Bunyan, John, 1628-1688 -- Criticism and interpretation
The princes of this world establish churches sometimes out of piety and
sometimes out of policy. Sometimes their motive is the good of their
people and the glory of God, and sometimes their sole motive is to
buttress up their own Royal House, and to have a clergy around them on
whom they can count. Prince Emmanuel had His motive, too, in setting up
an establishment in Mansoul. As thus: When this was over, the Prince
sent again for the elders of the town and communed with them about the
ministry that He intended to establish in Mansoul. Such a ministry as
might open to them and might instruct them in the things that did concern
their present and their future state. For, said He to them, of
yourselves, unless you have teachers and guides, you will not be able to
know, and if you do not know, then you cannot do the will of My Father.
At this news, when the elders of Mansoul brought it to the people, the
whole town came running together, and all with one consent implored His
Majesty that He would forthwith establish such a ministry among them as
might teach them both law and judgment, statute and commandment, so that
they might be documented in all good and wholesome things. So He told
them that He would graciously grant their requests and would straightway
establish such a ministry among them.
Now, I will not enter to-night on the abstract benefits of such an
Establishment. I will rather take one of the ministers who was presented
to one of the parishes of Mansoul, and shall thus let you see how that
State Church worked out practically in one of its ministers at any rate.
And the preacher and pastor I shall so take up was neither the best
minister in the town nor the worst; but, while a long way subordinate to
the best, he was also by no means the least. The Reverend Mr. Conscience
was our parish minister's name; his people sometimes called him The
Recorder.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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