John 1628-1688 Bunyan

BUNYAN, JOHN (1628-1688). To the Puritan children of former days, Pil grim's Progress' had all the adventurous action and romance of a fairy tale, and was at the same time a sound religious allegory. Its author was born near Bed ford, England, and like his father was brought up to the trade of tinker, or mender of small metal wares. Before his religious conversion he was very fond of dancing on the village green. playing at " tip-cat," and ringing the church bells— things he afterward thought sinful. He served in the Parliamentary army for some time during the English Civil War, while only 17 years old.

After the war he married a poor girl and became deeply interested in religion.

Following a period of inner religious struggles, he joined the newly arising sect of Baptists and began to preach to the poor people in the villages around Bed ford. Getting into discussions with the Quakers, another new sect of that time, in 1656 he published a book against them.

When the Restoration in 1660 brought back the established English church to power, Bunyan was imprisoned for his religious opinions.

Altogether he was in prison 12 years, though he was continually told that he would be set free if he would give up preaching; to which he replied: "If you let me go today, I will preach again tomorrow." He sup ported himself and family while in prison by making lace, the remainder of his time being spent in reading the Bible, preaching to the other prisoners, and writ ing religious papers and books. He was finally re leased in 1672, preached for three years, was again put in prison, and was let out six months later.

It was while he was in prison the second time or even earlier that Bunyan wrote Pilgrim's Progress'.

This work at once became famous and has since been translated into nearly a hundred languages. Its author could not guess that it was a masterpiece of English literature, for of English literature he knew nothing. The remainder of his life was spent as pastor of the Bedford Baptists, and as one of the recognized leaders of the independent religious sects for the whole of England.