He preached in plain language in a nonconformist church and was jailed for preaching without a license.
His epic, The Pilgrim's Progress, is one of the most prized literary possessions in history. How did the preacher become the writer?
Rebel in the House
Bunyan spent his youth in Bedfordshire, England.
He was apparently profane and argumentative, and in the mid-1640’s he did a stint in the Parliamentary Army. He was considered to be blasphemous in his early days and in time was exposed to those who took their religious beliefs seriously.
This son of a metal utensil mender followed in his father’s footsteps but was eventually drawn into biblical studies.
From Preacher to Prison
Bunyan married an Anglican in 1649 and was fascinated by Anglican life but later undertook believer's baptism in the early 1650’s and within a few years began to preach publicly. He became well known for his ability to get the attention of his audience and keep them focused on his message.
With the restoration of monarchy in 1660 his preaching in the Puritan tradition was no longer honored. He was arrested at one point for not cooperating with Anglican authority and was given three months but somehow that turned into 12 years. His wife died during this time and he eventually remarried.
Unlike many who conformed to traditional Baptist ways, Bunyan had nonconformist ideas. He ministered to his fellow prisoners and was released in 1672.
Open Communion and the Power of the Pen
The remainder of his life in the ministry was filled with pastoral duties as he was licensed to preach after the Declaration of Indulgence.
Unlike his conformist Baptist brethren, Bunyan refused to exclude people from the Lord’s Supper just because they were not baptized. At one point he wrote, “I told you also, that Baptism makes thee no Member of the Church, neither doth it make thee a visible Saint; it giveth thee, therefore, neither right to, nor being of membership at all.”
His point was that baptism, being an outward and visible sign, was not some special key to heaven. He tried to make his point clear in 1673 in his book, Differences in Judgement About Water Baptism No Bar to Communion. He remained true to his open communion position and, according to Christian History magazine, “maintained fellowship with both Baptists and Congregationalists."
Sources:
- Brackney, William H. ed. Baptist Life and Thought: A Source Book. Valley Forge: Judson Press, 1998.
- Christian History Magazine. Volume 4, Number 2. Worcester, PA. Christian History Institute, 1985.
 |
