OF COMMUNION AND FELLOWSHIP OF CHRISTIANS AT THE TABLE OF THE LORD; COMPRISING I. HIS CONFESSION OF FAITH, AND REASON OF HIS PRACTICE; II. DIFFERENCES ABOUT WATER BAPTISM NO BAR TO COMMUNION; AND ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. READER, these are extraordinary productions that will well repay an attentive perusal. It is the confession of faith of a Christian who had suffered nearly twelve years' imprisonment, under persecution for conscience sake. Shut up with his Bible, you have here the result of a prayerful study of those holy oracles. It produced a difference in practice from his fellow Christians of ALL denominations, the reasons for which are added to this confession; with a defence of his principles and practice, proving them to be peaceable and true. In all this an unlettered man displays the acumen of a thoroughly educated polemical theologian. The author was driven to these publications to defend himself from the slanders which were showered down upon him, by all parties, for nearly eighteen years, and by the attempts which were made to take away his members, injure the peace of his congregation, and alienate him from the church to which he was tenderly attached. His first inquiry is, Who are to be admitted to the Lord's table; and his reply is, Those whom God has received: they have become his children, and are entitled to sit at their Father's table: such only as have examined themselves, and by their conduct lead the church to hope that they have passed from death unto life. The practice of those who admit ungodly persons because they have submitted to some outward ceremonies, he severely condemns. The mixture of the church and the world he deems to be spiritual adultery, the prolific source of sin, and one of the causes of the deluge. The Lord's table is scripturally fenced around: Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers;' what communion hath light with darkness; Christ with Belial; the temple of God with idols? be ye separate, touch not the unclean thing, and I will receive you.' Receive ye one another, as Christ also received us to the glory of God, not to doubtful disputations.' Withdraw from them that walk disorderly, working not; but busy bodies; unless with quietness they work and eat their own bread. If any are proud, doting about questions and strifes of words, evil surmisings, perverse disputings, supposing that gain is godliness; from such withdraw.' Bunyan rests all upon the word,—the characters are described who are to be excluded from the Lord's table; but in no instance is it upon record that any one was excluded because he had not been baptized in water. And who will dare to make any addition to holy writ? The practice of making the mode in which water baptism was administered a term of communion, existed among the Independents long before Bunyan's time. Crosby, in his History of the Baptists, makes some long extracts from a book entitled, The sin and danger of admitting Anabaptists to continue in the congregational churches, and the inconsistency of such a practice with the principles of both.' In America, Cotton and the Independents severely persecuted their Baptist brethren, even to deportation. As the Baptists increased in numbers, they refused to admit any to the Lord's table, even to occasional communion, who had not been baptized in water upon a profession of faith: in fact, the difference between those who consider baptism to be a relative duty to be performed by parents in having their infants sprinkled, and those who deem it a personal duty to be immersed in water, as a public putting on of Christ, is so great, as to require the utmost powers of charity to preBaptist, was printed Papist,' &c., &c.: all the typographi where great differences prevailed even as to the serve peace. Thus it was in the primitive churches, * It is much to be regretted that these books, in common with all Mr. Bunyan's Works, were grossly corrupted in the text in all the editions published since 1737,- poor peace indeed,' was changed to 'pure peace indeed;' 'here is Rome enough,' meaning popery enough, was altered to 'here is room enough;' cal errors have now been carefully corrected by Bunyan's editions. duty of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles; the keeping of days probably extending to the Jewish | lettered, able, and distinguished disputants pubsabbath, and to the abstaining from certain meats, with other ordinances of the Jewish law. Bunyan saw all the difficulties of this question: he was satisfied that baptism is a personal duty, in respect to which every individual must be satisfied in his own mind, and over which no church had any control; and that the only inquiry as to the fitness of a candidate for church fellowship should be, whether the regenerating powers of the Holy Ghost had baptized the spirit of the proposed member into newness of life. lished their joint answer, it contained much scurrilous abuse. Their brother, Bunyan, was in prison, and they visited him with gall and wormwood. He closes his reply with these remarkable words, Thine to serve thee, Christians, so long as I can look out at those eyes that have had so much dirt thrown at them by many.' The late Mr. Robert Hall, in his controversy upon this subject with Mr. Kinghorn, in which— having demolished Kinghorn's castle in a few pages This is the only-he, in order to make a book, amused the public livery by which a Christian can be known. Bun- by kicking the ruins about, thus adverts to these yan very justly condemns the idea of water baptism treatises: The most virulent reproaches were cast being either the Christian's livery or his marriage upon the admirable Bunyan, during his own to the Saviour. time, for presuming to break the yoke; and whoever impartially examines the spirit of Mr. Booth's Apology, will perceive that its venerable author regards him, together with his successors, much in the light of rebels and insurgents, or, to use the mildest terms, as contumacious despisers of legitimate authority.'* We do well, in our examinations into this subject, to note carefully the various applications of the word baptize, and not always attach the use of water to the term. There is a being baptized in a cloud, and in the sea, to protect God's Israel from their deadly foes; a baptism in sufferings; a baptism in water into repentance; a baptism in fire, or the Holy Ghost; a baptism into the doctrine of the Trinity. Mat. xxviii. 19. Bunyan had no doubt upon this subject; he deemed water baptism an important personal duty; and that a death to sin, and resurrection to newness of life-a different tint, or dye, given to the character-was best figured by immersion in water: still he left it to every individual to be satisfied in his own mind as to this outward sign of the invisible grace. 'Strange,' he says, 'take two Christians equal on all points but this; nay, let one go far beyond the other for grace and holiness; yet this circumstance of water shall drown and sweep away all his excellencies; not counting him worthy of that reception that with hand and heart shall be given to a novice in religion, because he consents to water. For these catholic principles he was most roughly handled. Deune, in a pamphlet in the Editor's possession, called him a devil; and likened him to Timri, who slew his master. The most learned of the Baptist ministers entered upon the controversy. They invited him to a grand religious tournament, where he would have stood one against a legion. A great meeting was appointed, in London, for a public disputation-as was common among the puritans—and in which the poor country mechanic was to be overwhelmed with scholastic learning and violence; but Bunyan wisely avoided a collision which could have answered no valuable purpose, and which bid fair to excite angry feelings. He had appealed to the press as the calmest and best mode of controversy; and to that mode of appeal he adhered. Three learned men undertook the cause against Bunyan: these were, D'Anvers, W. Kiffin, and T. Paul. When these We cannot have a more decided proof of Bunyan's great powers, and of his being much in advance of his times, than by the opinions of which he was the Christian pioneer having spread so extensively through the Baptist denomination. In this his predictions were fully verified. It is surprising that pious dissenters should ever have made uniformity in outward ceremonies of more importance than inward holiness, as a term of communion. Such sentiments naturally attach to state churches; and ought to be found only with those bodies which exist merely for political purposes, and for it are rewarded with earthly power, pomp, and wealth. I close these observations by quoting the words of Bunyan's learned antagonists, published within a few years of this controversy, and during his lifetime. His sentiments appear to have had a hallowed effect even upon their minds, and produced an apology for their conduct. It is in the appendix to the Baptist confession of faith, republished in 1677: We would not be misconstrued, as if the discharge of our consciences did any way disoblige or alienate our affections or conversations from any others that fear the Lord: earnestly desiring to approve ourselves to be such as follow after peace with holiness. We continue our practice, not out of obstinacy, but we do therein according to the best of our understandings, in that method which we take to be most agreeable to the scriptures. The christening of infants, we find by church history, to have been a very ancient practice; still we leave every one to give an account of himself to God. And if in any case debates between Christians are not plainly determinable by * Reply to Kinghorn. 1818, p. xii. 593 the scriptures, we leave it to the second coming | May the time soon arrive when water shall not of Christ.' In 1689, the year after Bunyan's death, this appendix was omitted from the Baptist confession of faith. quench love, but when all the churches militant shall form one army, with one object,—that of extending the Redeemer's kingdom.-GEO. OFFOR. A CONFESSION OF MY FAITH, AND A REASON OF MY PRACTICE: OR, WITH WHO, AND WHO NOT, I CAN HOLD CHURCH FELLOWSHIP, OR THE COMMUNION OF SAINTS. SHEWING, BY DIVERSE ARGUMENTS, THAT THOUGH I DARE NOT COMMUNICATE WITH THE OPENLY PROFANE, YET I CAN WITH THOSE VISIBLE SAINTS THAT DIFFER ABOUT WATER-BAPTISM. WHEREIN IS ALSO DISCOURSED, WHETHER THAT BE THE ENTERING ORDI. NANCE INTO FELLOWSHIP, OR NO. SIR, 'I believed, therefore have I spoken.'-Psal. cxvi. 10. TO THE READER. I MARVEL not that both you and others do think my long imprisonment strange, (or rather strangely of me for the sake of that) for verily I should also have done it myself, had not the Holy Ghost long since forbidden me. 1 Pe. iv. 12. 1 Jn. iii. 13. Nay, verily, that notwithstanding, had the adversary but fastened the supposition of guilt upon me, my long trials might by this time have put it beyond dispute; for I have not hitherto been so sordid, as to stand to a doctrine right or wrong; much less when so weighty an argument as above eleven years' imprisonment, is continually dogging of me to weigh and pause, and pause again, the grounds and foundation of those principles, for which I thus have suffered; * King Charles the 2nd, about a year after this time, pardoned near five hundred Quakers, who had been languishing in prison for not attending the church service. Upon this Mr. Bunyan, and his fellow prisoners at Bedford, petitioned for liberty, and at a court of privy council at Whitehall, the 17th May, 1672, present, the King and twenty-four of his councillors, the following minute was made:- Whereas, by order of the Board of the 8th instant, the humble petition of John Penn, John Bunyan, John Dunn, Thomas Haynes, Simon Haynes, and George Parr, prisoners in the goale of Bedford, convicted upon several statutes for not conforming to the rights and ceremonyes of the church of England, and for being at unlawful meetings, was referred to the Sheriff of the county of Bedford, who was required to certify this Board whether the said persons were committed for the crimes in the said petition mentioned, AND FOR NO OTHER; which he having accordingly done, by his certificate dated the 11th instant. It was thereupon, this day, ordered by his Matie in council, That the said petition and certificate be (and are herewith) sent to his Matie's AttorneyGeneral, who is authorized, and required, to insert them into the general pardon to be passed for the Quakers.' This fully confirms what Bunyan says as to the cause of his long and church and worshipping God according to His will, as expressed in the Bible. See Introduction to Pilgrim's Progress, Hansard Knollys edition. dangerous imprisonment. It was for being absent from the state VOL. II. but having not only at my trial asserted them, but cool blood, a thousand times, by the word of God, also since, even all this tedious tract of time, in examined them, and found them good; I cannot, 1 dare not now revolt or deny the same, on pain of eternal damnation. I And that my principles and practice may be open to the view and judgment of all men, though alone, I have in this small treatise presented to this they stand and fall to none but the word of God of my Practice in the Worship of God;' by which, generation, 'A Confession of my Faith, and a Reason although it be brief, candid Christians may, I hope, without a violation to faith or love, judge [that] I may have the root of the matter found in me. appre Neither have I in this relation abusively presented my reader, with other doctrines or practices, than what I held, professed, and preached when hended, and cast in prison. Nor did I then or now retain a doctrine besides, or which is not thereon grounded. The subject I should have preached upon, even then when the constable came, was, 'Dost thou believe on the Son of God?' From whence I intended to shew, the absolute need of faith in Jesus Christ; and that it was also a thing of the highest concern for men to inquire into, and to ask their own hearts whether they had it or no. Faith and holiness are my professed principles, with an endeavour, so far as in me lieth, to be at peace with all men. What shall I say, let mine enemies themselves be judges, if anything in these following doctrines, or if ought that any man hath heard me preach, doth [savour], or hath according to the true intent of my words, savoured either of heresy or rebellion. I say again, let they themselves be judges, if ought they find in my writing or preaching, doth render me worthy of almost twelve years' imprisonment, or one that deserveth to be hanged, or banished for ever, according to their tremendous sentence. Indeed my principles are such, as lead me to a denial to communicate in the things of the kingdom of Christ, with the ungodly and openly profane; neither can I in or by the superstitious inventions of this world, consent that my soul should be governed in any of my approaches to God, because commanded to the contrary, and commended for so refusing. Wherefore excepting this one thing, for which I ought not to be rebuked; I shall, I trust, in despite of slander and falsehood, discover myself at all times a peaceable and an obedient subject. But if nothing will do, unless I make of my conscience a continual butchery, and slaughter-shop, unless putting out my own eyes, I commit me to the blind to lead me, as I doubt is desired by some, I have determined, the Almighty God being my help and shield, yet to suffer, if frail life might continue so long, even till the moss shall grow on mine eyebrows, rather than thus to violate my faith and principles. 'Will a man leave the snow of Lebanon, which cometh from the rock of the field? or shall the cold flowing waters that come from another place be forsaken?' Je. xviii. 14. Hath a nation changed their gods, which are yet no gods?' Je. ii. 11.‘For all people will walk every one in the name of his god, and we will walk in the name of the LORD our God for ever and ever.' Mi. iv. 5. Touching my practice as to communion with visible saints, although not baptized with water; I say it is my present judgment so to do, and am willing to render a farther reason thereof, shall I see the leading hand of God thereto. Thine in bonds for the gospel, JOHN BUNYAN. A CONFESSION OF MY FAITH, AND A REASON OF MY PRACTICE, ETC. 'Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear: having a good conscience; that whereas they speak evil of you, as of evil-doers, they may be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in Christ.']-1 Pet. iii. 15, 16. 1. I BELIEVE, that there is but one only true God, | and there is none other but he. To us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things.' 1 Co. viii. 6. 'And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God.' &c. Jn. xvii. 3. [see also] Mar. xii. 32. and Ac. xvii. 24. 6. I believe, [that] there is ' He. ii. 5. ch. vi. 5. a world to come.' 7. I believe, that there shall be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and unjust.' Ac. xxiv. 15. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to 2. I believe, that this God is almighty, eternal, shame and everlasting contempt.' Da. xii. 2. Marvel invisible, incomprehensible, &c. I am the Al- not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which mighty God; walk before me, and be thou perfect.' all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, and Ge. xvii. 1. The eternal God is thy refuge.' De. xxxiii. shall come forth; they that have done good, unto 27. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisi- the resurrection of life; and they that have done ble, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.' Jn. v. 28. and ever. 1 Ti. i. 17. [see also] Job xi. 7. and Ro. xi. 33. 8. I believe, that they that shall be accounted 3. I believe, that this God is unspeakably per-worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection fect in all his attributes of power, wisdom, justice, from the dead, neither marry nor are given in martruth, holiness, mercy, love, &c. his power is said riage: neither can they die any more: for they are to be eternal, Ro. i. 20. his understanding and wisdom equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, infinite; Ps. cxlvii. 5. he is called the just Lord in being the children of the resurrection.' Lu. xx. 34–36. opposition to all things. Zep. iii. 5. He is said to [see also] Jn. x. 27-29. Re. vii. 16. ch. xx. 6. be truth itself and the God thereof. 2 Th. ii. 10. De. xxxii. 4. There is none holy as the Lord. God is love.' 'Canst thou by searching find out God? canst thou find out the Almighty unto perfection?' Job xi. 7. 4. I believe, that in the Godhead, there are three persons or subsistances. "There are three that bear record in heaven: the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost.' 1 Jn. v. 7. [see also] Ge. i. 26. ch. iii. 22. ch. xi. 7. and Is. vi. 8. 5. I believe, that these three are in nature, essence, and eternity, equally one. These three are one.' 1 Jn. v. 7. 9. I believe, that those that die impenitent, shall be tormented with the devil and his angels, and shall be cast with them into the lake that burneth with fire and brimstone.' Re. xxi. 8. 'Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.' Mar. ix. 43, 48. [see also] Mat. xxv. 41, 46. Jn. v. 29. 10. I believe, that because God is naturally holy and just, even, as he is good and merciful; therefore, all having sinned, none can be saved, without the means of a redeemer. Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. Job xxxiii. 24. We have redemption through his blood, even the forgiveness of sins.' Col. i. 14. For which without | firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, shedding of blood, is no remission.' He. ix. 22. and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn. And there were in the same country shepherds - keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes lying in a manger.' Lu. ii. 7—12. Again, 12. I believe, that the great reason why the Lord, the second person in the Godhead, did clothe himself with our flesh and blood, was that he might be capable of obtaining the redemption, that beforeBut while he thought on these things, behold, the the world, was intended for us. Forasmuch then angel of the Lord appeared unto him; saying, as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto also himself likewise took part of the same; (mark) | thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in that through death he might destroy him that had her is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring the power of death, that is, the devil; and deliver forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: them who through fear of death, were all their for he shall save his people from their sins. Now lifetime subject to bondage.' He. ii. 14, 15. When all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which the fulness of time was come, God sent forth his was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall redeem them that were under the law.' Ga. iv. 4, 5. bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Wherefore it behoved him in all things to be Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with made like unto his brethren, and that he might us.' Mat. i. 21, 22. be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.' He. ii. 17, 18. Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree: That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through [faith in] Jesus Christ.' Ga. iii. 13, 14. 13. I believe, that the time when he clothed himself with our flesh, was in the days of the reign of Caesar Augustus; then, I say, and not till then, was the Word 'made flesh,' or clothed with our nature. Jn. i. 14. 1 Ti. iii. 16. And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Cæsar Augustus, that all the world should be taxed. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered.' Lu. ii. 1, 4-6. This child was he of whom godly Simeon was told by the Holy Ghost, when he said, That he should not see death until he had seen the Lord's Christ. ver. 25-27. 14. I believe, therefore, that this very child, as afore is testified, is both God and man; the Christ of the living God. 'And she brought forth her 15. I believe, therefore, that the righteousness, and redemption, by which we that believe, stand just before God, as saved from the curse of the law, is the righteousness, and redemption, that consists in the personal acts and performances of this child Jesus; this God-man the Lord's Christ: it consisteth, I say, in his personal fulfilling the law for us, to the utmost requirement of the justice of God. Think not (saith he) that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.' Mat. v. 17. By which means he became the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.' Ro. x. 4. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh.' Ro. viii. 3. So finishing transgressions, and making an end of sins, and making reconciliation for iniquity, He brought in everlasting righteousness. 1 Jn. iii. 8. 2 Ti. i. 9. He. x. 5—10. Da. ix. 24. 16. I believe, that for the completing of this work, he was always sinless; He. iv. 15. did always the things that pleased God's justice, Jn. viii. 29. that every one of his acts, both of doing and suffering, and rising again from the dead, was really and infinitely perfect, being done by him as God-man: He. vii. 26-28. wherefore his acts before he died, are called, the righteousness of God,' Ro. iii. 21, 22. his blood, the blood of God,' Ac. xx. 28. and hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us,' 1 Jn. ii, 16. The Godhead which gave |