Authors, English -- Early modern, 1500-1700 -- Biography; Bunyan, John, 1628-1688; Christian literature, English; Christian literature, English -- History and criticism; Puritans -- England -- Biography
As a farther illustration of Bunyan's sentiments on this subject,
we give the following letter to the church at Braintree:--
'The 7th of the Twelfth Month, 1676 (Feb. 1677).
'The church of Christ in and about Bedford, to the church of Christ
in and about Braintree, sendeth greeting,
'Holy and beloved--We, fellow-heirs with you of the grace of life,
having considered your request concerning our honoured and beloved
brother, Samuel Hensman: that he shall be given up to you for
your mutual edification, and his furtherance and joy of faith; and
considering also, in the capacity he now standeth by reason of
his habitation amongst you, his edification is to be from you, not
from us--he being, by God's providence (by which he disposeth the
world), placed at such a distance from us. And considering, also,
the great end of Christ our Lord, in ordaining the communion of
saints, is his glory in their edification, and that all things are
to be done by his command to the edification of the body in general,
and of every member in particular, and that this we oft (ought?)
to design in our receiving him, and giving up to other churches,
and not to please ourselves: do as before God and the elect angels,
grant and give up to you our elect brother, to be received by you
in the Lord, and to be nourished, in the church at Braintree, with
you as one that is dear to the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ;
and this we the willinger do, because, as we are informed concerning
you, beloved, you are not rigid in your principles, but are for
communion with saints as saints, and have been taught by the Word
to receive the brotherhood, because they are beloved, and received
of the Father and the Son, to whose grace we commend you, with
the brother of late a member with us, but now one of you. Grace be
with you all. Written by the appointment of the church here, and
subscribed, in her name, by your brethren, as followeth:--
John Bunyan
Sam. Fenn. Oliver Stot.
John Fenn. Thomas Cooper.
Luke Astwood. John Croker.
The late Mr. Kilpin of Bedford considered the whole of this letter
to be entered in the minutes in Bunyan's hand-writing.
There is also in the church book the copy of a letter, in 1674,
addressed to the 'church sometime walking with our brother Jesse,'
refusing to dismiss to them Martha Cumberland, unless they were
certified that they continued in the practice of mixed communion.
In these sentiments Bunyan lived and died. His church remains
the same to the present day. In the new, commodious, and handsome
meeting-house, opened in 1850, there is a baptistery, frequently
used. The present minister, the amiable and talented John Jukes,
baptizes infants, and receives the assistance of a neighbouring
Baptist minister to baptize adults.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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