some other ways, my crime was so great. So on
the next morning we went to the constable, and so the justice.[2] He
asked the constable what we did, where we were met together, and what
we had with us? I trow, he meant whether we had armour or not; but when
the constable told him, that there were only met a few of us together
to preach and hear the Word, and no sign of anything else, he could not
well tell what to say: yet because he had sent for me, he did adventure
to put out a few proposals to me, which were to this effect, namely,
What I did there? and why I did not content myself with following my
calling? for it was against the law, that such as I should be admitted
to do as I did.
John Bunyan. To which I answered, that the intent of my coming thither,
and to other places, was to instruct, and counsel people to forsake
their sins, and close in with Christ, lest they did miserably perish;
and that I could do both these without confusion, to wit, follow my
calling, and preach the Word also. At which words, he was in a
chafe,[3] as it appeared; for he said that he would break the neck of
our meetings.
Bun. I said, it may be so. Then he wished me to get sureties to be
bound for me, or else he would send me to the jail.
My sureties being ready, I called them in, and when the bond for my
appearance was made, he told them, that they were bound to keep me from
preaching; and that if I did preach, their bonds would be forfeited. To
which I answered, that then I should break them; for I should not leave
speaking the Word of God: even to counsel, comfort, exhort, and teach
the people among whom I came; and I thought this to be a work that had
no hurt in it: but was rather worthy of commendation than blame.
Wingate. Whereat he told me, that if they would not be so bound, my
mittimus must be made, and I sent to the jail, there to lie to the
quarter-sessions.
Now while my mittimus was making, the justice was withdrawn; and in
comes an old enemy to the truth, Dr. Lindale, who, when he was come in,
fell to taunting at me with many reviling terms.
Bun. To whom I answered, that I did not come thither to talk with him,
but with the justice. Whereat he supposed that I had nothing to say for
myself, and triumphed as if he had got the victory; charging and
condemning me for meddling with that for which I could show no warrant;
and asked me, if I had taken the oaths? and if I had not, it was pity
but that I should be sent to prison, &c.
I told him, that if I was minded, I could answer to any sober question
that he should put to me. He then urged me again, how I could prove it
lawful for me to preach, with a great deal of confidence of the
victory.
But at last, because he should see that I could answer him if I listed,
I cited to him that verse in Peter, which saith, “As every man hath
received the gift, even so let him minister the same,” &c.
Lind. Aye, saith he, to whom is that spoken?
Bun. To whom, said I, why, to every man that hath received a gift from
God. Mark, saith the apostle, “As every man that hath received a gift
from God,” &c. And again, “You may all prophesy one by one.” Whereat
the man was a little stopt, and went a softlier pace: but not being
willing to lose the day, he began again, and said:
Lind. Indeed I do remember that I have read of one Alexander a
coppersmith, who did much oppose and disturb the apostles;—aiming, it
is like, at me, because I was a tinker.
Bun. To which I answered, that I also had read of very many priests and
Pharisees that had their hands in the blood of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Lind. Aye, saith he, and you are one of those scribes and Pharisees:
for you, with a pretence, make long prayers to devour widows’ houses.
Bun. I answered, that if he had got no more by preaching and praying
than I had done, he would not be so rich as he now was. But that
scripture coming into my mind, “Answer not a fool according to his
folly,” I was as sparing of my speech as I could, without prejudice to
truth.
Now by this time my mittimus was made, and I committed to the constable
to be sent to the jail in Bedford, &c.
But as I was going, two of my brethren met with me by the way, and
desired the constable to stay, supposing that they should prevail with
the justice, through the favour of a pretended friend, to let me go at
liberty. So we did stay, while they went to the justice; and after much
discourse with him, it came to this; that if I would come to him again,
and say some certain words to him, I should be released. Which when
they told me, I said if the words were such that might be said with a
good conscience, I should, or, else, I should not. So through their
importunity I went back again, but not believing that I should be
delivered: for I feared their spirit was too full of opposition to the
truth to let me go, unless I should in something or other dishonour my
God, and wound my conscience. Wherefore, as I went, I lifted up my
heart to God for light and strength to be kept, that I might not do
anything that might either dishonour him, or wrong my own soul, or be a
grief or discouragement to any that was inclining after the Lord Jseus
Christ.
Well, when I came to the justice again, there was Mr. Foster of
Bedford, who coming out of another room, and seeing of me by the light
of the candle, for it was dark night when I came thither, he said unto
me, Who is there? John Bunyan? with such seeming affection, as if he
would have leaped in my neck and kissed[4] me, which made me somewhat
wonder, that such a man as he, with whom I had so little acquaintance,
and, besides, that had ever been a close opposer of the ways of God,
should carry himself so full of love to me; but, afterwards, when I saw
what he did, it caused me to remember those sayings, “Their tongues are
smoother than oil, but their words are drawn swords.” And again,
“Beware of men,” &c. when I had answered him, that blessed be God I was
well, he said, What is the occasion of your being here? or to that
purpose. To whom I answered, that I was at a meeting of people a little
way off, intending to speak a word of exhortation to them; but the
justice hearing thereof, said I, was pleased to send his warrant to
fetch me before him, &c.
Foster. So, said he, I understand; but well, if you will promise to
call the people no more together, you shall have your liberty to go
home; for my brother is very loath to send you to prison, if you will
be but ruled.
Bun. Sir, said I, pray what do you mean by calling the people together?
My business is not anything among them, when they are come together,
but to exhort them to look after the salvation of their souls, that
they may be saved, &c.
Fost. Saith he, We must not enter into explication or dispute now; but
if you will say you will call the people no more together, you may have
your liberty; if not, you must be sent away to prison.
Bun. Sir, said I, I shall not force or compel any man to hear me; but
yet, if I come into any place where there is a people met together, I
should, according to the best of my skill and wisdom, exhort and
counsel them to seek out after the Lord Jesus Christ, for the salvation
of their souls.
Fost. He said, that was none of my work; I must follow my calling; and
if I would but leave off preaching, and follow my calling, I should
have the justice’s favour, and be acquitted presently.
Bun. To whom I said, that I could follow my calling and that too,
namely, preaching the Word; and I did look upon it as my duty to do
them both, as I had an opportunity.
Fost. He said, to have any such meetings was against the law; and,
therefore, he would have me leave off, and say I would call the people
no more together.
Bun. To whom I said, that I durst not make any further promise; for my
conscience would not suffer me to do it. And again, I did look upon it
as my duty to do as much good as I could, not only in my trade, but
also in communicating to all people, wheresoever I came, the best
knowledge I had in the Word.
Fost. He told me that I was the nearest the Papists of any, and that he
would convince me of immediately.
Bun. I asked him wherein?
Fost. He said, in that we understood the Scriptures literally.
Bun. I told him that those that were to be understood literally, we
understood them so; but for those that were to be understood otherwise,
we endeavoured so to understand them.
Fost. He said, which of the Scriptures do you understand literally?
Bun. I said this, “he that believeth shall be saved.” This was to be
understood just as it is spoken; that whosoever believeth in Christ
shall, according to the plain and simple words of the text, be saved.
Fost. He said that I was ignorant, and did not understand the
Scriptures; for how, said he, can you understand them when you know not
the original Greek? &c.
Bun. To whom I said, that if that was his opinion, that none could
understand the Scriptures but those that had the original Greek, &c.,
then but a very few of the poorest sort should be saved; this is harsh;
yet the Scripture saith, “That God hides these things from the wise and
prudent,” that is, from the learned of the world, “and reveals them to
babes and sucklings.”
Fost. He said there were none that heard me but a company of foolish
people.
Bun. I told him that there were the wise as well as the foolish that do
hear me; and again, those that are most commonly counted foolish by the
world are the wisest before God; also, that God had rejected the wise,
and mighty, and noble, and chosen the foolish and the base.
Fost. He told me that I made people neglect their calling; and that God
had commanded people to work six days, and serve him on the seventh.
Bun. I told him that it was the duty of people, both rich and poor, to
look out for their souls on those days as well as for their bodies; and
that God would have his people “exhort one another daily, while it is
called to-day.”
Fost. He said again that there was none but a company of poor, simple,
ignorant people that came to hear me.
Bun. I told him that the foolish and ignorant had most need of teaching
and information; and, therefore, it would be profitable for me to go on
in that work.
Fost. Well, said he, to conclude, but will you promise that you will
not call the people together any more? and then you may be released and
go home.
Bun. I told him that I durst say no more than I had said; for I durst
not leave off that work which God had called me to.
So he withdrew from me, and then came several of the justice’s servants
to me, and told me that I stood so much upon a nicety. Their master,
they said, was willing to let me go; and if I would but say I would
call the people no more together, I might have my liberty, &c.
Bun. I told them there were more ways than one in which a man might be
said to call the people together. As, for instance, if a man get upon
the market place, and there read a book, or the like, though he do not
say to the people, Sirs, come hither and hear; yet if they come to him
because he reads, he, by his very reading, may be said to call them
together; because they would not have been there to hear if he had not
been there to read. And seeing this might be termed a calling the
people together, I durst not say I would not call them together; for
then, by the same argument, my preaching might be said to call them
together.
Wing. and Fost. Then came the justice and Mr. Foster to me again; we
had a little more discourse about preaching, but because the method of
it is out of my mind, I pass it; and when they saw that I was at a
point, and would not be moved nor persuaded,
Mr. Foster, the man that did at the first express so much love to me,
told the justice that then he must send me away to prison. And that he
would do well, also, if he would present all those that were the cause
of my coming among them to meetings. Thus we parted.
And, verily, as I was going forth of the doors, I had much ado to
forbear saying to them that I carried the peace of God along with me;
but I held my peace, and, blessed be the Lord, went away to prison,
with God’s comfort in my poor soul.
After I had lain in the jail five or six days, the brethren sought
means, again, to get me out by bondsmen; for so ran my mittimus, that I
should lie there till I could find sureties. They went to a justice at
Elstow, one Mr. Crumpton, to desire him to take bond for my appearing
at the quarter-sessions. At the first he told them he would; but
afterwards he made a demur at the business, and desired first to see my
mittimus, which run to this purpose: That I went about to several
conventicles in this county, to the great disparagement of the
government of the church of England, &c. When he had seen it, he said
that there might be something more against me than was expressed in my
mittimus; and that he was but a young man, and, therefore, he durst not
do it. This my jailer told me; whereat I was not at all daunted, but
rather glad, and saw evidently that the Lord had heard me; for before I
went down to the justice, I begged of God that if I might do more good
by being at liberty than in prison, that then I might be set at
liberty; but if not, his will be done; for I was not altogether without
hopes but that my imprisonment might be an awakening to the saints in
the country, therefore I could not tell well which to choose; only I,
in that manner, did commit the thing to God. And verily, at my return,
I did meet my God sweetly in the prison again, comforting of me and
satisfying of me that it was his will and mind that I should be
there.[5]
When I came back again to prison, as I was musing at the slender answer
of the justice, this word dropt in upon my heart with some life, “For
he knew that for envy they had delivered him.”
Thus have I, in short, declared the manner and occasion of my being in
prison; where I lie waiting the good will of God, to do with me as he
pleaseth; knowing that not one hair of my head can fall to the ground
without the will of my Father which is in heaven. Let the rage and
malice of men be never so great, they can do no more, nor go no
further, than God permits them; but when they have done their worst,
“We know that all things work together for good to them that love God”
(Rom 8:28). Farewell.
Here is the sum of my Examination before Justice Keelin, Justice
Chester, Justice Blundale, Justice Beecher, and Justice Snagg, &c.
After I had lain in prison above seven weeks, the quarter-sessions was
to be kept in Bedford, for the county thereof, unto which I was to be
brought; and when my jailer had set me before those justices, there was
a bill of indictment preferred against me. The extent thereof was as
followeth: ‘That John Bunyan, of the town of Bedford, labourer, being a
person of such and such conditions, he hath, since such a time,
devilishly and perniciously abstained from coming to church to hear
Divine service, and is a common upholder of several unlawful meetings
and conventicles, to the great disturbance and distraction of the good
subjects of this kingdom, contrary to the laws of our sovereign lord
the King,’ &c.
The Clerk. When this was read, the clerk of the sessions said unto me,
What say you to this?
Bun. I said, that as to the first part of it, I was a common frequenter
of the church of God. And was also, by grace, a member with the people
over whom Christ is the Head.
Keelin. But, saith Justice Keelin, who was the judge in that court? Do
you come to church, you know what I mean; to the parish church, to hear
Divine service?
Bun. I answered, No, I did not.
Keel. He asked me why?
Bun. I said, Because I did not find it commanded in the Word of God.
Keel. He said, We were commanded to pray.
Bun. I said, But not by the Common Prayer Book.
Keel. He said, How then?
Bun. I said, With the Spirit. As the apostle saith, “I will pray with
the Spirit, and—with the understanding” (1 Cor 14:15).
Keel. He said, We might pray with the Spirit, and with the
understanding, and with the Common Prayer Book also.
Bun. I said that the prayers in the Common Prayer Book were such as
were made by other men, and not by the motions of the Holy Ghost,
within our hearts; and as I said, the apostle saith, he will pray with
the Spirit, and with the understanding; not with the Spirit and the
Common Prayer Book.
Another Justice. What do you count prayer? Do you think it is to say a
few words over before or among a people?
Bun. I said, No, not so; for men might have many elegant, or excellent
words, and yet not pray at all; but when a man prayeth, he doth,
through a sense of those things which he wants, which sense is begotten
by the Spirit, pour out his heart before God through Christ; though his
words be not so many and so excellent as others are.
Justices. They said, That was true.
Bun. I said, This might be done without the Common Prayer Book.
Another. One of them said (I think it was Justice Blundale, or Justice
Snagg), How should we know that you do not write out your prayers
first, and then read them afterwards to the people? This he spake in a
laughing way.
Bun. I said, It is not our use, to take a pen and paper, and write a
few words thereon, and then go and read it over to a company of people.
But how should we know it, said he?
Bun. Sir, it is none of our custom, said I.
Keel. But, said Justice Keelin, it is lawful to use Common Prayer, and
such like forms: for Christ taught his disciples to pray, as John also
taught his disciples. And further, said he, cannot one man teach
another to pray? “Faith comes by hearing”; and one man may convince
another of sin, and therefore prayers made by men, and read over, are
good to teach, and help men to pray.
While he was speaking these words, God brought that word into my mind,
in the eighth of the Romans, at the 26th verse. I say, God brought it,
for I thought not on it before: but as he was speaking, it came so
fresh into my mind, and was set so evidently before me, as if the
scripture had said, Take me, take me; so when he had done speaking,