The Protestant Trial and Incarceration of John
Bunyan
By Evangelist Bill Bradley
John
Bunyan was a Baptist preacher, a pious man, and a man well-beloved by all
who knew him. John Bunyan was incarcerated in the Bedford jail in
England. The following account is taken directly from a transcript of the
trial on October 3, 1660, that led to his imprisonment at
Bedford:
Judge
Wingate: "Mr. Bunyan, you stand before this Court accused of
persistent and willful transgression of the Conventicle Act, which
prohibits all British subjects from absenting themselves from worship in
the Church of England, and from conducting worship services apart from
our Church. You come, presumably, with no legal training, and yet without
counsel. I must warn you, sir, of the gravity of the charge, the
harshness of the penalty, in the event of your conviction, and the
foolhardiness of acting as your own counsel in so serious a matter. I
hold in my hand the depositions of the witnesses against you. In each
case, they have testified that, to their knowledge, you have never, in
your adult life, attended services in the Church of this parish. Each
further testifies that he has observed you, on numerous occasions,
conducting religious exercises in and near Bedford."
John
Bunyan: "The depositions speak the truth. I have never attended
services in the Church of England, nor do I intend ever to do so.
Secondly, it is no secret that I preach the Word of God whenever,
wherever, and to whomever He pleases to grant me opportunity to do so. I
have no choice but to acknowledge my awareness of the law which I am
accused of transgressing. Likewise, I have no choice but to confess my
guilt in my transgression of it. As true as these things are, I must
affirm that I neither regret breaking the law, nor repent of having
broken it. Further, I must warn you that I have no intention in the
future of conforming to it."
Judge
Wingate: "It is obvious, sir, that you are a victim of deranged
thinking. If my ears deceive me not, I must infer from your words that
you believe the State to have no interest in the religious life of its
subjects."
John
Bunyan: "The State, M lord, may have an interest in anything in
which it wishes to have an interest. But the State has no right whatever
to interfere in the religious life of its citizens."
Judge
Wingate: "The evidence I hold in my hand, even apart from your own
admission of guilt, is sufficient to convict you, and the Court is within
its rights to have you committed to prison for a considerably long time.
I do not wish to send you to prison, Mr. Bunyan. I am aware of the
poverty of your family, and I believe you have a little daughter who,
unfortunately, was born blind. Is this not so?"
John
Bunyan: "It is, M'lord."
Judge
Wingate: "Very well. The decision of the Court is this: In as much
as the accused has confessed his guilt, we shall follow a merciful and
compassionate course of action. We shall release him on the condition
that he swear solemnly to discontinue the convening of religious
meetings, and that he affix his signature to such an oath prior to
quitting the Courtroom. That will be all, Mr. Bunyan. I hope not to see
you here again. May we hear the next case?"
John
Bunyan: "M'lord, if I may have another moment of the Court's
time?"
Judge
Wingate: "Yes, but you must be quick about it. We have other matters
to attend to. What is it?"
John
Bunyan: "I cannot do what you ask of me, M'lord. I cannot place my
signature upon any document in which I promise henceforth not to preach.
My calling to preach the Gospel is from God, and He alone can make me
discontinue what He has appointed me to do. As I have had no word from
Him to that effect, I must continue to preach, and I shall continue to
preach."
Judge
Wingate: "I warn you, sir, the Court has gone the second mile to be
lenient with you, out of concern for your family's difficult straits.
Truth to tell, it would appear that the Court's concern for your family
far exceeds your own. Do you wish to go to prison?"
John
Bunyan: "No, M'lord. Few things there are that I would wish
less."
Judge
Wingate: "Very well, then, Mr. Bunyan. This Court will make one
further attempt in good faith to accommodate what appears to be strongly
held convictions on your part. In his compassion and beneficence, our
Sovereign, Charles II, has made provision for dissenting preachers to
hold some limited meetings. All that is required is that such ministers
procure licenses (
author's note: Please re-read the explanation
on license versus liberty found on page 79 of this book.) authorizing
them to convene these gatherings. "You will not find the procedure
burdensome (
author's note: It is always less burdensome to
comply and compromise than it is take a stand.), and even you, Mr.
Bunyan, must surely grant the legitimacy of the State's interest in
ensuring that any fool with a Bible does not simply gather a group of
people together and begin to preach to them. Imagine the implications
were that to happen! (
author's note:
Yeah, people might even
begin to get saved and get right with God!) Can you comply with
this condition, Mr. Bunyan? Before you answer, mark you this:
should you refuse, the Court will have no alternative but to sentence you
to a prison term. Think, sir, of your poor wife. Think of your children,
and particularly of your pitiful, sightless little girl. Think of your
flock, who can hear you to their hearts' content when you have secured
your licenses. Think on these things, and give us your answer,
sir!"
John
Bunyan: "M'lord, I appreciate the Court's efforts to be as you have
put it - accommodating. But again, I must refuse your terms. I must
repeat that it is God who constrains me to preach, and no man or company
of men may grant or deny me leave to preach. These licenses of which you
speak, M'lord, are symbols not of a right, but of a privilege. Implied
therein is the principle that a mere man can extend or withhold them
according to his whim. I speak not of privileges, but of rights.
Privileges (licenses) granted by men may be denied by men. Rights are
granted by God, and can be legitimately denied by no man. I must
therefore, refuse to comply."
Judge
Wingate: "Very well, Mr. Bunyan. Since you persist in your
intractability, and since you reject this Court's honest effort at
compromise, you leave us no choice but to commit you to Bedford jail for
a period of six years (
author's note: which ultimately proved
to cost Bunyan twelve years of his life behind bars). "If you
manage to survive, I should think that your experience will correct your
thinking. If you fail to survive, that will be unfortunate. In any event,
I strongly suspect that we have heard the last we shall ever hear from
Mr. John Bunyan. Now, may we hear the next case?"
Of
course, neither Judge Wingate nor the world had heard the last of John
Bunyan, for during his lengthy incarceration in the old Bedford jail,
with his Bible as his constant companion and guide, Bunyan gave to the
world the epic
Pilgrim's Progress, arguably the greatest
literary work in the history of the world next to the Bible. Bunyan was
denied pen and paper, and Pilgrim's Progress was written with pieces of
charcoal from the fire that kept his body warm on the paper wads used as
stoppers in the milk bottles from which he drank.
(From Purified Seven Times by Evangelist Bill Bradley, p.
89 - 92)